Birdman

This was the final tea that I tasted while at the Goldfish Tea shop. I have been drinking a lot of the “Precious Eyebrows” Chun Mee from Enjoyingtea.com recently, so the association piqued my interest. However, the teas could not be more different.

First off, this is a black tea. And there is no mistaking that fact when you take your first sip! It is robust with a full flavor that sparkles its way up into your nose and back down your windpipe. Yet for a black tea, there is definitely a delicate side to it and after a few sips, the flavor really mellows out. There is a complex sweetness to it that combines just a hint of floral nectar with some broad dessert flavors.

Tasting Notes: Leather, earthy carob, hazelnut, chocolate cake, caramel, lilac, celery.

Milk ooooooooolong! Yeah, I am a total sucker for almost any milk oolong and this was no exception.

I ordered this cup early in the morning at the cafe and it was so enlivening to encounter the smell of fresh cut hay, which was then followed by that sweetened condensed milk flavor. It reminded me of when I first moved to Colorado, shaking off sleep with a cup of hot coffee in the back of a pickup truck on the way to the farm. There was always that moment when your sense of smell would come to and you could appreciate the fragrant traces of dried grass in the air before it became overwhelming.

There was also a hint of spiciness in this that reminded me of a Thai Iced Tea. Other tasting notes: Cinnamon, anise, lychee, orange blossom water.

I recently took a trip up to Detroit and randomly came across this truly amazing tea shop in the suburb of Royal Oak. The setting was both relaxing and sumptuous, with every inch covered in gorgeous teaware, asian scrolls and statuettes, hand carved and beautifully stained wooden furniture, silk upholstery, and of course – tea! The space is a great size, with many seating arrangements: cafe tables, raised decks with low tables for sitting cross-legged on pillows, and even big comfy chairs divided by bamboo beads for privacy. Like any coffee shop worth it’s salt there was a small library of books and board games and several framed posters showcasing maps and images of Chinese tea history. The staff was very knowledgable about their teas and also friendly! Finally, when you order the tea, it comes out on wooden or bamboo trays in either beautifully decorated china for black tea or clay tea cups for oolong (maybe glass for green and flowering teas?). You also get a digital timer for your extra steeps, which you can refill at the water bar that has multiple faucets, each gauged to a different temperature specific to what kind of tea you are drinking! They really thought of everything here! A very fun and unique experience…But now on to the teas!

The first tea I tried was the Tie Guan Yin “A” (A and B designated high-grade and mid-grade quality for certain teas). I was very impressed by this one. There was an enormous range of subtle flavors, the most prominent being a light floral taste like the smell of hyacinth and rose. There were some exotic peppercorn notes, as well as other spices like lemon myrtle, eucalyptus and cinnamon floating about in the savor. All of it was all tied together fascinatingly by a sweet umami quality that had individual characteristics like rock sugar, fish oil and tar. I’m sure the latter two sound really strange, but they were not in any way unpleasant – more like a delicate pungency that helped to bond the other disparate flavors, the same way that anchovies work in a Caesar salad. Definitely a new candidate for a sparkling flavor experience.

I tried two other teas while I was there and even brought home a few, so I will have some other reviews for Goldfish Teas coming soon. They have an online store if you are interested in trying and I’m sure with a phone call you could negotiate some of the newer products they have in stock for shipping – such as their Crab Leg Tea, which is not even a tea but actually a parasitic orchid that grows on ancient tea trees!

I have not been that much of a fan of Shu Cha (ripe/cooked pu’erh) until trying this one. I have said it before and I will say it again, the mysteries of pu’erh are never ending!

8 steeps, 10-35 seconds.

