Bossa Nova

I have loved everything from Zen Tea thus far but this one is not one of the loves.
The flavoring is too artificial tasting to me.
It leaves this almost oily feeling in my mouth and reminds me of what I dislike about many of David’s Teas.

So there I was lying in bed this morning, wishing for a nice breakfast tea to begin my day that I wasn’t committed to having a long gongfu session with so that I could move on to Mrs. Li’s Dragonwell from Verdant. I was actually hoping for something fun like hazelnut, though I had already tried Adagio’s the other day. When lo and behold there was a clank below my window. The mail man had come by early and when I made my way downstairs I found my prayers had been answered in the form of a package of samples from Zen Tea! Thank you Zen Tea

Not only that but when I opened the package I found that I had indeed order a hazelnut tea! And to top it all off I had seen this tea on the menu yesterday at the tea studio and had wondered why it sounded so familiar, I knew I hadn’t drank it before, but felt like I had ordered it. This is the same description and ingredients as the Bossa Nova hazelnut oolong from TeaGschwender so I can only imagine they get it from the same source.

This has a much nicer base than Adagio’s Hazelnut, no bitter ceylon, just a nice roasted oolong, good looking leaves as well, though it is hard to differentiate where the natural nut note in the oolong end and the hazelnut flavor begins, which may be a good thing. I have to admit I was a tad disappointed that this wasn’t darker, sweeter and richer, but it does taste like hazelnuts, like eating the nuts themselves and in this way the blend is successful.

I may just have to try this with extra leaf and bit of sugar the next time I make it, to try to meet my unrealistic expectations. The samples were generous enough for multiple servings. Glad I got to try it, will write my review on Zen Tea’s website after a second session. Thanks again to Zen Tea for their generosity, I’m looking forward to the roasted Tieguanyins!

Edit: enjoying this today, following the given brewing parameters for 12 mins, I also put in two rock sugar crystals. It is better, the hazelnut is fully present and it has a touch of sweet, but the oolong still feels “thin”. May end up blending my last teaspoon with Adagio’s hazlenut black oh wait I didn’t like that one at all or a straight black for more body. Edit edit: I did add a bit of Bailin Gonfu Black Organic from Teavirve to the second steep and based on the smell I thought I had created a delicious Nutella tea, but alas tis bitter, until the last sip which is dark and cool and sweet. So there is promise there, just probably need a lower temp, steep time and make it a first infusion. Yeah this aftertaste is quite delicious.

This is a free sample from “Zen Tea.” Thank you, Zen! I understand I have some presents on the way from your store!

When I opened the pouch, I thought, “Coffee! Foofy coffee shop flavored coffee all creamy and with too many calories!” I forgot this had hazelnut and thought it was just the vanilla until I looked at the description again! Ah yes, thus the deep, dark, rich aroma.

Now that I am sniffing the steeped tea, I can definitely tell this is hazelnut I am smelling. I think Bossa Nova is a great name for this tea. It evokes a sultry, somewhat sensual atmosphere. Think dark coffee house with slow freeform jazz, poetry readings, and bookish sorts wearing glasses that shouldn’t be sexy but they are. The glasses, I mean.

I could be wrong since I don’t drink coffee, but this seems like a tea that a coffee lover would love to drink. I don’t think I would drink this when I wanted an oolong experience, sitting quietly and experiencing all the changes of the different steeps, closing my eyes to focus in aftertaste. I think I would drink this just to evoke the atmosphere, playing some jazz, and writing letters to friends or chatting with one who is sharing a pot of tea with me.

Thanks to Zen Tea for a sample of this tasty-sounding tea!

Another tea I’m a bit apprehensive to try due to mixed reviews, but here goes nothing! The tea from the packet smells tasty enough… sure, the flavouring smells artificial, but sometimes that works. I’m not opposed to artificial flavouring if it tastes good! :D It does smell nutty to me, with vanilla undertones. So far so good!

After a couple sips, I have to say that the flavouring is working for me more than it did for most, I think. I’m tasting a lingering nuttiness and some delicious sweetness. I’m having trouble picking out the oolong, but it’s certainly a better choice than a black base, in my opinion. There is definitely an artificial taste going on here, but it’s not a huuuuge problem for me (ok, until I got a sip that was very artificial-tasting).

All in all, probably a pretty decent tea for tea newbs, but a touch too artificial for me. I do still like it enough that I’ll finish it, but I probably wouldn’t purchase more.

ETA: Second infusion had somewhat of a bitter note. Although I drank the infusion, I did discard the leaves.

Seems like an odd combo – hazelnut and oolong? It’s pretty good though. I enjoyed it, even if it was slightly artificial tasting. Drinking the rest of my 1oz pack won’t be any trouble, but I probably won’t rush out to get more.

Thanks to Kittenna for this sample!
I can definitely taste the hazelnut here. Well, maybe more like the hazelnut filling you get in chocolates. Or a creamier version of nuttella!
Will resteep and write more later.

