Review: Royal Immortalitea
Royal Tea Company’s Royal Immortalitea is a quite unusual, leafy green tea. I really wanted to like this tea, but just couldn’t bring myself to actually enjoy tasting it. It was just too far on the edge of grassy and kelpy for me; take that vegetal taste and add in some of the sweetness, it was just an unpleasant combination.
After doing some research, I realize this actually isn’t a true tea based off of the camellia sinensis plant. The website describes it a Jiao Gu Lan green tea, which according to Wikipedia Jiao Gu Lan is actually a climbing vine related to cucumbers, gourds and melons!
In China, it’s considered a medicinal herb that is used to treat various ailments. In Chinese, it’s actually referred to as immortal grass or “herb of immortality.” With all its medicinal benefits, I feel a little less bad about strongly disliking the tea — it tastes like medicine! 😉
Here is how they describe the tea on their website:
Called the immortality herb, Jiao Gu Lan green tea aids in heart health, digestion, aging and stress management. The loosely curled leaves offer an enticing aroma and slightly sweet taste.
Tasting Notes
Brewing Instructions
Brew 1-2 tablespoons at 140-160F for 3-4 minutes.
Appearance
The dry leaf of this tea is quite attractive and pretty. They are large, loosely curled tendrils of dark, verdant green. They smell strongly vegetal, grassy and sweet.
The liquor is a bright, pale gold.
Once steeped, the leaves have expanded. However, unlike an oolong tea, they are soft, limp. The smell is off-putting like a strong seaside kelp.
Taste
For this tasting, I brewed at 145 degrees for 3 minutes.
After steeping for the required amount of time, I cautiously tried the tea after the strong seaweed smell of the wet leaf. The good news is that it’s not at all bitter, but actually quite sweet and vegetal with a light body. Despite the strong smell of the wet leaf, the liquor has a pleasantly grassy aroma.
However, the smell proved true. I really wanted to like this tea, but can’t make myself do it. Unlike other very green teas that I’ve tried, it’s not only sweet but also unfortunately the grassy taste is actually quite strong. It tastes like a weak seaweed soup at the base, which is jarring with the sweet taste. Sadly, it’s just not my cup of tea, but might be if you like a sweet, grassy cup.
Pricing & Where to Buy
This tea is priced at $11 for a 1oz package. If you’d like to try this tea for yourself, you can head over to Royal Tea Company’s website here.
