Zen Tea

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Recent Tasting Notes

89

Ahhhhhhh….. sweet serenity.

On stressful days White Jasmine Rose knows what I need. So relaxing. And such a pretty tea with the green of the Bai Mu Dan and the pink and red rose petals. This jasmine and rose offering from ZenTea brings me back to center.

Gotta have compassion for myself. It’s hard being a being.

Rachel J

Your notes always make me chuckle. Thanks.

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82
drank China Keemun by Zen Tea
437 tasting notes

This tea brews to the colour of maple wood.smells a little like something that has been treated with mild hickory smoke, mixed with chocolate and dried figs. It tastes of charred sweet potatoe, a touch of cocoa and a faint suggestion of smoke with an aftertaste like dried fig. A Sweet initial flavour is followed by a freshening tingle in the mouth, with little to no bitterness. The tea is fairly smooth. It leaves a tingling on the lips and under the tongue. Pleasant. The first time I had this it tasted very smoky, I think I overleafed it that time. This time I reduced the leaf and I quite enjoyed it.

This is my first unflavoured Keemum, so I am unable to speak about how well it represents it type, however it was enjoyable enough that I would like to try some more.

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The package says to steep this tea at 93C/203F, and I definitely poured in boiling water. Oops. Luckily, this package Cavocorax sent me has a few more rounds of Darjeeling to play with.

This one is more malty than the other Second Flush’s I had, and also has more of a cocoa overtone. I love the floral-sweet finish Darjeeling seems to have. It’s a little astringent mid-sip but it’s not like biting into a citrus rind, and it mellows out a bit into that floral sweetness that I like so much.

Looking at all the classification information for Darjeeling tea makes my head spin. I don’t think I’m going to be able to tell the difference anytime soon.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec

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91
drank Coconut green by Zen Tea
437 tasting notes

I’m not a huge fan of coconut but I do really like this tea. The dry leaves are long, deep green, and very fresh looking. They are covered with a generous scattering of small flakes of coconut that are absorbing the colour of the sencha. The tea smells strongly of fresh coconut.

The brewed tea smells of a less sweet version of coconut squares, both sweet and of cooked fresh coconut. It brews to a deep yellow. The first flavour notes are a top note of nutty coconut meat, followed by a sweetness that hints of marzipan.

The Tea base is at first silky, with a flavour that adds to the teas sweetness and which is followed by a refreshing aftertaste and a tingling on the tongue. The flavour of the tea blends with the
coconut leaving just a hint of something savory and vegetal. This tea has a strong sweet coconut flavour.

During the second steep the coconut flavour is unchanged and present but the sweet green tea base is more present and softens the coconut and there is a faint bitterness and a hint of fresh green leafy vegetables. This tea holds up to around 5 steeps if one is careful with steeping time and brewing temperature.

This is a great tea for those who enjoy coconut and who value a well presented simplicity in there blends.

Preparation
0 min, 45 sec

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90
drank Cherry Rose Organic by Zen Tea
437 tasting notes

When I smell this tea brewed it always reminds me of two things, cherry soda crossed with cream soda, and babysoft perfume.

Having said that it is a really nice tea for those who enjoy floral cherry senchas and like all of the Zen Tea green teas I have had it comes to you incredible fresh tasting. I like that for this tea I was provided with harvest dates and provenance.

The dry leaf was quite pretty a bright rich green sencha scattered with rose petals. The dry leaf smelled about the same as the brewed but the brewed tea does smell sweeter.

The sencha underneath the tea is quite sweet, with little to no astringency. The tea has a medium body, and has a sense of thickness and creaminess in the mouth.

A sweet cherry flavour is prominent followed by a clean green flavour which is very slightly grassy, followed by a spicy floral taste from the rose, The rose doesn’t seem to be adding the bitterness I find it can add at some times. All of these flavours are neatly distinguishable from eah other and as it cools the tea base comes more to the fore front.

This tea resteeps well. I have resteeped it up to 5 times before and it keeps a consistent flavour for the first three steepings, at least, before it starts to change.

I don’t find that it tastes medicinal like some people report with cherry teas if anything the rose can make it taste a little powdery but the cherry is sweet enough that I dont feel like I am tasting perfume. It leaves an aftertaste like the one I get after eating black cherries. This is a nice example of this classic flavour.

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88

SO I got this in a trade with Tea Sipper a looooooooong time ago. Really long. Really. Thankfully it has aged well and is still super good. Rooibos is not woody tasting and mint and chocolate, with added sweetener, make this like drinking a girl scout cookie. Yum.

Reminder to self if I buy this again: Use a finer filter. Rooibos attacking the tonsils is not pleasant.

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more 3 tsp 25 OZ / 750 ML
Fjellrev

I’ve been using David’s paper filters and it has been working like a charm.

Starfevre

I never think of paper filters (and I have some) until after the fact.

tea-sipper

Good to know this one is still good! Teabags would make any rooibos much better though.

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88

This tea is from Tea Sipper!

