Zen Tea

This smells wonderfully grain-like when dry and amazingly cocoa when brewed. This is an exceptional Yunnan. My lengthy review can be found here:
http://theeverdayteablog.blogspot.com/2012/11/zen-tea-phoenix-pearl.html

This was a free sample I received from Zen Tea. The dry leaves are beautiful, green and white curled leaves. The aroma is that of a light vegetal scent with floral notes, a mineral note, and a hint of a smokey note. The taste is just as good. It doesn’t taste overly vegetal like a lot of green teas can. This is vegetal, but more like sweet roasted vegetables with butter on them. The green vegetal notes you would expect are there, but hiding, the roasted vegetable notes definitely take precedence here. It’s good, really good. There is a soft floral note. And in the second steep I can get a hint of the mineral and smokey notes, just hints of them. There is no bitterness or astringency. This tea reminds me of Laoshan green tea from Verdant but not as creamy.

Thank you Zen Tea for this lovely sample!

Before Steeping:
Colors- beautiful multicolors
Scent- nutty and vanilla

After Steeping:
Color: orangeish, with herbal essance
Taste:
Nude- Very Vanilla-like, kind of grainy. Not sure if is just the vanilla bean.
With Sugar- grain texture dissapeared, heightened vanilla taste, quite like vanilla extract.

*would be great with a scone

Zen tea was handing out free samples and i said surprise me, surprise me they did because i received a arabian night sample! One off the tea’s i probably never would have bought when i was buying tea’s. So here we are and i’m very curious because its a mix of green and black tea!

Upon opening the sample i’m greeted with a very nice rose smell! the dry tea on itself is a nice mix of green and black with a bit off other colors from the sunflower jasmin and rose leafs.

I brewed my first cup at 90°C and the color turned out a dark amber like brown looks vert tasty, and it taste pretty nice aswel, the rose flavor turns out a soft note, not to hard at all, can’t really find the flavor off jasmine tough, the black and green tea is balanced pretty good. Don’t taste any bitterniss in my 3min brew!

Overall a very good cup off tea, although i’m not so mutch off a flavored tea drinker i can say i like this blend!

second cup from the same leaves with steep time around 5min was a bit less, bit still tasty!

edit: after brewing some more from the sample i have to so i rated it a bit low the first time :)

Another free sample to review!

Dry, it smells amazing! I love orange so I was so excited about this. Too bad it doesn’t actually taste as much like orange as it smells. It’s a nice smooth black but the final product only has a hint of orange to it. For that reason I don’t think I would buy any of it.

A review of Bamboo Integrity by Zen Tea life

Company: Zen Tea
Tea Name: Bamboo Integrity
Tea Type/Varietal: Herb blends
Region: Canada
Steeping Vessel/Amt. Leaf: cup/ loose herbs
Plucking Season:
Liquor Color: bright pinkish orange with yellow base.
Leaf Characteristics:

1st Steeping:
Water temperature: 200 Fahrenheit
Time: 5 minutes

That song that says: The weather outside is frightfully cold or so…I reached for my tea cup and scooping out some of this fine bamboo tea for a cup of goodness and warmth. I add the boiled water to it and inhale the aroma as the tea is steeping, steam rising from my cup and filling my nostrils with quite a lovely fragrant of lemon grass, ginger spices, carrots and apple bits and after scooping out some of these delights I sip and sip my tea and it is just what I was seeking as the spices of the ginger fills me with warmth and joy; that peaceful feeling in having found goodness and all that it took was to fix a cup of this tea and voila…I am at peace if only for this moment in time.

Thank you, Teavivre for sending the package my way, thank you for this experience; for allowing me to review your teas. This is a wonderful tea.

A review of Bamboo Integrity (Herb Blend) Tea by Zen Tea Life

Company: Zen Tea Life
Tea Name: Bamboo Integrity
Tea Type/Varietal: Herb
Region:
Steeping Vessel/Amt. Leaf: cup/ teaspoon
Plucking Season:
Liquor Color: bright green/yellow
Leaf Characteristics: there are chunks of ginger bits, lemon grass, bamboo leaves to view when opening of the tea packet.

1st Steeping:
Water temperature: 200 Fahrenheit
Time: 5 minutes

I am fixing another cup of this wonderful tea to have with some noodles. I am not sure how this would work out since I usually have oolong teas or green tea with my noodles.

