Ottawa Tea

Mmmmmm….this was a winner. Elder son and I enjoyed some last night. The tea smells amazing when you open the bag. Is this really a tea, or a packaged tropical party waiting to happen? The visual appeal of the pineapple chunks and coconut flakes is superb. I wanted to eat them whole, but didn’t want to lose out in my tea. So I was good and didn’t num them right up before brewing a pot.

Sipping this tea really does take you to a beach somewhere. It reminded me of the endless pina coladas at caribean resorts, only lighter, and more refreshing ( and more appropriate in the middle of Canadian winter). For an enjoyable tisane, I’d drink ths any day! And with that, I ordered another four teas from Frank. I know I won’t be disappointed.

Major edit. My palate is not working — darn cold! Apparently when I brewed this, my colleague definitely had choco aroma drifting over…so I suspect I will be double-choco-wowed when my nose returns!

Hmm. Not quite sure about this one. It wasn’t what I had expected , but once I got over that, it was quite an enjoyable cup. I experienced the roasted, the cocoa nibs (but not so much choco as cocoa), missed the malt, but enjoyed the toasty warm, energizing unexpected cup I was left with. I also have a cold this week, though, so I may update this if my palate has a different opinion next week! Still worth it, especially as an alternative to coffee.

Lovely. I savoured this tea as my second milk oolong. The scent was heady, milky and rich. I’m still amazed that a tea plant can produce this. First infusion was highly aromatic, and lightly flavoured of creamy milk, sweet vanilla, and a subtle floral. My son, who was tasting this with me, giggled and exclaimed “Wow.” From the 17 year old 6 foot giant, it was a great reaction.

Second infusion and the scent is still coming on strong. The liquor is richer, and the feel on my tongue is heavy, like a light syrup and not a tea.

Third infusion and the floral is coming out more, the cream is subsiding in taste (but not scent, it continues to dominate the scent profile of this tea).

Heaven. This is wonderful complex tea to be savored thoughtfully. Better than dessert!

Mmmm….wow! I bought some of this today at the Westboro Ottawa shop. The smell of the tea was heady and aromatic in the store. I couldn’t quite believe this was unscented, as the tea had a delicious condensed milk smell with very little green to it. A colleague at work came up with the same description “condensed milk” without prompting. Maybe we’re psychic…or maybe it is just very accurate.

This evening I pulled it out and started steeping. The first infusion was very pale and very fragrant, although the liquor was not nearly as full bodied as the aroma. I expect this often on a first infusion, and I was looking forward to the second.

Second infusion – WOW, This was it. A delicious, sweet, milky oolong like you’ve never tasted. Some floral coming through as undertones, but primarily sweet, milk, and some caramel. The liquor is rich and coats your mouth like a good scotch.

I’m now on infusion three, and the milkiness has yet to betray me. I may be in love. swoon

My only criticism – the steep time on the bag is far too long and it doesn’t mention multiple infusions. (Mine was about 90 s to 2 min at 90 C – ipad is not happy with the slider bars below).

Very nice. Golden liquor. Vegetal notes.