Oct 12
Lynn’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "As a lychee lover, I recommend this tea, with the caveat that the oolong itself acts more as a lychee delivery platform. But it is advertised as a lychee tea and that’s exactly what you get. "
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8.5/10
Naivetea’s Lychee Oolong is a high altitude grown oolong with lychee. Although it’s listed under scented teas, it is advertised at the site as having lychee flavor, as well. The leaves are dark green and crumpled into semi-balls. The concentrated lychee aroma is very strong. Emphasis on “very.” I happen to love fresh lychees, and this tea certainly smells like them.I don’t have a lot of experience with scented or flavored oolongs, so I did some experimenting. For my first cup, I placed one teaspoon in my infuser basket and rinsed them briefly to “awaken” them, as if often recommended with oolongs. That really brought out the lychee fragrance. I then infused them at 180F water for two minutes. The fragrance was much less now, and I realized that I’d probably rinsed away much of the lychee juice or extract or whatever they use to flavor and scent this tea. The taste, however, was a sweet, fruity combination of oolong and lychee. The fragrance, mingled with the flavor, really does taste of fresh lychee and lingers for a long time on the tongue and in the nose.
Next, I infused a fresh, unrinsed teaspoon of tea the same way, and was rewarded with a much more fragrant cup. The sweetness, however, was not quite as sweet at first, but it developed as the tea cooled. Again, the flavor and fragrance lingered on between sips, and afterwards. I actually rinsed my mouth with clear water to clear my palate for the next round—a first. I was enjoying the tea experience, but for those sensitive to strong fragrances, this tea might be a bit overpowering.
I did a second infusion with the second set of leaves at a slightly higher temperature for two minutes. The leaves were fully open now, small and whole. The result was a truly lush aroma with more of the oolong coming through to balance the fruitiness, and more oolong in the flavor, too, although the lychee was still the dominant note. Unfortunately, the lychee influence is so strong that it’s difficult to judge the quality of the oolong itself.
I steeped the third infusion for three minutes. Both flavor and fragrance held up well, though there’s still more lychee than oolong in the flavor. This is a tea that really stands up to multiple infusions, and would certainly yield a few more cups for me.
As a lychee lover, I recommend this tea, with the caveat that the oolong itself acts more as a lychee delivery platform. But it is advertised as a lychee tea and that’s exactly what you get. Recommended.
— To purchase Naivetea Lychee 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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October 13th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
This sounds delicious…wish there were samples left for me!
October 22nd, 2009 at 9:56 pm
That does sound really good. I have never tried a lychee but I have an black tea with lychee that I absolutely love for iced tea.