What a fun day I had taste testing all the tea’s Kristy sent me. All the teas are from The Octavia Tea Company. They have the most beautiful packaging. Reckon I would buy their tea for the packaging alone. 🙂
First up was Kristy’s favourite, The Lemon Green Organic Green Tea.
Cleanse the body and relieve stress with this soothing blend of antioxidant-rich green tea and therapeutic herbs. Gentle notes of lemon-lime accented with a kiss of honey-like sweetness give this tea an exquisite, graceful flavor to be savored sip after sip.
There is the most wonderful aroma when you open the packaging. The leaves are light and crisp. The aroma is of fresh lemons with a hint of lime. Once the tea had infused I felt the the aroma lessoned. The tea has a lovely light fresh flavour and the water gets a pretty soft lime hue.
Next up was the Wild Blueberry Organic White Tea.
Capture the deep, luscious flavor of juicy blueberries in a cup of tea. This enchanting infusion is made from an exquisite white tea blended with organic blueberries and a touch of sweet-tart hibiscus. Known for its detoxifying, stress-relieving properties, white tea has a delicate, nectar-like flavor contains powerful antioxidants and anti-aging properties.
I was hit with the most magnificent intoxicating scent when I opened this tea, the smell filled the room – heavenly! I loved how the water slowly tinted a beautiful rosé and the scent after steeping was as strong as when I opened the packaging. The flavour is absolutely wonderful as the berry nose came through 100% in flavour. So far, I think this is my favourite.
Then there was the Dragon Well Green Tea.
Dragonwell is the most famous Chinese tea, with broad, flat leaves shaped like the blade of a sword. This voluptuous tea envelops the palate with a lovely orchid-like fragrance, a delicious, roasted chestnut-like flavor and an earthy, lingering finish. Often called the national drink of China, Dragon Well is frequently given to visiting heads of state. This tea is rich in antioxidants and promotes mental alertness.
I am sure the Chinese will be insulted with my opinion of their most famous tea but in my unprofessional opinion, it smells like samp and beans, something only South African’s will understand. The savoury aroma follows through to the taste. I must say the water turned a lovely light bright green.
Next in line was the Rose Oolong Tea.
Inspired by the alluring ambiance of a rose garden after a spring rain, Rose Oolong is a smooth, soothing tea rich in antioxidants and anti-aging properties. The fragrance of crushed rose petals harmonizes with an exquisite oolong tea base, evoking a sense of calm and tranquility. Often a favorite category among tea connoisseurs, oolong tea is known for its detoxifying and metabolism boosting properties.
I love anything rose so knew I would enjoy this tea. The aroma was wonderfully strong on opening the sachet, it reminded me of a rose scented body mist I used years ago. I loved how the rose petals floated to the top of the water which had the softest yellow glow. The tea tasted exactly like rose flavoured Turkish Delight. Fabulous! This tea is on an even par with the Wild Blueberry as being my favourite.
Then it was onto the White Chai Tea.
Nourish your spirit! Swirls of sweet cinnamon, sultry spice and playful pink peppercorns dance with white tea’s delicate, honey-like nectar. This whimsical concoction is inspired by the healing herbs used in ancient Ayurvedic medicine and blended with an antioxidant-rich white tea base, giving it a warm, soothing character. A transcendent experience.
I was excited to taste this tea after reading all the ingredients – lemongrass, cinnamon, ginger, pineapple cubes, pink peppercorns, coconut flakes, clove and cardamom. The smell of fireballs, a sweet we used to eat as kids came to mind and the smelt exactly like they tasted. I know, that sounds odd and this tea tastes exactly the same too. It leaves a slight tingly peppery feel in your mouth. This is a perfect winter tea.
Last was the Jasmine Pearl Organic Green Tea.
One of the world’s finest delicacies and most prized teas, Jasmine Pearl is lavishly infused with the intoxicating fragrance of jasmine and hand-rolled into pearls that bloom in your cup. After harvesting, the tea leaves are layered with jasmine flowers, which bloom in the cool night air. Although the jasmine flowers are removed from the final product, the sweet, soothing scent remains—captured by the leaves themselves. Jasmine tea is said to ease anxiety and promote well-being.
I grew up drinking jasmine tea after a Chinese meal so knew immediately I would like this tea. I love the hand rolled pearls which gently opened in the heat of the water. This tea has a strong full jasmine flavour and I found myself consistently smelling the tea as is brewed.
Kristy, thank you so much for sending me on a wonderful tea journey in my own home.
Dragon Well! Great name.
When I grow up, I want a job naming the different kinds of “Teas!!’
Kiss and Love from here, Sweet Mandy.
How are you?
What’s up?
How are kitties? xxxx
Kim, I also want to name tea when I am all grown up – imagine the fun names we could come up with. 😀 Kiss, hugs and love right back to you in Minnesota. All well here thanks dear. Just 2 mores sleeps before my Pete will home for a week – can’t wait! I miss him so much when he is away. The kitties are precious, still can’t get decent photo’s for you – they know exactly when the camera comes out. I will get my cat stealth abilities tuned and take some photos for you. Hope you have made a batch of choc chip cookies this week. Have a beautiful week my dear Kim. 🙂 xoxoxo
Hi Mandy, they all look great, especially the white chai tea!
Thanks very much Cheri! Have a super day. 🙂 xo
What a collection, are you all Teed out? I loved this , now i know what to ask for next time.. have a gorgeous day.. c
C, I doubt I could get teed out, although it has been known to happen on the very rare occasion. I do hope you get to try some of these from Kristy – they are great! Have a wonderful happy farmy day. 🙂 xo
So many teas! I love it when you open a packet of tea and the aroma really hits you. I love the sound of the blueberry tea xx
Charlie, the blueberry is incredible! If you don’t find it insulting in any way, I will gladly send you the balance of what is in the sachet – just send me your postal address. Have a wonderful day. 🙂 xo
Rose oolong will be my favourite! Thanks for sharing, Mandy.
