Tea Review: Diehl's Vietnam OP

Sipping Sunday #1

Hi! How are you? It's been quite a September and I wanted to step in and give you something to remember us by. Oh, that doesn't sound good. We aren't going anywhere. Septembers are so busy around here; it's our slowest posting month. So I thought about starting Sipping Sunday. They will be few and far between. (giggles)

Diehl's Real Teas: Vietnam OP

We have a new tea place near our house. It's called Diehl's Real Teas. Xyra went in one Saturday and had a very nice time. She picked up a bag of Vietnam OP for us to try and review.

What is OP? Well, OP stands for Orange Pekoe. That's not a flavor, but refers to leaf size. In this case, it refers to tea made from the tip of the leaf.

Let's look inside. These leaves are nice and tightly curled. There doesn't seem to be much of an aroma.

I'm going to use our clear pot and substitute a different lid. I want to see the color and dancing leaves.

The instructions say 1 to 2 teaspoons of tea leaves for every 6 ounces of water. The pot holds more than 6 ounces, so I'm going to put in 3 teaspoons.

Xyra will add the hot water and I'm going to set the timer for 5 minutes.

Wow! It's really dark already. You can barely make out the leaves.

[Timer beeping]

Done!

Wow! Still really dark. I hope I didn't over steep.

It smells malty and warm and, well, like plain black tea.

My first sip will be plain.

Um, I think I over steeped the leaves. It's kind of bitter, but not bad.

For my second sip I've added bamboo honey.

It's nice, but not quite right. Gives just a hint of sweetness to the tea.

Now let's try regular sugar.

This is better than the honey. A bit more crisp. Takes away some of the bitterness.

Hmm, I wonder what sugar in the raw will do?

Okay. This I like. The molasses left in the sugar really takes the edge off and adds another dimension to the flavor. 

Now let's see what happens when I add milk to plain. 

Not bad, but missing something. How about with the sweeteners. Honey...

Nice. The milk definitely helps to combine the flavors and smooth out the edges.

Regular sugar.

Yes, it helps here too.

Sugar in the raw.

Oooo, this is really good. I like this combination best.

I've come to the conclusion the Vietnam OP is a good morning blend with breakfast. 

It has a full flavor that holds up well with milk and sugar. (whispering) But also needs both. It will probably make a good iced tea.

What's your favorite morning beverage?

Stop again soon! Have a nice day!

Note: Tea Time with Melody Q is not affiliated with American Girl, Diehl's Real Teas, or Bee Folks honey. The tea and honey reviewed were purchased for our collection with our own funds. The review is unsolicited and consists of our own honest opinions and words. Links are provided for educational and informational purposes. No purchase is required or suggested to enjoy the above post.