Zenjala Tea Company, Bohea

This is the original Lapsong tea, from the Wuyi mountains of Fujian Province in China. It has a sweet flavor known as "longan". Pronounced "boo-he" this tea was advertised for sale in Philadelphia in 1720, and 342 chests of this tea were thrown overboard at the Boston Tea Party.

My how my tastes have changed. I asked for this one not knowing what it was. The name just sounded interesting and it was thrown overboard in the Boston harbor. How cool is that? :) I opened the tin and could smell smoke. Uh oh. Last fall, my first Keemun threw me. It seemed so smoky to me. I didn’t know if I liked it or what to make of it. I eventually learned to enjoy it by using a very short first steep. Fans of this type tea tell me it isn’t very smoky at all, but it was to me and I have been avoiding smoky black tea since. Oops.

So here I go again. I took a scoop of leaf and steeped it in my press for 3 minutes (the instructions said 4-5, but I was afraid). It smells strong. I poured my cup, took a breath, and sipped. Wow, it doesn’t taste like an ashtray. There is a woodsy kind of smoky thing going on. This tea is lightly sweet. The smoke and sweetness linger long after the cup is gone. There is no bitterness. No astringency. This is really good. No one is more surprised than me. I had three cups. Go me!

I did some research and Bohea was at one time considered high quality tea (like in colonial times). In later years the name lost respect. This tea by Zenjala reintroduces this tea in its classic form. It is deserving of respect. If you get the chance, do not pass up the opportunity to try this one.

Zenjala Tea Company, Creamy Earl Grey

The addition of vanilla flavor and vanilla beans to the traditional black tea and bergamot oil makes this tea rich and creamy.

This is the second tea I have reviewed by Zenjala. The tea arrived in a really nice and reusable tin. Removing the lid reveals a sealed black plastic bag containing a full ounce of tea. The inner bag has steeping instructions printed on an affixed label.

I used scissors to cut the top off the sample bag. Immediately the air was filled with the wonderful scent of bergamot. I love the smell of bergamot in the morning. The leaf itself is CTC or small pieces of leaf. This is typical of most flavored loose black teas.

I used about 1 ½ tsp of leaf in my French press. Boiling water was used with a 3 minute steep. Zenjala recommends a 4 to 5 minute steep. That just sounded a bit long for my tastes. While steeping this has a strong black tea aroma like an Assam or possibly a Ceylon. I don’t know what kind of black tea base is actually used but it smells inviting.

Although the bergamot and tea scents are strong this is not an overpowering cup. In the sip the bergamot is medium strength. It is the main driving flavor but you can still taste the tea. I don’t get the creamy reference in the taste, as I don’t taste the vanilla. It does have a creamy texture. Possibly my sample is accidentally standard Earl Grey instead of Creamy Earl Grey or the vanilla is just very light. It is good regardless. There is no bitterness in the cup. It does have a nice light bite. This is a solid Earl Grey with what seems to be cinnamon notes. That is interesting as there is no cinnamon in this tea. I made 2 steeps from the leaf. This is quite nice.

Update! - I revisited this one today. After I filled my cup I noticed a drop hanging off the spout of my press. I wiped it with my finger (I know, I know) and of course, I licked my finger. I caught the vanilla flavor in the drop. When I sipped, I wondered where did the vanilla go? So I concentrated a little harder and the flavor became noticeable. Once I caught it it was easy to detect afterwards. It is quite light but it does make the bergamot very smooth. I like this even more today. This is a really good Earl Grey.

Zenjala Tea Company, Chocolate Mint Fusion

Ingredients: puerh tea, dark chocolate curls, flavor, spearmint, and peppermint.

It seems recently every time I have checked my personal Facebook account there is an ad along the side of the page for Zenzala Tea Company. I had never heard of this company before so eventually, I decided to investigate. The first thing I noticed is they offer flat rate shipping of $4.95. I recall once ordering a pound of tea from an Amazon merchant who charged me more for shipping than the tea cost. So I like this idea a lot. Then I notice they have been around for 15 years.

Scrolling through their offerings, the Chocolate Mint Fusion just jumped out at me shouting, “Drink me, drink me!” I contacted Zenjala, and they offered to send me samples to review. That being said, I do my best to present honest opinions of all the teas I review. So far I have not been offered a stinker. Let’s see if the trend continues:

The samples each came in a really nice reusable tin. Inside is a sealed plastic bag containing 1 ounce of tea. A very generous sample! The dry leaf smells of chocolate. Mmmm chocolate. The leaf itself is small cut pieces similar in size to most loose flavored black teas – far larger than fannings. On this particular bag there were no steeping instructions. Rather than look them up I used a healthy scoop of leaf (about 1 ½ tsp) and 12oz of boiling water. I steeped for 2 minutes in my press.

