Black Currant Bai Mu Dan

In my husband’s words, “Wow, what is this? It’s super tasty!” Best tea reaction yet. I’m finding that I really like 52teas’ bai mu dan. I don’t know where he gets it, but it’s chocolatey and sun dried grass. Good stuff. The currant flavoring is is quite nice. I do love black currant. Too bad the fruit isn’t more prominent here in the U.S. There’s a bit of artificial flavor here, but it’s not too strong.

I cold brewed this overnight. I was visiting my mom yesterday and brought her some oolong. I taught her about cold brewing. She had a cup of leaves going in the fridge when I left. :) I think I’ll call later to see how she liked the cold brewing method. It’s really the best in the summer and so energy efficient. :)

Many thanks to Azzrian for sending a sample! I’ve been wanting to try this one.

Edit: emm…I’m going to have to change my rating. Had this after the tea warmed up a bit. Tastes like ground up vitamins. not tasty. Best as a cold tea.

I just watched a really interesting documentary called Objectified. If you have Netflix Instant, it’s only available for another week. It’s about how design has come along and now I am looking at everything wondering why it looks the way it does. Like, I never even considered before…digital cameras don’t use film, so why do we keep them the same rectangular shape as 35mm cameras? I suppose the back display looks all proper then, but you could still place a rectangular screen on an object of a different shape…interesting stuff.

I brewed this earlier and left it in the fridge while my ice maker worked out whatever its little problem was, and I must say this could be in one of my future 52teas orders. I think I have only had currants once, and it was on a pastry that was mostly made up of green tea mousse. So, I really love the flavor of tea and currants, and I think they work better with white than green teas. I have another white tea with currant flavoring but I far prefer this.

It’s sweet enough, but I suppose adding a little sweetener could really crank up the berry flavor. I like it just like it is. It’s a nice mix of white tea and black currant flavor, and it tastes just like those real berries did on the mousse…unlike my other tea.

Thanks, Kittenna!

Deeeeeeeee-licious!!!!!! If you are a black currant fan (I am! I am!) you will love this tea. I never knew I liked black currants so much until I tasted Angrboda’s Raspberry Oolong, and for that I will be forever grateful!!! I kind of feel like they are grown-up sophisticated little raspberries. I am now always seeking them out!

The white tea is delicate and without bitterness, and the black currant addition is just perfect. In the description, it says that twice the amount of currant has been used, which to me tastes exactly right!! It’s fruity but I can still taste tea AND fruit. I didn’t think any sweetener was needed. Wonderful! I think this would be great iced, and I am going to make it for my next iced tea!!!

Steep 2: upped the steeping time to 3 minutes. Very similar to steep #1 (which means it’s still delightfully fruity! YES!

Steep 3: did 3 minutes again. A little less fruity but the tea tastes great!

I am now full of tea but I’m going to save the leaves incase I feel like a post lunch cuppa. Will edit this post!

JacquelineM sent me a sample of this, and I have to say I’m a little bit scared of it. If it’s not awesome, I think I might in fact cry. When asked, I requested a sample because this sounds like it might be in the same fruity category as the Unmentionable Raspberry Oolong of Awesomeness from AC Perch’s, and the base for this one is a favourite too. I’ve been terribly curious about it, but hadn’t got around to buying some myself. So I figured I’d ask for a sample and if I liked it, I could buy some for myself.

Okay. Then, in came 52teas the other day and gave me a free shipping coupon code for my birthday. I’m not actually allowed to buy more tea until I’ve got through some of the stuff I’ve got, but since he was so nice and stuff, it would rude of me to not take advantage of it, right? Right. So I ordered some fruity stuff, this one included.

So now I feel a little bad for asking for a sample and buying it before even getting the sample. And what if I don’t like it? Then I can sit here and wait for an order containing something I already know I don’t like!

ARGH! This is very confusing!

Anyway, there’s only one way to settle all these fears and that’s by making a cup, so that’s what I’ve done. (Also, having just liberated a tin from a mediocre chai concoction, I need something like this to un-sticky-fy my mouth.)

The leaves smell very sweet and fruity. Like ice cream! I feel calmer about the whole thing now. After steeping the aroma is more tea than fruit. I can clearly pick up the base tea here, with the black currant tartiness being a little more controlled. It does indeed remind me a lot of the raspberry oolong.

