Tangerine Blossom

TeaTiff was so lovely to include this in with her #2 day of tea package. I have had one of the most unique experiences thus far in trying many different teas, with this tea. The Smell of this tea was magnificent. It permeated the bag and called to me to drink it-honestly I felt it did, LOL. After I brewed and tasted, I was still in awe. The part that really stuck with me, was that the tea tasted exactly as it smelled. I know that might sound weird, and yes I will agree it does, but I have no other way to describe it. Very unique. The title states red tea, but the ingredients state white tea with tangerine flowers. Thought that was interesting as well. I have really enjoyed all the thought this tea has ensued upon me! Thanks so much again TeaTiff.

This tea is amazing. It was love at first aroma. It is a light black tea. The orange blossom flavor sweeps over you first, followed by a light, crisp black tea flavor that balances and compliments the orange blossom.

It’s like Southern California in the spring…on a warm evening, near an orange grove when a breeze picks up the scent from the orange trees and it envelops you, perfectly sweet and intoxicating, so that you instantly stop moving and close your eyes trying to savor the moment as long as possible! This is Tangerine Blossom Tea by Shang Tea.

The flavor is natural; infused. And it is a continuum of flavor, not a riot of competing flavors. It is truely beautiful and relaxing.

This is a choice for when you want unique and when you want to savor the exceptional. Mildly uplifting, perfect for early evening when you want to recharge from the day and yet still be able to go to sleep later. Red teas are like that for me. This one is even milder than most red teas, but I found it to also have an herbal, almost medicinal quality. Medicinal doesn’t sound appealing, but it starts off in a way that you aren’t sure that you really like, so you keep slurping and slurping and it’s gone before you know it and you want more. The tangerine element balances the herbal, and then you have the underlying red tea body. I want to enjoy this tea just often enough that it remains a special treat.

I love this tea. I tend to start the day with a red tea and this is often the one I choose. I find it smooth and the added tangerine flavor a delight. I get four steepings — the first two are for 1 minute, the third for about a minute and a half, and the fourth I let sit on the leaves for a long time. My favorite is the second and I savor that one. The first steeping and part of the third go into a thermos cup to enjoy during my commute to work.

I do not usually go for floral teas, so I had put this sample to the back of my tea drawer and forgotten about it. I was in a hurry one morning and didn’t have too much time to brew a cup of tea with my steeper so tossed this sample in my bag to make at work. Boy was I surprised. I must have steeped this 4-5 times and every cup was wonderful. It was sweet, citrusy, with just a hint of floral. I am going to have to try this again just to be sure the rainy day wasn’t affecting my taste buds.

I’m slowly enjoying this as a I am slowly sipping this down. I want more of it. If it weren’t for the price, I’d totally get more with some Bailin Gongfu from Joseph Wesley and some Lapsang Souchong. More than likely, I could do something on my own if I find some tangerine blossoms for my black teas.

This is a sad goodbye, but I am so happy to have tried it.

Sipdown. I love this tea. Malty, sweet with orange/citrus. Always good and comforting. Tried it at the Midwest tea fest and I just loved it. It is a must replace for me, but I need to finish off a few other teas before I feel I can justify an order.

Delicious! Aromatic and flavorful without being overwhelmingly so. Every Shang Tea is amazing. This was my first when I visited KC a year ago, but the white teas are also tasty. I look forward to ordering more of this tangerine red tea. It’s worth every cent.

The flavor of this tea varies greatly depending on how you prepare it. If you follow the package directions it’s strongly floral with hints of an almost orange-like citrus. I actually found it to be a little overpowering this way, even though I love floral teas. Instead I prefer to cut the amount of dry leaf I use in half, which produces a lightly floral cup with strong hints of citrus and a slightly sweet undertone. This is one of those teas that gives you a lot of wiggle room in terms of preparation, so it can be prepared to fit a variety of tastes, but brewing it at a higher temperature tends to bring out a somewhat astringent note. If you’re a fan of floral oolongs or even jasmine scented teas this will be right up your alley.

