Phoenix Pearl

Oh… this is so nice! Rich and sweet and wonderful!

The sweet notes here are profound, deeply chocolate-y, with notes of caramel. It’s one of those types of teas that are incredibly cozy … the kind you want to curl up with and just drink with joyful abandon.

Yum yum yum!

This tea is delicious hot, but also very good cold, something that I learned because I had to step away from the computer for a while and came back to a cold cup (I haven’t yet turned the heat on in the house, I don’t know why I haven’t. And I really don’t know why I’m sitting here, complaining about not doing it instead of getting up and doing it right now) and it is still really delicious! Sweet, earthy, and just plain good. REALLY good.

This smells wonderfully grain-like when dry and amazingly cocoa when brewed. This is an exceptional Yunnan. My lengthy review can be found here:
http://theeverdayteablog.blogspot.com/2012/11/zen-tea-phoenix-pearl.html

I know I have a sample of this but when one comes along already open, might as well try it. I love black pearls so I’ll just consider it having more.

These are really tasty, they aren’t entirely wrapped up so the expansion doesn’t take the entire steep which I think really helps the flavor. Last time I had some it wasn’t until the second steep that they really tasted good.

This is definitely cocoa, with just a little bit of honey, malt, and even a little woodsy…in a way I can stand!

I had two steeps of this before moving on to something else. It seemed like the second steep was even sweeter than the first one.

I may have thought “this is my favorite tea” while I was sipping this one… I’m not sure! I was captivated by how delicious this is! It is DEFINITELY my favorite unflavored black tea. (Though I must admit, I don’t think I’ve tried many unflavored black teas yet.) The dried leaves are little bundles, black with hints of gold in color. The leaves smell like a perfect black tea and this tastes perfect. I may have used a bit more than a teaspoon. I steeped for four minutes. The flavor is amazing. The first to note is the unbelievable sweetness. How does a black tea taste like this? It’s almost like sugar was added. No, the description says it is naturally sweet. I made sure to taste the tea before biting into my breakfast of coconut custard pie.. and then I just wanted to enjoy the tea without the pie. The flavor is amazing: deep, earthy, smooth and full. NO bitterness. Even as it cools, the flavor might be getting sweeter. It’s not brisk or the strongest black tea, but I’d say it has more flavor than the two Teavivre black teas I’ve tried. (I love those as well. I’m just using them as a comparison for unflavored black teas. And I guess it reminds me of the Teavive, just with a stronger flavor.) I wish I could convey the flavor profile better! The second steep is just as good (5 min). I’m going to try getting a third cup later. I could drink this every day! Add this to the list of Zen Teas I must order. They know what they are doing giving out free samples! zentealife.com

TTB-A sample. There was just about enough for one more cup left of this one, so I snagged it. Actually a tiny bit more than I would normally use in my cup (but only barely) so I decreased the steep time to account for it.

I love black pearls so of course I was intrigued. These aren’t so much pearls as little wadded up leaves; the look of it almost reminds me of the shape of the Laoshan Black first picking. Steeped, it does have a bit of a chocolatey aroma but its tempered by some high fruity notes and a hint of… coffee? Well that’s weird, but it did pop into my head while sniffing it.

The flavor is pretty classic black pearl, which is to say pretty tasty. I’m not getting any sweetness in the first steep, and the chocolate is definitely muted. Definitely on the earthy side of Yunnan blacks, with a bit of woodiness as well. It was smooth and malty when I first started drinking this cup, but it’s getting a touch harsh as it cools, and as such my rating keeps dropping as I sit here writing this tasting note. I mean, it’s still tasty, but my desire to have another cup of it is waning. Maybe it’s because I just had my One True Pearls (Teavivre) the other day, so they are fresh in my mind.

Second steep, at four minutes, wasn’t really worth it for me. Thin and lacking in the flavors I like (cocoa, grains, malt), with more of the flavors I don’t (a weird darjeeling-like fruitiness). Ah well, so it goes. This tea wasn’t sealed in an airtight pouch, so there is always the chance of flavor loss over time, but the first steep was quite strong so I kind of doubt that. Glad I got the chance to try these but they won’t be replacing my faves any time soon.

Special thanks to Liberteas for this one!
First cup – 1st infusion was sweet and smooth with a little bit of sweet woodsy and earthiness to it! It was nice! Towards the end of the sip I got a little bit of cocoa flavor as well – close and comparable to a cocoa powder type flavor.

2nd Infusion – a bit over infused on purpose – was quite nice, too!

