The arrival of mandarins at supermarkets mark the onset of winter. I love winter and the sweet citrus flavours of mandarins. For the other seasons of the year, D and I continue to enjoy the refreshing flavour of mandarins in juice and teas. This here is St Dalfours Mandarin Orange Green Tea.
Steeping one tea bag in 200 mL of water at 80°C for 1.5 minutes, the infusion was a cloudy golden yellow liquor with a sweet mandarin nose. Upon tasting, the natural and bright sweetness of mandarin flesh emerged ahead of the more buttery and smokey notes of Chinese green tea in the body before the zesty flavour of mandarin rind finishes the sip and lingered sweetly in the aftertaste.
This tea can be compared to the Fukujuen Mikan Sencha, a mandarin flavoured Japanese green tea, which has a more vegetal flavour that complements the bright mandarin notes for a fresher flavour.
This St Dalfours Mandarin Orange Green Tea contained 20 envelopes or 50 g. The tea originated in Sri Lanka and was purchased online from the United States in 2016.