You can read the full review on my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2016/4/5/tuesday-tea-tangerine-blossom-red-shang-tea

My favorite thing, hands down, about the weather having warmed up is being able to have my windows open. I love sitting at my desk feeling the fresh air, hearing the birds sing…and hearing my weirdo cats chirp at things like they are aliens. Tao only occasionally chips, Espeon sounds like a crazy noise machine, but she is just a much noisier cat. We frequently have conversations and pretend we have some idea what we are saying to each other.

Well, it is official, today marks the start of ticket sales for the Midwest Tea Fest, and to celebrate I am going to take a look at a tea I really should have reviewed ages ago, Shang Tea’s Tangerine Blossom Red. I say that I should have reviewed it ages ago because (spoilers) it is one of my favorite teas, belonging to the surprisingly short (for me anyway) list of teas that I HAVE to have on hand. It is also a tea I have been afraid to review because I was afraid of not doing it justice. Of course the really sad thing is as I review this, this is the end of my supply, so I guess we know what I will be buying very soon. The aroma of the leaves is nothing short of decadent, it blends rich cocoa, roasted peanut, and a tiny dried cherry note with intense heady tangerine blossoms. Me being me, I have spent a lot of time sniffing citrus flowers, tangerine flowers are one of my favorite because they are so heady, blending citrus notes with honeysuckle and gardenia, those combined into one slightly sharp heady flower makes me swoon. Honestly I have a hard time describing it because my brain goes all happy fuzzy while experiencing this tea.

The brewed leaves are so delightfully heady, the tangerine blossom is definitely the dominant note, It reminds me of a pile of plucked flowers on a hot day, if you have ever gardened and had a pile of flowers to deal with, you will notice there is a massive heady note that drifts out from the pile of flowers, now mix that with cocoa, dried cherries, and sweet tangerines. The liquid is a blend of tangerine blossoms, citrus fruit, and a rich cocoa and roasted peanut note. It smells delicious, this is almost a tea I have to sniff and sip solo, because it is a little too sensual.

First steep, oh man, it is so good! A perfect balance of sweetness, richness, and heady floral. Pardon me while I let out a contented sigh, because this tea is intense and lovely. It starts out with a cocoa and dried cherry sweetness and then moves to a heady rich tangerine blossom. It blends the taste of citrus with flower nectar sweetness reminiscent of honeysuckle. The finish is rich cocoa and roasted peanuts with a floral note that seems to linger on my tongue for an eternity.

And now I decide to have a second steep, which is no surprise, the aroma of this steep really ramps up on the sweetness front, the floral notes are intense and the cocoa notes mouth watering. And not just because my doctor said no chocolate and I am having some hard core cravings! The taste starts off intense and it stays intense till the end, and most of that intensity is floral, though it is not like perfume or soapy like some floral teas can be, it is like nectar and sipping a slightly earthy, cocoa, and dried cherry note red tea while sitting next to a bouquet of tangerine blossoms.

Third time and last time, usually I can get four steeps, but the fourth steep is fairly weak, and I let it steep for a while. If anyone is curious, yes I have steeped this tea Western style and it is pretty good, though it does seem to lose some of its more subtle nuances, and even my staunchly western tea drinking boyfriend thinks it is better gongfu style. The aroma of the third steep still has a very strong floral presence, along with cocoa and dried cherry, but it also has a creamy note as well. The taste is a bit milder than the previous one, but there is still a strong tangerine blossom flavor, the nectar like notes are so delicious, though this steep the tea itself really shines. The notes of roasted peanuts, cocoa, sweet dried cherry, and a bit of malt at the finish. I have such a weakness for floral teas, especially citrus flowers of any variety, and I really love that this is a red tea rather than a green or white like I usually run into, Tangerine Blossom Red is one of a kind and delicious, also I love I can go to the shop and talk to its creator when I visit, the personal aspect makes me enjoy it even more.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2015/03/shang-tea-tangerine-blossom-red-tea.html