I steep one teaspoon of the tea with boiled water for a good five minutes. Tea’s aroma is so enticing that one cannot help but want to sip and sip straight away. I fixed my plateful of noodles with some loose salad mixed in it and take the tea, straining the leaves and ginger bits from my cup; leaving them in the strainer.

The color of the tea is pure gold, but truly more like pink grapefruit with more yellow. I refrain from sipping the tea at first because I do not want to drink it all without having some or any of the noodles. I eat about half of the noodles and then decided to sip the tea; thank goodness it is still quite hot as I take pleasure in the warmth of the cup in my hand and sip and sip…the apple bits I taste are tantalizing as well as the citrus blend of lime, and sunflower. I am getting more of the verbena and lemon grass with the ginger kicking in every now and again. It is that zesty taste that is to be found with the spices.

I am able to finish my noodles and my tea making for a very enjoyable meal. I am thankful always for a meal and a good cup of tea. Zen Tea Life sent me this tea and I thank you for bestowing this experience upon me.

A review of Bamboo Integrity (Herb Blend)Tea by Zen Tea Life

Company: Zen Tea Life
Tea Name: Bamboo Integrity
Tea Type/Varietal: Herb
Region:
Steeping Vessel/Amt. Leaf: cup/ teaspoon
Plucking Season:
Liquor Color: bright green/yellow
Leaf Characteristics: there are chunks of ginger bits, lemon grass, bamboo leaves to view when opening of the tea packet.

1st Steeping:
Water temperature: 200 Fahrenheit
Time: 5 minutes

I received this tea sample for Zen Tea Life in Canada. I remember discussing via email with the vendor about Bamboo tea; I told them that I had come across a seller of Bamboo teas in Florida and they had similar tea with Lemon Grass and I had yet to purchase their teas. I mentioning of this since I was surprised to receive amidst the samples sent was this Bamboo Integrity.

I open the foil sample packet to be delightfully surprised to view the loose tea; it is aromatically pleasing as well. I see the carrot bits, the ginger bits, lemon grass and the bamboo which are fine chute; so small you could miss them.

I take one teaspoon and put this in my mug, adding the hot water to the mug I leave it to steep for 5 minutes all the while taking in the teas aroma which is very lively and zesty.

After 5 minutes, I scoop out the tea leaves and put them in strainer until my next infusion. The tea smells so sweetly of the combined ginger and lemon grass and the color is a mixture of brown and yellow which makes for a light orange cup. When I sip the tea it is spicy and zesty (a hot cup of zest tea). I sip and sip of this tea and I am enjoying it, also I am thinking of its name Integrity…the herbs are true to form and what is stated in the bag is just what is in the cup I am holding in my hand.

The more I sip of tea; I find there is a tartness that comes from the lime and apple bits perhaps; as there is a citrusy finish that is left after each swallowed sip.

Overall this is wonderful tea and true to character of the bamboo and lemon grass with the added ginger, and lime; aromatically this tea is 100% delight.

Thank you Zen Tea Life for sending this tea for me to sample. I am happy to have opened the packet finally as it was a lovely surprise.

I received this as a sample with my order. Now I don’t drink a lot of cherry green teas, I don’t find myself craving them a lot but I do enjoy them a lot…if they are done right. So often I will try a cherry flavored tea and it will taste like cough syrup. Other times there’s a lot of hibiscus added to help bring in extra tartness. This has neither of those bad qualities.

This is a very nice smooth cherry rose sencha tea. I had one a few years ago that I really liked and could never find who did made it. I think it was a local store blend that you could only buy to drink in house. You couldn’t buy any to take with you. But this tea tastes a lot like that one. It’s silky smooth sencha that’s not totally buried, but the grassiness is subdued. The rose is nice and floral soft. The rose doesn’t overpower as I find it does in so many other blends. The cherry isn’t really tart at all, kind of tastes like those jarred cherries that you use to top sundaes, I have no idea what they’re called, but they are nice and sweet. This is a really nice tea, plus it can be steeped at least 3 decent times. I’ve gotten it up to five already with plenty of flavor left!

Thank you for the samples, Zen Tea! They just came in today and I rushed over to my kettle!

So far, coconut oolong’s the only one I’ve tried, and if the others are of similar quality, you can be sure I’ll be a regular customer.

