Rose Violet Calendula Oolong

It’s been quite an up-and-down day, and certainly a busy one without time to stop for tea yet. I’ve been at work all day and I am just now sitting down at my computer at 4pm. Crazy! Anyway, I wanted a tea I knew I would love, but I wanted something new. I also wanted an oolong, and luckily I have a boatload of new oolongs to try still. This tea is kind of a compromise between old and new because I’m pretty sure I’ve had it before from Butiki Tea (how many rose violet calendula oolongs could there be?), but this is from my Naivetea sampler pack.

The dry leaf smells fantastic. It’s a lush, thick combination of florals, which of course I love. Rose and jasmine are the two most common florals for tea, yet they are so infrequently put together. It seems like it’s because of the rose=black and jasmine=green dicotomy… well leave it to an oolong to bring them together. I love the combination, which really comes out in the aroma of the steeped tea. I’m not as familiar with the individual aromas of violet and calendula (though I know violet a little better than calendula), but they definitely add to the thick floral aroma.

If you don’t love floral teas, do not even try this one. I am a floral nut, so I love it, but this particular cup borders on perfumy even for me. I know! Maybe shorter steeps or a rinse would yield less strong florals, but I don’t mind of course. This tea does have that light natural sweetness to it that I love as well. Whenever I’m in the mood to drink a bouquet of flowers, this is the tea to go for.

Thank you Dinosara for this sample. :) I have been saving my more floral teas for warmer weather and the UK has finally seen the start of things to come. Hopefully the snow is behind us.

I don’t recall trying anything from Naivetea before but have tried Butiki Teas version of rose violet calendula Oolong so there are some means for comparison.

In raw form this tea consists of dark brown/black oolong balls with a few yellow calendula petals mixed amongst them. If you look very closely there are a few very small pieces of violet petals but I can’t see any rose in this 7g sample.

Upon opening the packet I could note a very strong floral aroma with particular rose peaks and Turkish delight essence.

Once steeped the tea is yellow in colour with a very light floral scent. Not as strong as it’s raw form but still present with a little sweetness.

The first few sips reveal a very mellow floral taste that has a pinch of sweetness and grass like essence. Despite a dark appearance this Oolong does have a very green flavour but it’s so mild that it’s characteristics leave a lot to be desired. To add to the list of flavours there is a powdery, floral perfume after taste that dries the mouth a little.

This tea would be suitable for people that like subtle flavours but for me it’s just too subtle. I brewed 7g into a mesh teapot that holds 2 and a half cups of tea so ideally it should have been more potent in my opinion. I remember Butiki being fresher and much stronger than this.

Overall while this tea is delicate and light it is also rather tasty, I just wish it was stronger. For me this is a slightly above average blend that works well before or after a meal due to it’s light aura. A nice cleanser but not suitable for those that like to be taken away with a floral taste and aroma to their own flower field…like I do.

Oh and just a side note – This is my 499 tasting review. Almost at the big 500 :)

Lovely sweet, floral tea.

Pretty good for a floral tea, not overwhelmingly scented.