Tealux

I think that I might like medium roast oolongs. This one reminded me a lot of the Rou Gui Oolong-the smell had the roasted nuts character with a weird floral, vegetal background. The same is said after my first 15 second rinse, or brew, about six ounces of water at 190. It was vegetal to me, but very nutty and has a buttery yet dry sweetness like toffee. Light but so flavorful and lingering.

Steep two after about 30, then upped 45 seconds wasn’t as sweet as the first one, but had the same vegetal nut type character to me. It was a little bit saltier, but still buttery.

Number three, after a minute and seven seconds, it’s primarily floral. Still has the roasted nut character, but fainter. Much fainter yet very pleasant.

Number four..trying to gage how long I should steep it. Maybe two minutes. Quick sip after a minute and a half, and a light floral sweetness. Another sip after two minutes, and it taste like a roasted Tie Guan Yin. At two minutes and a whopping thirty seconds, it taste like water that was soaked with coconut skin without the meat-the the hairy shavings of the shell itself.

So, it’s official. I like medium roasted oolongs. I still love green oolongs, it’s just that in terms of flavor, it’s a random gamble as to whether they will have the full profile or just taste like flower water. When they do have the full profile, they are my utmost favorite. But as for the medium roasts, the ones that I had, they always have something to offer in terms of taste.They are my preference now, equal to a good green Tie Guan Yin, my #1. Thank you Liquid Proust for aiding me on my journey. Oolongs are now the type that I drink the most and would drink the most. There are still a few greens and blacks that will never get old on me, but oolongs are now teas that I can drink almost anytime.

Back to the tea itself, this one is really what I needed this morning. Very warm, comforting, and smoothly energizing. I wonder what a Shui Xian taste like now…

Wow…this is by far one of my favorites that you’ve granted me, Liquid Proust. Rocks, leaves, cedar, and Fall are what I smell in the dry leaf. There was something familiar about this one, like one of the ones you made…I shall not tell.

It was consistent in the third steep at 50 seconds, but was closer to roasted nuts. I can see why people describe this tea as having a “cinnamon” note. It doesn’t really taste like cinnamon itself, but it has a weird, spicy metallic character that is very similar.

On the Tour of Oolongs, this is by far one of my favorites. I can now say that it’s an Oolong that I definitely prefer, especially compared to a Bai Hoa and the Li Shan’s I’ve had. I like the woodiness of the Wu Yi’s I’ve had, but the problem is, well, they taste like wood which is something I don’t always want to have. The Li Shan’s are usually hit or miss: they either have a sweet, almost fruity character and buttery mouth feel with some sort of floral aspect that I LOVE, or they taste like flavorless water with a salty or buttery texture.

This tea fits all of my preferences. It’s crisp and deceives me into thinking that it’s lighter, but it is more complex and sophisticated than presented. There’s full range of flavor and it is sweet enough to be perfect on its own. This tea could really be brewed Gongfu or Western, but I personally think that it is sweeter and more nuanced Gongfu while Western would be more robust and maybe earthier. Officially one of the best teas I’ve had because of its sophistication in the guise of nutty simplicity. I’m not sure who I’d recommend this to. I really think that this one would apply to a pretty broad audience.

What a gorgeous color! Couldn’t pass up trying this one. My mixer broke so I’m using my blender… Not quite the same. But I imagine the taste is pretty much the same. Very smooth with a bit of creaminess. A bit earthy at first but it finishes grassy.

I’ve always wanted to try a roasted Tie Guan Yin, and Liquid Proust, you made that possible!

Anyway, I experimented with this one to see if I could do it Gongfu. I did a ten second rinse of it first, and I tasted it to see if it would be strong enough for a session. Strangely enough, it had a taste that kind of reminded me of cocoa. I sipped it again just to see if it was just me wanting that flavor, but no, it was totally there. I drank that, then made another 45 second cup. Unfortunately, the cocoa disappeared, and there was more of a paint, woodsy, roasted character. The same went on for the other few steeps. I had high hopes, and those hopes were satisfied in rinse one, but then left wanting in the others.

This is much better than the stuff you’ll find in teabags but not quite as good as the chamomile I’ve had from Rishi and Arbor Teas. It just seems to be lacking a little something. Can’t quite put my finger on it, but its missing that sweet chamomile flavor and tastes a bit stale. Although it was cheap and is a very drinkable tea, I wish I hadn’t bought 100 g of it on Amazon.

Regardless, it is good on it’s own and mixed with other flavorings.

Thank you Liquid Proust for this sample!