The dry tea smells very strongy of (real!) coconut, which was a bit shocking at first, but after making the tea, it was perfectly balanced with the oolong. It tastes wonderful—a nice, sweet oolong with a light coconut aftertaste. Reminds me of Christmas!

All in all, I’m very happy with this tea, and the company in general. I’ll certainly buy some more of this when I run out.

It’s like early Christmas! I feel like I’ve been on a sorta-tea-buying-hiatus for a while, and suddenly I’m getting samples and expecting packages and creating orders…. so exciting! Anyhow, my samples from Zen Tea arrived today, thank you! Although I wanted to try them all, I’m exhausted from a long day of work and only allowed myself to brew up one new tea requiring a review.

The dry leaves instantly reminded me of DavidsTea’s Checkmate, which I thought was quite interesting. Perhaps it’s something to do with the base tea? Either way, it would be awesome if it was that tasty!

Unfortunately, I oversteeped this one quite severely. However, I don’t think it really suffered, as astringency is still quite low. That said, something in this tea is tasting plasticky too me. Like, artificial flavouring. I can kind of taste a bit of toffee sweetness and nuttiness, but it’s overshadowed by this strange flavour. While it’s possible that it’s an artifact of my extended infusion, I suspect it’s more likely a flavouring issue. I have lots of tea left in the packet to sample, so I’ll give this another shot somewhere down the road!

Although I appreciate the chance to try this tea, I unfortunately don’t particularly care for it as I’m quite sensitive to artificial-tasting flavours :(

ETA: Damn, I am the only person to have a negative review here. I’ll definitely have to see if a shorter infusion as recommended makes a difference. For now, removing rating.

Totally having a floral tea day.

Tried this tea steeped at 175 = no bitterness at all. Bright, maraschino cherry flavor (not sweet) over loads of florally rose. Good, savory sencha background. Very good. I killed off my sample, I wish I tried it iced, the cherry would be pretty good, but I’m not sure about the floral being good iced.

TYs out to Zen tea for a sample of this tea!

Blarg, I’ve been mostly drinking unflavored teas that can survive the “Dump into tea pot without strainer and sit there all day” treatment, as I want to pound out my writing for NaNoWriMo without having to stop and make tea and wait for it.

DRY: Smells like those really sweet red cherries in a jar. Maraschino cherries? DROOLDROOLDROOOOOL

STEEPED: Strong floral mixed with a zing of sweet cherry!

TASTE: Lots of flavor! Strong rosey floral taste that is very fresh tasting. Distinctive cherry taste, not very sweet as it smells. A little bit of bitterness, maybe from the floral. The green tea is in the background, and it’s smooth, bordering silky.

COMMENTS: If you do not like floral, stay clear of this one!
This tea is pretty strongly floral – the cherry is a nice flavor. I did not like the bitterness I got, but I think I will steep this at 175 next time, which I think will help. Overall, pretty nice – but I love floral teas.

Tried to resteep a rose tea that I fogot to store properly. FAIL! Not wanting to waste perfectly good water I threw in what was left of my Bossa Nova Zen Tea sample and Oh My God everytime I drink this tea it is so delicious. I am an oolong fan for life. Its so nutty and vanillaliscious! Some might be wondering why this isn’t a technical review, well a few reasons:

1. I wrote one already and it’s at my boyfriend’s waiting to be posted, bf review and all!
2. It was a spur of the moment and I am just enjoying this the way I like it, no scientific tasting today!
3. Its finals week next week and I am giving my boyfriend the week to cram so I wouldnt/couldn’t pick up my notes if I wanted to.

This plain foil sample pack arrived from Zen tea labeled simply Puerh Loose leaf. There was no notation of what vintage or what farm or factory crafted this tea. I’m getting skeptical at this point. However, I have tried and liked very much both of the other teas I have tried from Zen Tea. Therefore, I proceeded with a cautious optimism.

After depositing the sample into my small puer Yixing and giving it a rinse, I was greeted by a very robust, peaty aroma. Very strong tobacco and leather notes were being emitted from this first steep. I prepared myself for a very assertive brew.

In an effort to minimize the possibility of even an unpleasant swallow, I usually, at first, keep the steeps short. Even with a short steep, I received a inky, thick first cup. So far we have a very robust aroma coupled with a dark, thick consistency… First sip… It depends on which part of my tongue!!! There were too many different and varied flavors swimming around in my mouth. Some I could probably assign a flavor, but most not. None however were bad. Moreover, they were all as harmonious as the Vienna Boys Choir!!!!

