The Jade Teapot

Decupboarding this one from a big pitcher of coldbrewed tea with a bit of simple syrup. Although I like this one hot, it really shines when cold.

This makes a great tea latte during the first infusion. Later infusions are great just by themselves!

I’m revisiting this one today! It is very, very odd for me to pick an oolong, or really any non-black tea, for breakfast – but this was calling my name. It was a good choice too! I love the first infusion with its sweet biscuit-esque thing it has going on. I was a bit heavy handed with the milk though so it isn’t as good as it could be. I’m looking forward to more tasty infusions today!

Prepared gongfu style in a beautiful blue and white gaiwan.

1st infusion – 30 sec
Strong, dark flavors, slightly bitter but definitely drinkable

2nd infusion – 25 sec
Much the same profile as the first infusion, but smoother with hints of orange becoming more prevalent

3rd infusion – 45 sec
More floral aroma, the crisp, earthy dark oolong flavor is starting to emerge with the orange pushed to the end of the sip and the aftertaste. This infusion is quite lovely and easy to drink.

4th infusion – 50 sec
Again, very floral aroma. The oolong and orange seem to equally share the stage in this infusion which is the most balanced so far.

5th infusion – 1 min
Round and flavorful. Delicious and well balanced in flavor.

6th infusion – 1 min 15 sec
Aroma is now of orange and the dark oolong flavor is back! Orange is not present in the flavor of the tea, just in the aroma.

7th infusion – 1min 25 sec
Good but very mild flavor. I think this oolong is at its breaking point but I’m very pleased with the number and quality of infusions today.

I’m drinking this again today while attempting to get some schoolwork done. The end of this semester is really starting to catch up with me, it seems like all of my classes saved a huge assignment for the very end….

I’ve been steadily drinking this all day. I typically haven’t loved the 1st and 2nd infusions because they are a bit harsh, but I added honey and milk (the tiniest amounts each) to those infusions and it tasted like a slightly sweet biscuit….so good, in fact, that the 1st and 2nd may now be my favorite infusions. I am currently on infusion number 5 and I think this is the last one…it is a bit weaker in flavor and I am ready for a different tea, possibly an herbal. 4-5 infusions is still a good number for this tea though. Quite impressive.

4th infusion, 6 minutes. This infusion has a more baked quality while having less of a black tea taste. It reminds me more of a hearty green tea with a slightly toasted rice sort of flavor creeping through with the orange. The tea is still pretty sweet like the last infusion, but I think this one is my favorite so far. I bet this tea could go on for quite awhile, so more notes to come.

3rd infusion, 5 minutes. By this time, the orange curls have unfolded a bit and are now making more of a presence in the taste of this tea. It is still backed by a nice black tea flavor, but the orange has taken over center stage. As a result, the tea is slightly sweeter at this infusion. There is a slight peppery taste coming through similar to what you expect to find in a Yunnan.

2nd infusion, 4 minutes. I know my plan for separate tasting notes for this tea were due to the differences in multiple steeps, however, this second steep is quite similar to the first. It is slightly less robust, but still mainly a black tea flavor without much of the orange coming through. This steep is more drinkable in my opinion due to the smoother characteristic that develops.

1st steep, 3 minutes. I wanted something simple, that didn’t require any fuss or additives. So I’m going with this. The dry leaf is very thin and almost wirey with curled orange pieces throughout. The first infusion of this is almost like a plain black tea. I can taste very little orange, but the oolong base is quite nice. Almost a bit harsh, but not astringent. The brew has a bakey type scent which is lovely. Since I realized that each steep of this tea was fairly different I will be making separate tasting notes throughout the day.

SIPDOWN #1 for today!!!

This was alright…no stars in it tho. It had a caramel type taste to it today…maybe it was the vanilla. Regardless, the flavor was STRONG!

