Blooming teas are a fairly new experience for me.  Well, that’s not entirely true, because when I first started drinking tea, I did try a few blooming teas – which were quite new to the tea scene at that time – and to be quite honest, I didn’t really like them.  Yes, they were quite appealing to the eye and I loved to watch them open up and reveal their inner beauty, but the tea just didn’t taste very good.  Therefore, my first impression of blooming teas were that they were very expensive teas best left for “show and tell” – and not meant for consumption.

Fortunately, blooming teas have come a long way since that time, and the flavors of these teas have improved quite a bit.  So when I say these teas are a “fairly new” experience for me, what I mean to say is that I’m now re-experimenting with the new-and-improved blooming teas that are just as lovely for the palate as they are for the eye.

Although The Republic of Tea does not state specifically what kind of tea (other than green tea) is used in this particular blooming tea, it is reminiscent of a hojicha green tea with its somewhat smoky character.  It is not a strong, overwhelming presence of smoke; there is a distinctive essence of smokiness in both the scent and the flavor of the tea.

There is also a delicate nutty note, and an overall rich, somewhat rustic flavor to the tea, with a pleasingly smooth undertone.

Such a unique and delicious contrast of characteristics, and very unexpected from a flowering tea.

The Republic of Tea describes this tea as

This hand-tied green tea reveals a string of exquisite gold and red blossoms when brewed. A feast for the eye as well as the palate.

The gold and red blossoms in this tea represent good fortune and prosperity.

The brewed liquor is a pale yellow-amber which is absolutely gorgeous to view in the cup to my new Flowering Tea Gift Set – almost as beautiful as the floral display in the infuser cup.  

Similar to the another flowering tea that I reviewed – Heart of Love from Grand Tea – this tea requires two infusions to blossom fully.

This tea is excellent without sweetener; however, I chose to add just a little agave nectar to bring out some of the sweeter nutty qualities to it.

While the tea display is quite lovely and it was fun to watch brew, I am delighted with how delicious this tea is.  I highly recommend it!