Jul 20
DL’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "Subtle, complex, balanced, and of course, delicious, with very pronounced grassy notes."
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9/10
Rishi's Organic Snow Buds White Tea is no impostor. It is no phony. It is what it claims to be, and what it claims to be is subtle, complex, balanced (though bold), and of course, delicious.True to its written-in-corny-text-across-its-unoriginal-container word, its grassy notes are harmoniously high (though never sharp). I found it to be an especially nice touch that allows the tea the characteristic of remaining traditional while being slightly different.
Its “hazelnut finish†ends each flavor-stream nicely, in a quiet, low-key manner. Most importantly, the tea itself was not overwhelmed by its accompanying colors (in the metaphorical sense), but remained consistently dominant with a controlled fullness that some may be tempted to call “friggin awesome.†This important and rare quality (that, as we all know, marks only the best of teas) is worth cherishing for “a sec.â€Â
LET US NOW OBSERVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE IN PRAISE OF THIS TEA'S BEAUTY
(MOMENT)
DONE.
I suppose it may seem like a silly thing to do, but I believe that all good things, especially increasingly- rare good things, should not go unnoticed or “un-meditated†upon.
For example, I once bought “Green Tea with Rose †tea that tasted only like rose buds. This really annoyed me, because if I wanted to drink rose buds I would have bought rose bud (hip) tea (not green tea with rose), or just stolen some flowers from my neighbor's yard and thrown them into some boiling water. However, to be “fair and balanced,†I should have known better since the tea was from Hawaii. As we all know, Hawaii is a very flowery place. The other thing is that the tea was really, really cheap (in both cost and quality). Another thing that might have affected my tasting ability was the fact that I had recently watched the movie “Citizen Kane†(just kidding).
Anyway, back to the review.
The tea's near-perfect harmony allows for its lively and sensuous rhythm. Unlike other, lesser teas, this one doesn't “fall flat†on the tongue, but moves effortlessly into different “tones†throughout the duration of time between each sip and swallow. If you don't believe me and/or think I'm full of it, try it yourself.
P.S. ...œ I recommend drinking Rishi's Organic Snow Buds White Tea while listening to Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 28 in A or any Pink Floyd song (though it won't make you hallucinate and see pink monkeys or anything...).
— To purchase Rishi Tea Snow Buds (Xue Ya), or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.
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November 3rd, 2008 at 1:26 am
I have to agree with your review; this is a very nice tea that is surprisingly solid. I came across it accidentally at work – I work in a tea room/restaurant – when I reached for Rishi’s Ancient Snow Sprout tea which was in the next tin over. Well, I grabbed the wrong one – they are remarkably similar in appearance – and infused it. It wasn’t the joyful frolic in tastebudland that I was expecting, but it was very good. It has a nice mouthfeel and all that good stuff, but it’s just a generally good tea. That I wasn’t terribly disappointed is actually high praise because the aforementioned Snow Sprout is one of my favorite day-to-day teas.
There are a couple of other attributes, besides the taste and feel, that make this tea stand out. This is not an expensive tea… What?! Is that possible? It’s both possible and true, Snow Buds don’t cost an arm or a leg, much less both. Being a good value is a good thing in a tea.
The other great attribute this tea has is that it’s pretty forgiving to whip up. Sure, you can kill it with boiling water, but anyone who shows a reasonable amount of care to preparation will get a nice cup of tea as a reward. There are plenty of finicky, delicate, or downright ornery teas out there…this thankfully isn’t one of them.
Anyway, it’s not my favorite tea in the caddy…but it’s not a slouch either. It reminds me of an older Volvo – it may not be the sportiest, but you’re not going to be embarrassed to pick up your girl in it.
My Rating:
8/10