Have a great day!
Angie
Have a wonderful day too Angie. :-)xo
wow, what a great selection!!!
my favourite must be green tea and jasmine flavoured ones…
It really was very special of Kristy to send me so many wonderful varieties. Have a super day Dedy. 🙂 xo
That Blueberry one sounds phenomenal, especially for this transition of seasons. I’ve never really taken to chai teas, but besides that one and the “swamp” one, they all sound great.
The blueberry is an absolute winner and I have enjoyed a couple more servings of it since. Have a wonderful day and thanks for popping in. 🙂 xo
Hmm I’d go for the Blueberry, but am fascinated by the Rose petals in Rose Oolong tea. By the way I notice you have dropped the ‘cook’ out of your title – is there another book in the pipeline? 🙂
Laura
Good choice on the blueberry Laura. You absolutely guessed right! I am writing another book and seeing as I don’t just post recipes any more, I thought a wee change would be good. Have a wonderful and happy day. 🙂 xo
how cool! Love them all but i think I am with you- the blueberry white tea would be my favorite
Belle, it is the most wonderful tea. Have a super day. 🙂 xo
The jasmine pearl and blueberry sounds my cup of tea
Two very good choices Raymund. Have a happy day. 🙂 xo
The actual tea leaves in each of those teas are so beautiful. What a wonderful experience to test all those teas. It’s making me want to go get a cuppa right now! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I am always ready for a cup of tea Betsy. Hope you are well. Have a lovely day. 🙂 xo
I see I am still subscribed to your blog but I don’t seem to be getting notifications any more as you have loads of posts I haven’t read. 😦 Wonder what’s going on.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the teas Mandy! Your photos are just lovely. I’ll have to share them with the Octavia gals. They will be thrilled. 🙂 I love that you had a whole day of tea tasting. What a fun idea!
Kristy, thanks again for this fabulous fun day I enjoyed and for your lovely comment about my photos. 🙂 I really do hope my tea finds its way to you soon. Have a lovely day. 🙂 xo
Dragon well tea is my favorite. How cool to sample all those teas, thanks for the reviews.
I had great fun Norma and the bonus was how lovely all the teas were. Have a super day. 🙂 xo
The packaging is stunning and would entice me to buy the tea 🙂
Amazing how well packaging can work to entice us. Have a wonderful day Tandy. 🙂 xo
These teas look fantastic, I will definitely be checking them out 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
They really are fantastic CCU! Hope you enjoy them too. Have a super day. 🙂 xo
I especially like the Wild Blueberry but I’d love to alternately have them a day at a time. Beautiful!
Julie
Gourmet Getaways
I was thinking about spacing my tasting out over more time but alas, I was too inquisitive! Have a super day Julie. 🙂 xo
Mandy my love, happy Thursday. Here’s cheers from one very ordinary English Breakfast tea drinker to you who seems to be one very exotic and adventurous tea drinker. They all look so great, hearty too, but I reckon the white chai tea would be my fave.
Hope you are having a stella week lovely one. Hugs and love. xox
See, now we will be just the best of friends because good old fashioned black tea is my favourite too! Having the most awesome day today because my Pete is home for a few days. Yippee for me! Hugs and love to you too my dear Anna. Have a beautiful weekend ahead. 🙂 xo
What fun – rose oolong for me!
Good choice! Have a wonderful day Tanya. 🙂 xo
Ok, so I just bought the new version of Photoshop/Lightroom and after fussing for 2 hrs. Last night just to install it, I’m trying to follow tutorials on my Ipad while learning this thing. SO, I’m thinking that wild blueberry…stress relieving AND anti-aging…that’s for me. Only thing is I wonder how much I’d need to make a bucket of it since I think I would drink a cup and soak my head in the rest. (Can you tell that it’s not going well here?)
You are braver than I am Diane. Not sure I would ever attempt installing any software on my own. Hee hee, your idea is a great plan although I would probably head straight for a bottle of wine! Hope it is all sorted out now. Have a beautiful day. 🙂 xo
Ah shoot me! I spent $150 on a software package that wasn’t even what I really wanted & of course you can’t return it once you’ve opened it. So I threw another $50 at a different package (much cheaper & a photo editor that’s great). Now, I’ve gotten so frustrated with learning how to use it, that I just ordered a book online for another $20 to figure this thing out. I think it’s sort of like how gamblers get hooked.
Urgh!!! What a nightmare! Must say though I giggled when I read how it must be how gamblers get hooked. Have a super day Diane, I do hope you get to the bottom of it all soon. 🙂 xo
Rose oolong sounds like the one I’d like to have in my kitchen. Beautifully documented Mandy.
The rose is an excellent choice Sally and thank you for your lovely kind words. Have a super day. 🙂 xo
What a lovely gift! I always forget to drink tea.. it’s a sign of the times when my life is so busy all I do is gulp coffee, lol. I think my favorite would be the Rose Oolong tea.. it’s so pretty and I love that it tastes like Turkish Delight!xx
Smidge, I could not survive more than a couple of hours without tea! Think I would start falling apart at the seams. The rose is wonderful! Have a wonderful day. 🙂 xo
Now don’t go falling apart on us:D
Oh no, I would never do that to you. 🙂 xo
Nice images, teas sound divine.
Aww thanks M! Camera and I have been arguing of late – not able to get any decent shots. Think I need to spend more time with you. Have a wonderful day and love to you, Mr T and all the fur babies. 🙂 xoxoxo