Tea Savant

Sorry to say, I have nothing interesting or particularly witty to start today’s blog out with. The sky is hazy and so is my mind, or maybe it was all that Minecraft I played earlier. Clearly all I can think of explosive Creepers paying me a visit while I am doing something constructive. There was one really funny incident that happened today while I was playing, I had created a ‘gated community’ for my Testificate village and took a sleep in my bed near the far site of the fenced in area. Yes it was silly to sleep out in the open, but waking up to a creeper blowing up on the other side of the fence was quite the surprise. Turns out they make really bad alarm clocks.

Today’s tea is one with a lot of color and panache! Tea Savant’s Organic Good Fortune Tea, I have to say that when I was browsing their store and saw a tea named Good Fortune made with some of my favorite ingredients, I had to try it. Blending together Pistachio nuts, Black Tea, Rose Petals, Ginger, and Exotic spices, the aroma of this tea is extremely reminiscent of one of my favorite desserts, a Middle Eastern frozen treat called Kulfi. The aroma of the loose leaf has rich nutty pistachio, heady rose, and a nice spicy kick of clove and ginger. There is also a creamy quality and a bit of malt that adds a layer of depth to the aroma.

The brewed leaves are bright and brisk with a strong note of ginger and clove that fade to perfume-like rose and rich pistachio nuts. There is also a strong presence of almond at the finish, the wet leaves are certainly more tea than dessert. The liquid however smells just like Kulfi but with a strong malt and spices presence. I would be lying if I tried to deny that my mouth was watering.

Tasting time! The taste is quite bright and very gingery and rosy, I would say that those tastes are the most prominent. Those fade into a rich pistachio and almond taste that makes me immensely happy (pistachios are possibly one of my favorite things ever) the finish is that of malt and nuttiness. Even though it tastes very much so like a rich black tea (as one would hope) the taste still reminds me a lot of Kulfi. Adding a touch of cream and sugar brings out the pistachio nuttiness more and of course adds an extra creamy and sweet quality. I actually think I prefer this tea with just a bit of sugar, for all that it is a tea that reminds me of dessert, it is not a very sweet tea. If you liked this tea and would like to try it (or any other) Tea Savant was nice enough to give me a coupon to share with my readers, use coupon code Butterflies10 for 10% off your purchase.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/05/tea-savant-organic-good-fortune-tea-tea.html

This is one of those days that I am so glad I have a notebook full of tasting notes to pull from, because yours truly is entirely unwell. Stuck in bed with a large mug of a trusty belly soothing herbal brew and surrounded by my cats, I feel many naps coming on as I try my best to recover from digestive tract trying to pull a coup d’etat. Before Morpheus takes me away on an adventure to slumber land, here is today’s spring themed tea.

Today’s tea came to me thanks to a little bit of luck, Tea Savant was having a giveaway on Facebook and I entered and won, go me! Unlike my usual loose leaf tea, Spring Jasmine Savant came to me in a nice pyramid bag. For the record, pyramid bags are certainly teabags that I do not mind since they usually use large leaves and allow the tea to expand. Plus, there is that useful convenience aspect of the tea being in a bag, hello easy cleanup! The aroma of the tea is very sweet and heady, with lots of jasmine flower heaviness. I have a mixed track record with Jasmine, I love it intensely but I have to be in the right mood because it is not a delicate flower, it has an intense headiness that feels heavy and makes me feel a bit sleepy. There is a faint hint of fresh vegetation tying in the green aspect of this flowery green tea.

The steeped teabag and accompanying tea has a rich and heady aroma, the jasmine is really quite intense. It reminds me of the Confederate Jasmine my mother and grandmother each had in their gardens, a very nostalgic aroma. There is a leafy aroma as well as jasmine, a tiny bit vegetal and a tiny bit fresh vegetation giving the tea a very nature like aroma.

At the first sip I notice there is mild vegetal and vegetation, a bit of grass, a bit of fresh leaves, and bit of kale giving the tea a tiny bit of that bitter herb taste. Of course there is a lot of jasmine, actually most of the taste of this tea is heady jasmine with its subtle sweetness and strong floral notes. It is a little overpowering but if you are in the mood for a strong jasmine tea, this really hits the spot. There is also a slightly fruity aftertaste which I really think adds to the experience. I do feel like this should be named Summer Jasmine Savant because it is very evocative of summer in full bloom rather than the delicate aspects of spring, but that is just me being silly.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/04/tea-savant-spring-jasmine-savant-tea.html

Perfectly worthy of the recommended infusion style!