Afterwards I looked up the recommended brewing instructions. They say to use 205F water and an 8 minute steep! So the following is based on using my usual puerh brewing technique instead of their's.

The wet leaf smells lightly of spearmint and chocolate. There is also a light earthy aroma from the puerh. The brew in the press is dark and murky like river water. Pretty sure that is the melting chocolate curls. In the cup this looks thick, rich, and dark like molasses.

The sip is well balanced. The easiest to pick out is the spearmint but it is well behaved. In combination with the other flavors it has a slight peppery edge. You can definitely taste the chocolate under the mint and on your breath. It isn’t a decadent in your face chocolate but is powerful enough to sooth my chocolate cravings. (Had I gone the recommended 8 minutes this might be far more chocolatety)

For cup two I set the timer for 3 minutes, except I kind of got busy and forgot to watch. So this steeped anywhere from 3 to 15 minutes. I really have no idea. The nice thing about this tea is it doesn’t seem to care. There is no bitterness and no astringency. I actually like this cup better. The mint is less prevalent but does leave a pleasant zing in the aftertaste. The dark chocolate is smooth and creamy and moves more to the forefront.

Cup three I steeped for five minutes. It is the best cup yet. The chocolate and the mint are supporting one another. What I learned here is the longer you steep the more present the chocolate becomes and the less pronounced the mints. The puerh base adds a pleasant taste and shu aroma. I used sweetener as I think chocolate and puerh both beg for it. High yum factor.

I saved the leaf overnight to see if it could handle a fourth cup. I steeped about 6 minutes. It looked a bit weak but was still quite chocolate and puerh flavored. If you can’t tell I like this one a lot. This is a really good cup. Good job Zenjala.

Peony Tea S, Dongding Oolong

In spite of its curious sounding name in English, the Dong Ding Oolong is one of the most well-known and beloved teas from Taiwan. It’s strong rich flavor and lingering aftertaste has enchanted countless drinkers across the generations.

This is my third sample from Peony Tea S. Their teas have all been of high quality. Their packaging is very nicely done. Along with the samples I was given a wooden spatula to measure the leaf. I found an article on Peony Tea S's website that explained how to properly use the spatula. I am using it everyday as it allows me to get a scoop of long delicate leaf without mangling it in the package. At this time the spatula comes with your first order. This is a nice touch.

This particular tea comes from Lugu Nantou, Taiwan. The picture is a good representation of what is in the package. Dry pellets smell light and fresh with a slight tobacco leaf scent. I used 1 spatula (approx 4g) placed in my French press and steeped for only 45s with 195F water.

The liquor is very clear and light green. After pouring I took a whiff of the wet leaf. It smells dark and of charcoal. I found the first cup to be lightly charcoal flavored. It was also had notes that were lightly floral. Most of the oolongs I have sampled lately have a bright distinctive floral taste, especially in the lingering aftertaste. This one was what I would call a darker floral.

With the second cup the leaf is not completely unfurled but that is a lot of leaf floating in the water. This cup has a deeper richer charcoal flavor. The oolong floral notes are slightly brighter. This is really good. The liquor is a pretty amber.

On the third cup, I forgot to pour it up. I steeped maybe 10 minutes. Sadly it is bitter and mushroomy. The color of the brew is orange.

On day 2 I used a new spatula of leaf and tried again. I steeped the first cup for two minutes today and got something a bit different than last time. The charcoal smoke flavoring is the most obvious flavor. Beyond the obvious is a grainy bread flavor. This may be what the company description is calling caramel. Occasionally I got hints of cinnamon. At one point and ever so briefly, there was a fruity flavor that immediately made me think peach. It didn’t last long and did not repeat. This never develops anything approaching a tiguanyin oolong taste or bright floral notes like the alishan oolongs. It does have a lingering sweet aftertaste and offers a nice cooling sensation on the breath.

The second cup, like yesterday’s is the best. The flavors are just more developed but similar to the first. I have to admit to over-steeping the third cup again. Like yesterday this is mushroomy when hot. Once it cooled down the flavor returned to more oolong like.

In summation this is a nice Dongding. Just don’t forget the timer on the third steep.

Peony Tea S, Xinyang Green Tips

My second sample from newcomer Peony Tea S. This company is based in Singapore. Their tea is a bit pricier than normal American fare, however, the quality is extraordinary. This sample, like the last, is overly generous in size (hey, I’m not complaining). The packaging and label information are top notch.

From Peony Tea S website: Way back in the Tang Dynasty (618 -907 AD), Xinyang Green Tips have been earmarked as tribute teas for the Emperors. No real surprise really, once you savored it- it has a chestnut like aroma and a refreshing lingering sweetness that leaves you longing for more.