1. Wash.
2. A rich, musty smell and a dark amber color. Fairly mild flavor, but with some chocolate notes in the taste! Despite the “ancient” smell that many pu’erhs have (including this one), the taste has strangely made the flavor of my water even cleaner than when drinking it plain. This is a difficult quality to wrap my head around, as I have no idea how a tea can give off the flavor of fresh spring water, while adding such a dark red color to it. But that is what I taste. There is also a kind of nutmeg spice aftertaste, sort of like mexican hot chocolate.
3. Darker color, yet distinctively cleaner taste with this next steep. This is one of the most palatable Shu pu’erhs I have had yet. Though it definitely tastes better when the water has cooled a little. When hot it gives off a slightly bitter smell, like an unripe avocado.
4. An agave sweetness emerges with a hint of red pepper.
5. Sweeter still! This cup leaves a satisfying taste in the back of my throat, like after a filling sushi meal.
6. Suddenly, all the color has gone out and is now very pale. The taste is still fairly sweet with a hint of salty as well. The sweetness has come around to something that reminds of blueberries without the tartness.
7. Same.
8. Same, but less.

Other tasting notes: Vanilla, hazelnut, avocado pit.

This is hands down my favorite blend ever. There are so many distinct tastes that have melded into a single superb fusion. The flavors you will notice immediately are the tastes of chocolate milk, cinnamon and candy apple. Beyond that there is marigold, chinese 5 spice, a tiny hint of root beer, and even an ancient pu’erh flavor (I’m guessing this is the “curiosity”). There is even a slightly crisp vegetal taste hidden in there as well. And at the bottom of the cup: a syrupy bitterness like the last sip of a fine espresso. Another sparkling flavor combination!

What is sparkling flavor, you ask? It has been a continuing exploration for me to find out what this tasting note actually means, and here is my latest update: First off, I drink a lot of sparkling water, soda water, etc. Not only does it satisfy my thirst, but it also gives me that relaxing effervescence in my chest as it goes down. I have heard that sparkling water also aids digestion because the bubbles help to break down your food. While I am no expert, I am inclined to believe this is true based on personal experience. And although I have never associated this same feeling with tea, now that I am aware of it, I have shared this experience in a slightly modified way. However, certain symptoms remain: The saturated savor at the tip of your tongue and the soothing sparkle throughout your body.

It’s hard to explain, but for me, there is something beyond inspiriting in this blend. While the caffeine combination of the teas plus cacoa nibs gets your blood pumping, the flavors send pleasant but conflicting signals of relaxation to your brain. Your heart skips a beat and suddenly you find that you can only breathe out but not back in again. We all know this feeling – but in a tea?? If this tea was a very attractive kitty cat, then yes of course all of this would make sense. But alas it is not. It’s a beverage – we consume it and five minutes later it’s gone. But thankfully these leaves are most certainly built for multiple steeps… Sorry Triple-C, I’m quite fond of you, but it’s back into the boiling hot water for now!

Other tasting notes: Licorice, molasses, sugar snap pea, acorn squash, taro chip

Nutty, smoky but sweet. This is a great everyday green tea. It is less sweet and slightly more smoky than other greens, so a perfect switch for black tea drinkers. It can withstand a large range of steep times and water temperatures and remains palatable even when bitter. The flavors are not at all one-sided, nor are they too elaborate. This tea will definitely keep me coming back for more. Also, I love the Chinese name for this tea: “Precious Eyebrows”!

Tasting notes: Grass, linen, honey, celery, kale, hickory

This is one of those teas that is very enjoyable yet difficult to describe. It is a mild woodsy tea that would best be compared to a soothing cup of broth or the warm feeling one gets after drinking hot sake.

First cup. Western Style. Steep 2 minutes.
Upon the first sip, a rush of grass and barley flavors. As the temperature cools, the taste becomes more balanced. Despite not being sweet or pungent in any way, there is a juicy consistency to the liquor that is refreshing. And yet there is something very pragmatic in the demeanor of this tea. A philosopher’s drink no doubt.

Second cup. Western Style. Steep 2 minutes.
The flavor does not come leaping out of the gates as it did the first time round. There are some buttery notes with this infusion.

