Review: The Republic of Tea’s Orange Blossom White Tea

Part of My Floral / Fruity Extravaganza

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The Subject: Orange Blossom White Tea from The Republic of Tea.


Rating:

Water temperature: 180° F

Steeping time: 30-60 seconds per instructions on can

Tea type: white
Scents, flavorings, etc.: orange
Aroma, dry: faint orange, dusty tea scent, hemp (stinks)
Aroma in the cup, plain: mainly orange
Taste, plain: mainly orange
Aroma in the cup, enhanced: N/A
Taste, enhanced: N/A

2nd Infusion: Didn’t do (dust in a bag)

Chilled: Disappointing

Comments:

First, in all fairness to you, dear reader, and to The Republic of Tea, we purchased this tea months ago, so some of our experience is of tea that’s not at its freshest. Of course, since this is tea dust in a bag, it’s not that fresh to begin with.

Making sure we were giving this tea every chance possible, in accordance with Tea Principles of the Little Yellow Teapot, we followed the instructions on the can: water not quite boiling and steep for 30-60 seconds.

Our care paid off. The resulting liquid, very light in color, was full of orangey flavor but also very mild teawise. (In fact, there isn’t much tea taste at all.) It’s quite soothing, like chamomile, but still contains caffeine. If you want a hot orange drink, this is a good choice. If you want an orangey tea, keep looking.

Chilled, this tea was a vast disappointment. It tasted more like extremely weak Tang than white tea with orange. Admittedly, this is “orange blossom,” not orange. We have about half a tin left but won’t be reaching for it in our tea pantry when we want something tasty.

There was a time when I thought that The Republic of Tea was a premiere brand. Now, I know better. You’re paying for a fancy can, not fancy tea. Golden Moon, Mighty Leaf, Harney & Sons, and Revolution (all available in local stores and online) have far superior quality since they are made with leaf pieces, not dust. Even some teas that are made of tea dust are far better. These include Devonshire Tea, Barry’s, Adagio, and The English Tea Store. If you want very special teas, don’t miss Chicago Tea Garden. In a tough economy like this, we all need to spend our tea dollars wisely.

Disclaimer: We boughtt this tea. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.