To enjoy it deeper, trying sipping plain water after drinking Xinyang Green Tips, you’ll be surprised how sweet plain ol’ water can taste. This is what we refer to as the recurring sweetness.

I opened the package and took a deep whiff. The dry scent is sweet and sour. Hey, that wasn’t in the brochure. I used the spatula and pulled out the dry leaf for an examination. The picture is a pretty good representation of this one. It is very thin, long, brittle, and dark grassy green.

I used my French press, for this Chinese tea package in Singapore, and shipped to me in America. How international. The spatula holds approximately 3g of leaf. I steeped it for 2 minutes with 175F water.

The aroma of the wet leaf as I remove the press lid is of buttery vegetables. The wet leaf itself is composed of small leaves that are pretty, and light grassy green. The color of the liquor is a very pale yellow. When I say pale, I mean almost clear.

The sip is sweet liquid butter. So good. It kind of reminds me of buttered popcorn. Late in the sip it tastes a bit green. I suppose you could over steep, but as brewed there is no bitterness at all. Did I mention butter? How about sweet? This is literally the naturally sweetest tea I have ever brewed. It has a lingering melon aftertaste.

I steeped this 3 times. Each cup becomes less sweet and less buttery. This is a very good tea. Brew it when you have time to savor the moment and the cup.

Utopia Tea, Rooibos Root beer

The ingredients listed on the sample pack are Organic rooibos, vanilla, cinnamon, sassafras root, and natural flavors.

What’s not to like here? This is listed a couple different places on Utopia’s website. One of those places is children’s teas. With good reason. It’s that much fun.

This is my third sample provided by Utopia Tea. The sample is .3oz and contains enough for two servings. The sample is well labeled. As with all the samples I was left confused on how I should open it. Should I cut off the top? The side? A bottom corner? I opted for cutting off the top so I could paper clip it closed after the first cup. I know it is a minor point.

I used half the leaf and steeped in my Finum basket. Made two cups. The taste is first vanilla followed by sassafras. My palate isn’t sensitive enough to catch the cinnamon by itself but so what if it blends in nicely with everything else. The rooibos is present in the sip but it blends well with the other flavors. Does it taste like root beer? Well, it might come close if you used carbonated water. Mostly this is just a fun, balanced, I would drink this often, cup. I added Splenda but it was a bit sweet on its own and isn’t necessary.

With the last half of the sample I had to try something I read on the label on the back of the sample. I steeped up my cup, let it get cold, and added a scoop of ice cream! Since this is a root beer inspired tea you have to think of it as a root beer inspired float. Cold I notice the rooibos a lot more. It takes on a darker kind of taste. I drank it pretty much straight down. If you are expecting a real root beer float you will be disappointed. If you are expecting a flavored rooibos ice cream treat, this is a fun one.

Peony Tea S, White Peony

Peony Tea S  is new to the Internet tea world and based in Singapore. This is one of three samples sent for review on The Everyday Tea Blog. The sample is an extremely generous 25g. This tea is so light the bag appears as full as some 100g bags I have bought. The packaging is nice and actually kind of beautiful. White on the outside, and silver lined inside. This is a resealable mylar pouch. The tea origin (Fuding, Fujian, China) is on the label as well as clear brewing instructions.

From Peony Tea S. website: White Peony is like the little sister of the Prom Queen (Silver Needles), you can hardly mention her without referencing her more illustrious sibling. Removed from the shadows however, you will be pleasantly surprised at how well she stands on her own merit.

No doubt, Silver Needles is an amazing tea with layers of subtle flavors. It can also carry a hefty price tag. White Peony is far less pricey and, though a little less layered, it can still be a beautiful and flavorful cup. Let’s see how little sister fares on her own merits.

Upon opening the bag I am hit with the fresh smell of a newly cut field. You can almost sense the tractor coming over the hill to bale the field. I could sniff this all day and not get tired of it. Nice.

The dry leaf has a high proportion of white fuzzy leaf. What isn’t white fuzz ranges from beige to light green. The leaves are really long and slender. The picture does not do this leaf justice. It is gorgeous. Did I mention how fresh it smells?

I followed the directions and used 3g of leaf in my press with 176F water and an infusion time of 2m. The result was very clear light yellow liquor. The wet leaf had a steamed vegetable smell but the sip tastes just like the dry leaf smells. If you try this tea and you don’t like the dry leaf smell, just box it up and ship it to me. I will dispose of it 3g at a time for you.

I made 4 cups of tea and each was as flavorful as the first. This is a really nice white peony that is fresh and sweet.