The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Presents Master Davey and The Magic Tea House: Legend of the Blue Tiger

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® Spearheads Fundraising Efforts for Lupus with a Limited Edition Tea Product and Storybook

My encounter with Blue Tiger, a storybook and Blue Tiger tea… not necessarily in that order! I am an ardent fan of tea. I have yet to find a tea I don’t like and I believe there are many teas perfect for many moments throughout the day.

A recent invite by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® was indeed a fruitful one. We were there for the launch of a limited edition rare blend of the Blue Tiger Tea together with a few more surprises.  Set to tingle tea enthusiast’s senses, the Blue Tiger Tea is created by Mr. David De Candia, one of the world’s leading tea experts and Director of Director of Tea, Buyer, Master Blender at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®, together with children’s storybook titled Master Davey and The Magic Tea House: Legend of the Blue Tiger. The sole purpose of both Blue Tiger Tea and the storybook is to raise awareness and provide support for Lupus. In Malaysia, the proceeds raised will be contributed towards supporting the Malaysian Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Association (PSLEM).

I arrived fairly early in the morning and everything was beautifully setup with light refreshments served with tea. Beautiful mini sandwiches are just so yummy and the cold Southern tea is beautifully refreshing.

The event took off with Mr. David presenting the art of tasting tea. Every tea has its own unique aroma, character and taste. We were given a 101 lesson on how to enjoy the various types of tea. First of all, we should use our sight to differentiate the tea leaves. There are many types of tea in this world ranging from fine tea leaves to harsh or rougher tea texture and sizes. We get to sniff a few of the different tea include the Blue Tiger Tea.

After seeing and smelling the various teas, we were quickly told to see the color of the tea after it has been brew with hot water. There is also certain temperature water that best enhance the tea leaves. For those who cannot take the caffeine in tea, Mr. David suggested that the tea is brewed for 5 mins and then poured away as this is when the caffeine comes out. After the first 5 min brew is disposed, then add in more hot water for a second brew and this time, there will be hardly any caffeine in the tea.

After the tea was brew, Mr. David told us to take a quick and fast slurping sip from a spoonful of tea. Let the tea liquid roll around out mouth first without swallowing to allow the flavours to fill our taste sense. After a few seconds when our brain neurons project the flavours, then we can tell exactly how the tasting notes are for the tea.

The Blue Tiger Tea is a unique blend that comprises of lemon myrtle, malva flower and tea blossoms with a tinge of raspberry flavouring.  In addition to the health benefits which can be found in lemon myrtle and malva flower, the Blue Tiger Tea is light bodied, fruity yet lemony – providing an invigorating and tantalising experience for your taste buds. The color is light yellow and the scent is very fruity and soothing, indicating a perfect tea for relaxation. Children can also enjoy the Blue Tiger Tea!

“The three ingredients were chosen to give the Blue Tiger Tea its unique twist of flavour, they were also carefully selected based on the central themes of the book, which is to imagine, perceive and believe. The combination of these flavours aims to reconnect consumers with nature, bringing to mind the needs of communities around us,” said Mr David De Candia, Director of Tea, Buyer, Master Blender at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®.  De Candia is one of world’s leading tea experts, and his expertise in tea made him the man solely responsible for the research, buying, blending and packaging of the tea under the company.

Mr. David proceeded to present a storybook, Master Davey and the Magic Tea House: Legend of the Blue Tiger which he co-written together when he created the Blue Tiger Tea. The storybook highlights the magical journey of a young boy named Hopper, who goes on an adventurous search to save the ancient Blue Tiger Tea. It is indeed a beautiful book for children filled with lovely renderings and magical moments. Master Davey and The Magic Tea House: The Legend of a Blue Tiger is sure to change the way you enjoy your cup of tea.

After Mr. David’s presentation, we get to bottle up our own blend of tea! It’s pretty neat to see all the different ingredients that can go into a tea blend. I am sure there’s more but we have got some really neat ingredients. I made one blend with White Tea, Honey Bush, Rose Petals and Cut Mallows and another one with Taiwan Green Tea, Lemon Balm, and Lemon Peel. I really enjoy the light tea scented with flowers or Lemon Balm. There is something light and refreshing about the ingredients that enhance the teas very well.

The event ended with a speech by Ms Fiona Rodrigues, Director of Marketing & Development at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®.

“We are especially excited to introduce this unique and limited edition Blue Tiger Tea blend into the Malaysian market as The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® is always looking to push the flavour boundaries to provide tea lovers a rewarding tea drinking experience. I hope you will experience magic in this exquisite blend of Blue Tiger tea, as we are sure this will be the perfect cup of tea you will share with your friends and family,” said Ms Fiona Rodrigues.

“Beyond the hallmark of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®’s philosophy of providing our customers with the finest tea and highest quality of coffee, making a social contribution has always been at the core of our business. We define such social consciousness through our Caring Cup initiatives and what we strongly advocate is to give back to community.  Locally, I should emphasise that the main driving force behind this Caring Cup initiative is consumer awareness. This year, the aim of our collaboration with Malaysian SLE Association is to help raise awareness of Lupus. Truth to be told, most people know very little about Lupus. We hope this initiative will provide a better understanding on this under-diagnosed disease to the public. This is critical in making advances in the management, treatment and search for a cure. For now, it has no known cause, yet research on Lupus remains underfunded relative to its scope,” added Ms Rodrigues.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® Tea Range

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® will donate proceeds from the sales of the Blue Tiger Tea and Master Davey and The Magic Tea House: Legend of the Blue Tiger storybook to Malaysian SLE Association. This organisation promotes Lupus research, awareness and education as well as to serve the needs of the people with Lupus and their families. Customers can also support through donation boxes placed at participating CB&TL outlets and proceeds will be go towards setting up a Lupus Resource Centre.

Both limited edition Blue Tiger Tea blend and the Master Davey and The Magic Tea House: Legend of the Blue Tiger Tea storybook are only available in participating CB&TL outlets across Malaysia. Customers who purchase the set of tea and storybook will be entitled to a 20% discount off the retail price.

For more information, please visit The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®’s website: www.coffeebean.com.my

or Facebook: www.facebook.com/CBTLMalaysiaPage