Dobra Tea

I hate to over-inflate ratings, but this tea is well-deserving. I originally ordered this tea on a whim about a year ago because it was pretty cheap for how much tea you received (think of it like a loose-leaf Arizona tea). The Tea Blag swears by this tea as if sweet baby /t/sus made it with his own two hands.

The tea looks like honey (there are pictures in the full review for proof). It has a great malty smell that kind of reminds me of a good brown ale or stout. And once you taste this stuff, you’ll realize it’s fairly smooth and has a lot of honey and nutty overtones. There’s rarely any dust as you continue to re-steep the tea.

Pro tip: we at The Tea Blag add a little honey to each new brew. That way, as the malty-ness of the tea disappears (after 5+ steeps, mwahaha), you’re left with a tea that’d do pretty well for deserts.

Full review here: http://theteablag.blogspot.com/2011/01/this-t-could-be-savior-of-middle-east.html

Had a pot of this at the Asheville Dobra tea house, flavor came thru very well over three infusions. It had a classic Oolong taste with a roasted flavor. Very Dark, smooth and easy to drink. Dobra is a nice place to sit & chat over a cup of tea.

this delicate green is hard to explain to anyone who hasn’t had it before. it’s both steamed like a japanese green and pan fried like a chinese green. the resulting flavors are a hybrid of vegetal body with sweet and nutty notes making each infusion crisp on the end of your tongue. for me this tea is a special occasion or a once in a while tea. not an everyday staple like a dian lu or a da hong pao. it also makes each brewing more enjoyable and savorable. I’ve been drinking a lot of Mao Jian recently and that’s comparable flavor wise. Mao Jian is more buttery and sqaushy though. this style of curled greens is really nice this time of year

This year’s Bao Zhong is exceptional! it has the sweetness almost to the level of an Ali Shan!. not cuite as complex or durable as Ali, but a good backup in case you don’t have time to appreciate every Infusion of a rolled oolong. it’s good that this is so good this year because the Tung Ting has been a little disappointing. normally the TT is the alternate for Ali but the flavor has been kinda flat. the subtle textures don’t linger like they should. In the Bao Zhong however, they do. a light candied aroma fills the air after I add my leaves to the warm teapot. the first sip is a quick and brisk. it tastes of the first snowfall after a thaw. crisp then warming the body to complete the journey from teapot to mouth.

This is a 2009 Putuo, well kept, but I’m not expecting miracles. To that end, I used water even cooler than I would normally (this is quite a small-leafed variety) and brewed it a bit longer. I have to say that I’m impressed at what I found, for a year-old tea.

Lightly sweet, with an aroma of steamed spinach that fills the mouth but doesn’t quite reach the nose. Very slightly drying on the palette, which I attribute to its age. Gentle and comforting for a wintry day, but without the body to stand up to any strong flavors.

The second infusion brought out more dryness and a vegetal addition to the body reminiscent of a toasted Japanese tea (eg: Kamairicha), but unfortunately lost most of the sweetness and aroma.

I love puer and this is a great season for it. i prefer cooked puer for the most part, with the exception of my fav (lau shu) this tea is probably my second favorite cooked puer behind Zhao Li Qiao. it has a sweetness lingering amongst the earth. the infusions remain strong, with the best being 4-12

wowza. this is an interesting one. it has some similarities to maybe a feng huang, slightly fruity but not overpowering citrus. it’s a smooth concoction that reminds me of a hot toddy to some extent…except this won’t help you get to sleep.

This tea makes me want to nap. it’s warm and soothing. love puer and having that little sweetness from the flowers makes a an herbal cherry to my tea sundae.

This stuff is gold right now. this tea shines in your cup like no other. the dry leaves give off an aroma of a fall wind. when the leaves are put into my warm gaiwan, the smell is like a light roasted pinecone. as i take my first sip I am overcome with the sweet taste of fresh snowfall and a strong bouquet of mountain air. while the tea has some delicate tendencies like a fresh first flush darjeeling, I find the Kuwapani has a more nutty undertone and maybe even a slight butterscotch sprinkle on top. Perfect for pre-hibernation tea.

