Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: dark green, tightly rolled, lots of fruit pieces
Ingredients: Tie Guan Yin, dried pomegranate, orange peels
Steep time: 3 minutes
Water Temperature: 195 degrees
Preparation Method: Teavana Perfect Steeper
Liquor: gold
I always look forward to my shipments from +Handmade Tea every month but January’s tea actually made me say “Ooh!”. Flavored oolongs aren’t usually my thing but the idea of pomegranate and orange with Tie Guan Yin really a-peel-ed to me (sorry, I had to do it!). The taste was unbelievably light and refreshing. Tie Guan Yin dominated with it’s sweet, floral notes while the fruit added a really nice lightness. The mouth-feel was thick and there was an interesting creaminess in the finish. It all came across as very natural because actual ingredients are used rather than chemical flavorings. That is one of my favorite things about what Handmade Tea does. +Caleb Brown is something of a Willy Wonka of tea, he comes up with flavor combinations that no one else would ever dare to try. I cannot wait to try this blend as an iced tea.
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