Spiced Mandarin Oolong Tea

Have you noticed that sometimes a tea will get a whole lot of tasting notes in a few days? Not even a new tea or one in a tea subscription. That is what happened with this one, I saw some notes on it and was suddenly hit by a craving. Thanks to my swap with Marcel Duchamp, which was perfectly timed, I get to try this one!

I love spiced orange teas. Not cinnamon orange, which can quickly become overpowering, but that kind of melded ginger-cinnamon-anise blend that’s not quite chai. This tea smells SO good while it is brewing, rich and wintry and divine.

The orange and spice are definitely strong here! I don’t know if the oolong really stands out at all, maybe it’s a little woodsy but honestly it’s Teavana, I don’t expect the base to shine. I just want a nice orange cinnamon cup!

But, lurking in the background… hibiscus! What. Not in the description at all! I don’t even know why it is here! The orange flavoring is tart enough as is. I think without the hibiscus I would be head over heels in love with this blend but as it is I just like it. Well, actually I really enjoyed my cup! But I’d like it more without the hibiscus. I’ll be cold brewing my leaves though, which I’ve found lessens the hibiscus (especially if they’ve been brewed once already).

Fifth “top six” tea, an oolong, y’all. Steeped at 195*F…

I have to say, I actually really like this one. I didn’t think too much about it before trying it, but chai-like spices and citrus actually work quite well together. I definitely get more blood orange and tangerine out of this than lemon, which can only be a good thing paired with cinnamon and clove. It’s another one that’s both tart and sweet, but this is actually pretty well balanced…especially with the spice coming out more towards the back. I feel like there’s just a wee bit too much citrus at the front, so I’m knocking it down a few points for that. But that’s not a fatal flaw.

It’s got kind of a holiday feel going on for sure; makes me think of stuff like fruit cake and turkey gravy.

I don’t know if it’s going to please all the Teaopia fans who are crushed at Market Spice not making the cut, but…maybe some of them will go for this. I never had Market Spice myself, and I understand it was fairly subtle, so this might be a stronger flavour than some would prefer. Still, I think it’s quite nice.

Wow. thanks Marcel! This one is so good! I think that I’d like a little more clove in this; but I’m a clove super fan. Wassil is what comes to mind when I drink this one. I’m actually really happy with the orange flavor in this. It has an almost bitter edge that reminds me of orange rind as opposed to straight up orange juice flavor. I think that I will be purchasing some of this one because it is just awesome. If I were to make it again I might have steeped it for longer than the suggested 3 min. Excellent spice and orange flavors without being overly “chai.”
I also turned in my dental calculus paper today!!! Wish me luck!

I went into Teavana last night to grab a mug for my girls’ teacher & low & behold I walked out without purchasing anything. But somehow left with tea. Opps lol

I somehow noticed flavours I hadn’t before, this being one of them. I have a friend who works there & she threw me enough for a few mugs of it.

I brewed it up this morning, dry & steeped it smells devine. Spicy & Orangey. LOVE!

This is so delcious. May be my fav Teavana tea to date! om nom nom. Must buy more… devilish tea

I am in love. I could spend the rest of my life with this tea. Seriously. This tea is sweet, hot and spicey. Smells and tastes delicious. You can taste the oolong tea, but it is well balanced with the spicey flavour. There is a very slight orange citrus flavour, it is more sweet than tart. The sweet spice is strong but not so strong that is burns your tongue. It also leaves a nice sweetly spiced aftertaste. This would definitely make a great after meal tea. I can imagine it blending well with a fruity tea/herbal. Looking forward to more cups of this and experimenting with blending.

I’ve been hunting for a spiced orange tea for a while after being served some awhile ago. I’ve always been disappointed, even if the tea was good, it just wasn’t quite right. Lala sent me some of this in a swap. This is it!! This is what I’ve been looking for! I’m so excited, this is the best orange tea I’ve had. Nice sweet orange with the perfect blend of spices. Everything works well together. The juicy sweetness of the orange is supported by the spices, not overshadowed by them.

Meh. I like spiced teas, I like mandarin teas. But I wasn’t overwhelmed by this one. It needs more spice, or more orange. Even maybe more oolong flavour. I feel like they sacrificed quality to try and please everyone. Meh.

This blend has a nice balance between citrus and spice. It’s not my most favorite from the new teas, but it is one I’ll probably have around just in case I’m in the mod for it.

I think this tea is a fine oolong for having a citrus taste. I don’t care for citrusy types, but I like the spicey hint of this tea. I would buy it again, but not a necessity. I tried it with and w/o honey and it was good both ways.

This tea is an unusual one, there is a spicy, almost curry like flavour to this tea. A heavy citrus taste and quite the acidic bite that isn’t too pleasant! Overall this oolong is intriguing, but not my favourite!

22 down – 478 to go!

This is a great combination of flavors. The 1st steeping is a little more ‘fruity’ but The 2nd steeping is like a new experience and I feel like you can pick up the subtler spices. I enjoy this both hot or iced, a small amount of sugar enhances it.

This is a pretty decent tea. It has a little bit of spice to it, and the finish, to me, is a sort of watery citrus that I’m not sure if I like or dislike.

I steep it for 3-3.5 minutes @ 195F and usually get two steepings out of it.

This tea smells so strongly of cinnamon and spices, it’s almost ridiculous. I think I was attracted to it because it reminds me of Silk Road Golden Phoenix, but I don’t like it as much. Possibly due to the inclusion of hibiscus and apple, which makes the tea a little tart. This time I rinsed it for 5 seconds, then steeped for 3 minutes. I had to add 1 tsp of honey to tone down the tartness. I think that if it weren’t for the hibiscus, this would actually be a new favourite tea.

I’d be happy sitting here sniffing the tea all day, but I’m actually trying to drink it. I think it’s another tea that will get finished, but instead of getting this one again I’ll place an (expensive!) order at Silk Road and get more Golden Phoenix.

I really like this tea. It reminds me of something from my childhood that I can’t seem to place. I really like the spice mixed with the orange, and that it’s not too spicy. This is probably in my top 5 Teavana teas because it doesn’t leave an after taste. I’ll most likely be purchasing some more of this tea.