My mother loves A Southern Season, so anytime they’re running a sale – like the store-wide one that just ended – I can look forward to being mailed at least a half pound of new teas. This is one of a variety of fruit teas I was sent this time, including the Blood Orange Chocolate Rooibos that’s become a new favorite.
When you open the bag, the scent of orange that comes out is very, very strong (as citrus scents are wont to be), leaving no room for a tea scent whatsoever. The oolong is so dark as to be colorless, and has a disappointing amount of stems to it but fortunately doesn’t overdo it with the sparse bits of dried orange peel. Still, it is a pleasant enough scent – not being a big fan of most orange teas, I was surprised to find myself excited for this cup.
The liquor is a dark yellow bordering on orange, which is unsurprising given the leaves’ color. It doesn’t release much scent when steeping, and you’ve got to dip your nose into the cup to get a faint earthy whiff. The taste is unexpected but very pleasant. That strong orange nose to the raw tea shuts up and lets the mild, earthy tea take the stage. I generally like a stronger, fuller cup than this provides but the experience was tasty enough all-around that I would definitely consider this as a regular morning tea.
Don’t be tricked by the scent expecting strong orange flavor here, but if you’re a scented oolong fan this is a great mild option.
-Cash
