Bamboo Integrity

I picked this out with the intention of drinking it cold, but I was very curious to try one of these bamboo herbal blends hot.

It is very hard to measure this tea out because everything is big. Big leaves, big chunks of apple and carrot, big bits of lemongrass and other herbs. I feel like I’m making soup!

The lemongrass is a very strong scent, so this is not for the faint of heart when it comes to that flavor. Funny story, I know I have said before lemongrass reminds me of Fruit Loops. I don’t know how many of you watch Top Chef (or at least did before it got kind of lame) or are familiar with Richard Blais, but his burger restaurant has amazing milkshakes and one is always a cereal flavor. Right now it is Fruit Loops, and it is topped with lemongrass foam. I knew I wasn’t crazy.

That is really what this tea tastes like, fruit loops. It’s not entirely coming from the lemongrass, because you can definitely taste apple, lime, and carrot too.

Bamboo is so interesting, it’s cooling right? So even though this is a hot tea, I get the sensation that my mouth is entirely cooled after each sip.

Overall, it’s an interesting tea. Kind of like a fruit tea, but not too tart, because it has a nice hint of spice from ginger. I wouldn’t have known it was ginger if I hadn’t looked it up, but ginger combines so well with lemongrass I just like to picture them always together anyway.

I will have to give this a try iced also. I think the tropical fruit flavor of it will be good iced, it’s got a similar profile to Bamboozled, which I love iced.

I iced this one too. Haha. I think I was expecting my apartment to be warmer today. But no, the heat is still on, and I am wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket, procrastinating.

I steeped it with about 2 tsp of tea (really hard to measure, the pieces are massive!) in 1/2 cup hot water for a minute. I topped it (in a 2 cup jar) with filtered water, then stuck it in the fridge overnight.

It smells… like pineapple. That’s odd. There’s no pineapple in here. Drinking it, I can feel the ginger more than really taste it, but I might have had more than one piece of ginger in my “2 tsp”. I can taste the lemon grass as well, but it’s more lemon rind than lemon grass or verbena. This is really, REALLY good.

I had a super awesome whole carrot slice in the jar, and couldn’t resist taking a picture. http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8255/8641576556_bbce57aee4_n.jpg

If this is as good in the next cup, I will be buying a tin. This will be perfect for the summer.

A review of Bamboo Integrity (Herb Blend)Tea by Zen Tea Life

Company: Zen Tea Life
Tea Name: Bamboo Integrity
Tea Type/Varietal: Herb
Region:
Steeping Vessel/Amt. Leaf: cup/ teaspoon
Plucking Season:
Liquor Color: bright green/yellow
Leaf Characteristics: there are chunks of ginger bits, lemon grass, bamboo leaves to view when opening of the tea packet.

1. Steepings

1st Steeping:
Water temperature: 200 Fahrenheit
Time: 5 minutes

I received this tea sample for Zen Tea Life in Canada. I remember discussing via email with the vendor about Bamboo tea; I told them that I had come across a seller of Bamboo teas in Florida and they had similar tea with Lemon Grass and I had yet to purchase their teas. I mentioning of this since I was surprised to receive amidst the samples sent was this Bamboo Integrity.

I open the foil sample packet to be delightfully surprised to view the loose tea; it is aromatically pleasing as well. I see the carrot bits, the ginger bits, lemon grass and the bamboo which are fine chute; so small you could miss them.

I take one teaspoon and put this in my mug, adding the hot water to the mug I leave it to steep for 5 minutes all the while taking in the teas aroma which is very lively and zesty.

After 5 minutes, I scoop out the tea leaves and put them in strainer until my next infusion. The tea smells so sweetly of the combined ginger and lemon grass and the color is a mixture of brown and yellow which makes for a light orange cup. When I sip the tea it is spicy and zesty (a hot cup of zest tea). I sip and sip of this tea and I am enjoying it, also I am thinking of its name Integrity…the herbs are true to form and what is stated in the bag is just what is in the cup I am holding in my hand.

The more I sip of tea; I find there is a tartness that comes from the lime and apple bits perhaps; as there is a citrusy finish that is left after each swallowed sip.

Overall this is wonderful tea and true to character of the bamboo and lemon grass with the added ginger, and lime; aromatically this tea is 100% delight.

Thank you Zen Tea Life for sending this tea for me to sample. I am happy to have opened the packet finally as it was a lovely surprise.

I’m afraid I don’t “get” this tea. I see the big pieces of apple, carrot, and bamboo in the mix, but all I taste is the lemongrass. As my cup cooled off, I thought I got a hint of apple, but honestly I think it may have been my imagination, as I was trying to pick out flavours other than the lemongrass.

I like lemongrass, so the tea tasted fine to me, but I think I was expecting a bit more from it. I see that others have prepared this as an iced tea. It’s not how I usually drink tea, but I’ll try to remember to do this one iced next time.