First Review. What a pretty tea! I must comment that of all the tea that comes into my kitchen tea cupboard, so far Butiki has probably the loveliest looking tea! This tea has very large golden flowers! If you have a glass pot or gaiwan, it is worth it to watch this brew and give the leaves some steeping room.
I steeped 3.5 min. and noticed there wasn’t a huge burst of fragrance. No big Pear smell announcing a gaudy artificial shout to drink a cup of tea. This is one of those tea’s you have to settle down and think about.
My first sip proved a bit flat. Like a Pear that had not fully ripened. A Bosc Pear with a hint of cinnamon from the skin.
Not fooling around with tasting a whole cup of flat tea, I added sweetening which immediately elevated the taste to ripeness and more delicious Bosc Pear.
I think that the addition of star anise is so subtle in this tea that instead of a licorice taste (which some may find here) the anise is exactly that spicy, dry and just short of bitter skin taste that you get from a Bosc Pear! (One reason I love to eat these pears is the spiciness and they are exceptional with smoked blue cheese! )
The floral note in the tea is faintly reminiscent of wildflower honey.
This is a smooth white tea, nice fruit and spice without being too bold. I would think that this is a good tea for afternoon sipping on a sunny day.
