Shire White By Totealy
Shire White
TOTEALY
$14.00USD for 1oz (28g)
This tea from TOTEALY was included in the samples I won during their Instagram giveaway. They sent me 4 “mystery teas” and even sent me a few extra samples to use in my weekly giveaways so, if you are curious, join me on Tuesday’s for #teatriviatuesday.
Packaging
My teas from TOTEALY arrived in simple brown lightproof, airtight, resealable paper pouches. Very sturdy. Good Quality. There is no identification on the outside of the packages however, inside, was a little card telling me all about the tea! While this was difficult for me, since I had no idea what the company sent, it would not be as confusing if you knew what you ordered from them. It has been fun opening each tea and having no idea what I was going to find!
I opened the pouch and before even looking at the identification card smelled what was inside. I was greeted by an incredible aroma but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it reminded me of. It almost reminded me of a crisp spring day after a rainstorm. There was a sweetness to it while also being very lush. I pulled out the card and was surprised to find that it was a white tea! But I LOVED the description couldn’t agree more:
“a robust flavor reminiscent of fresh bread and honey.”
It was the honey aroma that I couldn’t put my finger on! But as soon as I read the description it became much more pronounced.
How to Brew
The instructions are very clear. Shire White should be steeped between 195ºF-205ºF for about a minute. This was odd to me since I am used to a strict 175ºF temperature for white teas. But I was excited to see what was in store!! They also state that a “lower temperature will produce a delicate tea and higher temperatures increases the complexity and brings out the honey notes.”
The leaves were multiple shades of brown, some of them were almost red or purple. They were so pretty and reminded me of a fall day after all the leaves have fallen from the trees.
For my first steeping I wanted to try the company’s instructions, but I went on the safe side and only heated the water to 195ºF. I let it steep for 1 minute. I was blown away by the flavor! The aroma was so sweet which added to the sweet honey flavor. Next, I steeped at 175ºF just to settle my curiosity. I found the Shire White tea to be much more crisp at the lower temperature. While it was still slightly sweet, the honey notes were not as present. I absolutely enjoyed it better at the higher temperature.
The Experience
Totealy’s Shire White steeped to a BEAUTIFUL orange color. The intensity of the color that came out of my Gaiwan was completely unexpected. Typically white teas are much lighter. I steeped this tea 4 times and was thrilled to see that each steep was just as intense as the one before it. It was fun to see how the different temperatures affected this incredible white tea. The freshly baked bread and honey notes made the entire experience incredibly relaxing.
If you are looking for the antioxidant benefits of a white tea but do not generally like how light they are, this is a fantastic tea for you to try. The flavor was incredibly bold for a white tea.
As I said before, I steeped Totealy’s Shire White tea 4 times. Each sip was equally as enjoyable. I highly recommend this tea as one to enjoy with friends or as a end of the day tea to help you unwind.
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