A review of Bossa Nova Oolong Tea Flavoured by Zen Tea
Company: Zen Tea
Tea Name: Bossa Nova Oolong tea flavoured
Tea Type/Varietal: Oolong
Region: China
Steeping Vessel/Amt. Leaf: cup/ loose leaf
Plucking Season:
Liquor Color: dark reddish brown
Leaf Characteristics: the leaves are small and finely curled with bits of the hazelnut brittle which smelled more like cocoa or naturally unprocessed cocoa kind of bitterness.
- Steepings
1st Steeping:
Water temperature: 200 Fahrenheit
Time: 5 minutes
The oolongs I have had from Zen Tea have all been wonderfully clean and pure. I understand that this is a popular blend but unfortunately for me it is not. I steeped this tea for five minutes with boiled water; removing the tea leaves which are plumper but still small leaves. The teas’ aroma is very lovely as it is a robust and flavorful aroma almost coffee like. The hazelnut brittles mixed with the vanilla is heady indeed. But when sipping the tea it is mildly bitter; like naturally pure cocoa and with the vanilla bean it makes it even more so.
Since I don’t add anything to my teas usually, but adding milk or cream with sweetener might make this a more enjoyable cup of tea.
2nd Steeping:
Water temperature: 200 Fahrenheit
Time: 3 minutes
I am trying for another cup of this tea steeped for a few minutes and the aroma is as before very enjoyable and when sipping of tea the astringency found in the tea’s mixture of vanilla bean and hazelnut brittle still exists.
The tea is layered nicely with the vanilla and hazelnut brittle tantalizing the taste buds and if one prefers their teas with milk/cream and sugar than this tea is ideally for this. Since I prefer plainer tea, I find this oolong to be too much like that of a black tea than an oolong. Aside from the Magnolia Oolong I would prefer and enjoy this oolong best if it were a true oolong and not passing for black tea.
I mean I don’t like this tea, but this tea is well suited for those favoring black teas.
