Phoenix Pearl

This is the first grown-up straight black I took to bed. I mean that in a non-dirty way: I made a small pot and brought it upstairs to the bedroom. I rarely do that with this type of tea because I never love it enough to commit, it’s usually one cup that I know I’ll hate but have it anyway. Not tonight. I took a chance with this one, made a pot so I have enough to satisfy me for a while and I don’t have to break the spell and go back downstairs.

I teased it with just a little breath of honey although I have to say there’s not much change in flavour even with the addition. Probably because I didn’t add enough but I didn’t want too much in there.

I am surprised at how nice this is. How smooth. I mean, black teas to me are strong, astringent and I can only drink them if I add quite a bit of stuff to them. straight black teas usually scare me.

This came from TheTeaFairy and after spending the day oh so pleasantly I decided to stretch the feeling and make this one. For a second, as I smelled the brewed aroma I thought it smelled just a bit like a puerh. Not fishy but aromatic and earthy. This is no puerh of course but to me the aftertaste is a bit… bready. Like puerh can sometimes be.

TheTeaFairy loves this one according to her note which also says this is “so cute to look at”. I needed something cute to look at, remember I’ve been all alone for a week now. It is indeed pretty to look at, all curls. It also has a pleasant, inviting colour, not the way some black teas brew dark and menacing.

It’s amber, smooth and tastes like an unsweetened roll of sorts. I’m pretty impressed. Thanks, TheTeaFairy — i’m sure this is a tea you thought I’d hate and are just sending it to take me out of the comfort zone. Surprise!

I know I have a sample of this but when one comes along already open, might as well try it. I love black pearls so I’ll just consider it having more.

These are really tasty, they aren’t entirely wrapped up so the expansion doesn’t take the entire steep which I think really helps the flavor. Last time I had some it wasn’t until the second steep that they really tasted good.

This is definitely cocoa, with just a little bit of honey, malt, and even a little woodsy…in a way I can stand!

I had two steeps of this before moving on to something else. It seemed like the second steep was even sweeter than the first one.

Special thanks to Liberteas for this one!
First cup – 1st infusion was sweet and smooth with a little bit of sweet woodsy and earthiness to it! It was nice! Towards the end of the sip I got a little bit of cocoa flavor as well – close and comparable to a cocoa powder type flavor.

2nd Infusion – a bit over infused on purpose – was quite nice, too!

More hearty, more earthy, more cocoa-E. It’s still rich and still bold!
Very nice Black Tea!

I may have thought “this is my favorite tea” while I was sipping this one… I’m not sure! I was captivated by how delicious this is! It is DEFINITELY my favorite unflavored black tea. (Though I must admit, I don’t think I’ve tried many unflavored black teas yet.) The dried leaves are little bundles, black with hints of gold in color. The leaves smell like a perfect black tea and this tastes perfect. I may have used a bit more than a teaspoon. I steeped for four minutes. The flavor is amazing. The first to note is the unbelievable sweetness. How does a black tea taste like this? It’s almost like sugar was added. No, the description says it is naturally sweet. I made sure to taste the tea before biting into my breakfast of coconut custard pie.. and then I just wanted to enjoy the tea without the pie. The flavor is amazing: deep, earthy, smooth and full. NO bitterness. Even as it cools, the flavor might be getting sweeter. It’s not brisk or the strongest black tea, but I’d say it has more flavor than the two Teavivre black teas I’ve tried. (I love those as well. I’m just using them as a comparison for unflavored black teas. And I guess it reminds me of the Teavive, just with a stronger flavor.) I wish I could convey the flavor profile better! The second steep is just as good (5 min). I’m going to try getting a third cup later. I could drink this every day! Add this to the list of Zen Teas I must order. They know what they are doing giving out free samples! zentealife.com

TTB-A sample. There was just about enough for one more cup left of this one, so I snagged it. Actually a tiny bit more than I would normally use in my cup (but only barely) so I decreased the steep time to account for it.

I love black pearls so of course I was intrigued. These aren’t so much pearls as little wadded up leaves; the look of it almost reminds me of the shape of the Laoshan Black first picking. Steeped, it does have a bit of a chocolatey aroma but its tempered by some high fruity notes and a hint of… coffee? Well that’s weird, but it did pop into my head while sniffing it.

