Orange Dulce

This is the tea that I brought with me to work today. I made it in my might leaf mug which for some reason makes me happy – haha. I enjoyed this pretty. It was a little more creamy/caramel-y and less watered orange juice like. I think it is because of the longer steep time. Last time I steeped it at 4 minutes in boiling water which is what is recommended. This time I steeped it in water ever water temp come out of the water cooler and steeped it for around 7-8 minutes. I am not really sure because it wasn’t precisely timed. Any way it was a good afternoon cup of tea and it paired well with my afternoon snack of honey wheat pretzels – yum :)

1 full-leaf pouch for 400mL water, bare.

Okay, here’s a new low for MBH the Tea-Fiend. While looking in Winners last night for a can opener — a freakin can opener, people — I bought tea. Fancy schmancy over-packaged tea, left over from the ‘Desperate for a Gift?’ display. I bought a mug I most certainly do NOT need just to get the two pouches of Mighty Leaf Orange Dulce within. (Actually, a covered mug as packaging for teabags is pretty cool. Unlike the insane platic divided tray Tea of Life is using for a collection of rooibos pyramid sachets.) But I digress. The point is, I bought a mug just to get the tea. Cause Mighty Leaf isn’t available by retail here in NL.

Opening the foil packet, I could swear heat escapes. Or am I running a fever? (My household is rotten with a cold virus.) Smells smooth, not all biting harsh like Bigelow’s Constant Comment or Stash’s Orange Spice. Impressive ingredient list.

Oh, my. Gentle orange, gentle tea, but neither one is faint. Oooh, I could really get to like this. I’ve been cionsidering an order from Mighty Leaf on the description of Beatles Blend alone (major Beatles geek here). Creaminess, too — ooh, real vanilla! Not girly-shop-and-perfume vanilla. And jasmine scent. Oh. Excuse me. Orange Dulce and I need to be alone.

Thanks again LiberTeas for the chance to try this tea. Unfortunately, I really didn’t like this one too much. I did taste the orange but still the combinations in this tea just wasn’t for me. Oh well, ya never know unless you try.

backlogging. I had a cup of this yesterday. It was actually kindof a sad tea day. I didn’t have much on my calendar, so I assumed I could make cups of tea all day as I cranked out the work in my office. As it turns out, people stopped by for most of the day, so I didn’t get around to having this until 4pm!!

Had this with lunch yesterday…its not what I expected. If it has “orange” in the name, I expect orange in the flavor. Didn’t get that, not a single peice of orange peel in the tea bag; what I got was a bit of flowery jasmine and smooth vanilla creme. Still quite nice with my Chinese food lunch, but I consider it a bit of a “bait-and-switch”.
Brewed very light in the cup, I blame the instant hot water tap with being not hot enough…that and the bags a bit skimpy.

Today has not been the best of days – sick kid, behind on laundry, a not-so-happy phone call. I wanted a tea that would be comforting and give me a lift. I chose Orange Dulce, and I chose well.

See previous tasting note for my thoughts on the actual tea.

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag, 2.9 g
Additives: none
Water: hot spigot water, 12 ounces? in mug
Steep Time: a little over 4 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: orange, bergamont, floral
Steeped Tea Smell: vanilla, black tea
Flavor: smooth black tea
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: floral
Liquor: translucent dark brown

I purchased a sampler and this was included.

The smell was amazing, the tea was a quality black tea but what happened to the orange and vanilla flavor?

Post-Steep Additives: +1 packet white sugar – not much change, a slightly artificial aftertaste
+1 (=2) packet white sugar – very artificial aftertaste bleh!

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/mighty-leaf-tea-teabag-black-tea-orange.html

Apparently this tea is good either plain OR with milk. The milk seems to enhance the vanilla and give it a lovely creamy taste and mouthfeel – and it also makes the tea taste sweeter (no sweetener required!). The orange is at a good level where you notice that it’s there but it doesn’t make the tea bitter, and the jasmine is subtle enough to give the tea some pleasent floral notes without making the tea smell and taste like jasmine soap.

I got this as a extra with a sample of a florence I got from doulton. Thank you by the way. Backlogging. I liked the black tea in here and I liked to combo of the orange and vanilla but I could taste the jasmine to and thats not my thing. Still I think this is good.

I swear I wrote a review on this previously, but I don’t see it. Maybe I just tried to do it back when the site was having hiccups.

A few years ago, when I discovered I could actually find loose teas, I bought a set of 6 Mighty Leaf sample tins. Orange Dulce was one of them, and I loved it. Flash forward to about 2 months ago, when I had a big tea shopping spree, and I ordered 4 oz of it, based on those memories. When I got it, I eagerly brewed up a cup, and… BLEARGH! It was awful, and bitter. I took some to work, and tried making some there, where the water is cooler, and still it was bitter. I tried giving that small bit at work to the tea drinker in the next cube, and she gave it back because she didn’t like it!

I am discouraged. I tried again at home. I tried it straight and unsweetened. I tried it with sugar and half & half. I tried frothing it as a latte. All disappointed me.

So now, I am trying one last time. I am using Daisy Chubb’s directions for cold-brewing (thanks, Daisy!) and if this doesn’t give me a tea I actually like, I am pouring the tea out of the cute little tin I bought for it, into a zip lock or some little disposable tub, and offering it up here in trade. There are good reviews of it, so someone out there will want it. Hopefully. I hate to see a tea go unloved.

Check back later and I’ll pronounce the verdict. :)