Zhi Tea

The smell of the dry leaf is interesting – I feel so close to placing it but just can’t. It’s a little sour (in a grape-ish way), a bit musty (in a hay-like way) and a bit sweet (in a honey-type way).

I’m giving this a go sans milk and sugar though, based on smell and just the general nature of breakfast teas, I suspect this might be best with some additives.

Okay, this is a bit weird. The front end of the sip has a very nice flavor – sort of honeyed malt with a dash of maybe peaches? – and it leads me to expect great things. But then it just sort of fizzles. The taste just tanks into this flat, thin, woody textured… thing. And the aftertaste leaves me feeling like I’ve just licked a used cardboard box.

The description of this tea says it is supposed to be “complex and uplifting”. I’m going to assume the uplift portion of the program is caffeine and just focus on the “complex” bit. If by complex you mean confusing, sure, I’ll go with that. But other that that flash of brilliant potential at the beginning, there’s nothing complex about this tea. The bulk of the taste feels… hollowed out. Like there are things happening around the edges but it fades out when it gets to the center, where it should be wowing me with yum.

And now I’m noticing, after each sip when the aftertaste hits, I keep making a face like I smell something bad. I don’t, in fact, smell something bad, but this tea leaves a bitter aftertaste. Not normal Assam bitter which I associate as a nutty bitter that is bitter, yes, but not entirely unpleasant. This bitter reminds me of when my trash smells a little funky and needs to be taken out even if the bag isn’t full.

I’m not quite half way through my cup and I wish I were done. Well, can’t hurt to add sugar and milk, so let’s see how it is then…. Better. The bitter end note and thin middle taste is gone but sadly so is the flash of pretty at the front. Instead, I’m tasting a fairly unimpressive but pretty drinkable tea. In fact, it gives me flashes of having tea with my English host family oh-so-many years ago. I can practically picture their living room and hear the mom’s voice apologizing for her bad language.

For bringing up happy memories, I will not hate this tea. In fact, I made have a tiny soft spot for it now, if only when it has been sugared and milked. (Uhm, not milked like a cow. You know what I mean.) But I will never again drink it straight. And I might only drink it doctored when I’m feeling sad or nostalgic. Therefore I give this tea a very strong ‘meh’.

I upped my leaf a bit: 1 tsp / 6 oz and dropped the temperature this time. It’s bolder (just right for me), but the profile has changed. It’s much more malty this time and the finish is without the peach note that I previously described.

Steeped this way it reminds of Zhi’s Ancient Forest but less peppery and slightly less complex (no roasted caramel). I had to go back and change my rating I was so happy.

Later I’m going up the temperature and see what else I can get out of it. :-)

Living up to its name, this tastes like a classic black tea. (Given I grew up drinking unsweetened iced tea). But, it happily includes a few subtle notes of peach that intermingle with a slight vegetal/black finish.

I steeped it for 4 minutes w/ 1 tsp per 8 oz and found it quite smooth. Not many tannins and not much of an astringent kick. I think I need a longer steeping time and a bit more leaf to get that classic tea taste.

Zhi sells it at over $5/oz in a 2.5oz tin. I’m not a big fan of this price. If I pay $5 an ounce I expect to be giddy after cupping the tea. However, the Garden Tea Lounge in San Antonio is reselling it at bulk prices. You can can buy a vacuum sealed ounce there for $2.25. This is an excellent price that I will gladly pay for this quality of organic tea. (Though I do worry how sustainable selling it at this price is)!

I think I’ve found my iced tea for this summer.

For just a little more steep time, I’m getting a lot more sweetness with a bit more astringency. The nose is a replica of honey and the liqueur comes off with such malty sweetness you would think you put honey in your tea. Awesome!

The sweet and sour end note is coming off as hint of earthy orange. Blood orange maybe…

Actually, it’s almost a perfect mimic of orange blossom honey. Ahh!

(Same tea to leaf ratio and method as before).

Notes:
I love this tea! It’s roasty and complex w/ just enough tannins and body to let you know it is a black while maintaining its smooth character.

You get a nice caramel nose off the leaves and from the liqueur itself. But, it isn’t just caramel, it’s a complex roasted (not burnt) caramel. The tea starts malty and ends with a pleasant note which I can only liken to a sweet and sour sauce; but in reality that description fails.

You must use at least 1 tsp / 6 oz (a standard cup is 8 oz) or your tea will be watery. Some people may prefer 4-5 minute steeping times.