Oh yes. Oh my Ceiling Cat. Oh YES! This is the stuff. Oh yes oh yes oh yes.

It’s like taking a handful of berries in your mouth and then when you eat them they all have different degrees of ripeness. Some are tartier and some are sweeter and what you get is a sort of mix of this.

That’s what I’m getting on this here. One sip contains the nutty base of the white tea and some sweetness and some tartness and some inbetweenness and everything at the same time. It’s sweet and summerly and I feel almost guilty for having it now when it’s not yet really summer.

It’s totally worth all the initial emo-ing about it. I own this AND the raspberry oolong. I feel pretty darn rich!

Thank you for the sample Kittena! I’ve been curious about this blend for a long time so am really glad to have tried it.
However… this is not the tea for me. I got very little currant flavour in the first steep, but the base was nice but unlike most whites I’ve had it was a bit thick and deeper than what I am accustomed to. Not bad, but different. Some agave helped bring out the black currant though, which was nice. So… that first cup, I’d have given a 78. Pleasant but not what I normally go for.
The second infusion however, was what threw me off. The currant was gone entirely which left the base tea. Smelled like… gym shoes? used ones.
Sad to say, I couldn’t finish the cup.
Overall rating: 68
Oh well, I am glad to know what BCBMD is all about! :)

Backlogging. Last Thursday afternoon.

I’ve waited too long after first trying this tea to write a thorough and good tealog of my initial impressions. So I shall save that for the next time I have this tea and just briefly record my initial impressions.

The dry leaves were large fuzzy whites with a few twigs and lots of black current berries. I don’t know what black currents smell like but the smell was sweet, slightly tart, berry, and just a bit artificial but in a yummy way. It oddly nostalgically reminded me of purple smelly markers from when I was a kid, you know the ones that smelled like foods. I don’t remember much about the wet leaves except that they didn’t have as much scent as I would have expected.

My first steep was very light in color and light in flavor as well but good. I increased the water temperature by 5° for the remaining steeps and that seems to have done the trick. The remaining steeps were darker in color and I could taste both the white tea and the smooth yummy berry flavor. The forth steep was still quite good and I would have gone on steeping if I’d continued to drink more tea at that time.

Next time all the steeps will be at 160° F and I will steep the first steep for the full two minutes. In the future, I might be interested in trying a slightly higher water temperature depending on how that comes out. I might also be interested in trying increasing each steep time by 30 seconds instead of one minute at some point.

I’ve rated this tea a 74 on the higher end of my good range (60-80).

1st steep: 1 min 30 sec. 155° F.
2nd steep: 2 min 30 sec. 160° F.
3rd steep: 3 min 30 sec. 160° F.
4th steep: 4 min 30 sec. 160° F.

I just got this in the mail and immediately brewed a cup. I love it. I don’t know what to say about it other than yum. I am not a white tea aficionado and I am not sure what black currents taste like by themselves so it is difficult for me to be a good judge of which flavors are dominant, etc. But I can say that I really really like it.

When I open the bag and smell it, it smells so sweet, like candy. Then when it is brewed up the white tea and the black currents are both delicate and seem well balanced. I added a little agave nectar to it because, well, that’s what I do. That really made it for me. I was sad to hit the bottom of the cup.

Brewed 2 1/2 tsp to about 10 oz for 2 1/2 minutes at 187 F. That is a higher temp than recommended but I don’t have a tea kettle at the moment (getting water from the Keurig) and my kitchen thermometer batteries are out. It didn’t seem to hurt it.

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 tsp
Water: 2 zarafina cups filtered water
Tool: Zarafina white-loose-medium
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: sweet and fruity (MilitiaJim confirms the fruity is current, I don’t know what currant smells like)
Steeped Tea Smell: sweet, fruity, leafy
Flavor: slightly bitter, leafy, fruity
Body: Light
Aftertaste: bitter, fruity
Liquor: translucent yellow-green-brown

Per all the tasting notes on Steepster I should try this iced.

It smells better than it tastes to me. It is a good cup of tea but I don’t see myself craving it.

