Raven

Raven drank Bailin Gongfu Black Tea by Teavivre

Ahh! This smelled so, so good. Licorice-y and caramel-y, very sweet and dark. I could sit there and smell it all day.

Brewed up it smells even more delicious. It may be my mind playing with me because of seeing “pine-needle shaped,” but I even feel like I’m getting a pine-y taste. It’s like a combination of a woodsy and medicinal (which is in no way negative for me) feeling – it tastes like something that could have once been called an elixir. This is one of those where I actually whispered a little “wow” after the first sip. There’s a lot about the taste that I’m not experienced enough to name (though I know I love the full-bodied-ness of it) – I see a lot of other members mentioning malty, which I think is what’s making me think of medicinal things.

My amazement might come from never having had a non-flavored, high quality black before. But I love this! I am so glad Teavivre sent this sample along with my flavored sample pack, because this one really impresses me.

2012-11-03 23:20:52 -0400

185 °F / 85 °C

2 min 30 sec

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Becky 2012-11-04 00:43:48 -0400

New to black! You’re in for a treat. :) There’s just something kinda perfect about a good black tea.

Azzrian 2012-11-04 00:44:05 -0400

It is so awesome when you have your first REALLY amazing unflavored tea! Don’t stop exploring them! You will find that “unflavored” tea which I prefer to call unadulterated are as flavorful if not more so than flavored teas!

Becky 2012-11-04 00:50:12 -0400

Yes, exactly. It’s like the flavors add too much…noise?

Azzrian 2012-11-04 01:00:40 -0400

Agreed!!!

Raven 2012-11-04 01:20:38 -0400

Heh, I’m even more excited now! I definitely won’t stop exploring them. My next order from Teavivre is probably going to be their black tea and their oolong sample packs, so I can see what those are all like!

Becky 2012-11-04 01:21:48 -0400

Make sure you log them so I can steal the best ones. >:)

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Bio

I’m a literature major in East Texas who only recently decided to get into tea! I have no idea why I waited so long, but I am diving headlong into it.

So far I’m beginning with herbal teas and flavored ones, because I’m not sure I’ve developed the delicate sense of taste needed for some of the quality green and white teas just yet. I’m buying up as many samples as I can from as many vendors to give myself a wide range of experience (not too much though – I realized that hoarding tea may not work out as well as hoarding books, since most tea isn’t so good about sitting on shelves for years and years).

Besides tea stuff, I’m an enormous lover of literature, particularly that from East Asia and Eastern Europe. I love surrealism in all it’s varieties, as well as unusual/strange books in general.

Ratings:
85-100: Ideally, would keep these in my cupboard at all times.
75-84: Would gladly drink all of what I have and likely buy more.
60-74: Not going to actively seek it out, but not against trying it again.
50-59: Will finish what I have, but likely won’t revisit.
Below 50: Can’t even finish the cup.

I’m probably not going to be using ratings under 50 much, since I read reviews extensively before buying and can /usually/ tell what I’ll like.