Tea Review: Mangosteen Tea (AR & CV Putra Farma)

Mangosteen Tea

AR/CV Putra Farma
Type: Herbal
Origin: Indonesia, Bali
Product Description: Not provided.

Temperature: 208° F
Tea Amount: 3 grams
Water: 6 ounces

The dry powder has a sweet-tart aroma, similar to tart berries.

The vivid pink infusion has a sweet-tart berry-like aroma and flavor. 

This is an instant powder, requiring no stirring and dissolves completely when hot water is added.  The powder contains palm sugar and it's difficult to say if this adds anything to the naturally sweet and tart flavor of mangosteen.  The taste was quite pleasant and I would be quite interested in tasting it again as a non-powder infusion.  This was brought back by a friend following their travel to Bali and I have not been able to find a source for this specific tea.

This tea was received as a gift from a third party.

Tea Review: Matcha White Peach (Yunomi/Kanes)

Matcha White Peach/抹茶 白桃美人
Yunomi/Kanes
Type: Flavored Green
Origin: Japan, Shizuoka and Aichi Prefectures
Product Description:

A sweet matcha flavored with white peach. Add hot milk to transform this into a delicious latte!

Temperature: 160° F

Tea Amount: 10 gram (2 teaspoons)
Water: 6 ounces 

The blend ingredients include matcha, white peach flavor, and sugar.

After whisking, the vivid green infusion is semi-opaque with a sweet aroma of peaches and something that reminds me of lime.  The taste is sweet with the flavor of ripe white peaches and matcha.

If you enjoy white peaches as much as I do, chances are that you'll really like this matcha blend.  Though sugar is one of the ingredients, the taste isn't overwhelmingly sweet and doesn't leave behind an unusual aftertaste.  I was pleased that the matcha flavor did come through and that there was no astringency or bitterness.  This was also very tasty after chilling in the refrigerator if you're looking for a summer treat.  I prepared this using 6 ounces of water heated to 160° F and 10 grams (1-2 teaspoons) of tea as suggested.  I might use 5 grams in future as I tend to prefer a lighter flavor.  This tea does not require a whisk or matcha bowl.  

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Lively Tea Instant Fuzhuan Heicha (Zhenxi)

Lively Tea/轻轻茶 Instant Fuzhuan Heicha

Zhenxi/臻溪
Type: Heicha
Origin: China, Hunan Province
Product Description: Not provided.

Temperature: 208° F
Tea Amount: .5 gram (single packet)
Water: 6 ounces

The red-brown liquor is clear with an aroma that is rich with notes of roasted chestnuts and a hint of earthiness.  The taste is roasty with notes of nut shells and a mild bitterness toward the back that reminds me of coffee.

Per the company website, this instant fuzhuan heicha is a concentration of 8 grams of leaf into 1 gram of powder containing approximately 2.1 million cfu of jin hua (golden flower/Eurotium cristatum) probiotics. There is no stirring necessary and no residue. Unlike some of the other instant teas I've tasted, this does have some of the heicha character. While I much prefer loose leaf heicha, this is a very handy mess-free and travel-friendly alternative that I would drink again.

I received this sample during a presentation at World Tea Expo. At the time of this review, it is not available in the North American market.

This tea was provided as a free sample without guarantee of a review.

Tea Review: Instant Dark Tea (Hua Lai Jian)

Instant Dark Tea/速溶黑茶
Hua Lai Jian/湖南华莱健黑茶
Type: Heicha
Origin: China, Hunan Province, Anhua
Product Description: Not provided.

Temperature: 208° F

Tea Amount: .5 gram (single)
Water: 6 ounces

The dry powder has a sweet aroma of heavily roasted nuts.

The red-brown liquor is clear with a sweet aroma of roasted chestnuts.  The taste is mild with wood and caramelized sugar notes at the back and a long roasty finish.

The powder required no stirring.  The smell was unusual for heicha, yet nice.  The taste was very mild, though the notes at the back of the mouth were intriguing.  It's quite handy, packaged in single servings with no stirring and no cleanup necessary, ideal for a quick and easy cup of tea on the road.  While I have my doubts that heicha enthusiasts would enjoy this, I'm glad to see continued innovation.

I received this sample during a presentation at World Tea Expo.  At the time of this review, it is not available in the North American market.

This tea was provided as a free sample without guarantee of a review.

Tea Review: Tea Crystals (Pique Tea)

Pique Tea founder Simon Cheng has successfully developed a process that turns organic loose leaf tea into crystals.  Shortly after the New Year, Pique Tea Crystals made their public debut.  When I learned that tea master Roy Fong was involved in the production, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try this unique twist on my favorite beverage.

Pique Tea Crystals are available in cartons containing 14 sachets of a single flavor, as well as a variety pack.  The sachets are small, portable, and durable.  Cartons may be purchased individually or through a monthly subscription.

To prepare, tear open the sachet, pour the crystals into a cup, and fill with 8 ounces of hot water (205°F for black teas and 175°F for green teas). The crystals dissolve almost immediately, require no stirring, and leave no residue behind at the bottom of the cup.

In the unlikely event that you prefer to only use a portion of the sachet, I would advise against trying to save the rest for later because the crystals begin to soak up moisture in the air as soon as the sachet is opened.

The tea sampler I received included Sencha Green Tea, English Breakfast, Early Grey, Jasmine, and Mint Sencha.  Following are my tasting notes for two varieties.

This tea was provided as a free sample without guarantee of a review.

Sencha Green Tea
Dry Aroma: Faintly grassy
Color: Bright yellow
Aroma: Green, marine, savory, and nutty
Taste: Grassy green with moderate astringency and a long green finish

English Breakfast
Dry Aroma:  Faintly nutty

Color:  Deep red-brown

Aroma:  Sweet wheat, and wood

Taste:  Mild with moderate astringency and a very dry finish

Conclusion:  While the tea crystals don't provide the depth of flavor and aroma I look for in my daily tea drinking ritual, they would be ideal for travel where tea is in short supply and tea leaf or teabag disposal would be a messy undertaking.  They would also be ideal on the go for meetings, events, and errands when there's no time to wait for tea to steep and too many distractions to prevent over-steeping.