More hearty, more earthy, more cocoa-E. It’s still rich and still bold!
Very nice Black Tea!

Another free sample from Zen tea! Thank you so much!

I have to say that this is a pretty nice tea. It’s much less subtle than other blacks that I typically enjoy but that doesn’t take away from the tea. Although it’s not a strong tea, it’s got plenty of flavour! There’s a sweetness to it, but not in the sense of say biting into a chocolate bar. I drank this down without even realising it and had to go make more :)

I’m not sure the directions are right on this – steep 3 minutes and then resteep 2-3 more times for more flavor and to allow the leaves to unfurl. I steeped it in my little gongfu pot and those leaves are already unfurled. Maybe I should have tried a minute to start?

(i don’t know how am i supposed to know i need to trust the directions whaaaat)

So my first cup is very strong and malty. It smells really good – earthy! I’m enjoying each sip, except right at the end the flavour kicks up a notch and is nearly too malty.

Second cup: First reaction, “wughh!” Not a great sign. This seems stronger? I am detecting cocoa notes now though, and I’m actually enjoying this now that I made it past the first few sips.

Third cup: Ok. This is more like it! Very smooth. Lots of cocoa notes. It’s very woodsy! I bet I could get another cup out of this!

I love how smooth this tea is. I could have had this with my sore throat!

Looking forward to trying this again sometime!

I’m a bit stuffy this morning (yay for being allergic to the cat that sleeps on my pillow), but this smells a lot like the Black Manas from Teajo. Or at least the steeped leaves do. And they’re so pretty when they open up. Wow.

Sipping on this, I think it’s too hot still. I’m not getting a lot from it. As a bonus that means it’s not at all bitter or astringent! Yay!

Now, just as a note, I’ve really disliked every Yunnan black tea I’ve had so far. This one, I actually like! I’m so shocked! I made this up feeling all skeptical and hesitant, but I like it.

The first steep is pretty delicate, but I kinda get the cocoa and honey notes other Steepsters (Steepsterites? Hmm.) have mentioned. It’s not that earthy, but it is definitely sweet and almost thick feeling.

As it cools I’m getting some of that smoky dirt flavour on the roof of my mouth. Maybe that’s what “earthy” means for tea? It’s not detracting from the flavour, unlike some other teas I’ve tried.

Sample package label:
“Black tea China
Naturally sweet and smooth with a touch of earthiness. Comprised of only the highest quality leaves and buds, expertly rolled into a pearl-like shape. Subtle cocoa notes whisper gently as each pearl unfurls delivering a superior tea experience not to be missed.

Preparation: (1 cup): 1 heaping tspoon, 95C(203F), 3 min

• Recommended to steep 2-3 times for different nuances of flavor.”

Technique: 6-oz water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 19 ppm, heated to 212*F and allowed to cool to 203*F – verified with DAVIDsTEA digital thermometer. 1 heaping Tevanna teaspoon, without sweeteners, milk or cream.

This tea has an earthy / woodsy fragrance.

Brown hue

First 3-min Infusion:
This is a smooth, earthy, full-bodied tea with a natural sweetness and light notes of cocoa. It did not have any bitterness or astringency.
2nd 3-min Infusion:
A little less full-bodied, but just as enjoyable as the first cup.
3rd 5-min Infusion:
A little less full-bodied, but still enjoyable – a pleasant surprise.

2nd Cup
4-min Infusion:
Same experience as the first cup, but with more body a more well-rounded natural sweetness. Once again, there was no bitterness or astringency.

Impression: An excellent, smooth, earthy, full-bodied tea with a natural sweetness and without any bitterness or astringency that will go the distance. Well Done!

Thanks to Zen Tea Life for providing this free sample.

This tea is perfectionnn. I am so ill today, NO FAIR, I was doing so well at being the only well one! >:( I just wanted something normal but lovely, and that’s this one. It says to resteep 2-3 times for different experience & I’ll probably be doing that until my cookies run out.

I’ve seen cocoa in tasting notes for black teas many a time, but none of the others, besides this tea, have really delivered for me. The cocoa flavors and sweetness hit you with the first brew and continue on throughout subsequent infusions, carrying a warm ceylon cinnamon body taste with subtle hints of licorice. There’s no real signs of major astringency, even brewing gaiwan style, holding a good flavor for 8 infusions if not more. Overall this tea has been another really positive experience in my foray into Yunnan black teas, with it being in one of the best in comparison to the others I have tried.