Post-Steep Additives: none

Resteep: Zarafina white-loose-medium
less bitter than the first steep, a tad weaker

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/04/52teas-loose-leaf-white-tea-black.html

I received this order a while back, but haven’t tried it until today…

This has a very nice flavor. The black currant is flavorful with a pleasant tart edge to it that isn’t too tart (I wouldn’t like it if it was)… it’s just enough to perk up the taste buds a bit. The white tea is sweet and delicate tasting, but, not so delicate that the black currant overwhelms it. There is a very good balance of flavor in this cup.

That being said, I don’t know that I am as fond of this tea as the rest of Steepster-ville seems to be! I like it, it’s tasty – and I know it’s going to be a very refreshing iced tea when ever it gets warm in the Pacific NorthWET.

As far as the three white teas that were released the week of February 22 – I’ve tasted two of them (this and Ramona’s Spiced Pear) and I prefer the spiced pear. I guess the next time I place the order, I will have to try the tropical explosion… yeah… like I need more tea. ha!

So…all of the reviews on this are HIGH here at steepster…even from some people that tend to score lower…so…let’s see what I think…here are my two cents worth…

It’s gently scented with the Black Currant and is a greenish-yellowish-mild brown color post infusion.

This is very light on the tongue. I can both sip and gulp the tea and enjoy it. It seems to be the perfect flavoring to tea ratio. It’s mildly fruity and juicy. It sweet and NOT bitter. I have found with some Currant flavored teas they tend to be bitter…not this one.

After drinking this I am convinced that Black Currant was MADE to be paired with WHITE TEA.

Way to go 52 Teas! Nicely Done!

I used 1.75 tablespoons of dry leaf for 375ml of water.

The brewed tea smells like berry candy. There is a strong sweetness to the aroma but the berry smells artificial. There is something in this aroma that just makes my mouth water; I can’t really describe it but it is heightening my excitement to try this tea.

On the sip, the white tea and berry flavours are well balanced. There is a pleasant sugary quality to the aftertaste. The berry flavour really comes out close to the middle of the sip and follows through to the aftertaste. I am detecting the slightest bit of tang which makes the berry-tasting experience more authentic. There is a buttery quality from the taste as well closer to the end of the sip leading to the aftertaste.

I’m getting more of a juicy berry taste as the tea cools.

Second infusion is very mild. This tea will not likely do well past the first infusion.

Thanks to Kittenna for sharing this with me!

This was one of my free white teas, specifically requested. In my mind I’m already comparing it with DavidsTea’s White Tiger! We’ll see…

The smell of the dry tea is kind of artificial. Very sweet, and rather perfumey.

Steeped, it’s weakened of course, and smells more natural.

Eek. It tastes a little like I’m eating a tube of chapstick. Oh, but the white tea is coming out nicely in the aftertaste, and I’m liking the black currant there better as well. I think it’s a bit of flavouring that’s throwing this one off for me. Unless black currants are really that perfumey sweet, which is possible; I wouldn’t know.

Well, I’m definitely enjoying the fact that I can taste the white tea. I’m really learning to dislike tea-containing blends where the base tea is completely lost; they may as well be herbals.

This one’s growing on me a bit. I’m still tasting too much artificial flavour for my liking though. We’ll see what happens when it cools to room temperature.

This is another squee-worthy sample of tea that JacquelineM sent me :)

The dry leaf smell is so very nummy — like a delicate black currant candy. The smell of the cup was a lighter more white-teaish version of the dry leaves. I was really surprised at how delicate this tea was. Dainty black currant (which I’ve only had black currants that were like “hey, I’m in your tea — makin’ it all curranty”) and light white tea.

As I was drinking the second lovely steep I was reading Steepster and saw Jessica mention marshmallows for another review (for Golden Moon’s Vanilla Jasmine) and it was a “eureka!” moment. This tea conjures up black currant flavored marshmallows. It’s a very pleasant tea, but I’m not clamoring for more. When I finally place my first 52 Teas order? Yes, I will get a larger bag if available. NE

Thanks to Kittena for a sample of this one. Funnily enough this reminds me more of grapes than black currant but it’s still a tasty tea. I likely had my water too hot as well, so not going to blame the tea for that one. I’d probably be willing to give this one another shot when i’m not at work distracted by coworkers while brewing my tea.

