Dragonfly Tea

/Diary entry:

Yesterday I swapped two bottles of wine (I was picking some better ones) for HUGE LOAD OF TEA BAGS for my collection. It is two big paper bags and one, smaller (but still full and bigger) plastic one. And lots of those teas are still full, although way old. I think that foil wrapped teas will be okay at least, but paper ones? Not really sure.

There is no way to put all the teas in my cupboard (not even a virtual one), so I will just pick some tea as this morning when I picked this one as it was first green tea I saw. And my What-cha order is on the way, as well soon Bird and Blend. Oh dear, so much tea!

I have to say, that those teas were well stored, as there is no dust on them, so I hope the majority will be drinkable. I promised to share with other collectors, but certainly I would not share everything, and rest will be for exchange I think. /End of diary entry

The tea smelled faint of green tea, but spearmint was there although not very strong too. But when it hit the water the aromas started to rise. They suggest rapid brewing (one to two minues) so I will do my best probably. The tea looks quite finelly chopped, and quite big load of peppermint is there as well.

After this short steeping period I tossed the bag out, and the brew have following: nice yellow-green colour, not super clear, but not really cloudy too. Stronger spearmint scent, bit honey-like too. They claim it is gunpowder green tea, so… maybe that is in as well.

In taste it is really strongly spearmint tea, while green base is in background. Overall, it is mild, yet full-bodied tea. Although old, still tasty!

Varieteas Box (October) – 5/30

This was surprisingly good! I don’t know why I always feel that a bagged tea will be disappointing, because I own so many decent (and quite a few fantastic) bagged teas. This, I’d quite possibly put in the almost-fantastic category.

The gunpowder base was perfectly balanced with the spearmint, so that just as I worried I’d over-steeped it, there came a refreshing burst of mint that tingled on my tongue. Every sip was the same. I was sad when I’d finished this, to be honest. It was a light, refreshingly minty and rejuvinating tea and a pleasure to drink.

251/365

I’ve not had a moroccan mint in the longest time, and I’m only sad that I don’t have copious amounts of sugar and a pretty tea glass here with me at work today. Still, this hot weather seems particularly suited to a moroccan mint, so I’m going to go ahead even if I can’t do it as much justice as I’d like.

For a bagged tea, this is good. The gunpowder base is just on the right side of bitter, and the mint comes in just before you’d expect the astringency to hit. In the way of mint, it adds a cooling, refreshing edge and is nicely prominent without being overpowering. I added a little bit of crystal sugar, and that helps to brighten and sweeten things a little. It could hardly be considered the best tea out there, or even the best moroccan mint, but it’s hitting the spot today and that’s all that really matters at the moment.

I’d pick up a box of these if I ever saw them around. They’re great for easy-drinking on hot days!

Less harsh than regular Earl Grey and slightly sweeter.

Sweet but not overpowering

Most cheap bagged white teas don’t claim to be any particular grade but this one says it is authentic Bai Mudan (or Pai Mu Tan, otherwise known as white peony). While it certainly doesn’t compare with any loose leaf Pai Mu Tan I’ve tried it’s considerably better than any of the other cheaper bagged whites I’ve tasted, it has something of the Pai Mu Tan taste, the sweetness, and hints of melon, peach. The manufacturers say it has a slight nuttiness which is often said of Pai Mu Tans but I don’t get that though I never do in any of them, to me it always has a slight woodiness behind the sweetness. It brews quite dark in the cup for a white tea, and tastes very clean and fresh, if I don’t have access to leaves or an infuser and want a white tea then this is my preferred choice.

DArjeeling fan here, who usually (over) spends dearly on 1st flushes, and rare summer picks.

Went out for another tea, and had to pick another tea to go with it. (promotion sales) to get one for free. Was not particulary interested in the teas that were offered, so in the end went for this bagged organic Darjeeling.

Never seen this brand here before.

Downside: o.k. it’s bagged. :( not my fave pick.

Plus: it’s one of the best bagged teas I had, and for a Darjeeling, it’s pretty darn good.

Will def. buy again when I need a quick brew at work or when commuting.

I tried one of these at work a while ago and really liked it. Bought myself a box last night, though, and the first cup was really overpowering. I left it for 3-4 minutes as directed, so might try a shorter brew next time

It’s one of those rare occasions that I actually fancy a ‘nice’ cup of chai. This is a new brand to me so I approach with caution and am sticking to the instructions: Steep time 4 minutes, boiling water, splash of milk.

Ingredients: Black tea, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, black pepper and natural flavour.

A few ingredients there that I am not keen on (cloves and cardamom) but hopefully this will be a nice blend rather than being heavy on one taste in particular.

First few sips: I can taste the cinnamon and cardamom so spicy and citrus with a slight after taste of clove but the milk has weakened that somewhat (thankfully). So far it tastes as I expected.

Half way down: The cardamom becomes stronger and now I am having trouble to taste anything else, I think that is one of the reasons I hate cardamom. No longer can I taste the delicious cinnamon or spicy ginger :(

For me that makes this cup average for chai and I dislike average chai. Nothing personal Dragonfly Tea but I shall not be buying this again.

I love this tea! Sometimes I try to avoid caffeine, so am always looking for herbal infusions and this has to be my favourite! I like Rooibos, but find the plain one a little boring. This Earl Gray version is really versatile. You can drink it with, or without milk, hot and even left to cool and drunk cold it’s really refreshing. I just really like this Rooibos version of Earl Grey!

This is a very nice Redbush with a nice enough vanilla flavour. Thankfully this flavouring isn’t overpowering or overly artificial tasting. Doesn’t quite knock the Lord Nelson Vanilla Redbush from it’s top spot but it’s a very comfortable runner up.

A nice all round tea that is perfect if you wan’t to relax with a hot drink and avoid the caffeine buzz

Increasingly dusty (see previous tasting note): eventually I gave this one away.

An unimposing rooibos with barely-noticeable bergamot. The tea itself has a pleasant floral honey scent, but it suffers from being individually-bagged. The leaves are a nearly uniform autumn reddish-brown, and it produces a golden-red brew. I find it underwhelming and disappointing; it’s currently being used up in my cupboard rather than delighted over.

Great with milk as an evening drink. The vanilla provides a subtle sweetness that doesn’t overpower the flavour of the rooibos.

despite having an aversion to teabags this tea is wonderful
my preferred evening tea as its caffeine free
smells amazing and tastes delicious it also has a very calming effect

Received in a swap. I love rooibos. I love chai. Was intrigued to see how they mix. This gentle rooibos is lightly spiced, and it tastes great. It doesn’t have quite the bite of black chai, it’s a little more soothing while still being full-bodied. I’m sitting here sipping it while listening to a storm rage outside. Perfect.

Bought this for the kids as I generally prefer black chai, but it sounded good and I was in the mood for Chai.