My only complaint is a light peppery taste I get from the tip of my tongue when drinking this tea. I don’t think it’s a bad thing – I have had good teas with this characteristic – but I tend to dislike this sensation in anything from tea to beer.

If you are ever in Austin be sure to visit the shop. The owner is super friendly and will gladly share a cup and conversation.

Method:

1. Heated 24 oz water in tea kettle until bubbling but not boiling
2. Temp checked w/ kitchen thermo: 192 F
3. Dropped 4 tsp leaf inside kettle and covered
4. Filled tea pot with warm water from sink
5. @3 min emptied tea pot of water and filled with tea (used mesh basket to catch leaves)

Went to Zhi today and had my first Oolong, still trying to decide how I feel about it, but I think I love it. Went home with a different flavor because of the price of this one, but really enjoyed the pot of tea.

As I mentioned last night, I brewed this to enjoy iced today, and I have been enjoying it all day. It is very refreshing, and as good as it was hot, it is even better as an iced tea. So yummy!

I am currently brewing this tea for tomorrow’s iced tea sipping, but, I decided to try a cup hot right now.

This is really yummy. Really good peach flavor, but what I think I like about it best is that it has an Assam base, so the tea is prominent, and it is bold. The malty tones of the tea tastes very interesting with the sweet, luscious peach flavor. Very good. I might have to get some more of this.

The full name of this tea shown on ZhiTea.com is Royal Gold Yunnan Needle.

OK…I admit it - I’m a Yunnan gold tea junkie. I keep several different Yunnan golds in my tea closet, and I appreciate the subtle differences between them, but Royal Gold Yunnan Needle is consistently the best of the bunch. It is naturally sweet, with nuances of dried apricots, honey, and spice. It’s opulent, luxurious, seductive tea. Good for multiple infusions.

Grabbed a small package of this while visiting relatives in Texas – haven’t seen it anywhere around home.

I really, really want to like coconut tea. I love the smell of them but it always seems like once they are brewed they remind me of suntan lotion.

This doesn’t remind me as much of it. But I still won’t be making it part of my normal stock. Of the coconut teas I have tried, this is probably one of the better. The coconut tastes less fake than others and it has more coconut taste than others as well. The coconut didn’t overwhelm the tea but at the same time I’m not sure I could tell you much about the tea itself.

I’m a sucker for hibiscus, and this hit the spot. I just had a giant glass of this, brewed hot and then iced down, and I drank it in… oh, five minutes? I almost wish I didn’t have a stockpile of Rishi’s version, which is slightly more tart, with less of a… floral taste. Both are good, but I can’t say which one is better without trying another glass (and a little slower next time).

This makes a very lovely cup of tea! Very present flavor, but nice and mild. I added a teaspoon of honey to my second cup, as the tea itself smells sweet but there isn’t much sweetness to it. It was wonderful.

The way I make loose-leaf is to put the leaves directly in the pot and let them dance. This is all well and good for the first cup, but depending on the type of tea, it isn’t for the second. It’s not normally an issue because I drink it quickly, but I didn’t this time and I’m working on my fourth cup. It’s still lovely. Slightly – very slightly – more astringent, but not really. I’m raising my rating on this a bit, and might make this a staple in my cupboard due to it’s ability to hold up to long steeping times.

It has been awhile since I’ve logged. I’ll just try to pick it up as if nothing happened. But it is nice to write about tea again.

I’ve previously tried Genmaicha by Rishi, and Adagio. My liking among them is greatly polarizing. So I decided to try Zhi, being fairly priced and something different. When I first opened the foil, the aroma was that of any Genmaicha, fresh clean crisp greens, melded with the toasted rice. Some subtle floral notes existed as well. To my surprise, (thankfully too,) there was no popcorn pieces in mine. I feel the addition of the popcorn pieces lacks authenticity, and adds a unnecessary subtle oily taste meant to add complexity over the leaves. I find that this is more appropriately done with the rice.

I brewed this in my 12 oz. red clay Tokoname kyusu for two of my friends. I only got a sip of the cup, but it seems well rounded. A decent Gemaicha has tamed grass notes in it’s taste, heavy aroma with the rice, and finishes in the classic Japanese green bittersweet, leaving a pleasant roasted aftertaste.

The leaves opened well, and appeared to be quite whole for a Japanese green. On a trivial note, I always think of little maggots, when I see the roasted rice! XP It’s just something I can’t help but think about.

I will definitely ad another tasting note, with more depth.