Third cup. Western Style. Steep 3 minutes
Halfway through the cup a light peppercorn sensation emerged. All in all, the third cup is very similar to the second, which means that I could probably continue steeping, but I think that’s enough for now!

Other tasting notes: Cedar, artichoke, sesame, soy

What a fascinating tea! Thanks to both Geoffrey and David for the insightful information about this tea’s extraordinary and rare history. I really enjoyed reading everyone’s saga of complexity with their tasting notes. Here’s what I experienced, cup by cup:

8 steeps, 8-40 seconds.
The first thing that hit me when I opened the bag was a smell that reminded me of the tea at the Chinese restaurant my parents always brought me to when I was a kid. I take this to be a very good sign. Now on to the taste.

1. Grassy white tea with floral notes.
2. A bitter smokiness emerges.
3. Dark & smoky, but a nutty vegetal flavor emerges, like green beans.
4. A citrus smell is now standing out, with a flavor like zubrowka – vanilla, buffalo grass.
5. A faint lilac begins to pop out.
6. More vanilla, macadamia.
7. Caramel & rock candy.
8. The aroma of fennel and just a hint of sarsaparilla.
The scent of the leaves after steeping: Grapefruit, fennel, earth.

What an elaborate network of flavors! Great by itself or as an accompaniment to a spicy meal. Both captivating and calming all at once.

11 steeps, 5-45 seconds.

Started off by giving this tea two 5 second washes because I had a feeling it was going to take a while for the ball to expand. Which it did. The color began as a light amber, but on the third cup, everything changed to a ruddy burnt umber color. Even the texture thickened. For a second, I thought I was pouring out water from a clay river.

At first the taste was the spiceless earthy flavor of many ripe pu’erhs. Which is to say not much excitement at all for my western taste buds. The fourth and fifth cups yielded some odd metallic notes, but after that it sweetened up a bit, reminding me of honeybush tea (especially with the color). Shortly after this, I detected another distressing toxic flavor that gave me an ugly feeling in the back of my throat. This was when I put the tea down for the night and let the leaves rest. But being the glutton for punishment that I sometimes am, and really wanting to give this pu’erh it’s due, I rinsed the leaves off in hot water and charged them back up for 4 more brews over breakfast the next day. By the seventh or eighth cup (total), an enjoyable masa (corn flour) taste developed. Toward the last good steep there was a brief maple flavor that developed, but like most of the other notes, it was nearly undetectable. Then, on the tenth steep, the color went out almost entirely and I was pouring out nearly clear water. I tried one more steep just to be sure, but that was that. The leaves turned off just as shockingly as they had turned on in their burst of crimson.

So based on this one experience, it was a rather unpredictable and unenjoyable tea. Did I do something wrong? I was really pushing myself to find some redeeming qualities, but maybe this tea is just not for me.

This was just one of the many gifts that arrived from Den’s Teas yesterday in their green tea sampler pack. It has been a while since I had a gen mai cha, so I thought I would go the low fuss route and just utilize the version that came already collected in one of their pyramid tea satchels. (Though they also sent unused tea pyramids for the loose tea as well.) It is the same tea as in the loose leaf pack, so I assumed there would be little difference.

This was actually their extra green flavor which means that it was dusted with a heavy portion of matcha, which was great to impart the green tea flavor even with only a relatively short brew time. I did not dive too deeply into flavor exploration as this was a fairly typical gen mai cha. The salty notes and the toasted rice were there, although I did not notice any popcorn kernels in the blend. Ultimately it was a pleasant cup, which would make a very good daily gen mai cha, if you consume japanese tea regularly.

