Jun 15
Dan’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "Some of the most perfectly-balanced hazelnut flavors I have ever tasted in a cup."
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This is my first Teagschwendner experience, and naturally I had very high expectations. My fellow Teaviews compatriots just fawn all over this company's offerings, so naturally I was excited to see what all the fuss was about. I wasn't aware that this company has been around for so long - over 3 decades now! Although this particular blend did not place, Teagschwendner swept through the 2009 World Tea Championship with 2 first place teas and 9 Top 3 Finalist teas - an impressive showing.Of course I was immediately drawn to a blend titled "Bossa Nova" - the Brazilian rhythms of said genre have excited me since my youth, and I dare say I probably own the largest Bossa Nova collection in my County. What this musical genre has to do with a Chinese oolong featuring European-sourced additives is beyond me, but hey, it grabbed my attention, so at least it working there. The aforementioned additives in this blend include hazelnut brittle, mullein blossoms and "natural flavor". If there is one thing that irks me most about food products, it is the ever-vague phrase "natural flavor" -- of what?? How do you acquire that natural flavor? Am I to assume this is natural flavor of Bossa Nova? Of Oolong Tea? Of Hazelnut Brittle? Annoyances aside, in my research I found that portions of Mullein are deadly, while others are medicinal. Supposedly the blossoms are the latter, and help aid in soothing sore throats, coughs and lung disease. Let's hope they didn't accidentally include Mullein SEEDS (which contribute to Parkinson's and contain the foremost ingredient in rat poison).
The dried blend has a mellow coffee-like aroma - no doubt from the hazelnut additives. The brew comes to a richly colored cup quickly. The purveyor's recommended brew is full boil for 2 minutes only. I chose to first ignore this recommendation and experimented with a 3 minute boil at 192-degrees and found it to be very underwhelming. The flavors were weak and rather unsatisfying. However, upon boiling at 212 degrees F and for a scant two minutes, somehow this made a world of difference. The subtle hazelnut flavors seep through perfectly. Admittedly, I am not much of a fan of hazelnut in general, as most anything flavored with it is overbearing and annoying. However, this is probably the most perfect balance of hazelnut in a cup that I have ever tasted (and perhaps as such, it may come up lacking to a hazelnut nut). I suspect Hazelnut is the aforementioned "Natural Flavor" that was added. But I guess we'll never truly know. It is more likely vanilla, which is also present (and rightfully so, as it is always a good marriage with hazelnut). There is not much bitterness to this cup, just a slight astringency and some fine particles that make their way into the cup. And although "hazelnut brittle" seems to indicate a sickeningly sweet ingredient, that is not the case here whatsoever.
Overall, this is a very good, unique tea. Its hazelnut flavors, while perfectly balanced, are not my usual preferred taste, so I can't say I would defer to this tea often, but it makes a nice alternative to my usual favorites. The high quality of this blend is apparent, and I'm certainly looking forward to trying more samples from the Teagschwendner family.
— To purchase TeaGschwendner Bossa Nova, 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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