My first actual swap ever! Thank you so much Kittenna for the generous sample! I have been wanting to check out 52teas for a while after seeing all the amazing reviews, but being a student has prevented that from occurring. Now I have all these lovely samples to try so I can get a feel for the company (though from the glowing reviews.. I already know what to expect!)
Dry the leaves smell like blue swedish berries to me. Delightful.
The first steep revealed more swedish berry flavour to me with a warm and fuzzy tongue feel. Very random and hard to compare to anything other than warm white bread. Except this tastes nothing like bread. Just the feeling in the mouth. Random… but very lovely. Must be the white tea. Definitely jammy and a little creamy
The second steep was bright and jammy with a sparkly edge to it. Really lively and a lovely swedish berry flavour again.. Very odd.

I went for a third steep with this tea and it was not too bad. Definitely faded in flavour, but was still pleasing. If all 52teas are like this – I am in for such a sampling treat! I’m excited to check out this company =) Thanks again Kittenna!

I like black currants. Baked in scones. As jam on buttered toast…

But…I think, not so much in a tea. :(

So sorry, but I can’t help but think of cough syrup when I drink this. Definite Robitussin overtones.

I know it’s just me. Those who love black currants will appreciate this. This is almost like unsweetened black currant cobbler—the fruit flavor is pretty potent. Maybe some cream and sugar will help?

I’m not sold on this Logan series on Masterpiece but I am on Black Currant Tea! This was part of my epic SweeTea from JacquelineM and the first black currant tea I’ve ever had. The dry leaf has such a great refreshing smell. Steeped it stays fruity with just a hint of walnuty Bai Mu Dan mixed into the bushel of berries shoved into this tea. Sorting through the leaves, there aren’t many tips but it’s not crushed fannings either, so this is a good base for flavors in my opinion. The flavor and scent make this one of the most energizing white teas I’ve had.
This is really fun. I can think of too many things it would accompany perfectly. Irish soda bread. Mrs Marple. Raisin bran. Doctor Who. Definately picking this up if I ever can.

I had planned on posting this log yesterday…must love holiday travel!! So, here’s what I wrote up yesterday:

Gar, I’m in a rush this morning to pack and travel to my parents’ for the hols. I’ve got so much to do, and I’m supposed to be there by noon…I don’t see that happening. Anyway, I opened up the tea of the day, measured out all of it (3 tsps) and remembered to put 3 cups of water into the Breville!! Oh, joyous day that I did something right tea-wise first thing! And it’s a new tea to me. Happy dance!!

It’s very nice and light. Love the Bai Mu Dan, and there’s just a touch of the black currant to make it gently berry. Very sweet and just a touch tart. It’s delicious, and I’m definitely glad I got to try it. I don’t know if I’ll invest in a full pouch, but if these samplers are regular things (and I really hope that they are, cause it’s a great idea), I’d pick up another one to have a small variety on hand (like I don’t have a variety of tea on hand already).

After reading tasting notes on this one I decided I have to place an order for it. Then I thought hmmm maybe just maybe AmazonV sent this to me in her (very generous selections) that she sent to me.

I opened up the box and squealed “Thank you, Thank youuuu AmazonV!!” Grateful I didn’t have to place a order and wait for it to find out if I like it. I steeped it up according to the directions and had a bit of a tea failure in that I spilt some of the leaves into my actual cup by over pouring water into the strainer. So I am having my tea leaves and all!

Okay so dry leaf smells the same as steeped tea (keep in mind there is actual leaf in my tea cup) the smell reminds me of Bath and Body Works. I love the smell in Bath and Body works so this is a good thing and it’s not a strong smell a very faint scent of B&B.

The tea tastes very good! It is white tea mixed with berry flavored I can only think berry as I ‘ve not knowingly ever eaten a black currant and therefore am unsure what they taste like. I enjoyed this cup I think I will make a cup iced today since I read in Jacqueline’s review that it is yummy iced I will try it and revisit my notes then.

Thanks AmazonV you rock!

P.S. Anybody looking to trade some Black Currant Bai Mu Dan for a almost whole bag of Buttered Raisin Cinnamon Toast let me know. :)

Can somebody say Wine Flavored?

Yum-a num!!!

Gonna need to order this one. Just incredibly delish and love the fact that I’m a Wine-o and now can enjoy that at work without getting in trouble!

Thanks Kristin for the sample! Delish!!