The first impression is quite beautiful. The tea opens with the raw almonds notes, followed by a peculiar taste sensation reminding of a boiled artichoke heart. The tea is not overly fragrant, but also not too grassy but rather sweet. However, it takes more than the usual amount of tea to get the full spectrum of flavors while a second steep already shows some decline. I like this tea a lot, nevertheless it is good only for two steeps before it becomes bitter. I wish there was more consistency in taste and fragrance. I feel fooled by this tea. Starts with a bang but ends with a whisper.

My first time with this particular tea, so I used a glass gaiwan, wanting to see and interact with it as much as possible. I especially loved the balsamic herbaceous notes arising through the malt of the first steep. Some muscatel emerged in the second brewing, making Zhi’s comparison to a second flush Darj seem right-on. Sweet aromas linger in the empty cup. The liquor is a sparkling rosy-amber and very pretty to behold, as well.

This is my second encounter with one of Indulgashinna Estate’s organic marvels … the first having been with the long, thin, pouchong-ish twists sold as “Blink Bonnie” or “Arjuna.” Sampling more of Sri Lanka’s better picks leads to the realization that the country has ample variety in terroir, altitude, environs and processing methods … so much more than formerly came to mind at the name ‘Ceylon.’

1.5 tsp/3oz water. Four steepings: 30s, 1m, 2m, 3m

Tasty, and the coconut is very well paired with the Assam black tea, but still makes me feel somewhat like I’m covering up the natural tea flavors with fruity additions. I’ve heard it’s amazing with coconut milk which I can readily imagine. I think I would best enjoy this tea brewed very strong, with some coconut milk added, to drink on the go. Not something I would meditate over in the morning.

YUM!

As I mentioned before, I’m always on the look out for that special grapefruit green tea (yes, I know I found it from Lupicia, however, somehow, even though it is the same tea that I tried in Arizona, it doesn’t taste quite the same. I suspect it has something to do with the water, possibly water temperature… I don’t know. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I was in a very magical place – Tohono Chul Park – and that made the tea taste all that much better. I just know that I was mesmerized by that tea and I want that experience again, and even though Lupicia’s tea is the same tea that was offered by the tea shop in Tohono Chul Park… and it IS a delicious grapefruit tea, it just doesn’t taste as magical at home as it did that afternoon in Arizona.)

Sorry for that digression …

Anyway… when I found this tea available from Zhi Tea, I knew I had to try it. I had actually ordered this months ago, but, am just getting around to trying it now! I’ve a lot of tea … as some of you may be aware … and I am attempting to organize it and get my stash under some sort of control, if not a controlled size, then at least a sense of organization to it all so that I can easily find teas that I want. In my ongoing process of organization, I came across this tea and decided it was time to brew it.

And it is YUM! It has a fantastic grapefruit flavor – tangy but not really tart, the sencha balances the flavor out nicely. This tastes more like the Texas pink grapefruit that has a nice sweetness to it to counter the tangy character of it.

I think I shall save the rest of my sample for when the weather is warmer so that I can enjoy it as an iced tea – I suspect it will be marvelous!

The tea is very good, leaving a lasting impression on the palate. Very similar to Bai Lin Gong Fu from Teavivre, only less chocolate notes. Nevertheless they are very comparable. If given a choice I would probably decide on Bai lin, but luckily I do not have to choose. The tea is excellent for daily drinking, particularly in the morning, very energizing, and good for many steeps.

Outstanding tea and certainly a keeper! The first impression on my palate was strongly of nutmeg and basil, however such sensation did not mask the original tea taste, rather lifting it to a higher level. It is exotic tea no doubt, yet it is excellent for every occasion. I was offered a sample and this was truly most welcome surprise. The depth and complexity are just unbelievable. The tea taste changes little even after 3-4 steeps, only mellows revealing additional earthly notes, but these are not ordinary, rather like a forest after the rain presenting a whole new aromatic spectrum.
I am going to give it 5 stars!

Steep Information:
Tool: Teapot with Mesh basket strainer
Served: Hot

I ordered a 2 person pot, the leaves were brought out with pot, and more hot water was provided.

Tasting Notes:
Steeped Tea Smell: toasty, floral, light peach
Flavor: roasty, nutty
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: floral, slight perfume, hints of ginger
Liquor: translucent brown-orange

The peach comes through as a slight sweet flavor.
The ginger is a back of the tongue tang after each sip.
The tea is enjoyable, but not extraordinary.

Resteep:
Just as good

Rating: 2/4 leaves

Blog: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2012/01/zhi-tea-loose-leaf-oolong-tea-ginger.html

This is SO GOOD. I am currently on my fourth cup (the combination of my seventh and eighth infusions), and the flavor just keeps getting better and better. I probably will stop now at my fourth cup, only because my husband will be coming home soon and I find myself unable to focus on tea so much when he is home. Tea is more of something for MY time, and I find myself leaving cups unattended when he is home. This is not a tea that should be left unattended!