Tried to resteep a rose tea that I fogot to store properly. FAIL! Not wanting to waste perfectly good water I threw in what was left of my Bossa Nova Zen Tea sample and Oh My God everytime I drink this tea it is so delicious. I am an oolong fan for life. Its so nutty and vanillaliscious! Some might be wondering why this isn’t a technical review, well a few reasons:

1. I wrote one already and it’s at my boyfriend’s waiting to be posted, bf review and all!
2. It was a spur of the moment and I am just enjoying this the way I like it, no scientific tasting today!
3. Its finals week next week and I am giving my boyfriend the week to cram so I wouldnt/couldn’t pick up my notes if I wanted to.

Arggg, I got a long day today with a crazy jitz class and making lots of filipino egg rolls (lumpias) for my wedding. UGGG.

Thanks to Zen Tea for a sample of this tea!

STEEPED: Light brown tea, coffee like smell.
TASTE: Light oolong taste, smokey roasted nutty flavor. I didn’t get much of the vanilla / creamy taste.
Sweetened, the nuttyness comes out more. I even get that nut skin taste. I think I prefer the unsweetened tea more as it seems more sophisticated in taste.

COMMENTS: This is a great alternative to someone who doesn’t want a black tea, but wants a bold nutty taste. Overall really good for hazelnut lovers. However, this wasn’t creamy for me and I felt this needed another dimension for me. Maybe a longer steep would bring out more of the oolong?

This one was pretty alright for me, nothing really extraordinary. But I do love watching oolongs unfurl! It didn’t have as much of a rich, creaminess that I tend to associate with oolongs, and I didn’t get ANY hint of vanilla, but it did taste and smell very nuttytoastyroasty to me. I didn’t put any sugar in. I went outside in the cold and read Norse creation myths while drinking this. Kept me warm!

A big thank you to Zen Tea!
I completely forgot I had this tea until I looked in my sample drawer. And I’m happy I did because it’s pretty dang good! This is a very delicious oolong. Definitely the first hazelnut/vanilla oolong I’ve had. It’s unique but I really like it. It’s a slightly buttery flavored tea and kind of creamy. The hazelnut fits nicely with the nuttiness of the oolong. You can taste the vanilla but it mostly rounds the edges of the nut flavor. MM this one is really delicious! If you like oolong teas then this one is a must try for you :]

A review of Bossa Nova Oolong Tea Flavoured by Zen Tea

Company: Zen Tea
Tea Name: Bossa Nova Oolong tea flavoured
Tea Type/Varietal: Oolong
Region: China
Steeping Vessel/Amt. Leaf: cup/ loose leaf
Plucking Season:
Liquor Color: dark reddish brown
Leaf Characteristics: the leaves are small and finely curled with bits of the hazelnut brittle which smelled more like cocoa or naturally unprocessed cocoa kind of bitterness.

1. Steepings

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

The oolongs I have had from Zen Tea have all been wonderfully clean and pure. I understand that this is a popular blend but unfortunately for me it is not. I steeped this tea for five minutes with boiled water; removing the tea leaves which are plumper but still small leaves. The teas’ aroma is very lovely as it is a robust and flavorful aroma almost coffee like. The hazelnut brittles mixed with the vanilla is heady indeed. But when sipping the tea it is mildly bitter; like naturally pure cocoa and with the vanilla bean it makes it even more so.

Since I don’t add anything to my teas usually, but adding milk or cream with sweetener might make this a more enjoyable cup of tea.

2nd Steeping:
Water temperature: 200 Fahrenheit
Time: 3 minutes

I am trying for another cup of this tea steeped for a few minutes and the aroma is as before very enjoyable and when sipping of tea the astringency found in the tea’s mixture of vanilla bean and hazelnut brittle still exists.

The tea is layered nicely with the vanilla and hazelnut brittle tantalizing the taste buds and if one prefers their teas with milk/cream and sugar than this tea is ideally for this. Since I prefer plainer tea, I find this oolong to be too much like that of a black tea than an oolong. Aside from the Magnolia Oolong I would prefer and enjoy this oolong best if it were a true oolong and not passing for black tea.

I mean I don’t like this tea, but this tea is well suited for those favoring black teas.

I got a sample of this tea and 3 others from Zen Tea! Decided to try this one tonight! AT FIRST I WAS A LITTLE BIT WORRIED because it smelled almost like… chocolate? And I’m a WEIRDO that dislikes chocolate a lot I KNOW, I KNOW, IT’S A CRIME. However it ended up tasting strongly of hazelnut for sure! It was pretty good actually, definitely creamy, but I’m still a bit ambivalent about it I guess. I think I’ll try adding some things to it next time.

I like this one more than I thought I would. It’s pretty light tasting for a nutty oolong, and although I wish it was a bit richer in taste, it’s still pretty good. I guess nothing will replace Maple Pecan in my heart. If only I could justify a Butiki order right now.

Anyway, I do get a nutty taste and no bitterness from this, which is what I was looking for.

Before Steeping:
Scent- Very nutty, mainly Hazelnut.

After Steeping:
Color- A very clear yellow, not yet green.
Scent- Hazelnut, and some other type of roasted nut.

Taste:
Nude- VERY nutty,not quite sure that I like it, tastes like rum without alcohol.
Experiment- added Captain Morgan Spiced Rum…FAIL,, just dont do it, it was VERY watery.
With Sugar- not that bad

*Though I am not a Oolong tea fan, I wanted to try something different, generally I am not in Love with it.