My first review featured a STAR…this review is starless…not saying it isn’t good…it just doesn’t have a star in it! LOL (See previous review)

For the review minus the star…

I can smell and taste the vanilla a bit more this time around…not sure why…

It’s a nice gentle yet true black taste and I can actually taste both the black and the white teas which still surprises me…I thought the black tea tea would over power the white…

I like this one just fine…

I received 6 samples today…this is my first attempt. I DID have 1 star in mine. I have enough for 2 cups so I am starting out with the star in the first cup! I don’t think it smells like vanilla as others have mentioned. Mine seems to be a more wet-wood smell with something Unidentifiable. BUT…it does TASTE like vanilla. I can also taste the black tea and a hint of the white, I suppose, but barely there, really. It’s dark brown in color and a very even taste. I like it just fine. I would probably put this in my stash for stand-bye’s – if I had more than 1 cup left. Yup! This is pretty good.

had the last tsp of this at work today in my kati with hot spigot water and about 3 minutes steep and some sugar, nice mild afternoon tea

Iced Tea – cold brew
took spent leaves from hot brew iced tea, poured in 3 cups cold water and stuck in fridge overnight
drank with a splash of mango torani syrup – needed a bit more mango but it was a nice smooth iced black tea with a hint of natural sweetness

Iced Tea!
4 tsp leaf, 3 cup boiling water
poured over ice
added 2 tablespoons bacon torani syrup
a bit too much bacon (who would have thought!)
next time i’ll try 2 teaspoons

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 tsp
Water: 1 zarafina cup
Tool: Zarafina black-loose-medium
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: chocolate, nut, tea, something else I can’t identify
Steeped Tea Smell: sweet black tea
Flavor: astringent, nutty, black tea
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: astringent, a touch bitter
Liquor: translucent dark reddish-brown

There was not high star frequency in the tin. I think 1/3 of my cups may get one? So the picture is a bit misleading.

The taste however is smooth and very pleasant. I very much enjoyed this tea.

I did not pick up the vanilla, I think my taste buds need a reset / recalibration :( I have been missing it while MilitiaJim has been spotting it lately.

I prepared this while running around getting ready for work. I have been trying to wake up early enough to review one tea each day before work, but I am not a morning person. Thank goodness for the zarafina, it takes care of the tea while I work on packing lunch and everything else.

Post-Steep Additives: German rock sugar
Sweet tea, hint of nuts and coco

I took a few sips and then went back to getting ready for work.

Resteep: Zarafina black-loose-medium
I started this immediately after pouring the first steep off. The second steep was the same as the first steep, after assessing this I then mixed the two together into my travel mug and then ran to the train.

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/04/jade-teapot-loose-leaf-black-tea-starry.html

Apparently I’m drinking this. Liz got a sample from Kristin and shared a cup with me.

I can’t taste the slightest hint of orange, here. But for me, that’s a good thing.

This is a pretty good oolong to be getting used in a flavored tea.

I am starting to wonder if any of the teas from this company are actually flavored. This one tastes like an okay cup of oolong, and that’s about it. Thankfully, I don’t mind oolong and am enjoying the change from some of the exotically flavored teas in my cupboard, but this isn’t what I was expecting. Even concentrating, I can’t detect any orange in this “blend” at all.

Perfect for right before bed (or so I thought)- and the ingredients looked just sweet enough to satisfy my sweet tooth as I try to cut down on refined sugar. I love coconut and orange peel, but the rest scared me because hibiscus can go either way for me (Ever tried Trader Joe’s dried hibiscus flowers? They’re so addictive!) Brewed, the coconut is by far the strongest component- I can even see coconut oil floating on the surface of the water. (Ew). The tart hibiscus lingers in the background, but mostly I taste oily coconut. Not what I want from an herbal blend, or any coconut tea for that matter.

My sample was starless too! :(

But even with its lack of stars, the black tea itself is yummy. It tastes very vanilla-creamy, almost like a buttermint! There is a woodsy, smoky aftertaste that is not unpleasant and seems to add some depth.

Very, very smooth. With little astringency and only a hint of bitterness. An exceptional tea to enjoy with something sweet at breakfast—preferably french toast with lots of cinnamon (freshly grated), butter and maple syrup!

But -1 because of absent stars!

Er… I do like rooibos by itself. It’s a taste that brings me a sort of peace. But If I want plain-tasting rooibos I won’t bother with a blend that claims to be caramel apple. I could taste essentially none of the flavoring- it was just blah, bland. I’m not sure anyone actually remembered to put it in!
Oh well, I’ll enjoy my plain rooibos, and I can only give it so low of a rating for that reason.

This seems so “Easter-y”. It brews up a pretty reddish-pink and the scent is very fresh and fruity—a harbinger of Spring! The rose and raspberry aromas are beautiful together.

But all I seem to taste is the tart hibiscus! Here and there, the apple manages to peak through followed by a haze of candied rose petals and a splattering of raspberries. But the hibiscus domineers.

I don’t mind hibiscus, though—I find it very refreshing and uplifting. But I want more of that delicious sugary rose!