The first two infusions were lightly sweet. The liquor was thick and there was a caramel-y flavor to it, but, mostly what I noticed was a roasted/charred and camphor kind of flavor. Very little astringency to this cup.

The second cup with infusions #3 and #4 was lighter in body, with a bit of astringency that I noted to be dry. The roasted/charred/woody flavor is still present, but it is lighter, and hints of thinned honey and spice start to come through.

The third cup (infusions 5 and 6) are incredibly sweet. The sweetness is more like a burnt sugar sweetness… almost like molasses. Earthy tones have replaced the woody tones, and the spice flavors have more definition. Notes of freshly baked bread here.

My fourth and final cup is also amazing (but I think cup 3 was the best). This time, I taste cinnamon raisin toast, maybe with a little touch of butter, and the edges are slightly crisped but not burned. Just dark … almost burned.

An absolutely delightful Oolong. A must try for Oolong fans!

My grocery store recently revamped their tea section and part of that revamping including selling new vendors, Zhi Tea being one of them. I was looking to see if I could find one of the yummy-sounding unflavored teas Zhi offers but it looks like my grocery store is just offering a selection of their flavored blends. Somehow, I will manage to cope. Coconut will help in the coping process.

I’m a bit mixed on this tea. First off, it smells awesome. Honest-to-goodness coconut with a touch of bakey. The steeping tea smells even better than the dry leaves – musty/sweet coconut. It makes my mouth water. Though after smelling the steeping leaves, going back to smell the dry leaves makes me notice something unpleasant in the smell, something almost fake or plastic. Maybe it is the coconut flavoring or maybe I’m smelling the packaging. I’m going to ignore it for now and just smell the steeping tea.

Once I get the tea into my cup, the coconut smell is milder than it was in the steeping leaves, but it’s still quite nice. I do so love coconut. (Though I rarely eat it because I can’t get behind the texture. Yuck.) Still, quite lovely. But it’s the taste of this tea that has me a little torn.

First off, let me explain. I used to log every single cup of tea that I drank. I can be a little too structured with things like that. But then Steepster slowed down to a snail’s pace and logging was too frustrating so I went away for a while (all or nothing, you know). Now I’m trying a little moderation – logging teas to review them but not being obsessive about it. So this is not the first time I’ve had this cup since I purchased it, it’s just the first time I’m posting (and being coherent) with my thoughts on it.

The first time I had this, it was more Assam with a coconut aftertaste. The Assam was nice – honeyed, bakey, a little starchy – but the coconut felt a bit lacking. This time, however, there is coconut all through the sip, from beginning to end. Good, strong, lovely coconut. I can taste the Assam underneath the coconut, but it doesn’t seem as nice as before. Starchy, malty and maybe slightly sweet. But sometimes I also get flashes of… watery. And strong prickles of astringency that weren’t there before. And the honeyed note is all but gone, replace (or overwhelmed) by a faint tartness that doesn’t quite enter into Bitter-land but definitely has been planning a trip there.

So it seems like my choices for this tea are either 1) delicious, smooth and sweet Assam with a disappointingly faint aftertaste of coconut or 2) strong, full coconut flavor with a rough and unpleasant Assam. I’m not sure how one tea gives two such different cups when brewed the same way both times. Ideally, I’d like the sweet and smooth Assam note to be coupled with a beginning-to-end coconut note. Maybe the third time will be the charm. Or else my next cup will be faint coconut aftertaste coupled with a rough and watery Assam.

So see? Torn. It’s a bit too roulette wheel for my tastes but the potential for awesomeness is there. But this is either inconsistent or picky. And since both attributes make me grumpy when I find them in tea, I suppose I’ll be sticking to SerendipiTEA’s Burroughs’ Brew for my coconut tea cravings.

I am finally finishing off my sample of this tea that MzPriss sent me a while back.

Today wasn’t a good day for me, I’ve felt bad all day with a stomach virus of some kind and the weather here has been freakishly hot. I really haven’t done much aside from sleep and am having my first cup of tea now at almost 5:30.

This is super nice and chocolate-y tasting, smooth and delicious. I could definitely see myself buying some of this if I placed an order with Zhi at some point in the future. Right now I am wondering what other tea I can drink that might be easy on my tummy since I will probably stop with the caffeine here. Maybe ginger would be good.