Yet the most remarkable thing about this bag was the longevity of the tea. It yielded 5 cups over a variety of brewing methods and probably could have gone on for more! Part of this is definitely the matcha element, but it was also clear that excellent care was taken in the process of transferring the loose tea into these tiny infusion pyramids. The instructions suggested a brew time of 30 seconds, but I opted to go on for about 45 seconds for my first steep, as I generally like slightly stronger green tea (western taste buds). This was still a bit light for my taste, but definitely sharpened my appetite for more. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th steeps ranged from about 1-4 minutes. I have to say, even when this tea is a bit bitter, it is still very resilient. Again, I think this is a result of the matcha helping to keep any astringency from the sencha in line with the flavor of classic japanese green tea. The final cup was a bit of a blunder. I meant to do a long brew with lukewarm water for the leaves that I expected were well used at this point: about 10 minutes, so that I could keep it in the fridge and mix with fresh water for a tall glass the next morning with breakfast. However, I forgot about it and accidentally left it on the counter overnight. Despite this, the results were pretty much the same. This overnight room temperature steep did not yield nearly the amount of bitter flavors I thought it would.

So after really pushing the limits on this tea, and considering that a box of it is only $5, I would say that you definitely get your money’s worth.

Wow. There are a lot of reviews already. Guess I might has well throw my hat into the mix.

First cup, Steep 2.5 minutes.
In David’s notes on the Verdant website, he describes many of his teas as having a sparkling flavor. This is something that I am still trying to uncover myself, but I think that I have caught a glimpse of it with this tea. The mocha and marshmallow notes are so powerful that they really do have a quality reminiscent of bubbles bursting over your tongue and fizzing up into your nose. It is not overwhelming, however, as many flavored blends can be. These flavors remain neatly packaged within the savor of the tea leaves (because let’s be honest, the first flavor of most loose tea is still usually, ahem, tea.)

Well after you finish your cup, the aftertaste of cinnamon and almond will continue to hang on. It is wild how naturally sweet this tea is – no sugar necessary! The end of the cup yields some oak flavor as well. Another thing that I like about this tea is the durability. After you pour the water off from the first steep, you can definitely see that the leaves are still tightly wound, ready for at least two more infusions.

Second cup, Steep 3.5 minutes.
Again, this tea does not disappoint. Make sure you don’t let the leaves sit for too long before making another cup. The less time you wait between infusions, the stronger the tea will remain.

Other tasting notes: Pumpkin, honey, black walnut, fig

8 steeps, 8-45 seconds varied.

This has been one of the best ESGREEN mini tuo cha pu-erhs so far. I should also plug the sale that they are having right now on some fantastic Ju Pu pu-erhs that have been aged inside of hollowed out tangerines and pomelos. Not to mention 10 year aged tangerine peel for an herbal tea. The tangerine added a light honey flavor and a carrot-like sweetness to the otherwise dry, vegetal tea. Some of the early steeps yielded a somewhat unpleasant smell, but overall it was a very comforting experience.

Into the 3rd and 4th steeps, the color of the liquid become much darker while the flavor got brighter. The 5th steep brought forth those peppery flavors that I have becoming accustomed to in these pu-erhs, but also something new: licorice. Even the consistency of the tea became slightly sticky at this point, a bit thicker than before. In the 6th steep, there was an interesting minerality present. Though that could just be a quality from my water that the tea is bringing out. (As David from Verdant Tea points out in his fantastic article, water is the first ingredient in tea… http://verdanttea.com/the-first-ingredient-in-tea/)

Finally on the 7th and 8th steeps, some carob and malty notes as the liquid looks almost like coffee in color. Speaking of, I have to add that I have been enjoying the caffeine content of these pu-erhs. Buzz!

Another enjoyable aspect of this tea can be seen upon pouring out the brewed leaves for inspection: big fat chunks of tangerine peel amongst the umber leaves.

I have drank a number of these flavored mini tuo chas from ESGREEN now and I would have to say that overall they are about restaurant quality, which is right for the price I think. Most enjoyable when prepared properly in the gongfu style.