Dragon Eyes! these little balls are deceivingly sweet. as they unfurl in your cup the flavor broadens to almost a Dian Lu Eshan tyoe of smokiness. light, and refreshing even at it’s strongest infusion.

Coming from a region known primarily for it’s dark Blacks and Puers, this green is quite unique. it has a strong, but delicate aroma and flavor, nutty, smoky, even a bit of parmesan in there. Even after 3-4 infusions, the tea maintains its integrity and keeps you going strong all day. the “euphoric effect” is that special “tea high” that serious tea drinkers know about. it’s also the sign of a really good tea. basically it means that the tea is so good that it will take you to another place inside your brain. forget about your troubles with a few cups of Dian Lu!

Most of the time when brewing black tea for myself at home, I tend to use my zhong and take as many infusions as I can get. I decided to just make a pot of this for two reasons. 1 being I didn’t have the time to sit around and steep all morning. 2 being I recently had a done multiple infusions with Qi Hong and the flavor died off really quickly after the first cup. So here’s the deal, this tea is very chocolaty. like a dark chocolate bar aromatizing your cup and the air around it. while not as dark as Dian Hong, this is dark enough for most and a nice tea for the afternoon or with a light snack or after a big meal.

Lovely. First time I’ve had Pu-Er so I’m not sure how it compares. Had it as a sample at their store, so I have no idea about brewing. Slight tannin taste, mother hated it, rather strong tea. Very earthy, very lovely. Didn’t buy since I wanted to buy other teas, but it’s very nice. Would recommend!

Naughty and dark, a bit more malty than most Assams. Nice caffeine kick. Very expensive, but really a lovely tea. I can see drinking this while plotting world takeovers and whatnot.

Love it! Not as strong as Taylor’s of Harrogate Assam, but really lovely. A strong tea, with a delicious taste. I haven’t had a change to drink it terribly often, but it really is NICE. No bitter hints at all.

OH GODS YES!!! This is an amazing Assam like black tea. It’s pretty expensive, but I like it a lot. I brewed per the instructions of the amazing people at the store in Burlington VT. It’s strong, has a nice kick, but isn’t harsh in any sense of the word. It’s very nice. A good afternoon tea. It can be overbrewed easily, and needs hot water. I would rate it higher if it didn’t turn harsh after 1 steeping, and bitter as well.

The large leaves yield a surprisingly light but rich flavor. quite buttery but not sweet. somewhere between a baked potato, corn on the cob and maybe even a yorgurty complex

The aromas of a warm bank on the spring-green ocean bay of a tropical island.  Toasted and sweet without being overtly vegetal or roasted. Oceanic but definitely not seaweedy or fishy.  The second infusion takes on a bit of dryness which lingers, not unpleasantly, on the front of the tongue. 

the aroma is almost a warm cherry and cinnamon. like an early fall campfire, this tea warms the senses to prepare for the colder months. when winter does get here, Adam’s peak will surely lend a hand in keeping me warm.

5 mountains 2 pools. this light but memorable tea will stick with me for a while. one reason is that I kept forgetting the name while doing a taste test. I remembered the nickname but not Mao Jian. another reason I will remember is because it is delicious. not quite up to my dian lu standards but still pretty damn good

This is an absolutely gorgeous jasmine tea. Steeped for a short time, the flowery flavor is light and airy, with just a hint of soothing green-ness. Longer, it becomes a full-bodied floral that is almost intoxicating (in a good way.) Highly, highly recommended.

Well, I HAVE to be partial to the Forest Dragon…it’s my baby (my invention!), and has served as a particularly popular summer specialty at Dobra. Born only a few years ago on a torpid July day…this vegan blend of matcha, rice milk and magic (the ingredients are a secret!) make a lovely hot-weather friend…I happen to have a nice jar of dragon juice (a variation made with coconut milk and maple syrup) right in front of me….and with the fan on it almost seems like I’m in a mossy pine-laden glen touched by zephyrs and conversing with sage beasts…

Forest Dragons are complex drinks to make during a rush! Thank god(ess) for ice, shakers, and co-workers!

I have some really old Da Hong Pao that I’m drinking right now, so any review I make would not really be accurate. However, it’s still pretty tasty. Slightly smokey, rich, and mellow. Holds up to many infusions.