El Monstro

I loved the Autumn green, so I ordered some of this, not sure how similar or different they are going to be, but I guess I’m about to find out!

On opening the bag, wow what an aroma, very fresh smelling, kind of reminds me of nori.

Taste is similar to the Autumn Laoshan Green, except it seems like the Autumn one is slightly more buttery tasting, while the Spring harvest on the other hand has notes of fresh greens and veges in the forefront. It has a sweetness to it that reminds me of snap-peas right off the vine. Good stuff.

I was going to take a break from buying tea for awhile, as I have way too much and my kitchen cupboard is overflowing into my room. I’ve been curious about this tea for awhile though, so I ordered some, haha.

In the bag it smells like dark chocolate.
Steeped western style- 195F at about 30 seconds to a minute. No sweetener.
First steep: it has a classic tea scent, mixed with sweetness and roasty/toasty aromas.

On taste it reminds me a bit of dark roasted coffee, classic tea flavor, toast, and there also is a nice hint of sweetness that comes through on the aftertaste.

2nd steep – boiling water for a couple of minutes, 1 teaspoon of sugar -
The first steep was good, but this is even better. I don’t know if it was the higher water temp., the sugar, or the longer steeping time, but the flavors are more pronounced this time. Usually I prefer to use lower water temps when brewing, but this tea seems to be an exception.

Sitting here while it steeps, I think this is one of the best smelling oolongs I’ve experienced. Smells like hot springs, with some floral and roasty notes.

Drinking it – The mineral like scent comes through at the forefront on taste. It is a little floral tasting for me as well, but different from other oolongs, which usually give me kind of a lavenderesque taste. Tastes a little bit like roasted nuts too now that I think of it. On the second steep some flan like flavors are starting to come through, and the floral notes are lessening.

Very nice!

Smells like honey and lemon while it is steeping. Faintly smells like fresh incense too. Taste is pretty much the same, I get notes that are mostly reminiscent of honey and lemon…maybe a little fruity? Pretty unique in a good way. I shared it with someone, and their verdict? “I REALLY like it!”

No notes yet.

I drank this with two other people, and everyone agreed it was fresh and floral tasting (for me in particular it is pretty lavender-like). I’m also getting some notes in the background that remind of basil, and maybe even a hint of cinnamon that comes through once in awhile. A little bit of sweetness in there as well. Good, complex tea.

Are there duplicate review pages going for this tea?
Anyhow this smells potent and fresh in the bag, a good sign!
On taste: Nice and rich, relatively smooth, and everything else I expect out of a good green (and usually only seem to get out of Japanese sencha), i.e. buttery, vegetal notes with a little sweetness in the background. The butter-like notes in here are particularly nice.

This has everything I want in a great iced tea: black tea, with floral qualities and a hint of fruity notes that do not go overboard. Everything is nicely balanced. With a little sugar, this is just about as good as it gets. I now have 3 “must have” iced teas, and this company makes 2 of them, so I give them props for that. I will be ordering more of this.

No notes yet.

The smell in the bag reminds me a bit of these chewy coconut candies I loved as a kid. Ah nostalgia. Smells kind of oolong-y while it steeps. On taste, this is definitely good and deserving of its high rating. I can taste the green tea in here, with vegetal notes coming through, but also am getting a taste that once again reminds me of that chewy candy from my youth.

No notes yet.

My first African tea. Tastes rich, vegetal, and maybe a little floral as well perhaps. I’ve been drinking a lot of Japanese green teas lately, so this is a nice change to something a little different. At about 165F for just over two minutes I didn’t find it bitter at all.

I’m getting earthy smells that remind me of pu-erh while it steeps. Taste is earthy as well, and I’m getting notes that are reminiscent of raisin as it cools. It’s quite smooth on mouthfeel. I think I prefer this without sugar, it is good straight on it’s own.

Looks and smells fresh in the bag, which is always nice (though I’m not surprised; this company is an excellent tea source). Apparently this is made with real jasmine, another plus. The first thing I noticed about this tea is the jasmine is not overpowering like some jasmine teas, it is blended in nicely on smell and taste. Very refreshing. This would be a great tea for Summer.

No notes yet.

