Back in the nifty days when everything was rad or peachy keen, I may have had a peachy oolong but never one that was actually flavoured with peach. Upon approaching Tavalon’s Peachy Oolong, I can’t help but wonder whether there are any apricoty or nectariney teas out there. It would definitely seem as though the peach is the forerunner over its smaller or naked, non-fuzzy kin. Actually, the peach may win the award for the fruit that has been paired with every type of tea or at least, it is definitely a contender for the title. Considering there’s certainly white, black and rooibos peach blends, the peach gets around the block, more than the New Kids. Oolong, on the other hand, often rides solo, with far fewer flavoured versions available. Thus, I was rather keen indeed to try this combination featuring a peach flavoured dark oolong from Taiwan, peach pieces and sunflower petals.

Two of these companions are easily seen amidst the leaves where a few pale yellow sunflower petals peek from the dark chestnut broken leaves of the oolong, however the pieces of peach mentioned on the Tavalon website (http://tavalon.com/p-248-peachy-oolong.aspx) seemed to miss the beat, as there was none to be seen. From this dark mix, leaps a lively scent of apricot and peach, tinged with buttery notes that rest on a woodier aroma. While it’s an appetizing fragrance with the dreamy mingling of fruity and earthy, the peach chiffon quality is somewhat synthetic smelling, very similar to the smell of peach iced tea drink crystals or peach Extra chewing gum. Yet, whatever the exact tempo, the peppy sweetness seems ready to groove.

So to pluck this peach, Tavalon suggests brewing two teaspoons per cup with 212°F water. After steeping, the infusion is a cheery orange brown sienna as fragrant as the leaves with the sunflower aromas really blossoming. The combination of sunflower and peach lends a butternut twist to the scent that is a lovely synergy between bright and dark elements. Much of the taste begins with the aroma which pervades each sip before the tea actually hits the tastebuds. Yet once it does, there is a scrumptious liveliness in the tea that teases at the acidity of peaches themselves. Soft peach flavours sing along a more dominate viney buttery taste of the sunflower petals that ends with walnut rumblings of the oolong. Together, the flavours offer an enchanting and tasty harmony of juicy fruitiness and dry twiggy nutty notes that come together with hints of caramel. Although, I have found sunflower can often be overwhelming in blends, here it is a graceful costar to accentuate the peachiness rather than a prima donna. The light to medium body doesn’t quite deliver the fullness or depth that I suspected the oolong might provide as the character of the oolong is very subdued. This may in part be advantageous to present a true balance between the buttery peach flavour and the oolong as they play together seamlessly and complement each other well however, the richness of the fragrance isn’t quite met in the brew. Still, I think a stronger oolong backbone could have put even more pop in the pair to play out this harmony. The finish is light, leaving traces of peach blossoms and cashews on the palate without any bitterness.

With the whimsy of the first cup, I was a bit disappointed upon attempting subsequent steepings of the leaves. A second three minute infusion seemed much too weak whereas there wasn’t significant improvement upon extending the brewing to four minutes. The second orange gold infusion still had a pleasant sunny caramel peach aroma with only a slightly thinner body but the flavour seems watery with little woody flavour and only whispers of sunflower and cooked citrus. It is easily drinkable but surprising considering dark oolongs usually perform well upon re-steeping. A third brewing up to 10 minutes offered very little for the palate apart from a green tingling on the tongue from what seemed like the sunflower petals more than the polyphenols of the tea. Yet the cup still had a gentle floral fruity fragrance to behold. Thus, it was a bummer indeed that there wasn’t more life in this vibrant blend. Although over-brewing would never be a problem. Cooling the tea gives it a bit more substance and fruitiness as the scent holds well and the body gets weightier making it a fanciful option for icing. Plus, I would imagine it would make a killer tea-tini with southern comfort.

Cold or hot, Tavalon's peachy oolong is surely way cool. With the smooth peachy goodness of this blend, it could rev up one's day as easily as offering some good vibrations through the night.

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Raven Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Raven's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Raven.

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