plash

The final specimen from that Raja sampler set. Gentle, light, and doesn’t seem to hold up too well for reinfusions. This is a fairly standard black tea; nothing too elegant.

NB: I made this note while sipping the first reinfusion (both at 4m, ~100°C).

EDIT: It does have a nice, mild sweetness that I hadn’t caught earlier.

This is currently my favorite chai (and, paradoxically, another one I forgot to leave a note for). It can power through three reinfusions at the least, but I can’t help but wonder why the black tea is so minced up — it’s like the consistency of black pepper.

Anyways, this is a rather forgiving chai that probably won’t knock the socks off too many.

First reinfusion. Mmm; very mellow now, and maybe a little sweet? I like it better than the first take. I’ll have to try it a few more times to balance out my rating.

Another one from the Raja sampler set. Slightly orangey at first sniff, then kind of composty. I think this tastes like a weaker, greener Xingyang Nuggets 2008 Shu (a pu’er from Verdant which I somehow forgot to leave a note for..). In short, it’s a like an overinfused sencha — but composty.

Starting to think Darjeeling simply isn’t for me. Either that or my taste buds are schizo — plenty left to find out!

First reinfusion: woops, I forgot time existed. No matter! This specimen was already spent in the first infusion and now it’s not even close to bitter. I don’t think I’ll bother with a second reinfusion.

Fruit: that’s what these leaves smell like. Another one from the Raja sampler set, and it is a touch more bitter than Yunnan Noir (even at 3m30s). As for taste, though, I am drawing a blank. I think it’s pretty standard for a straight black (this is me not knowing how to describe it) and it doesn’t really have any defects. This is so-so, but certainly better than Assam Melody (which doesn’t really have anything going for it).

Addendum: it doesn’t have any strange mouthfeel or aftertaste, so that’s nice.

First reinfusion. Holding up nicely.

Absolutely splendid! This is a gentle black tea: smooth & sweet, and it doesn’t seem to tend towards bitterness. Aftertaste started off with coffee vibes, but quickly moved into malty territory. Second specimen from my recent Adagio purchase that surprised me with its non-bitterness.

The leaves smell very interesting after an infusion.. but I can’t quite place it. If anyone could conjure up a cognate, I’d be grateful.

This one took me off guard. This is a very rich specimen, at least in the looks department; quick to infuse – I was afraid of overdoing it! – and surprisingly not very strong.

Heavy amber color and smells slightly smokey. Taste is very mellow — it reminds me of the Autumn Laoshan Black by Verdant, but gentler. Unfortunately, it doesn’t make much of an impact. There’s nothing wrong with it per se, but I probably won’t actually buy it (came with the Raja sampler set).

Might try 4 minutes for the first reinfusion.

EDIT: First reinfusion: yup; nope. There’s just not a whole lot in this thing.

Third oolong! Sweet aroma and smooth taste; a very very light-colored brew. Seems like it can stand for quite a few infusions. Surprisingly not bitter for such a long steep time.

Too expensive to become a regular for me, but I’m really liking these oolongs.

Earl Grey? Love it. Lapsang souchong? First time trying it. Smoked? Not my cup’a tea.

Can’t say I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. This tea is… “special”. If you want campfire in your mouth, this is the tea for you.

Wow, the herb really smells like rice. Brews nicely, not too bitter, leaves a mild coat – of what I presume to be the herb – behind. First tuocha and first green pu’er; quite liking it.

A soft, caramely, golden-colored brew.

Can’t say that I’m too well versed with the oolongs, but this is certainly the tastiest one I’ve ever had (it’s the second). It leaves my tongue tingling, which I think is because of the high temperature; I’ll lower it in later infusions.

EDIT: Infusion 2 was even better. As expected, lowering the temperature did wonders.

NOTE: I have the Autumn Laoshan Black.

I think I’ve steeped this one a bit too long. The taste was somewhat bitter, though not unpleasant. It tastes bark-ish and smells familiar, yet I cannot quite pin down exactly what familiar thing it smells like.

Will rate after a few more infusions.

Infusion 2: much more pleasant. It tastes more like an Oolong this time (to me), and is very malty. The aftertaste is, as others have said, honey-like. This is a very smooth tea.

I love this tea. The bergamot is just fabulous, and it lasts a great many brews (at least for me).

Not too bitter, just the right mix. The aroma is great and the taste mellow.

This is pretty tasty. Got really bitter near the end of the bag.

No notes yet.

I bought this along with the Twinnings Darjeeling. I actually can’t tell the difference between the two, except that the Oolong degrades faster after infusions.
To echo others: it doesn’t have much of a punch. The aroma is weak.
This is a so-so tea; I wouldn’t buy it again.

I find this to be a more subtle tasting tea than Earl Grey or some of the other Black teas. You can get away with a few infusions before the taste starts to really degrade.

It’s good, but nothing special.