Sep 09
Dan’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "A very nice floral flavor that is not overpowering, but merely the taste of elegance in a cup."
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Naivetea is a company that is new to me -- they are an apparently brand-new company that specializes exclusively (at least at the time of this writing) in premium Oolong Teas from Taiwan. They offer a variety of traditional oolongs, as well as many "fragrance-infused" oolongs, including flavors such as Yuzu (Chinese grapefruit), strawberry, mint, passion fruit, lychee, and several others. Their website doesn't offer too much information, but you can purchase their teas directly. Perhaps most notably, the company snagged the gold medal for the best blended/flavored oolong at the 2009 World Tea Championships (for their Lychee Green Oolong...which I am now regretting I didn't request a sample of...).Osmanthus is also something new to me -- I don't believe I've ever (knowingly) encountered it previously, and as such it sounded like something new to try. A bit of research reveals that Osmanthus Tea is somewhat common in China, and is prepared much in the same fashion as Jasmine Tea whereby the osmanthus flowers are combined with tea leaves to make a nice floral infusion. The flower itself is native to China, Taiwan and Southern Japan and grows on evergreen shrubs or small trees.
The aroma of the osmanthus is omnipresent in the dried blend. Akin to dried cranberries, it's a sweet-yet-floral aroma that is definitely pleasant. The buds of oolong are perfectly rolled/balled, and intermingled with autumn-colored dried osmanthus leaves (which have a tendency to settle to the bottom, so do note to mix it up while scooping out a teaspoonful!)
Without guidance from the purveyor, I stuck with 190-degree water at 4 minutes for my first cup. The leaves come almost completely unfurled, but not quite, which is good optimism for the second and third infusions. The results were quite beautiful from the get-go. The osmanthus aroma on the brewed cup is a bit different -- less fruity and more floral - but delicately so, and not with a pungency like other larger-petaled flora. Flavor-wise, the osmanthus starts out gentle and sweet on the palette -- not overpowering, but a strong presence for certain. As the cup cools slightly, the potency shifts toward the stronger end of the spectrum, and becomes more floral, with rose or hibiscus notes to it. Toward the bottom of the cup, the flavors balance out yet again, with a gentler touch. The finish is pretty excellent, and long-lasting. Very, very smooth, and the taste of elegance throughout.
For the second infusion, I went with a slightly higher temperature water - about 200 degrees, and kept the steep at 4 minutes. The leaves unfurl further still, and the foliage fills the cup. The osmanthus leaves have fully reverted to their delicate white hue, and the color of the cup is a very pale green/yellow - much like the first. Aroma on the cup is still very present. Initial sips reveal a truly different flavor -- more potent on the floral side, with significantly more of the "rose" type flavoring bursting through. There is a slighter "perfume"-like finish on the palette as a result, but still retains a great, lingering sweet flavor.
On the third infusion, I got called away and distracted for a good 10 minutes. As a result, the steep was about 13-14 minutes (!!). Always up for a little experimentation, I gave it a go - fully expecting overpowering floral or perfume dreck, but the results were surprisingly mild. Almost as if the leaves have given up all they have, which, for all I can tell, is exactly the case. The cup was pleasant - not as flavorful or exquisite as the first two, but not nearly what I had expected from a 13 minute steep. On the nose, the floral notes are much lesser than previous steeps, and flavor-wise they take a backseat. If I were basing the review on this cup alone, it would be pretty mediocre marks, at best. But Due to the circumstances, it's a bit surprising.
Thus far, my introduction to Naivetea has been very delightful. Of the two teas I've tried, they've been rather exemplary. I look forward to their other varieteas (sorry - couldn't resist) of Oolong on offer.
— To purchase Naivetea Osmanthus Oolong, 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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