Arbor Teas
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I loved mangoes so I figured I would give this one a shot. The company’s website say this is made with brisk Chinese tea (does not say which one and I’m not sure I could hazard a guess, perhaps it’s the Keemun?)
I feel there is a quite a bit more tea in here than flavoring, the mango is a bit subdued which could be a plus or a minur depending on your point of view. I am also wondering about the calendula flowers here and whether they really add anything to the flavor. It is mango-y but also a bit strange somehow, like a burnt mango. Not too bad but not the best mango tea I’ve ever had.
bonus for compostable packaging. :)
Preparation
wow, I am learning more about white tea every day! I upped the rating on this one today. Using cooled water, a lot of leaf and a slight 60 second steep was the key to success with this one. It now has a gentle lilac/vanilla aroma and taste. delicate and nice!
Preparation
That’s how I prepare my whites. More leaf, shorter steeps, & then I gradually increase steep time and temp until the flavor wanes. I usually get 4-5 good steeps from the same leaves, and since I guesstimate my leaf amount, and water temp, the whole experience varies. I like it that way.
No matter how hard I try I cannot get myself that interested in plain white tea (but yes, I keep trying)
The first time I brewed this I let it steep too long which was definitely a mistake. Steeping in cooled water for around 60 seconds seemed to yield the best results. It is sweet, and delicate and light but I think perhaps the subtle nature of white tea is kind of lost on me. This was a pleasant cup but I really prefer flavored white tea if I am going to drink it…. sorry purists!
Preparation
If you drink alot of black teas, I can understand how it gets lost on you. I think before I tried Whites, I was into greens during the summer. Then I found a bag of Shou Mei White that I had stashed away. This was the perfect white to transition to, b/c ithad slightly deeper toasty aspects to it. Plus I prepared it Gongfu using more tea and shorter steeps. So I was drinking that, & then went on to lighter whites. I really like them, but drink them mostly in the summertime.
Flavored whites can be good as long as the flavoring isn’t too much & masks the tea.
I think it was Shou Mei, or it may have been Bai Mu Dan.
perhaps I will try again in the summer…
One big problem with white teas is how delicate they are. If you do not prepare the tea in precisely the correct manner, much of the flavor is lost, resulting in a bland, boring cup.
For this reason I tend to avoid white teas — the risk/reward is too skewed.
But prepared correctly they can be absolutely full flavored. It just takes a lot of dialing in to get them just right.
I’ve never had much luck with white teas, either. Too often they taste like vegetable water to me, so not my thing. (The one unflavored exception being Chicago Tea Garden’s Silver Needle – it gave me delightful nectar and sweetness.) But hey, if I managed to find one unflavored white tea that I liked, I bet you will too!
cold brewing might be a good way to bring out their flavors…?
Jim-I have to dial in most of my teas to get them right.
Amy:
I’ve never cold brewed a white tea, but you’d probably have to use double the leaf when doing so (or nearly so). I’d use a Pai Mu Tan white, something a little bolder:
I think a Pai Mu Tan is better for cold brew or hot if you’re looking for a fuller white. Read the customer reviews too, they may help you as well. Hope this helps— :))
Thanks fore the advice Scott. I think I should just give up and stop spending my money on white tea. ;-)
Jim is correct. You have to add more leaf….
Maybe with my next order, I’ll buy some Pai Mu Tan and send you some!
I am not always such a huge fan of green teas but I am coming to like them a bit more as time goes by. I thought I would give this one a shot as I also like tropical fruit. I don’t know what kind of green tea is used here as the base but I am guessing dragonwell from the photo.
Steeped for about 2 minutes in 180 F water (I am guessing) and this is VERY fruity! Smells strongly of pineapple and a bit of passionfruit. I am curious as to what the blue flowers are here in this blend. It tastes predominately of pineapple and not too much of green tea. I was worried I would hate this after my Teavana Pineapple Kona Pop experience but I am actually kind of liking this.
I did manage to steep it a second time and there is definitely less pineapple and more tea but it is still quite tasty. I would definitely consider buying this again, especially for the summer. If you like tropical fruit you might want to give this one a shot.
Preparation
I’ve tasted a few pu-erh’s but they were quite astringent, sweet & without body. This tastes woody, a slightly smokey aroma & was intimidated also for the strong dark color, but even the tea becomes velvety. I’m amazed of how good Arbor Teas are. Definitely I would buy it again. Brew it for 4 min first time, rebrew it for 5 mins, tasted lighter but nice.
Preparation
I probably drink too much caffeine (if you look at my tea log you will not be surprised!)
I thought I would try this as a tea for dessert or afternoon. I was a little worried when I opened the bag, it smells a bit “fakey”, like artificial somehow. I am not sure if this due to the tea itself or by virtue of the fact that it’s a decaf tea. I think I steeped this for 3-4 minutes with boiling water and I did not add sugar, I did add soymilk. The description here says it has a rich and “coppery” flavor, which is definitely true, if copper had a flavor I think this would be it. I am wondering if this is a ceylon which is not my favorite thing among black teas. I think the coconut comes through pretty well here. It is not perfection but it is nice.
This is a good choice for an evening dessert type of tea if you don’t want to stay up all night. I might get some more eventually… I did get two steeps out of it which is also a bonus.
Preparation
Oh, how delighted and tickled pink I was to find the Arbor tea company!
Here IS a place that reflects all of my values: organic, fair trade and packaging that is backyard compostable! I must be dreaming… no, it’s true! and it’s fabulous!
This little pu-erh mini tuo cha is fantastic. I’m not a pu-erh expert but am VERY happy with this. It has a smooth and fantastic rich flavor. Aroma smells of trees, mulch and a bit of mushrooms. Taste is rich and luscious with a slightly tart finish with the complexity of a red wine. Slight sense of tobacco in the finish. It is reminiscent of coffee as well but without much bitterness. Me likey…
Second steep is a bit more mellow and is now getting chocolatey…
I’m having this after lunch and it’s heavenly to sip on just plain. Hurray! I will certainly need to get some more soon since this was only a sample…
Preparation
I really like Pu-Erh mini Tuo Cha teas….and multiple steeping. :))
you should try this one.
IF YOU HAVE ENUFF COULD YOU SEND ME ONE? If not, it’s OK. :))
sorry, all I got was a sample. Just had two and they are both gone.
Hehehehehe….that’s OK. :))
How many steeps did you get? Just two, or more?
I did three but you could probably do more
I’m starting to worry. I ordered a 5 oz bag of this EG, but there’s something different. Either it’s the new cup I’m using which seems a bit larger than a 4-5 oz & need to readjust the amount of tea per oz of water or… well, the bergamot smells different than the sampler I got before, like a faded smell, so far the tea tastes like a decaf which I certainly dislike. This is my second brew of the day, I’ll try again tomorrow, makes me sad that the sampler was a hit & now that I got my cute canister filled with this EG it just doesn’t tastes right.
Preparation
A very nice surprise, I’m also an Earl Grey freak & this one hits the top 3 of my list. As TeaEqualsBliss wrote, it’s a strong black tea but you’ll be ok if you accidentally oversteep. Either a straight cup, or with honey & milk (I might get crucified for this) it’s a perfect tea to wake up in the morning or a sweet treat in the afternoon. The bergamot amount it’s perfect & tastes natural.
