247 Tasting Notes
Thank you, Ricky, for this sample from my HoppiTea package!
I love Canton Tea Co. Everything seems so personalized. I love the handwriting on the labels, the non-uniform sizing of the packages. It feels so human and makes me feel so connected. Most of all, I love the tea.
The dry tea smells woodsy, almost like cedar, but with a deeper aroma. It implies strength. I love Dan Cong and am looking forward to this one.
190F(87C)/2 min – Because of the strength of the dry scent, I went with a lighter steep time and temp. The scent is now… sweet?! Yes, it has a sweetness to the scent, almost like peaches, but really ripe peaches. The taste has that peachy flavor (not the sweetness, but the essence of peach) with lychee, too, and it also has a slight vegetal flavor as well. It’s the fruitiness that’s throwing me. It’s delightful! The tea still has that woodsy taste that I’d expect from its initial scent when dry. It’s not bitter or astringent and I’m glad I adjusted the steeping parameters. It’s a perfect morning tea!
Preparation
Oh, lovely coconut oolong… where have you been all my life? Hands down, this is the best coconut oolong that I’ve ever had the pleasure of drinking. Oolong is most definitely my favorite tea, and I really love coconut, too.
This is by far the most aromatic tea I’ve smelled to date. The coconut permeates everything. It’s very nice, though, and not the sugary sweet coconut, but instead a fresh coconut scent.
195F (90C)/3 min – The scent is still very present and the flavor is extraordinary! I have to say that this tea gives milk oolong a run for its money. Because of the coconut, however, it requires a certain taste and if one isn’t in the mood, then it wouldn’t be as much of a pleasure to drink. The oolong is lovely. It’s not a roasted oolong, but more of a medium, fresh tasting one. It has a toasty flavor, which only enhances the coconut.
Thank you, Indigobloom, for the tea share! :) I loved it.
Preparation
whoa, it must be good if it rivals milk oolong…
Is this a coconut Baozhong? I haven’t tried many coconut oolongs. The ones I have tried were great, but not match for a nice Jin shuen! I’ll look into this particular tea.
You had me at “toasty,” QG. I am going to have to check this out!
@Matthew – I’m not certain if it’s a Baozhong, but I don’t believe so. Baozhong tends to be more floral and light, but this one was definitely a bit more pronounced, but not a strong oolong either.
@Infusin_Susan – I can’t imagine being disappointed by this tea, unless you dislike coconut. :)
@teawing – It really was a perfect morning tea. :) Alas, it’s all gone, or I’d send you some.
I’m so glad!! I had a feeling you would love this one as much as I do! it really is unbeatable… one day I’ll buy a whole pound of it!!
QG: maybe I can get a sample from Indigobloom when she gets
a pound. I have some Vietnamese Per-uh to trade!
Oops it is late, that should have been pu-erh otherwise known as pee-you.
:)
Teawing, I am heading down to Florida for the holidays in a few weeks, if you’re still interested in a trade… I am hoping to buy a whole tin of this! :)
@indigobloom A trade would be good but my cupboard is pretty bare.
What about a partnership? I would go in with you on a quantity purchase…
definitely!! in that case, check out their website… let me know if you want anything else from there :)
-They had a deal last time, buy four, get one free I think it was. (samples)
Ok, I will split the oolong with you, then for samples, I might like the Jade Cloud Green and Chai Black. PM me when you go and we can work out the details. :)
deal! :)
Every now and then I manage to make this tea perfectly, and last night was one of those times! I’m not certain what the difference is, but I’m sticking with these steeping parameters as they produced an absolutely wonderful tea drinking experience.
The dry tea smells amazingly sweet and fruity, with more than just a hint of floral notes. 165F (73C)/1 min. The tea’s aroma simply floats out of the teapot, pulling me in. I can smell it the moment I enter the kitchen. The sweetness of the scent is reproduced beautifully in the taste. The floral taste is quite pronounced, but it’s so lovely. The white tea, surprisingly, is not completely hidden. It’s there without bitterness. Each sip is a treat.
Preparation
Ah, yes “our” floral teas – when brewed correctly (or even just sorta close to correct) they are irresistible! :)
This sounds good. I’ll have to check it out next time I run the gauntlet — I mean, visit a Teavana store ;)
LOL Susan, I know what you mean. I visited one a couple of weeks back, for the first time. I think they recruit used car sales people for the job!
This is an interesting black tea. The scent is very mellow, kind of rich and almost smoky in scent, but when steeped, it’s smooth and there’s no hint of smokiness. It’s a very nice black tea without astringency and no bitterness at all. There is a tobacco flavor, but it’s not very pronounced and exists mostly in the finish, as if I had a tobacco leaf leftover in my mouth.
This was a surprise tea that Rachanac added in to a package from teatra.de. :) Thanks, Rachanac!
Preparation
A pretty tea, the leaves are greyish-green. It smells like a liqueur, though. Kind of different.
165/2 min. The scent is somewhat tropical. There’s the very sweet pineapple candy taste and perhaps an essence of coconut, but it’s not very clear. Overall, it’s an okay tea, but nothing really stands out. Into the compost after just one steep.
Preparation
I’ve had this tea for a while, but wasn’t thrilled with it the first time around. Since that first attempt, I’ve learned how to lightly brew my black teas, which has resulted in a much more favorable outcome. Case in point, Honey Orchid Black.
The dry leaves smell lightly like pepper. They’re very long and light and it’s hard to get them measured unless you have a scale. I’ve been using 3g per 6 oz. of water. 195/1 min.
Now, the tea smells lightly of tobacco. I’m not certain where that’s coming from as I expected more of a sweet floral scent as per the name. The taste is lovely. It’s lightly sweet, yes, there is a hint of tobacco in the flavor, but there’s an aftertaste of something floral. Overall, it melds together quite well and I’ve enjoyed several steeps of this one, all of them very pleasant.
Preparation
Thank you, teawing (who I will always think of as twing), for the sample of this oolong!
The tea leaves are dark, and smell woodsy. 195/3 min. The tea’s liquor, when steeped, is also a dark amber color. The tea is nice and robust. It has a very full flavor. I didn’t find it sweet at all, nor fruitlike in flavor, just that strength in the woodsy taste. It’s simply a solid, enjoyable oolong.
Thanks, teawing!
