Sunday, September 9, 2012

The Tea Merchant, Silk Dragon

The Tea Merchant Description:
A unique blend that is exotic, balanced and complex it will engage you from the second you open the bag with its intoxicating creamy vanilla aroma to your first sip. Creates a smooth, rich flavor with hints of cream, vanilla and a stimulating citrus finish.

Ingredients:
Oolong Tea, Organic Lemon Myrtle, Marigold Petals, Natural Flavors


My Review:
Vanilla filled the air when I cut the top off the bag and opened it. It is almost a scary amount of vanilla. I am not afraid. I removed a scoop of leaf to examine. At first I thought there were golden tips in the leaf. Then I realize there are threads of marigold petals and lemon myrtle in addition to the oolong. The oolong is very dark long and twisted.

I used 12oz of below boiling water, my French press, and a 3 minute steep. The resulting liquor is very clear and yellow green in color. After pouring into my mug I examined the leaf. It is almost unfurled and appears to be whole leaves and some large pieces. The brewed scent is a balanced blending of oolong and vanilla.

The sip on the first cup is vanilla. No surprise there. The aftertaste is a lingering green oolong. There is just a hint of citrus that I catch high up, to where I can’t determine if it is a taste or a smell. This has a creamy feel to it. This is a really nice cup. The more it cools the more the mix of flavors is making sense. Each sip is a blast of vanilla that slowly fades through citrus, into floral oolong that lingers until you take the next sip You can gulp this, but don’t. Slow down and enjoy journey.

The second cup is very different. This starts out plant like. My brain immediately thought, geranium, but since there is marigold in this, maybe that is what I am sensing. This changes quickly into green oolong. Just as quickly it changes to vanilla briefly, and then back into the long lingering floral oolong aftertaste. I would swear this is a different tea, had I not prepared it myself. What a roller coaster ride. Totally different than the first but also a really nice cup.

The third cup starts with the plant/flower notes mixing with the floral oolong. The vanilla is light and mixes with the creaminess. The whole thing ends with the lingering aftertaste. The sweetness of the cup, mixed with the floral oolong flavor, reminds me a bit of watermelon.

This is an interesting cup. If at anytime you don’t quite like what you are tasting (though I don’t know how that is possible) just wait until the temperature changes of for the next cup and it will be something else. This is definitely worth trying.

Visit The Tea Merchant website.

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