Teabox

I’m quickly becoming a fan of these Glendale teas. Others’ descriptions are spot on: the muscatel (and light body) of a first flush darjeeling with a unique papaya/coconut/mango element that reminds me of tropical lifesavers. Yes there is some astringency but I’m willing to live with it given the uncommon and intriguing blend of flavors.

Perfect for an anywhere anytime tea, low caffeine, not much on flavor, some malt and I agree with Sherubtse, it seems to fit more in a black tea category than oolong.

Yesterday I had the classic autumn (third pick 11/15/14) today the special spring (first pick 5/11/15) and its a night and day difference. There is such a huge difference in taste. Very nice clean orange zest and melon, orange blossom florals, smooth, well made oolong tea with sweet notes on finish which is pleasantly long. This is what I expect in a good oolong; fruit, florals and structure.

Honey yes, cherry blossom maybe, lily no. My first not so exciting tea from Teabox. Not to say that its not good well structured tea but it does not represent what I think a oolong should provide lacking its floral tones.

Another great sample from Teabox. Nectarine, orange, blackberry a substantial floral head; couldn’t imagine you’d get that much from 2.5gm. Smooth finish and a very noticeable sweetness added to the party in your mouth. Singbulli Darjeeling oolong = yum

I have found the teas from Teabox to be all pretty much accurate in their descriptions and brewing parameters and this is another in that ilk. Soft with almond and hay flavors and an aftertaste that lingers well after sipping. The sweetness is what makes this tea stand a bit out on its own. It was part a sample box of 20+ oolongs. What I’ve learned so far is that I tend to use way too much tea and brew way too short. I guess you can get away with that with Chinese oolongs but it doesn’t do these justice, I’ll stick with Teabox’s parameters.

Brewed up a nice bronze color so I expected a bold flavor but instead there was a great balance of sweet/dry, stonefruit and subtle tannins. Not the morning black tea for oomph but a very suitable afternoon tea to keep the day going.

First of all, I want to thank Big Daddy for suggesting we split the Nilgiri sampler from Teabox. I’ve had a few basic Nilgiri teas over the years but nothing like the offerings from Teabox, which delves deeply into the Nilgiri terroir and unearths some true gems.

I hesitate to call this autumn tea “black” because the liquor is so light-a pale orange akin to some slightly aged raw pu-erhs. The flavor is reminiscent of a Taiwanese black, herbal with a strong fresh tomato essence, but also fruity and sparkly like a Ceylon. The tea is slightly bitter, but it’s offset by an equal amount of sweetness.

A very singular experience! Gorgeous dry and infused leaf. If you think you’ve tasted everything under the sun, give these Adderley Twirl teas a try.

Didn’t know what to expect with this one. the dry broken leaf looked anything like a green tea. The aroma was not of a green either, but when steeped it did provide a unique tasting experience for this Gua Pian/Bi Luo Chun lover. The Teabox descriptive notes are pretty much right on, menthol, vegetal and I would add smokiness. I missed the citrus yet it is definitely a complex flavor profile with some fun palate and back of the throat sensations.
I did wonder, if this tea was given the same treatment as the Yunnan raw Pu Erh’s we all love, it could be a fun experiment.

For those who like a smooth light black tea with not much oomph this is for you. Its not a bad tea, just a bit shy and uninteresting.

Really was chilly this morning and needed some black tea to warm me up. This tea was not what I was expecting. It is a light black tea with nuanced flavors of berry and vegetal tones, no malt to be found. Very light yet not wispy. Slightly sweet and a hint of astringency. In other words not the kind of black tea to get my engines roaring in the morning, willuse the rest fro an afternoon cuppa.

Very nice first flush. Loads of florals mostly marigold and faint touches of lemon lime. I brewed first by sites recommendations and the flavor profile is as stated on website, then I increase to 5 gm in 200 pot for 3 1/2 minutes and got a bolder versus with just a twang od astringency. I like the bold better but the first flushes I’m trying so far from Teabox have all shown this delicate yet superb softness. It is way expensive but simply a well made tea.

This would be a nice introductory tea for beginners, smooth nothing overpowering. Light florals, citrus, muscatel, and malt. It really reminded me of Bai Mu Dan. Also light in caffeine so can be enjoyed in afternoon or after dinner. I started out with the instructions and it was a perfect brew but I needed a bit more oomph so I doubled the grams and cut the steep by a minute. More really good tea from Teabox.

Really nice black tea, not a super black, I would even say more like a oolong. Notes of muscatel and lemon with faint florals remind me of Darjeeling. Although this tea seems out of place, it is very pleasant on the palate with a modicum of astringency.

Not as complex for me as the Teabox website suggests, although it is definitely mellow. It brews up a nice bronze so you’d thing big bold flavors but it just isn’t there. Next time I’ll increase the amount of tea and reduce the volume a bit, see if I can’t coax out something.

Looks like a black tea, smells like a black tea, brews like a black tea, tastes like an oolong. Florals, dried herbaceous notes and some stone fruit more on the plummy side. The grapey muscatel flavors remind me a bit of a light roasted cliff tea with a slate twang in the back of the mouth. Deemed an afternoon tea on the website and it is rather happy to boost the lunchtime postprandial blahs.

Simple is not the word for this luscious tea. Your tongue will thank you as you sip (I slurped) it’s many layers of spice, citrus and florals all within a gentle sweetness. Again I’m impressed with the selection of Nilgiris Teabox offers and as I am a novice in this terroir I do know a good tea when presented to me. It also has a great kick to it so follow the steeping guidelines, which I did for the first cup then added another dose in the second on top of the first. BOING is the appropriate word.

Very nice sample, again following the steep guidelines to a ‘tea’, I used a non descriptive teapot 6oz and took my time brewing, being mostly a small gaiwan gongfu kind of guy it really is hard for me to wait the requisite 5 minutes but I persevered.
The wait is worth it, dark coppery liquor with wet leave whiffs of graham cracker and dried peaches. The flavors of muscatel is what brings this to fame and the emergence of different fruit notes that are all in like a line up, musk melon, peach, and dried apricot. There is a bit of sweet and tannin. The tannin had me add 1/2 tsp of dark muscovado just to give it the ‘tea and peach pie’ all in one flavor. Teabox is showing its best teas in its free samples and why not, I would reach out to this tea again for sure.

Forays into Darjeeling, large sample order from Teabox. I followed the instruction on the bag and used a small teapot. Liqor was deep orange gold with aromas of what I thought marigold petals. the flavor of muscatel, lemon, honey all equally balanced but slightly muted, slight sweet and bitter not too noticeable. Seems to me to be a nice afternoon tea although I drank it post morning. One sample down 25+ to go.

Very pleased with this tasty, aroma filled Assam. A very pleasant maltiness in the background and a sweet, fresh flavor and aroma up front. Much less dark and dense than many similar teas that are picked later in the year. Clean and crisp.

Thank you kieblera5 for this tea (I think I’ve got the right one here.) I haven’t tried many Darjeeling teas in the past so this was a fun try for me.

I’m really digging this unique sweet bite like flavor with each sip. I cold brewed and hot brewed it with about the same results. I didn’t get the mango flavor that was described on the package but I got a sweet like note.

Overall I’m happy I was able to try this and enjoy some time with a new tea.