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Zsenso Blueberry Pomegranate White Tea Review

I've never tasted a white tea brewed from a tea bag before. This was a pleasant surprise when one of my co-workers brought this tea out to me for me to try out. And as you know, white teas rank high up there on my list of favorite teas ever. Will this tea bag version of white tea remixed with fruit remain consistent with the white teas I had?

I brewed this white tea for 7 minutes in 180ºF water.

The smell is almost candy-like. It's very sweet and full of fruit. It reminds me of some fruity drink with pomegranate Jolly Ranchers mixed in. I'd say that the pomegranate is the strongest scent in this blend, while the blueberry is there and the earthiness of white tea hardly there. The pomegranate overpowers everything. This scent is a lot stronger and tart than white peach and apricot.

This tea comes in nicely. When it first hit my palate, I got a weak white tea taste. The mid palate is interesting because it's a swirl of blueberries and pomegranate that comes at you randomly. I get some earthy-ness from the white tea, but it's almost as if it's conflicting with the other fruits. The backend is interesting because it leaves a slight refreshing fruity feel in your mouth, it's almost minty. I'd say that the fruit component does overpower everything else. Compared to how slightly subtle the peach in white peach is, this is slightly stronger.

It's a good tea, but there's some drawbacks. Maybe because this is a teabag with shredded tea leaves, some of the true taste must've been lost. I'd LOVE to try this tea in a loose tea version because I'm sure that the full flavor would be something great. This tea is not too bad, but I'd probably return to my truer loose white teas. If you want a teabag version of a tea, purchase gourmet teabags or disposable tea infusers.

Rating:
3.3 out of 5

Masala Chai Review

Image from Adagio.com

To most Westerners, it is a little known fact that the word 'Chai' simply means 'tea' in Hindi. Therefore, all teas are technically chais. However, instead of the 'chai' that most Americans are used to (which usually contains really bad tea), we offer a Masala Chai tea - premium Ceylon black tea with a unique blend of spices; cinnamon, cardamon, and ginger.
Description from Adagio.com

The smell is so great and different. I never get the chance to drink much chai tea, but whenever I make a brew, the scent lingers in the air for a long time. When you get a warm whiff of this tea, you will smell the great aroma of the spices in this tea. If you spelled chai before, then expect to smell something like that, but it's just so fresh since the last chai 'tea' I had was in a powdered form.

On the front end of this tea, you will get a large dose of spice action going on. I questioned whether or not this heat that I'm feeling is from the hot water or the spices. It turns out that it was from both, haha. The mid palate is kind of lacking and hollow. I get a small hint of sweetness on the back-end and the aftertaste leaves that enticing spicy feeling in your mouth.

Overall, this tea would be great to brew for people who normally don't drink tea or this kind of tea. For example, you have a house party and you want to serve drinks. Your masala chai brew will be the hit of the party, hopefully. There's something about spicy-ness and parties that makes them sound so right together. Masala chai is that factor, also for casual get-togethers.

To tea fanatics like me, you would probably drink this black, but you might have a hard time getting used to it. The mid palate may be too lacking for you, so you might want to fill in the gap with a little hint of milk and maybe some sugar. Chai tea is the only other kind of tea that I would add milk to (I would add some milk to some black teas).

Good tea, but it needs more by itself. If you aren't serious, milk and sugar will do the job as great additions to this tea.

Rating:
3.75 out of 5

White Peach Review

Image from Adagio.com.

This Southern gem of a fruit is combined with delicate white tea from the Fujian region of China to create a this toothsome flavor of tea. Enjoy it hot or iced, don't blame us if you become hooked.
Description from Adagio.com.

Scent:
The scent is fantastic. This smell is truly that of peaches. It's delectable, excellent and sweet. There's nothing much that I can say, except that this is one for all the peach-o-holics out there.

Taste:
If you're experienced with the white tea world, expect to be a bit surprised. This tea was sweeter than expected. It is loaded with the sweetness of peaches, but it remains as subtle as any white tea can get.

It's delightful, I must say. On the front-end, your tongue is assaulted by the peach flavor of this tea. On the mid palate, you will definitely taste the sweetness of this tea. The aftertaste is great because it leaves a slightly tangy sweetness behind.

