Chris Wilhite

This traditionally roasted Iron Goddess is really nice. There are a few tricks to get it just right. After heating my gaiwan really hot, I put the tea leaves in it and shake it. Then I pour boiling water on it for just 15 seconds. Then I get a nice roastiness with a subtle sweetness that is perfect for a dark winter night.

Now that I’ve had this a few times, I have a stronger impression of it. That first steeping is like baked brown sugar – like cookies. Perfect for a winter snack.

This is a really, really nice green high-mountain oolong. The sweetness in the beginning is so full. It has become my weekend springtime favorite. I just want to share it with everyone.

I really like this tea. It is popular among my friends too. I find that I have better luck steeping it at 195 F rather than just off boiling. The first steeping has that really nice sweet, fruity highlight that reminds me of agave nectar. The second steeping has an earthier flavor. And the later steepings seem light and breezy. It really has the energy of spring – sweet, light, and breezy.

This tea reminds me of peat moss. I really like it in the morning. There’s also this sensation of bacon.

Not my favorite. The jasmine is so overwhelming, it’s hard to even call this tea. It’s more like “jasmine.” Ten Ren has a similarly priced Jasmine Green Tea 2nd Grade which is much better and still offers the taste of green tea amid the jasmine.

Ten Ren’s description on their web site does not do this tea justice. The oolong that they use is their King’s Tea, which is also flavored with ginseng. There are some really nice subtleties to this tea. Also, there are no osmanthus flowers left in the tea, so it is not as messy as their 2nd grade osmanthus.

When brewed using the gongfu method, this is a surprisingly tasty flavored tea. However, the osmanthus flowers in the tea make for messy clean up. We like to drink this in the summer.

This is a really nice dark oolong. It has a really full, rich flavor. It has gotten us through some pretty heavy winter weather here in the Northeast. I prefer to brew it gongfu style.

This is a really nice Jasmine Green Tea. However, I recommend just paying the extra $13/lb. for the 2nd grade, which is my favorite Jasmine tea.

This is a nice tea. However, Ten Ren’s 2nd grade Dark Oolong is much better and worth the extra cost. Very roasty and full flavor.

I just bought some of this tea from J-Tea. It immediately became one of my favorites. I love the rich sweetness that fills the mouth. Excellent tea.