Highly aromatic and flavorful! This blended tea is a wonderful addition to any collection and is Tea Savant’s best blend!

A review of Organic Rock Oolong by Tea Savant

Company: Tea Savant
Tea Name: Organic Rock Oolong
Tea Type/Varietal: Oolong
Region: Fujian, Taiwan
Steeping Vessel/Amt. Leaf: cup/ loose leaf
Liquor Color: light green/brown in coloring
Leaf Characteristics: The leaves are tightly rolled pellets and when immersed in water become fuller leaves as they bunch atop of the water in the mug to resemble green veggies creating an aromatic brew of cream of broccoli; except this is tea and much, much lighter.

1st Steeping:
Water temperature: 200 Fahrenheit
Time: 3 minutes

I am finishing this Organic Rock Oolong which has been most enjoyable for me. What I liked best of this tea is that it a green tea; that of veggies, the likes of broccoli or green beans. I don’t know why with each and every brew of this tea I am met with that cream of broccoli aroma and I am not expecting or thinking this.

Overall, this tea is as described by Tea Savant: It is bold and strong, with a rich base. Oolong tea is a high brow tea, this one is exceptional, making it one of our choices for its VIP status. Organic tea retains more genuine tea flavors.

A review of Organic Rock Oolong by Tea Savant

Company: Tea Savant
Tea Name: Organic Rock Oolong
Tea Type/Varietal: Oolong
Region: Fujian China
Steeping Vessel/Amt. Leaf: cup/ loose leaf
Liquor Color:
Leaf Characteristics: small pellets that become full when immerse in hot water.

1st Steeping:
Water temperature: 190 Fahrenheit
Time: 3 minutes

It has been a while since having oolong tea. So today of all days I reached for this tea, completing my order from Tea Savant. I had purchased this tea, along with their Mandarin Savant and I am now getting to this oolong is what I mean to say in a round about way.

I take half of the tea pouch content and put this in my tea mug and add the boiling water to it and leave it to steep for few minutes. I like how the small pellets become full leaves as if just plucked from tea tree.

The leaves bunch on top of the water and the aroma is like that of green veggies, as I scoop out the tea leaves I notice how much fuller they are and very green like green-leafy vegetables. Tea’s color is pale green/lightest brown but more clearer upon sipping of the tea I note the freshness of this tea. It is astringent, stinging my taste buds whilst drinking it.

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

I continue to have this tea for the day; I began with it in the morning and have been sipping at it throughout the day; only adding freshly hot water to my cup, while immersing the tea leaves for more infusion/steeping. The astringency is light and the stinging is next too none with more steeps. What I note with longer steeps is the texture of the veggies like broccoli, I almost wanted to say spinach but it is smooth in taste and spinach is not buttery or creamy and this oolong is all that. It makes for a rich and bold cup of oolong tea that is cleanly on the palette.

I know that I like oolong teas and perhaps this is another reminder for me.

A review of Magnolia Oolong by Tea Savant

Company: Tea Savant
Tea Name: Magnolia Oolong
Tea Type/Varietal: Oolong
Region: Taiwan China
Steeping Vessel/Amt. Leaf: cup/ loose leaf
Plucking Season:
Liquor Color: very light yellow tea with first steep and slightly darker with long steeps.
Leaf Characteristics: Leaves are fine pellets and when steeped they are fuller leaves.

1st Steeping:
Water temperature: 200 Fahrenheit
Time: 3 minutes

Tea Savant sent this tea to me several times and I get to have it again and again. I take one spoonful of the pellets and put them in my tea mug and adding the boiled water to the tea, leaving it for a steep time of five minutes.

Tea’s aroma is a of a floral bouquet and tea’s color is light green with a yellow base. I like the aroma to be found in the magnolia and I must say one cannot smell this from the pellet leaves prior to steeping as this is unlike Jasmine tea which permeated the air and everything around you prior and after steeps.

I find this tea to be a very mild oolong with somewhat grainy texture when finishing the drink. Tea is slightly astringent and yet smooth and sweet.