So I finally think I’m developing a taste for rooibos, after so many of forcing myself to drink it because I liked the flavours it was mixed with. There is nothing about this tea that I do not like. It tastes strongly minty, but not in a bad way and it blends really well with the rooibos nutty flavour that I always hear people talking about but have never picked up on myself. The chocolate is more subdued, not really upfront about itself, in the background. This is an interesting addition to my collection of chocolate mint teas because I love them and this one is no exception

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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drank Toffee Dream by Zen Tea
1429 tasting notes

The dry blend smells of caramel and the liquor smells of my roommate’s Indonesian coffee candies (they taste vaguely like a TH double double). The taste is a combination of a watered down version of those coffee candies, nuts, and dry grass- like the grass that has gone golden and brittle after a long hot summer. Not that much toffee.

Edit- after trying to drink a pot of this tea, with the result of me dumping most of it, I guess I’m going to have to come to terms with the fact that I don’t like this one in the slightest. I feel awful about it. :(

I guess that flavour has it’s own appeal and place, but I don’t feel particularly won over by it. Thanks, Cavocorax, for the chance to try this!

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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82

Not very minty, not very pu-ehy. But overall enjoyed it. I’m more a fan of orange pu-erhs though. Will definitely try this again soon though. Sample from KallieBoo!

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 30 sec
KallieBoo!

This is one of my favorites!!

yappychappy

82 is a good score in my books. I don’t think I brewed it with water fully boiling for some reason.. will be trying it again. 82 is a good score in my books..

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82

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96
drank Teardrop of Peony by Zen Tea
437 tasting notes

Teardrop of Peony, is a complex flavoured white with a mao feng base that brews to dark gold and whoose scent and flavour reminds me of late fall or early spring in the forest or countryside.

It smells of smoke, lemon, nuts (walnut) , pine, and peony. It taste rich. The tea has a creamy, nutty base, which leaves a tingling sensation in the mouth at each sip. The lychee/ citrus flavour reminds me of some earl greys, and may make a replacement for those moving away from black teas. It taste a bit of pine and smoke.

The tea generally leaves me feeling really alert whether this is due to lychee, or whether the tea simply has a higher level of caffeine than other whites that I have tried I don’t know.

There is an aftertaste of floral spice from the peony, and nut. The tea tastes more citrusy than sweet. The dry leaf is very beautiful with twisted ropes of light grey (almost white), dark grey and yellow/green leaves interspersed with large dried red peoney flower petals.

The tea rebrews really well with flavour lasting into the fifth infusion. The nuttiness disperses after the second or third. A fairly unique tea and a nice step away from the either the soft and silky or fruity unadulterated whites, or the very soft and flowery, or fruity flavoured whites I’ve had.

I really like this tea and would like to keep it in my cupboard.

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94
drank Strawberry Cream by Zen Tea
437 tasting notes

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94
drank Strawberry Cream by Zen Tea
437 tasting notes

As others have already noted this is a really lovely flavoured tea where all the components, both tea and flavouring are allowed to shine through.

It is not heavily sweet, it has a nice creamy flavour and has the soft strawberry tones of a srawberry mousse or yogurt. This is not a tart fruit tea for those who prefer them. The introduction of strawberry leaves adds a touch of bitterness and adds some depth to the base. The tea underneath is fruity and not to heavy but has enough depth to take milk. A nice anytime tea or a light desert tea.

caveat: make sure you shake up the bag a little before taking a scoop out the pieces that create the creamy taste tend to settle to the bottom if the bag has been jostled around!

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 2 min, 45 sec

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82
drank Vanilla black tea by Zen Tea
437 tasting notes

The dry leaf smell actually reminds me of bitter chocolate. Brewed, the tea base is full bodied and slightly bitter. A faint vanilla scent, makes for a slightly sweet black tea. Tasted with no additives, the flavouring is very light but present, there is no very distinct taste of vanilla when first sipped, the vanilla is lightly present in the aftertaste, almost as a top note to the flavour of the tea base, true vanilla smell, not cloying, artificial, or sweet. I taste vanilla in the back of my mouth. The tea actually reminds me of vanilla scented dark chocolate. Makes for a nice slightly sweet flavoured tea, for those who prefer the taste of tea to be dominant in their flavoured teas and for flavourings to be used to accentate the tea base. I like the base it is strong deep and leaves a tingling on my tongue and the back of my throat like espresso. It resteeps well.

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71

I made this for my evening pot and it sure turned into such a pretty red brew. Unfortunately, that means it’s laced with hibiscus. :|

I did know that going in though. As expected it’s pretty tart, and I’m only getting a bit of creamy strawberry under all that. It’s almost ok though? I bet if I had it iced it would be much better.

Thanks ozli for letting me try this!

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 15 sec
Fjellrev

I am continuously baffled by how common hibiscus is in tisanes, yet not many people even like it.

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62
drank Strawberry Cream by Zen Tea
1598 tasting notes

Office sipdown!
21 to go and I’m at 100 teas again!