All the flavors layer on top of each other seemlessly. Following steepings did not disappoint either. The flavor has moderated a bit, while not becoming more complex, but still very pleasant. This puer also has great endurance. I will not be able to outlast these leaves.

Perhaps I’m losing part of my logical faculties, or perhaps something otherworldly, BUT…. I can clearly taste the aroma of Iveron or Svir after each sip. These are both types of incense used at my church (Russian Orthodox), but I don’t have any at home nor have any unwashed clothes around that may carry the scent. I don’t know, but it is very pleasant, if not a bit strange.

Again, I want to thank Zen tea for the sample. It made for a very enjoyable drinking session. I’m very pleased with this unidentified puer!

This is one of my favorites so far from Zen Tea! Thank you for this sample!!
The aroma of this tea while steeping is super sweet and inviting. The tea is smoooooth, flavorful and creamy. It actually reminds me a bit of Laoshan Green. The vegetable flavor isn’t sour or bitter. Just really mellow and tasty.
Drinking green tea like this makes me confident I’m in immediate need of sushi. Which is a good thing!

This is the first of my free Zen Tea samples and I have to say it’s my new favorite Rooibos.

Dry: it smells quite strongly of raspberries and vanilla. I can see the rooibos, but I can’t smell it.

Steeped: Ok, now I can taste rich rooibos notes nicely blended with the raspberry and vanilla. It’s naturally very sweet, so I didn’t even consider adding anything. I can’t wait to try it a few more times. I think I should have enough for 2-3 more cups!

I just had to try this one. Some of my favorite teas are creamy! This is exactly as described. It’s a delicious black tea base with a definite sweet strawberry flavor. There is some creme, but I could have used more. I was a bit worried about the strawberry leaves, as I had one tea with blackberry leaves that tasted like medicinal pepto bismal, but I think here it was just another hint that you are drinking a strawberry tea. There was at least one chunk of strawberry that fell in my infuser. It tastes like a decadent dessert… or maybe just simple strawberry shortcake! I think I might have even enjoyed the second steep more, because I think the black tea base was more noticeable and delicious! I haven’t yet tried one I didn’t love from zentealife.com!

I’ve seen cocoa in tasting notes for black teas many a time, but none of the others, besides this tea, have really delivered for me. The cocoa flavors and sweetness hit you with the first brew and continue on throughout subsequent infusions, carrying a warm ceylon cinnamon body taste with subtle hints of licorice. There’s no real signs of major astringency, even brewing gaiwan style, holding a good flavor for 8 infusions if not more. Overall this tea has been another really positive experience in my foray into Yunnan black teas, with it being in one of the best in comparison to the others I have tried.

Sip down!!

Yep, I like this. I’ve seen Earl Grey Cream teas before but this is the first I’m trying. The bergamot is nicely complemented by the cream flavoring; it already tastes like it has cream and sweetener. No additives needed! Also a big plus is the fact that the flavoring in this tea isn’t giving me a headache- most do!
The only thing I would do a little differently is the brew time. I followed their directions for four minutes, and I think it’s a little long for me. But I think this is one I wouldn’t mind keeping around!

Nom nom nom! This has a nice mix of interesting ingredients. I’d have to say this is my favorite pre-mixed chai that I’ve tried! The pu’erh is nice and strong, and the coconut and other ingredients compliment/smooth it out nicely.

The only thing is that its not quite as spicy or bold as I like, so I think the next time I make it I’ll add some fresh ginger and some extra pu’erh.

Thanks Zen Teas for another great sample!

sip down! passed the rest of this off to my dad to try. it was nice to get in on this sample from zen tea but it won’t be a repurchase as it’s not my favourite keemun so far. still a decent tea though!

Upping the rating on this one a little because it’s pretty tasty. First cup of the morning – a full day ahead of me. Working from home as i’m STILL SICK blech but I have a new computer on the way today! also hoping to squeeze in making some banana bread since i’m home heh.

This tea is pretty darn smooth! I’ve got 3 more samples from zen tea on the table that i need to try but I want to wait until i’m no longer sick. Not to mention? buying 3 samples pack from della terra in one go means i’m sample swamped! I need to get to drinking some down!