AJ

Well, it SMELLS delicious. I thought it was a little on the pricey side, though, to be honest. For a flavoured oolong? Still, I made the trip. I decided on this one when I discovered that there was a hidden Teaopia (not even on Google Maps, let along here) near(ish) to me. Jillian’s well-timed tasting note on this tea helped with the decision.

Dry it’s very creamy sweet smelling, brewed there is definitely more of a nutty profile in there (more in the wet leaves than the brewed tea, however). It’s sweet and creamy, and definitely nutty. The nutty, I think, blends well with the natural flavours of the oolong used (looking at the large, darkly colourful leaves, I wonder if it’s bai hao). The nut flavour, I think, is the culprit behind the light astringency on the tip of my tongue, because the tea is rather smooth otherwise. I think the nut is what sets this tea apart, because without it it’s just a cream oolong of some sort (not that that’s terribly ordinary anyways, but who would think to pair nuts and oolong? I like it).

Teaopia recommends three minutes, but that had seemed a little much; I started with two, but when I poked my nose into the pot, I saw that there hadn’t been any convection at all, just a small cloud of brown surrounding the teaball; I spent an extra (timed) thirty seconds of dunking to mix the tea and let it steep a little darker. The oolong leaves themselves look dark and oxidized enough that I assume it wasn’t meant to be a light brew.

First cup’s cooled more, and I’m picking up fruity hints. This is mellow and very nice.

This is a satisfying tea, and I’m delightfully surprised with Teaopia (not that I was expecting bad things). Also, they have (only in-store, not on their site) Turkish teacups! Except they sell them individually. And the saucer comes separate. Five bucks for a single glass teacup, three dollars for the saucer. Jesus Christ.

Again, second steep is darker than the initial rinse steep. It’s definitely earthy; I’d say even muddy, but not dirt, rather soil. Is that an odd differentiation to make?

I somewhat forgot about the tea for quite a while, and the strong smell of the dry leaf’s faded quite a bit, as has the fishy aspect of the brewed tea itself, I think. At least I remember it all being a little different, but it’s been a while. I suppose it’s the tin I kept it in, and in most tea-storage practices this all would be a bad thing, but I think it really helped. I like it more than I remember liking it, although I never truly disliked it. At least if I take small to medium sized sips. I gulped some and it coats the mouth and throat most unpleasantly.

Finally finished this one off today in a little cast-iron teapot from my sister (she got it way back when she was in highschool, but soon lost interesting tea; she recently gave it to me). It gave everything a slightly off taste, and hot metal has a peculiar smell.

Ahwell. But this’ the last of THIS tea.

I’ve made this a few times since my first post, although I headed a bit of advice from the other notes on this tea and now steep it just under two minutes.

I picked this up originally hopping to find something akin to Tealicious’ 1001 Nights (not that there’s anything stopping me from picking up more of that—I just wanted to branch out a little). The jasmine in that blend is a pleasant background note, unlike in this one. It’s not bad, but it’s certainly quite a bit more powerful, which for a person like me (who is not the greatest fan of flowery flavourings and scentings) is a bit much.

Two minutes, though—it really brings it down, and allows much more room for the vanilla to come through. And it’s a pleasantly strong vanilla. I still don’t get much from the teas themselves—some green bitterness for brewing this with boiling water, but that’s it. That bitterness is mixed with the sort of… sharpness? You usually get from the bergamot (sharpness isn’t the right word… I suppose bitterness; think the similarities bergamot has with grapefruit), but the fruit isn’t present enough to make you think (or even vaguely remember) earl grey. No earl grey thoughts at all from this tea.

The bitterness does get a bit stronger as it cools, which mixes unpleasantly with the sharp jasmine. Perhaps a cooler steeping temperature next time, although I’m sure that will take away from the additives. It’s odd that it can be bitter and sharp but so creamy and sweet at the same time. The vanilla in this really is delicious.

My first sip is a warm, green butter. The aftertaste is most definitely bakey. It’s odd, but I feel the tension headache that I woke up with lifting already. As I sip more, I get a touch of sweetness in the back of my throat, and a mineral taste on the tip of my tongue. Could be the water, but it’s not unpleasant.

Less of a “fresh green” taste as my other experience with tie guan yin, a little more on the buttery side. This isn’t a bad thing—I rather like it this way. It’s getting sweeter as it cools as well, almost mouth-coating.

I’ve had this before, I just haven’t gotten around to sitting down and typing something up. More will be added onto this post with subsequent steeps.

Second steep is darker, given the leaves were given time to fully reopen. This one’s also at two minutes. The colour is a very nice, spring green. It’s deeper (sharper?), more minerally and less sweet and buttery.

Third steep, four minutes: More sharply (not in a negative sense) mineral and green tasting; no apparent sweetness. Not as heavy and mouth-coating as the first steep. Hints of butter, but just barely. Sort of a steamed vegetable taste, I think. But a bit fresher. I think I am still getting a bit of sweet on the tip of my tongue. As I reach the bottom of my cup, the mineral tang has gotten quite pronounced.

