This is the Orchid Blossom Fresh Fruit Tea with Guava ($8.50, +$1.00 for golden pearls, no ice, 100% sugar) from Tea Republic. It featured an orchid blossom green tea base with two wedges of Granny Smith apples, one slice each of watermelon and orange.

The drink was a cloudy orange hue, with the fruit floating at the top and the golden pearls at the base. When consumed chilled, the notes of orchid blossom emerged at the head of each sip with a fresh, light, and crisp floral quality, enhancing the guava syrup’s tropical pineapple and sweet strawberry undertones. The earthy and grassy notes of the toasted Chinese green tea carried this delicate flavour, while the golden pearls added a perfect amount of bounce and tenderness, with their lighter sweetness compared to black tapioca pearls elevating the overall sweetness.

At 100% sugar, the sugarcane syrup provided an ideal level of sweetness, resembling the barely sweetened teas at larger bubble tea chains. This allowed the delicate notes of the orchid blossom green tea to shine without unwanted astringency or bitterness. In conclusion, the floral aromatics of the orchid created an elegant tea base with uniquely light and refreshing qualities, standing out even with guava syrup and contrasting with the more mainstream dewy notes of jasmine green tea.

This Orchid Blossom Fresh Fruit Tea with Guava was purchased from Tea Republic in December 2023.