Overall:
I can't praise this tea enough. If you're relatively new to tasting white teas, buy this tea. The peach component of this tea will reach out to you farther than any other good white teas enough for you to grab it and appreciate it. White peach is a great tea to start off for your white tea adventure.

Rating:
4.75 out of 5

Foxtrot Review

Image from Adagio.com

Like the dance that inspired its name, our Foxtrot tea is an overnight success that will leave you giddy with joy. It is an herbal cocktail of Egyptian chamomile, South African Rooibos and fresh peppermint leaves. A soothing blend of familiar tastes that produces a pleasantly original combination. It is entirely caffeine-free. The spring in your step is due entirely to its enticing taste.
Description from Adagio.com

This is a tea or rather a tea blend, that I saw on Adagio awhile ago. It's a mix of chamomile, rooibos, and peppermint. Fortunately for me, these were teas that I already owned. So what's wrong with blending them all together?

Color:
I have to say something about the color. It's really different because it's a blend of course. It reminds me of a black tea that has been steeping for only a minute or two because it's not as dark. It has more of an orange hint to it as well. It's a very interesting color. Very fun and original for an herbal blend.

Scent:
I'm not surprised that the peppermint is the strongest component that I'm smelling from this blend. I feel as if the rooibos scent adds a small depth because of its subtlety. I'm getting a very small hint of the chamomile, but it's hardly there. It could be that bit of sweetness that I'm getting. It's a great smell because it isn't as strong as the peppermint tea by itself.

Taste:
I feel as if the rooibos and the peppermint flavors go hand in hand. The peppermint has a sharp taste to the blend, but the rooibos component adds more texture to this tea. Some more wood so to speak because drinking rooibos reminds me of wood in a way.

The front of this tea is a huge onslaught by the piercing flavor of the peppermint. The mid palate, I taste some of the chamomile and the grainy rooibos component. At the back end, there's a subtle sweet feeling on my tongue after drinking. When you're finished, the peppermint will leave a very fresh feeling in your mouth. I haven't had chamomile by itself yet, but something tells me that it's a sweet tea.

Overall:
This is a great tasting tea. Since I blended it myself, I probably would add less peppermint, but overall, it's an amazing tea that anyone can enjoy. It's perfect for the afternoon and evening before bedtime. I say this about a lot of teas, but this tea is extremely refreshing. It's decaf too, so what are you waiting for? Buy it!

Rating:
4.4 out of 5

Keemun Rhapsody Review

Image from Adagio.com

Black tea from the Anhui region of China. Keemun tea, perhaps the most famous of Chinese varieties, is prized for its rich chocolate-like flavor, and sumptuous aroma. Our 'Keemun Rhapsody' is a hand-made, limited production 'superior mao feng' grade tea. It is a rare embodiment of this tea's wonderful potential, with taste bud entrancing cocoa notes, biscuity nuances, a whispering fruitiness and a flickering shadow of classic Keemun smokiness.
Description from Adagio.com

Scent:
The smell of this Keemun Rhapsody is phenomenal for a black tea. It has a hint of this cocoa (or moccha?) component going on. It's somewhat subtle, but it adds something great to the scent. I don't have much experience with black tea, but to me, this tea smells awesome. The overall aroma of this tea isn't too powerful either, which is good. For someone who enjoys the subtlety of green and whites, one can easily access this tea.

Taste:
Although my experience with black tea is quite lacking, I have to say that this tea is amazingly good. I feel as if that cocoa component that was described on Adagio.com hits your taste buds when it first enters your mouth and kicks them once again when it leaves the back-end. In the mid palette of this tea, there's a very smooth black tea flavor going on, which I really like.

I can't say much here because the only black teas I've tried are Ceylon and Earl Grey. Keemun tastes like neither of them. Maybe, it's leaning more towards the more subtle Ceylon side because the Earl Grey I had a bergamot citrus thing going on. Although I would probably prefer this over Ceylon.

I can compare this to the feeling of eating a Reese's peanut butter cup. You bite it and you taste a delicious chocolate coating. In the middle there's that creamy peanut butter, which is the good middle flavor in this tea. And at the back-end, the chocolate coating is still there.

Overall:
I enjoyed this tea fairly well. This has to be a very very good morning tea. I can see people who enjoy black tea enjoying this tea very much. I don't have much to say or complain because this black tea is SOLID.

Rating:
4.3 out of 5