Tasting #1 – Steep Time 2 Minutes
Has the aroma of a black tea, very light but smooth flavor. My mouth feels soft just drinking this tea.

Tasting #2 – Steep Time 4 Minutes
Now more earthy flavors are coming out, like cedar bark. My mouth still feels soft even though these flavors tend to be hard. Its an interesting balance that I’m enjoying.

Tasting #3 – Steep Time 7 Minutes
It smells very much like the kuki hojicha now. How do I describe such a smooth bite? Its very distinct and pleasurable to drink.

Tasting #4 – Steep Time 10 Minutes
Almost a metallic aroma now. Very hard flavors, like steam rising from rocks. Absolutely delicious.

I love this tea. I love how complex these flavors are and how they change. I love how these hard flavors give me the mouth feel of something lighter and creamier, like a milk oolong. I love that the longer it steeps the more of a bite I get but it goes down smooth. This is in no way a simple sharp tasting tea, this is carefully roasted so that the natural flavors of this tea can still come through without making you reach for a glass of water. I tend to prefer greener oolongs because I find the roasting process makes it difficult for me to continuously drink the darker oolongs unless I drink them cold. I’m not only amazed but very happy to drink this tea hot as I’m going on 20 minutes of continuous tasting now.

From the Not My Cup O’ Tea TTB

Fruity but not particularly rhubarb. I wouldn’t choose this if I were looking for rhubarb but it is ok as a fruity beverage which can be just fine.

Got this tea in a swap with Amanda ‘SoggyEnderman’ Wilson! Oh goodness girl, I keep having to copy and paste your username because it’s so long! XD Thanks for sending me this though!
This one wasn’t my absolute favorite, but it wasn’t bad. It had strong woody notes, as well as strong bready notes. I drank a whole cup and a half of it. It helped break up the milky/creamy notes in the ice cream oolong this morning. :P
Was the perfect contrast haha!
This tea wasn’t super flavorful but it was decent. Not my favorite, but a pleasant cup of tea. I enjoyed drinking it. And I mean, I probably would have spent my own money on it one day but I am glad I didn’t. Too much woodiness for me personally, but that’s alright. It was a pleasant cup still and happy to have tried it through a swap. Thanks again! (:

I’m unsure why I chose this tea out of everything I have available to me, but I did.
Tonight I am flooded by emotions and I fear they will keep me up. This weekend was great as I was able a good friend stayed for a few days. It has been 5 years since I have seen him… it was a clear reminder of how often I have moved throughout my life and how unstable my friendships are. Every few years it seems as if I am somewhere new and start to lose communication with old friends. Anyways, tea:

Tealux/Tealyra has been hit or miss with me so far. Thankfully this tea is a hit :)
The smell does not lead on to what is about to be tasted. This brews one smooth cup that would be classified as medium on a scale of light to dark. What makes this tea above ‘good’ is the mouth feel and how it goes down. Unlike a teiguanyin (or most of them that is) this tea warms up my body and I feel it from the mouth and down. Sensations linger in my mouth from the tea and I don’t want to take another drink for a good minute to savor the feeling as it slowly fades.
I’ll be looking for more oolongs like this.The stems with green leaves are the most beautiful as they have two full leaves on them and the dark brown ones look like burnt cabbage…

A very serious and mature tea, with which one must tread carefully. The bag is almost empty, but after sensitizing myself over time to try what I would consider the maximum amount of leaf/strength, I finally feel this tea to the root, so to speak.

If I had no clue of what to call it, I would call this “chocolate malt” puerh. When made strong, there is an ineffable chocolaty flavor that stands out even through the heavy and pungent marshy peat flavor. It pairs very nicely with the rich malt for a sweet, thick cocoa cream taste. I still have not pinpointed the subtle note of fruit, and doubtfully ever will, but it is a pleasing note—leaning toward sugary date, perhaps sour plum.

My only caveat, the tinge of earthiness; not the pleasant soil-ish mushroom taste, but the unwanted dirty mud-earth taste muddled with it, that you sometimes find occupying your ripe puerh. However, the mouthwateringly sweet aftertaste, married with the satisfyingly lingering dry mouth-feel makes all the difference. If you like a dry, rich chocolaty malt, give this loose leaf a brew!

This brew is a melancholy visit to the marsh. The musty scent of wet, even boggy soil accentuates the essential woody flavor. Shorter steeps present the mellowly sweet, twiggy flavor, with a damp earthiness and smokey finish. The gentle smokiness smooths the liquor, while the rich, earthy taste is softened by malty flavor… Some floral notes are at play, but these are subtle, mostly dominated by the marshy dankness.