The flavor is pretty classic black pearl, which is to say pretty tasty. I’m not getting any sweetness in the first steep, and the chocolate is definitely muted. Definitely on the earthy side of Yunnan blacks, with a bit of woodiness as well. It was smooth and malty when I first started drinking this cup, but it’s getting a touch harsh as it cools, and as such my rating keeps dropping as I sit here writing this tasting note. I mean, it’s still tasty, but my desire to have another cup of it is waning. Maybe it’s because I just had my One True Pearls (Teavivre) the other day, so they are fresh in my mind.

Second steep, at four minutes, wasn’t really worth it for me. Thin and lacking in the flavors I like (cocoa, grains, malt), with more of the flavors I don’t (a weird darjeeling-like fruitiness). Ah well, so it goes. This tea wasn’t sealed in an airtight pouch, so there is always the chance of flavor loss over time, but the first steep was quite strong so I kind of doubt that. Glad I got the chance to try these but they won’t be replacing my faves any time soon.

Three steeps of this today – it’s nice to have something easy you can just add hot water to with no stopping to clean out the infuser. ;)

I couldn’t pass up the sale that they had awhile ago. In the cart this went!
The leaf is not quite “pearl like”, but more like “snails” IMO.
The taste is slightly sweet with lots of malty, cocoa notes. Delicious.

I only steeped once because after my morning tea, I ate a whole bunch of Easter chocolate (I bought a bunch on sale on Monday….bad girl, I didn’t NEED that chocolate). Too much caffeine today to have another cuppa. But next time, I will definitely resteep.

I have tried this 3 times now and I’m just not getting what other folks (with whom I generally share tea taste) are getting. I just don’t care for it much. It is far too smokey, especially when it cools off. When hot I get a dusty smokiness that is okay, but not awesome. When cool, it turns to a harsh ashy-ness. I suspect because I have been busy enough that I don’t get through a cup before it cools I have not been interested enough to do a second steep. Perhaps I would like that more. I also want to try this with my water at home – all of my cups have been at work and I find that I prefer my unfiltered water at home for some of the heavier blacks. So, no rating for now since I’m not really sure what I think. :)

TTB #12

This is such a sweet tea! The color of the steep is pretty light, almost like a dark oolong’s light brown hue. It is most definitely a full-bodied tea, tasting of chocolate and, actually, dark bread. I also detect a tiny hint of smokiness. It’s one of these sipping experiences where every sip is a surprise of flavor.

I am definitely in love with Chinese black teas and they are the ones I want to continue exploring. Not that I find the Indian and Sri Lankan ones hideous, definitely not. But these sweet, rich yunnans… They are going to be the death of me.

Sample package label:
“Black tea China
Naturally sweet and smooth with a touch of earthiness. Comprised of only the highest quality leaves and buds, expertly rolled into a pearl-like shape. Subtle cocoa notes whisper gently as each pearl unfurls delivering a superior tea experience not to be missed.

Preparation: (1 cup): 1 heaping tspoon, 95C(203F), 3 min

Technique: 6-oz water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 19 ppm, heated to 212*F and allowed to cool to 203*F – verified with DAVIDsTEA digital thermometer. 1 heaping Tevanna teaspoon, without sweeteners, milk or cream.

This tea has an earthy / woodsy fragrance.

Brown hue

First 3-min Infusion:
This is a smooth, earthy, full-bodied tea with a natural sweetness and light notes of cocoa. It did not have any bitterness or astringency.
2nd 3-min Infusion:
A little less full-bodied, but just as enjoyable as the first cup.
3rd 5-min Infusion:
A little less full-bodied, but still enjoyable – a pleasant surprise.

2nd Cup
4-min Infusion:
Same experience as the first cup, but with more body a more well-rounded natural sweetness. Once again, there was no bitterness or astringency.

Impression: An excellent, smooth, earthy, full-bodied tea with a natural sweetness and without any bitterness or astringency that will go the distance. Well Done!

Thanks to Zen Tea Life for providing this free sample.