Vendor’s Description:
Its rich rose flavor comes through after the Pu-erh has been infused with rose petals; it is then pressed into the classic tuocha or “bowl” shape. The depression in the tea allows it to dry more quickly and be broken more easily later.

Brewing Parameters:
• 1 toucha / 5oz water
• Water Temp: Boiling
• 5s rinse
1. 30
2. 1:30
3. 2:00
4. 6:00

Taste:
1. earthy, slight rose finish, slightly smokey
2. less rosy, more of a sweet earthy taste, no smoke
3. not sweet, just earthy and slightly salty
4. chocholate & vanilla, mellowed out / subdued

Aroma:
1. sugary rose, slightly smokey, earthy
2. sugary rose, very slightly smoke, earthy
3. sugary vanilla, no smoke, earthy
4. sweet

Overall Impressions:
Many people are tune out pu erh and dismiss it as “that dirty, swampy tea” after a bad first experience. Nearly all of those bad first experiences result from over-brewing the tea, when you brew pu erh for over 3 or 4 minutes, I agree, it tastes awful. However, when brewed with shorter infusions, pu erh can taste entirely different - sweet, pleasently earthy, and not bitter. So if you have previously tried pu erh and were put off by an awful taste, I would highly recommend giving it another chance. You will be amazed by how different the tea tastes.

Moving away from general musings on pu-erh and onto the review, I greatly enjoyed watching the tuocha unfurl in hot water - brewing pu erh is an experience to be enjoyed with all 5 senses. The tea greatly excelled in infusions 2-4 when the sweet flavors began to balance out the strong earthy essence. The leaves were small and chopped up, but that is to be expected of a mini tuocha.

Vendor’s Description:
Called the Emperor’s Tea, this tea has its name rooted in a legend dating back to 250 AD when a Buddhist monk is said to have implored a dragon in a nearby well to assist starving peasants. The dragon sprang forth, releasing rains that produced this wonderful tealeaf. This leaf yields a dark yellow slightly grassy cup with distinctive floral notes.

Brewing Parameters:
• Water Temperature: 185
• Gaiwan half full of leaves
1. 120s
2. 240s
3. 360s

Taste:
1. buttery, toasted chestnuts, slightly salty aftertaste
2. toasted chestnuts, smooth and buttery, more earthy than salty aftertaste
3. nutty, but not quite “toasted” anymore, earthy aftertaste

Aroma:
• Dry Leaf: nutty, slightly earthy
1. earthy, slightly salty, nutty
2. salty, nutty
3. nutty, less salty

Overall Impressions:
My immediate reaction upon tasting this tea was thinking - a meal in a cup. In my opinion, the vendor’s description was completely off. I didn’t taste any “grassy” or “floral” notes, but rather nutty, earth, and salty notes that are more commonly attributed to food. Keep in mind that, while the tea did not fit the vendor’s description, it was an amazing brew. It doesn’t take an experienced connoisseur or a refined palate to separate the individual flavors of the brew - they jump out at you from the first sip to the last. This quality makes Indonique’s Dragonwell an excellent choice for anyone the beginning tea enthusiast, to the most selective connoisseur.

Vendor’s Description:
Checkmate your thirst! Green Mate with lemongrass and lime flavoring.

Brewing Parameters:
• Water Temp: 190f
• Infusion Time: Because long infusions don’t make bitter, I just let the leaves sit in my cup while I was drinking the tea.
• 2 tsp / 8oz

Taste:
Lemongrass and lime were added to the tea, but interestingly enough, I didn’t taste either. Instead, I tasted a sweet “candied lime” flavor, probably due to the fact that lime “flavoring” was used. This candied lime flavor overpowered the lemongrass, however it did not overpower the yerba mate. I could easily identify a woody flavor with a pleasantly coarse texture. Texture is just as important as taste in check mate.

Aroma:
While the tea was balanced in flavor, it was not balanced in aroma. The sweet “candied lime” flavor clearly overpowered all other elements. I could just barely get a hint of the familiar woody yerba mate smell. The lemongrass smell was completely absent.

Overall Impressions:
If you really like flavored teas, than check mate is for you. If you “kinda like” or “don’t prefer” flavored teas, then don’t bother trying check mate. Also, you need to have a slight sweet tooth to enjoy the candied lime taste - it’s more sugar with a hint of lime than lime with a hint of sugar.

I have tried many other Zhena’s Gypsy Teas and have been quite pleased with all of them. This one though will not be a repurchase for me. If I am in the mood for a flavored tea, I really want there to be no doubt that it IS a flavored tea.

Zhi Tea Resful Blend is as delightful visually as it is aromatically. It really does appear that it would make a wonderful potpourri…but with a flavor this good, I’ll be using every last bit in my cup!

Brewing Parameters:
• Boiling Water
• 1 tsp / 8 oz
• 10 minute infusion

Dry Leaves
I was utterly amazed by the quality of the dry leaves. When mighty leaf lists their ingredients, they aren’t just referencing tiny chopped up bits of raw material. The blend was composed of huge chunks of orange peel, whole chamomile flowers, large chunks of lemon grass, and other less prominent ingredients.

Taste:
There are 2 distinct ways to approach this tea. You can either: 1. just drink it and enjoy the flavor as a whole OR 2. spend time trying to pick out each individual note. If you follow the 1st method, you will taste a rich and sweet, hearty flavor. If you follow the second method, your frame of mind will greatly effect what you taste. For example, try tasting the tea solely concentrating on tasting citrus. Sure enough, you will notice an intensified citrus flavor. Concentrate solely on chamomile, and you will taste solely chamomile. In this fashion, you can identify every flavor in the tea.

Aroma:
Strong citrus and floral top notes with a sweet body. You can identify individual scents just as you can with the flavors .

In all, while I wasn’t totally amazed by this tea and I can’t say that I plan to purchase some myself, I do think this is a good basic black tea, especially for those new to loose leaf tea. The tea seems a bit pricey, but is probably on par with other organic and fair-trade teas.