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34
drank Evening Lights - herb by Zen Tea
299 tasting notes

Soooo, this is not a tea for me! Smells amazing (I love the SMELL of chamomile but rarely the taste), but the sweetness is like a punch in the face, augh, but then there’s a really lovely minty aftertaste! But you have to make it through the cloying sweetness first…

TeaLady441

Hmm. That’s disappointing. Glad I didn’t order any.

Ozli

I’ll send you some/all?, maybe you’ll have a different experience! Or pass it along, if you don’t? I had to try it, though. :D

TeaLady441

Sure. I’ll give it a shot. Am saving Swiss Mountain and Cotton Candy for you too! Did I ever send you S’mores?

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90
drank Earl Grey Cream by Zen Tea
299 tasting notes

Yum! Goood morning steepsters! Steepster-ers? Need caffeine. _ My fluffiest cat woke me up REPEATEDLY this morning, while my oldest/most stubborn cat repeatedly sandwiched my legs in every time I moved. The thing that actually got me out of bed was wondering where smallest cat was? …it was too quiet. Well not QUIET because fluffiest cat. She is the most mournful.

…this has been your morning cat report.

This tea is kinda zingy behind the cream! I like it a lot.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec
Kittenna

Haha, cute!

TeaLady441

I just realised I haven’t had this one before! I guess I confused it with Murchie’s EGC. Maybe I’ll have to put in a Zen Tea order after all…. /0\

But seriously – the sample sizes are SO CHEAP.

Ozli

Not cute, Kittenna!! :P OK, yeah, totally cute, the jerks. :D

LOL, I’m already making notes toward my next Zen order… ;)

Kittenna

LOL not only is the scenario cute, but your wording, etc. made me laugh immensely. Fluffiest cat=most mournful. Hahahaha. I feel like I could have written something similar about my two kitties when they were still around.

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90
drank Earl Grey Cream by Zen Tea
299 tasting notes

This is a super lovely tea for when you want a black tea that’s way more mellow than EG. Yum. ((not a HINT of curry, wtf, now I kinda really want a curry-ish tea though. I was so sick when that curry taste happened, haha, I want a curry-ish tea without being sick!))

TeaLady441

Curry is teas,eh? Sounds interesting! I bet Butiki could do it well.

Ozli

there are a lot of masala chais around, so I’m thinking it must exist! will try those for sho

Kittenna

Butter Truffles (various companies) definitely tastes like…. some savoury sort of curry-ish thing! IIRC.

Ozli

Oooh. Thanks for the tip! :)!

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40
drank Toffee Dream by Zen Tea
15006 tasting notes

So I’m thankful to zen tea for letting me try this one out. It’s got a nutty, creamy toffee flavour and I can see why people enjoy this. It’s just not for me. :) I really appreciate the sample and I’m glad I got the chance to try it, but its just not a tea flavour that appeals me even though its a nice tea. Leaving a rating off since I think this is more of a personal I don’t like the flavour than a “this is a bad tea” :)

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81
drank Toffee Dream by Zen Tea
1759 tasting notes

Toffee. White tea. What could go wrong? not much! I’m liking this sample. Thanks to Kittenna/Sil for sharing!
Very smooth and intense on the caramel. I love that it’s so well balanced.
The second infusion wasn’t quite as tasty, a hair plasticky. Making me hesitant to try a third. But… I will gladly finish off the rest of the sample!

Kittenna

I thiiiiink this was from me. I know I brought my bag to share, and pretty sure you took some. It tasted plasticky to me as well, iirc.

Indigobloom

Sounds about right!! I am never sure where the original comes from, our group tends to share teas so much! :)

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82
drank Coconut Oolong by Zen Tea
299 tasting notes

At first I thought this was just weird cold, but I kinda really love it now. It’s strange, the mix of “cold” and “buttery” though.

Preparation
Iced
TeaLady441

I really should try it iced some time! I was also sorta tempted to pick up more because it’s 30% off right now… but I’ve got enough tea. :)

Ozli

that IS tempting!

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82
drank Coconut Oolong by Zen Tea
299 tasting notes

Drinking the last bit of this, very nice & light this time. :D Making the rest into cold-brewed tea; we’ll see how that goes. Trying to drink down my teas from swaps!

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82
drank Coconut Oolong by Zen Tea
299 tasting notes

I’m working hard to like this tea, because cavocorax likes it so much. :P I actually do like it a lot more today, I don’t know why. Maybe I’m used to the smell of oolong. ALSO, the bowl of strawberries does not hurt. Doctor Who night!!

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 5 min, 0 sec
TeaLady441

It’s a scary looking one too! :O

And no pressure to like it. It’s ok if it’s not your thing – I’ve converted a few others to it so I don’t need to bother you.

(Oh – not only will I send you that Vicki’s tea, there’s a Butiki sampler pack on it’s way to you!)

Ozli

ORLY?! <333!

It’s just that I love coconut sfm!! And I had to fight my brain so hard to like oolongs because of the first one I had being scorched and nauseating :P :P

TeaLady441

:P Well hopefully your brain can get over that. Stupid associations…

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