One of my favorite teas of all time and also one of the best yerba mates you can find. No stems! Just a pure clean taste. Another great thing about this and all yerba mate is that you do not need hot water to make it (see recipe below).

I think many people who dislike mate because of the smoky or bitter flavor should give a no-stem variety a shot. And if you did not grow up drinking yerba mate from a gourd, you may not want to invest in one if you are trying at home. The gourd adds to the smoky flavor 10-fold. Unless you like smoky, then go to town.

Here’s my recipe for cold-steeped mate:
1. Toss the bombilla straw in a ceramic cup.
2. Fill cup 1/4 – 1/3 of the way with yerba mate.
3. Add filtered water to fill the cup 3/4 of the way full.
4. Wait a moment for the tea to settle. When you add the water, bubbles will become trapped at the bottom of the cup. As they release, they will bring a chunk of the tea up with them. This can cause spillage if you fill your cup up too much.
5. Add more water if you desire to fill the cup up all the way.
6. Steep for 20-60 minutes at room temperature – OR – Steep overnight in your fridge.
7. Repeat for up to 4 times per tea serving. (Typically the 2nd steep is the best. Sometimes I throw the tea out after the 3rd steep, whatever your preference.)

Also, for larger batches (or if you don’t want to use the bombilla), a french press will be your best friend. Same rules basically apply for cold steeps (room temperature steeps), but hot steeps work just as well.

Just made another pot of this last night with some friends and I wanted to revise my previous comments. I am a self-taught pu-erh drinker which means that up until recently there was an enormous gap in my knowledge of how the ceremony actually works and what to expect from each steep. I am fine tuning my expectations as I go and learning how to enjoy pu-erh unique to other teas.

First off, if you are steeping a pu-erh and it doesn’t taste like much, don’t brew it for longer in the same water as I mistakenly did the first time round. The pu-erh flavor actually does develop as you continue to “wash” it in multiple short steeps. Pour out all of the tea liquid in the pot and put fresh hot water in, then repeat. (Thank you kOmpir for your detailed time appraisal!)

What happens as you prolong the ceremony is kind of magic. With each steep, the color is slightly different as is the taste. This method will definitely help you to appreciate the appearance of your teas more and I would highly suggest using clear glassware so that you can see the tea from every angle. The flavor, while still subtle, changes from clear to honey to smoky to spicy to stone.

My new rating now reflects an appreciation of the ceremony involved with making this tea as well as a minor change in understanding the taste. When it comes to pu-erh, my palette is still fledgling, but it will be developing quickly as I will be reviewing many new pu-erhs in the coming weeks.

First cup. Steep 1 minute.
The pungent aroma of eucalyptus and pomelo abounds headily in the mist rising from this compelling potation. The coloration of our concoction is a calm crystalline chrysanthemum, effused every so slightly with a twinkling glitter given off by frolicsome silicon dioxide particles as they vanish into liquid. This blend is sourced from the village of Parsippany in the New Jersey province, where the tea leaves are no doubt given life by the pure waters of the Commonwealth Water Company Reservoir Number Three. The first flavors you will notice are zesty citrus and honeysuckle. This gives way to a less dulcet fusion of pain reliever and cough suppressant, tempered with rotgut. The curative properties of this blend are known internationally to treat many multi-symptom ailments. All in all, an excellent way to kick off a relaxing evening at home or a lawless pub crawl. A true indulgence for only the most discriminating valetudinarian!

Other tasting notes: red #40, blue #1, sucrose

Scent of tea cake: Tobacco, Hay

First cup. Steep 1.5 minutes.
This is a very dark brown tea. Almost the color of coffee. There is a strong but balanced woodsy flavor, yet not bitter. As the temperature fades, it gives way to a peppery spice that tickles your tongue and clears your mind in the same way ginger does. The caffeine content seems fairly high. This would make a good tea for a sick day.

Other tasting notes: Burdock root, stone, acorn.

