My Overall Impression (Score of 82.5%)

The days are getting much longer, the garden is planted and thriving and I’m loving it.  Now that the weather is getting warmer, get ready for a slew of Iced Tea reviews (especially since National Iced Tea Day is coming up).  However, every morning I start my day with brewed hot tea to get going.  As I was looking for something new and simple, I found Teagardenia’s Borahi Golden Tips.

You may ask why I wanted simple?  Every day is a joy to behold but I know I can get overwhelmed sometimes with everything.  Decisions every day for work, housework, meals, tending to the garden, etc.  Sometimes I really just want to chill out and this is a great tea for this.  Look at my notes for the brew’s Personality and you will see what I’m getting at. 

This is a clean easy drinking tea but different in one way.  It truly gets better with food.  I had a slice of homemade bread with this after my review and the tea blossomed / evolved.  If you look at my food recommendations below, each of these items will make this tea even better.

What do I think this Tea’s Personality is?

• Simplistic Beauty to drink, chill out and not think!

The Price

The price on 2/21/2022 is $11.17 for 50 grams.

Broken down:

• 50 gm / 3 gm for steeping = 16 brews
• 16 brews from package = app. 70 cents per brew

Typically, I double steep all my teas (use the tea twice) so I can get 32 cups or approximately 35 cents per cup.  This is inline with other teas of the same quality level and price. 

Aromas

• Opening the package shows golden toasted malt (similar to Grape Nuts) with hints of dusty dried grass.
• This is followed by hints of smoky tobacco, dried parsley, toasted hazelnuts, cloves, and ash.
• Once Brewed, it showed great aromas of sugared toasted malt and oak.
• This is followed by aroma hints of oranges, cloves, white pepper, almonds, and honeyed peanuts.

Flavors

• This is a smooth simple dimensional tea that screams drink me.
• The flavors of toasted malt and toasted bread are fantastic. It has such a British Biscuit quality to it.
• It shows off dry with stronger tannins changing your palate to seem like its dry. The tannins are large and coat your palate.
• It does have good acidity which leads to its smooth profile as it rinsed the tannins on each sip.
• I love the integration of the tannins and medium body giving it a beautiful structure.

Scores

• Aromas (4.1/5)
• Flavors (8.2/10)
• Overall impression (4.2/5)
  • Total score = 82.5 percent (16.5/20)

Foods to Pair and Why

• On the first sip screamed Focaccia /toasted bread / Naan to be served with Hummus.
• This also just begs for a Summer Bread Salad to be served outside with this tea in the late afternoon.
• I’m not sure why this crossed my mind but a simple fresh mozzarella pizza with smoked chicken would pair amazingly with this brew.
• I am craving a pounded pork tenderloin breaded and fried to be served with this (such as Indiana style in a sandwich).
• I love granola but making it homemade is even better as you can add whatever you want to the mix. In this case, I would avoid dried fruits (raisins, craisins, etc.) and focus on the oat mixture.
• Lastly, for a great dessert, pick me up, relaxing time, etc. I would look at having biscotti with this avoiding fruit flavored ones (would mask the brew) and focus more on almonds or hazelnuts.