Emerald Bamboo Forest

_{Backlogging (and based almost entirely on my long term memory)}

Experience buying from Teavana http://steepster.com/places/2895-teavana-st-louis-missouri

Packaging: this tea was bought in-store in one of their tall, oval, brownish-colored 8-oz tins (as were the previous three Teavana teas I recently reviewed). They are definitely good tins for storing any light and fluffy, or really leafy teas in (like just about any white tea, or a tea that needs lots of storage space, like a HSMF).

Appearance and aroma of dry leaf: Very aromatic.

Brewing guidelines: Traditional ceramic six-cup teapot, with large metallic tea-ball. Stevia added.
……….1st: 160; 2’
……….2nd: 165; 3’
……….3rd: 170; 4’
……….4th: 175; 5’
……….5th: 180; 6’

Color of tea liquor: a clear pink color, almost like pink lemonade!

Flavor of tea liquor: Light and fruity.

Blends well with: I almost always blended this with Teavana’s Snow Peak Downy Tips, and they complimented each other very well.

Value: I can’t remember the details on the cost, but I know it was a good price at 75% off.

Overall: This tea looks, smells, and tastes good. It is a great accompaniment to any tea to give it a fruity kick! We have a little of this left, and I look forward to using up the rest.

I was pretty underwhelmed by this last night. Somehow the flavour kind of overrides the white base while tasting a bit watered-down. It’s not bad, but not a re-purchase.

This is, hands down, my favorite white tea, even better than Spice of Life. I steeped a pot of this tea last night and drank it all, but I left the tea leaves out and steeped them again this morning. The loose tea smells so richly fruity, and the steeped tea is probably the most well-balanced cup of tea I could ever ask for. It’s light, but has so much depth of flavor you almost don’t remember you’re drinking a white tea. It’s the perfect relaxer, comforting and familiar (perfect for rainy days or when you’re feeling like tea but not really sure what you’re in the mood for).

In the midst of studying for finals, I needed a soothing tea to counter all the junk snack food and coffee i’ve been consuming, and Emerald Bamboo Forest was my choice.

Even though the tea smell before brewing is very potent, and seems like it will be tart, it is actually quite the opposite. The taste is very subtle, but I do love the pink color that it turns into! I don’t taste much of white tea in it, but the fruity flavors are very nice.

I get this nagging feeling i’m not brewing it though, or is it supposed to be a very subtle taste? Maybe I should try longer than 2 minutes next time just to see. Still, a very enjoyable and relaxing tea for any day.

Blech! WAY too strong. It smells nice, but it tastes awful. I drank one cup, and used the rest of the tea leaves as potpourri.

This tea, sadly no longer offered by Teavana, is one of my favorites. Like many teas by them, the heavy fruit use means the first two cups are the best. That being said, it is an exciting, bold tea whose aroma makes my mouth water every time. I still have some of this tea, going to make it last as long as I can.

Gross! I will drink it because I am a tea lover and never let tea go to waste…but I wouldn’t buy this again (actually it has been discontinued anyway). I think it tastes artificial and a bit like pine-sol mop water. These flavors overpower the actual “tea” in the blend.

I love this tea! I was trying to describe it to someone the other day and just kept saying “it’s succulent”. I don’t think they knew what I meant but that is the best description I can come up with! This tea is fresh and fruity and cool. It smells a lot like Ribena (a blackcurrant cordial that many Brits will be familiar with) but doesn’t taste nearly as fruity. I am sure this would be wonderful iced.