Second cup. Steep 1.5 minutes.
The straw and tobacco flavors are much more pronounced in this cup. More oils have been released by this steep which lends to a denser mouthfeel. There is very little that is sweet about this tea. It is not exactly a pleasant flavor and yet there is something very comforting about it. The mystery of pu-erh deepens…

Again I should note that many pu-erh teas are drank for their medicinal qualities. Cassia seed has been noted to have positive effects on the liver and large intestine.

The scent of these tiny curled leaves packs a strong peach punch! The sweet citrus notes in the aroma trick your mind into thinking that you really are about to bite into a slice of juicy fresh fruit.

First cup. Steep 2 minutes.
This was my first experience with “snail” tea and I had no idea that the tiny leaf curls would expand so much! Which means that I used way too much tea and definitely made this cup much stronger than it should be. So this review is going to be a little askew. However, even while pushing past the astringency, I would still say that the green tea is fairly robust compared to other greens used in jasmine blends. It actually took me off guard because my last “jade” tea from esgreen was much more delicate. This is definitely my kind of jasmine tea because the green tea flavor is prominent and high grade. The leaf itself displays notes of buttery cocoa and cinnamon. But the peach flavor really brightens things up. A great drink for the stoic wise man and chirpy teenager alike.

Second cup. Steep 2.5 minutes.
So I used far less of the tiny “snails” this time, but brewed just a hair longer until the leaves properly uncurled and rose to the surface. Without the bitterness, the flavor is much more clear and brothy. But the green tea taste still pokes out just a head above the sweet flower. To my palette, this is a perfectly blended jasmine tea. The uniqueness of this tea leaf shines, as the light creamy texture has remained in this cup. I have been drinking several different jasmine teas recently and I would have to say that this is the best quality I have come across. A very distinct and pleasurable tea.

Other tasting notes: almond, coconut milk, stevia

There are already a lot of reviews for this tea, so I will keep this short. This is definitely one of the most enjoyable and multifaceted black teas I have ever come across. Yes, the notes of chocolate and spice are pronounced, but not overpowering. For me, nothing about it is too bitter or too sweet. It lends itself well for many arrangements: plain, with milk and/or sugar, with added spice as a chai…and here is one more instrumentation you may not have thought of: as a vodka infusion! Steeping the tea in the alcohol brings out those malty cocoa and spice flavors BIG TIME.

Below is the recipe I used from about.com. I cut the recipe in about a third to yield a smaller quantity, but probably still used just over 2 tsp of the tea (2.5 – 3 tsp). My only additional recommendation is to use quality vodka, not anything bottom shelf or watery. As with most drinks, the higher quality, the better. By the way, this goes perfect with cuisine from the northern parts of the silk road – Russian zakuski – Na Zdorovie!

Ingredients:
750 mL neutral-tasting vodka (a.k.a. “a fifth”)
6 level teaspoons good quality black tea leaves
Simple syrup (optional, to taste)

Preparation:
1. Using a funnel, place the tealeaves into the bottle of vodka. If necessary, lightly crush them first or use a chopstick to fit them through the funnel and into the bottle.
2. Replace the cap of the bottle and shake well.
3. Steep for about 18 hours, or to taste.
4. Pour the mixture through a strainer and funnel into a different bottle. (If you plan to add simple syrup, use a larger bottle.)
5. Discard the tealeaves. Add simple syrup to the remaining solution if desired.
6. Serve straight, on the rocks or as a base for more complex cocktails.

First cup. Steep 2.5 minutes.
This green tea comes in the japanese style with no buds – only leaves – similar to one of my other favorite green teas from the An Hui province, the Green Monkey King. However, the taste of Melon Seed is drastically different. While Green Monkey King bears a more toasted flavor, Melon Seed is much more delicate. The scent of the actual tea has a kind of light buttery quality like hazelnut or white chocolate and the taste is very mild. There is an arid sweetness to it though that blossoms at the back of your tongue the more you drink. Perhaps similar to what an actual melon seed might taste like. The tea leaf has a slight peppery essence after it is steeped, which adds subtle complexity underneath the otherwise pure flavor.

