The Tea Experience: White Bellini

I have a lot to thank teatourist for. The awesome tea subscription service is coming up trumps month after month. This month I've had the joy to experience the idyllic Sherlock Holmes tea. Last month I thought it's delightful selections could not be bettered. This month they have done that.

For now, I am sitting here sampling a white tea so perfect, so fragrant and tasty it has blown my socks off. It's a white tea so gorgeous that I shall, after blogging, be purchasing some. That tea is the gorgeous White Bellini from The Tea Experience.

I love white tea. It really takes to fruity flavours such as pomegranate and peach very well. In it's pure state it's delicious, albeit it sometimes very delicate that it can leave you feeling underwhelmed. Overall though, I've had  some wonderful white tea's.

When I was searching through the latest teatourist box which popped through the letter box a couple of weeks ago, I was instantly drawn to this tea. The fact it was a white tea, and it was peachy seemed just perfectly refreshing for the spell of hot, muggy weather we've been experiencing in the UK lately. However, it wasn't till this evening that I finally decided to make the tea and give it a try.

Instantly, upon opening the packaging, I was hit with the gorgeous, light and aromatic smell of peaches. As a lover of peaches I was especially smitten. It smells so fresh and tasty! Just yummy!

Visually, this tea is gorgeous. It has entire tea leaves as well as twigs from the tea plant. In addition, as you can see the tea includes pieces of dried raspberry and peach, as well as a fruit that I think is currants. A delightful mixture. But what I really love in this picture is you have the entire tea leaf. This isn't crushed up, it's kept whole. It's absolutely gorgeous!

When preparing white tea the water simply cannot be anywhere near boiling point. White tea is delicate and the leaves can easily scorch making a horrid bitter mess. So, I started to boil the water in the kettle and switched it off way before it reached full boiling point. I let the water cool further as I was filling the teabag. This method worked as, not to sound big headed or anything, but I managed to prepare this tea perfectly!

White Bellini is one of those tea's that is a absolute joy to drink. This is tea that is perfect to relax to. I can honestly say that whilst sipping on this tea you won't want to do anything else but relax. It makes you feel so lovely that all you want to do is savour it's flavours - and not much else.

From the first sip the main taste of the tea is the peach. It's very strong, mouthwatering and delicious. With each sip you get a awesome burst of fresh fruit flavours. It's so sweet and juicy you feel almost that the peaches could of been picked this morning. It's luscious and incredibly moreish. I think I finished this tea in record time. The tea makes you greedy. Once tasted those peach flavours make you want more and more. A casual drinker to a addict in mere seconds - that's how it feels for me!

Underneath the gorgeous peach comes the slightly tart flavour of raspberry. This works really well as that tartness is a perfect balance to the sweetness of the peach, making this tea both sweet but not sickly or too overpowering. So from the first sip you get that hit of sweetness rolling across your tongue, followed by a sharpness that isn't unpleasant, only interesting and which provides this tea with a exciting and unexpected twist.

But what of the actual tea? Well to be fair the white tea is up against two really strong ingredients. But still, that slightly grassy element to white tea is present. The grassy element, though far less than green tea, is just something I really like. However, by it's nature, white tea is as delicate as bone china and the flavour of the tea wont be the first thing you'll detect. But it is there. Present and pretty as it always is.

I absolutely loved the combination of fruity flavours in this tea. It's been blended to utter perfection. White tea is a hard tea to produce and prepare correctly and this is a hit on all sides. So impressed am I by this blend that I will be treating myself to some - this is instant tea love. A love affair that will last for some time I hope!

There have been only a handful of times when I've been knocked sideways by the instant effect tea has on me. Recently it's been Kukicha. 

As much as Kukicha's strength and power blew me away, White Bellini has done the same with it's gorgeous delicate qualities, it's wonderful femininity  and it's gentleness.

I would highly recommend this tea, especially as summer is fast approaching. I can assure you it will be the perfect compliment to those long, hot summer days.