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PatchworkSheep

PatchworkSheep drank Vanilla Oolong by DAVIDsTEA

This was my first oolong, and I’m not sure what to think. I like that it was light and smooth, and I liked the vanilla flavor. However, there was a distinct milkiness to it, and I’m not sure whether it was the excessive vanilla flavour that many people mention this tea has or whether it was the oolong itself. As it cooled, the milkiness came out more and more and this became sweeter. It got sickening as it cooled and I couldn’t finish the last 1/4 of the mug because it was just too much. I really hate milk/cream and this started to taste like warm, super sweet milk.
It’s clear the leaf is high quality; it was nice to see such whole pretty leaves. I will definitely resteep this to see if that milkiness goes away because if it does, I’ve got a feeling I really like the oolong underneath that. I’ll definitely be trying another oolong without a vanilla note (will probably steer clear of DT’s Milk Ooolong as well)

EDIT: The second steep on this was less sweet, but possibly even more milky than the first steep. I couldn’t choke down more than a few mouthfuls. I really don’t like this tea and will have to start a swap pile with it, since others seem to rate it highly. Just not my cup.

2012-08-30 18:53:26 -0400

200 °F / 93 °C

4 min 0 sec

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Kittenna 2012-08-31 02:20:54 -0400

If you hate milk/cream, DEFINITELY avoid the milk oolong! :P

PatchworkSheep 2012-08-31 16:40:02 -0400

Do you happen to know if milkiness is a quality that most oolongs have? I feel like there was something about this tea that I liked. It felt nice in my mouth and was nice and light, not bitter or acidic. It was just nice, if it weren’t for that milky flavour. Wondering if there are other types of oolongs I should be looking for.

Kittenna 2012-09-01 00:28:05 -0400

I don’t think milky is a defining characteristic of oolongs, no! I imagine the vanilla flavouring was what did you in here. Milk oolong is kind of it’s own class. In my opinion, straight green oolongs are typically kind of vegetal and floral, while darker oolongs have a good deal of body and a lovely woody flavour, and often some sweetness. I’d suggest that if you liked the base of this one, try to pick up a straight oxidized (darker) oolong? Butiki and Verdant both definitely have oolongs that fit that category, as do many other shops. DavidsTea may not. I’d offer to send you some samples but I don’t have the time to package anything up right now :( (But since you’re in BC, shipping would be pretty cheap for me to do so!)

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Recently graduated sociology student trying to decide what to do with her life.
I don’t drink tea every day, but I do love tea and trying out different flavours. My favorite is black tea, followed by white and mate teas. I enjoy rooibos and oolongs, but haven’t tried enough of them yet to determine how much I like them compared to other types. I don’t like straight green tea, but if it has a good flavour added to it I can enjoy it quite a lot.
Mostly I drink DavidsTea since its Canadian and they tend to have stronger teas and more interesting flavors than other places I’ve tried. I don’t care for what I’ve tried from Teavana for the most part; their teas seem weak and overpriced in general as far as I can tell. The exception is My Morning Mate, which is incredible.
My city has not a single specialty tea shop, so DavidsTea online ordering is my friend. I highly recommend their Perfect Mug. It really is perfect. Nice thin lip, large hand, larger than average mug without being too big, and I have it in clear so I can see the beautiful colours of my teas as they steep. The strainer that comes with it is my favorite because it doesn’t let any tea through, and its metal and dishwasher safe. Love it.