First cup. Steep 2 minutes.
Just as the name suggests, this tea does have a very aesthetic appeal as the leaves open and sink while the tiny flower petals rise to the surface. The light orange-colored liquor emits a simple but bright fragrance, while the taste holds notes of tangerine and melon, perhaps a little sweeter than other jasmine varieties. The flavor of the flower in this blend is a little too strong for my palette, as I prefer jasmine teas with a solid tendency toward the tea flavor. Lastly, this is a fragile tea and steeping for too long will produce an undesired bitterness from the jasmine flowers.

First cup. Steep 5 minutes.
The taste is like a very clean cup of black tea, similar even to a red rooibos tea, but less sweet. A bit of that old musty aroma common in some pu-erhs. The color is a rich reddish brown, but there is little taste. Honestly, this tea does not do much for me. I added some sugar: no major revelations.

First cup. Second tasting.
The tea proved to be a little more enjoyable at room temperature. With a longer steep and perhaps more sugar or flavoring, I could see this being an admirable iced tea. Though I suppose that defeats the purpose of the Gongfu ceremony traditionally used to brew pu-erh.

Second cup. Steep 10 minutes.
Given that this is a pu-erh, which should yield different tasting notes with each brew (and should be able to withstand multiple steeps), I decided to give this tea another try. Something that was not mentioned in my purely aesthetic review above is that despite the bland taste, this is a strongly medicinal tea with powerful antioxidants. Most medicinal teas have an overwhelmingly spicy or herbal taste, so I think there is something noteworthy in a tea that is very mild but very powerful. Especially if you believe in the weight loss and cholesterol suppression benefits of pu-erh. If you are on a limited diet or a diet consisting of mostly mild food options, the last thing you probably want in a tea is something extremely spicy or sugary-tasting.
Despite all of that, little has changed in my tasting experience with this second cup. There is a slightly more nuanced sweet and smoky tea flavor, but not a huge difference. For getting the most flavor out of this tea, I would suggest doing 1 long steep for up to 15 minutes. And there you have it.

First cup. Steep 2 minutes.
The charming pearls unfold hastily upon brewing and the scent of jasmine flower rises immediately from the cup. As with any dragon pearl, it is fascinating to watch the expertly wrapped pearls unfold into the long strands of tea buds and leaves. This brew produced a pale golden liquor that is soothing even to the eyes. The flavor of the green tea is very clear amidst the jasmine. The flower itself is of exceptional quality, sweeter than many other jasmine flavored teas, yet not overpowering. This tea is transcendent therapy for all five senses.

Second cup. Steep 8 minutes.
This tea will yield only one good steep.

First (and only) cup. Steep 3 minutes.
The sticky rice flavor is very prominent! Mixed with the aged tea it provides very earthy characters like barley, mushroom, beef broth. A difficult flavor for western taste buds, but could make an excellent accompaniment for a hearty meal.

Steep 2.5 mins. – Maximum steep time recommended
If you like jasmine scented teas, you will definitely recognize the thoroughbred quality of this concoction. The jasmine flowers have been delicately picked and blended expertly with the green leaf/silver bud mix. The tea leaves themselves are also of decent quality, with a light but classic sencha flavor that manages to poke through the jasmine. One thing I hate about many jasmine teas is the overwhelming flavor of the flower. This tea is a much better blend than many cheap, prepackaged alternatives (unless you oversteep of course!). I do not measure my water temperatures before brewing (sorry people, but I’ve got better things to do…maybe some day I can attain fully blown tea-nerdvana) but after having several cups of this at varying degrees, I would recommend using a lower water temperature, well below boiling. All in all, a very uplifting cup perfect for afternoon drinking.