The tea is pleasant, but somewhat reserved with revealing flavor. After an entire bag, I don’t feel as acquainted as I should. Using less leaf, about 1/4 the volume of the gaiwan, reduces the intensity of the malty flavor, and lingering fishiness. So, if you don’t like fishiness, I would rinse for five seconds, or slightly more, and avoid using too much leaf!
Quite tasty, if you like the smell of woody marshes. I enjoyed it after meat.

A good casual tea, not very remarkable. It’s also strongly stimulating, good for getting level-headed, and super-boosting your digestion.

Matcha/Green TTB #2

Dang, this is a really dark matcha! I took this one out because of the color of it :)
This actually whisked really easy, maybe because it is a 2-go matcha? I don’t know, I didn’t read anything about this so I am unsure if it is one that is to be put in a canister and shaken or not.
Either way, this was nice brisk sip down down. I had to rewhisk this one though which was fun because the bottom was even darker than the matcha!
This one left a dry mouth feel that continued to my throat which I am not a fan of.

This is a fine, fine tea. It requires a load of leaf, and very, carefully cool water. Water that is too hot will scare off the flavor. Light, crisp, sweet, the flavor really grows on you after the first steep (or should). I enjoy the creamy honey sweetness. I think it plays on the grassy taste of the white tea.

At first, I didn’t realize the note of cucumber that slowly loudens with each steeping. Near the end, it is an obviously cucumber flavor and scent. Lovely. And mysterious.

A fresh, sweet and tangy pearl. This tea is very sensational, yet it is soft and temperamental. The jasmine scent is wonderful and satisfying! The taste is somewhat creamy and lemony.
Use very little leaf, a small amount of water, very low temperature, and shorter steep times (after pearls have began to unfurl and release their flavor).
Beware of bitterness. Don’t use too many pearls, or steep for very long. Also, it is important not to burn or overcook these sensitive leaves.

This was a delicious, satisfying yellow tea for all its affordability. Crisp, sweet, mellow but pungent! A fine yellow tea. I would insist on a temperature no higher than 170. 160 is probably safer for the first steep. This delicate yellow tea requires very low temperature and a short 5-10 second initial steep, using a generous portion of leaf (filling half of cup or gaiwan). Too hot water, or not enough leaf, and the infusion will lack the sweet, pungent flavor and take on more vegetal and astringent tastes.

I wanted a dessert tea and this is it! Smells so sweet.

I wish I had grabbed more of this during my last tea haul from TeaLyra (TeaLux in Canada, TeaLyra in the US). While I’ve been craving sweets like CRAZY, I’ve not been feeling up to super sweet teas. This naturally fragrant oolong fulfills my craving just enough. Although the big box of cookies helped too.

The strawberry note in this is quite subtle, and is more of a young strawberry fragrance with a creamy green oolong. The other review said it was more a milk oolong, but the unflavored milk oolong I’ve had from Tealux reminds me of raisin bread, so I respectfully disagree.

I’ve been making teapots after teapots of this stuff. That’s how much I’ve been drinking it. And because it’s not artificially flavored, I find that the strawberry scent lingers far longer. I’ve steeped the same 2tsp in a 24oz teapot at least 5 times and I could still detect the strawberry. It’s quite pleasant hot and cool.

This might be the smoothest darker green type of oolong that I’ve tasted thus far. It reminds me a lot of the first oolong I drank which entered me into the world of tea slowly. I’m unsure what roman letters to align together in creation of English words to conclude remarks for this tea… I just really enjoy it.

Very green TGY that brews a light cup. The taste is mild but very clean. This would be a great cup of tea to sip on while walking through a flowery area since it wouldn’t obstruct the senses from perception of beauty in nature, aka it’s a nice tea to sip on while you walk.
I believe I like my TGY on the mild side or roasted so this is nice.

Holy Bergamot Batman!! hahaha, I saw this as an oolong earl grey, and I just had to have it. I am fascinated with the varieties of Earl Grey because of their diversity. This is definitely a unique one. I brewed this up as my morning cup in my press. The aroma was incredibly strong and refreshing. A sweet floral bergamont filled my tea room. The taste is spectacular. The oolong adds a light base in which the bergamont lies on top of. This is some powerful earl grey since the the bergamot is unaffected by a heady black tea. However, the jasmine was almost absent except for a slight grassy and floral undertone. This brew did the job for the morning cup, and I’m so happy to be able to try another Earl Grey!