It's been well over three years since I established Laura's Tea Room. And yet, whenever I am approached by tea companies, asking if I'd like some samples to feature on the blog, I still get excited. In fact I still feel now like I did the first time I was contacted by a company. I still love this blog as much as I did when I started.
Recently I was contacted by Ahmad Tea asking if I'd like to review some tea's. Not only was I thrilled at the offer but felt rather nostalgic, too. Ahmad Tea were one of the first tea companies willing to send me samples when I established the blog. Though I had only posted one or two reviews, they kindly trusted me and were generous with their samples. I'm still so grateful to all those companies willing to help me out.
At the end of last year I was in London with my bestie and we went into a souvenir store and I saw plenty of Ahmad tea's on sale. As it was near Christmas I didn't have much money but did manage to treat myself to a cute caddy bursting full of Earl Grey tea. (Funnily enough I have to get on the number 15 bus to work every Sunday morning!) Through that I rediscovered my love for Ahmad tea.
Today I received another generous amount of tea. I was so excited. I will review the rest over time. I was totally undecided on what tea to review first so I just closed my eyes mixed them up and picked at random. The tea that I picked was Mango and Lychee Souffle. A tea which is part of their dessert range.
Firstly, I must say how utterly beautiful I found the packaging to be! I love the modern, fresh imagery, the subtle baby colours used in the design, yet they still incorporate the traditional Ahmad logo. It's really pretty and I was especially careful not to rip the packaging when opening.
This blend comes in the form of a silky pyramid type bag. Each box contains 15 pyramids.
Mango and Lychee is a Chinese green tea. What I loved about the appearance of the tea is how green the leaves looked within the tea bag. It's really pretty and healthy looking.
When I opened the packet I loved the sweet, rich, fruity aroma. Just delicious.
As this is a green tea I boiled the water in the kettle and let it cool a little. I timed the infusion process for exactly three minutes. I had made a cup earlier in the day and left it to infuse for longer and it had started to take on a slightly astringent quality, so I'd infuse this carefully. I find three minutes is spot on.
I have had mango in tea before, certainly not lychee! I adore lychee's and eat them fresh or from a can when out of season. I love the sweet, stickiness of the fruit so was beyond excited to see they were included in this blend of tea.
This is a extremely aromatic blend and this tea is real treat even from the moment you open the packet. It has a lightness to the scent, it's hard to describe in words but it's fresh and it feels new, so different from the many fruit flavours that are commonly used in tea.
Having carefully infused the tea it was nice to see that the tea brewed to a light, sparkling green colour. Very pleasant to the eye.
When I settled down and started to drink this tea I found it to have a very pleasant, sweet flavour. Not overly sweet, but sweet enough. As this is a green tea it still has that earthy element, which I happen to love, so this earthiness and the sweetness work well together. Instead of cancelling each other out, this has been blended so well that those two unique qualities work well together, hand in hand almost.
The green tea is earthy and it does have that grassy element to it. And those elements do weave through the tea. But that provides a good solid base to the sweetness of the fruit. So not only does this make a gorgeous fruity tea but it also satisfies those of us who love the solidness you get from green tea.
I do happen to think that the mango and lychee are two flavours that work exceptionally well together. Mango is common and is lovely in tea but having included lychee in the tea, Ahmad's blenders have created something really special.
The first of the fruity flavours that come through is the gorgeous, familiar sweetness of mango. I will admit I am partial to both mango and lychee so I could be biased! However, that rich, fresh mango taste is literally mouthwatering. And addictive too. It just fills your mouth which a lovely feeling and it feels as though you could be eating fresh pieces of mango.
Lychee is the more subtle of the two flavours, but certainly does hold it's own and you'd surely miss the lychee if it wasn't included. It has that unique, fragrant flavour that I really enjoy in lychees. Out of the mango and lychee it's the lychee flavour that stays with me for quite some time after the cup has been finished.
There are many things that I really liked about this tea. One of them is that this is such a refreshing, reviving cup of tea. It would make the ideal treat after a busy day. Due to the fruits used and to it's refreshing qualities, this is such a light tea. And it's perfect for summer. It's best drunk at dusk, in the garden, listening to the sounds of the birds nesting and settling for the night.
I think that this is a genius of a blend. As a weightwatcher, I find it's a perfect replacement for a dessert. I love how the flavours stay with you for ages after you've finished the cup, it leaves that sweetness in your mouth for some while and it's just utterly delightful.
This tea has won a Great Taste award and I can fully understand why.
I was so impressed with this tea. I'm a Ahmad fan anyway, I've yet to try a tea I've not been impressed by. But this is something extra special. It's like summer in a cup. It's tasty, comforting, whilst being fun and refreshing. It's a modern type of tea in a modern packaging with a modern twist on flavours.There is nothing wrong with tradition of course, yet it's nice to push the boundaries and try something different!
I now cannot wait to try one of the other tea's I've been sent - Pear and Cinnamon Strudel!
I really hope that you decide to try this tea. I think you'll love it and it's ideal for those green tea lovers who like to have their tea flavoured, And if you are just stepping into the green tea world - which can be daunting at times - this is a ideal tea to take to make those first steps.
All I will say is infuse with caution. If you use hot water or infuse for too long this does have a tendency to go slightly bitter. That, though, is a fault that is laid at my door. I should of concentrated!
I will end by saying a huge thank you to Ahmad for sending me out this wonderful tea. And I certainly cannot wait to try more!
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