2nd Steeping:
Water temperature: 200 Fahrenheit
Time: 5 minutes

This steep is for five minutes and the color is a darker yellow/amber in color; the color that I have come to associate with oolong teas and smells wonderfully of a bouquet of magnolia, not too heady for this nose.

In all as I have been drinking oolong and finding that I do indeed like them; this is fresh, authentic and overall an exquisite tea.

Thank you Tea Savant for sending this tea for me to sample and review. I am inept and I do hope to improve over time so that I may know what to say and what not to say.

A review of Magnolia Oolong by Tea Savant

Date: 11/02/2012
Company: Tea Savant
Tea Name: Magnolia Oolong
Tea Type/Varietal: Oolong
Region: Fujian China
Steeping Vessel/Amt. Leaf: cup/ loose leaves
Plucking Season:
Liquor Color: a blushing amber
Leaf Characteristics:

1st Steeping:
Water temperature: 200 Fahrenheit
Time: 3 minutes

Note: I had received several samplings of this Magnolia Oolong and I happy to be having a cup of this throughout my day. I take on tea spoon of the rounded petals and place them in my cup and I add the boiling water into my cup and leave to steep for several minutes.

The teas’ aroma is light floral scent. This sweet luxury tea is highly regarded as one of Tea Savant’s finest teas. I remove the tea leaves and continue to enjoy the floral intoxication as I take several quick sips of the tea since it is very hot; I like the complex sweetness paired against a smokey undertone. I simply love, love this tea and I cannot say enough about it. The color is like gold; darken peach, rustic of a blush even.

Tea Savant describes this as “world class tea, enjoy loose leaf, and watch the leaves open in your cup.” It is most impressive oolong I have had and I am grateful for Tea Savant to have sent the many samples for me to enjoy. Thank you for trust, and for making such a great product.

A review of Magnolia Oolong by Tea Savant

Date: 10/09/2012
Company: Tea Savant
Tea Name: Magnolia Oolong
Tea Type/Varietal: Oolong
Region: Fujian China
Steeping Vessel/Amt. Leaf: cup/ loose leaves
Plucking Season:
Liquor Color: light amber
Leaf Characteristics:

1st Steeping:
Water temperature: 190 Fahrenheit
Time: 3 minutes

Note: I was so very happy when I opened the package finally. I found the sample received to be Magnolia Oolong. I have not had oolong tea for a long while. The little tea pouch has a clear plastic back and it reveal small pellets like leaves.

I decided to have a cup of this tea today and after cleaning my tea mug and warming it with warm water, I take one teaspoon of the tea leaves and put them in my cup which I than fill with the boiled water and leaving it to steep for a few minutes.

I am noticing the magnolia scent right away; it is a lovely bouquet. I don’t smell this from the package, it is when I remove the lid and see how the tea leaves have unfolded with the heady aroma of the magnolia (permeating the air) is so nice. I am thinking about some island in the Pacific since I think that is where magnolia flowers bloom. Anyhow, I scoop out the leaves from the cup and place this on a towel dish and take my tea over by the window to examine tea’s color which is lovely amber. I have a sip of the tea and another realizing that it is sweet and aromatic with a smoky undertone.

I find that the tea’s color and the earthiness smell in the cup makes me think of a pu-erh tea but it is oolong and so lovely.

2nd Steeping:
Water temperature: 190 Fahrenheit
Time: 4 minutes

Note: I use the same leaves and pour in some more of the newly boiled water into my cup and leave it to steep a bit longer this time; a minute longer than before.

And the tea’s color did seem a bit darker and making it more smoky in the scent as well. Taste is still a clean, smooth and full bodied tea. I can see having this tea as an iced tea for those liking their teas cold. Since I prefer my tea hot it is exceptionally fine as is at this moment. I think the first cup was better since it was sweeter and not so strong in the scenting of the magnolia.

Overall, tea is a lovely amber coloring resembling at times a pu-erh tea with the earthiness in the way it tastes. I would recommend it as one to be made to drink throughout the day at leisure or after a heavy meal to wash it down with.

I cannot emphasize how pleased I am with the tea’s aroma; that floral bouquet to be found only in an island on the Pacific! Thank you Tea Savant for sending this tea sample to me.

I plan to order a sample of your orange oolong tea next. Happy teas!