I get scents that remind me of vanilla and butterscotch in the bag. After a quick rinse and then steeping, it takes on a more fresh-floral scent, mixed with the minerally notes one often gets from an oolong, and the vanilla scent is still there but less pronounced. On drinking, the tea tastes just like it smells. I can definitely taste the oolong in here. Everything is pretty well balanced. I’m getting an interesting creamy mouthfeel as it cools. Good stuff, and good customer service as well.

First of all, great customer service from this company.

Man this tea smells good in the bag, has a very clean, fresh character.

On steeping it has the classic tea scent, yet it also has notes that remind me of pumpkin, honey, brown sugar, and general vegetal scents.

Taste: Not being the biggest fan of Assam teas, I was skeptical before I tried it, but this is the best Assam I’ve had thus far. Actually, this is one of the best teas I’ve had in general. Smooth and malty. A bit of natural sweetness. Just a slight hint of vegetal and mineral notes. Pretty clean finish, although now that I’m done with the cup there is a nice lingering aftertaste that makes me want more.

It doesn’t need sugar, but I made a second steep and added some out of curiosity, and the tea takes on a nice roasted caramel taste.

The leaves smell like dark chocolate and fruit jam in the bag, in fact this might be the most chocolatey smelling Yunnan I’ve experienced thus far. Brewed up pretty dark. The interesting thing is on taste, it tastes like Yunnan tea, yet it also reminds me of a Darjeeling. I added a little sugar and now it tastes more like a good, robust Yunnan. Kind of molasses like. I’d order this again if the price is right.

The smell before adding water reminds me of cocoa and pepper. After steeping it smells unique to anything I’ve had thus far, kind of like honey mixed with something roasty… should be interesting to drink. The taste is rich and slightly smoke-like, but in a smoother, more understated way than a lapsang. That peppery note I got on smell also comes through on taste. It also has some minerally notes. This tea kind of reminds me of some of the Indian teas I’ve tried, except this tastes more the way I wish the Indian teas were whenever I’m having them. Surprisingly smooth, creamy mouthfeel compared to some other Keemuns I have tried. Good tea.

This is one of the better Assams I’ve had lately. Smells sweet and cocoa-like in the bag. On drinking it, it has that brisk, malty tasting Assam tea character, but also has an almost smokey or roasty taste to it that kind of reminds me of Keemun tea. I was going to add sugar, but I’m enjoying it so much without… it’ll have to wait until next time. The current batch is pretty reasonably priced.

In the package it smells like fruit preserves (good ones, I keep sticking my nose in the bag, haha).
Taste: I get the normal Yunnan tea flavors out of this. This particular one seems to be slightly more floral/fruity/sweet tasting than the average Yunnan black, for me at least. That sweetness lingers in the aftertaste, which is probably my favorite thing about this tea. I added sugar anyhow and that really brings out the fruit preserve-like notes. I made it kind of light this time, need to remember to use more leaves next time. This particular order had a good amount of golden leaves in it.

Looks interesting in the bag: there is a mix of green and darker, mostly whole leaves. Smells a little bit like a Chinese black tea (but obviously this is something totally different). It also reminds me of the scent in the air when I used to inner-tube down this river up in the Sierras. Brews up an olive green color. The taste is surprisingly smooth. I don’t really know what to compare it to, it basically tastes like it smells. I guess I’d say earthy and woody. The person I shared it with said “I could drink this instead of coffee.”

This smells like campfire in the bag as expected, but it’s also kind of earthy..with something almost sweet going on too, like cinnamon rolls maybe?
After waiting forever for it to cool down, this tastes good. It is definitely smokey, but not offensively. It also tastes a bit piney and woody. That earthy smell I mentioned comes through on taste as well. As with this company’s current baker street blend, this would be perfect tea for a cold winter night. I can’t make up my mind if I prefer this with or without sugar.

WELL NOW, this smells quite promising in the bag. Very sweet and fresh like chocolatey fig cookies. Taste is smooth and firmly what I expect out of a yunnan. I get the notes reminiscent of cocoa, but this particular one tastes sweet, kind of like honey also. A little mineral tasting too. As with most Yunnan teas, I like just a little sugar in here. I find this has just a slight tartness in the afteraste. Overall a great tea.