More steeps when I return home from work, I think.

Fourth steep, little change.

Fifth steep (six minutes), it’s been a few days so I would be working from memory. The taste hasn’t grown weaker yet. Mineral, vegetal, and bakey. More bakey now, I think—or at least more than I remember. I can taste it on my breath as I breathe out.

I needed something to calm my nerves, because this day (nay, this week) has been nothing but, frankly, shit. I am apparently going to lose my job, and there is little I can do about it. They thought they gave me a choice, but there isn’t one. Unless “give up school for your job, or give up your job for your school” counts. Except school is why I need a job, thus if one goes, so does the other.

I have a stress headache from furrowing my eyebrows too hard for too long. I snagged this from my mother’s cupboard, because it seemed interesting enough. You can definitely SMELL the spices, and sniffing it, it’s very christmasy. Spicy sugar plum—very fitting. I just threw the teabag in and didn’t even bother with a set steep time—so yeah, the bag’s still in there. It’ll survive. It’s got a good spice base. Not too strong, and luckily the hibiscus (which is very apparent) doesn’t overpower it. I think I’m actually getting some form of sweet, plum flavour in there as well. The spices are solid—cinnamon of course, but there are others (I didn’t look too closely at the ingredients, forgive me).

I think it balances very well; I can see myself snagging a few more bags of this in the future.

Just finished off the box. I’ll have to get more. I really like to have some on-hand for stomach aches. Although I could just buy a chunk of ginger-root and grate some into a cup whenever I need it. Could be cheaper.

Edit: Nevermind, found ONE LAST BAG hanging out behind a few tea tins.

And so I bid you adieu, sweet Formosa. I don’t think we will meet again. Not in this life. I thank you for allowing me to make your acquaintance.

Accidentally let this sit for six minutes. But it’s forgiving, although a little sharp. This tea really defines “malty”; I think of cracked wheat bread when I drink it.

Trying this again—five minute steep now, instead of four. It’s really… blech. Maybe I just don’t like wine flavours. But it honestly makes me think of soap. Grapy soap. There’s really no trace of the base in it—it’s weird. Still, I’m sipping it a lot in hopes that maybe the taste will grow on me. At the very least, I’m not spitting it out. And occasionally it does remind me of wine. More the smell, though. Well, I’ve got a good fifty grams of this to experiment with. Although it doesn’t seem like there’s much I can do. Certainly unique.

Edit: An aftertaste is developing and coating my mouth, I’ve noticed—and it’s definitely more grape-y and wine-y. I’m very on the fence about this one.

If you’ve got dietary problems with milk or sugars, this isn’t a good tea choice as it quite clearly DOES have chips of caramel added.

I have no such problems, so naturally I find this delicious either way. There are sunflower petals as well, probably to carry some of the flavouring oils and to decorate with even more yellow colour.

Dry, it smells strongly of caramel, brewed it smells strongly of deep, toasty caramel and tea. I’ve already done a little entry review before, but I thought I’d type this one up as if I hadn’t, just because I’ve got much more time to sit back and savour it.

There is definitely a dark caramel sweetness. It reminds me of Tealicious’ maple tea, in the weight of it.

Slightly astringent, leaves my mouth dry (although it’s been a little dry all day so this might just be me); the base is definitely Ceylon, I can taste it coming through, and it’s all right—I don’t dislike it, it’s fairly solid.

The caramel chips seem to be the cause of the cloudyness of the tea. The caramel lingers far into the aftertaste. This’ a nice tea to have in my cupboard. I think it’d be fun to mix it with others too.

After making a huge stovetop pot of traditional chai (using President’s Choice) for everyone in my family, I decided I needed to follow it up with something a little bit more mellow.

I opened this tin to find that I’ve only about a teaspoon and a half left, and was a little surprised at how sad this made me. Not to mention, I haven’t a clue what to do with the tin after save covering it with white tape or something so that I may reuse it for another tea.

As I took my first sip, I realized how much I would miss this tea. I believe I got it from AmazonV’s art contest? I think I’ll have to go and buy more. It’s not a love relationship, but it’s like a Lady Grey. And it’s very nice to relax with. Light and cheery and citrusy. It’s a little drying, but I keep sipping it.

Edit: Decided to throw the last half a teaspoon of fanning dust in with the second steep of this, to give it a little boost and to allow me to decupboard it.

Brewed, this smells strongly of Assam. The taste is incredibly flavourful—Assam on the first note, strong but not sharp, followed by a definite Keemun taste. I’m not immediately getting any Ceylon, but it might just be the Ceylon that’s tying the two together and toning down the Assam. Background-player.

It’s cooling now, and I think I’m getting a bit of the Ceylon.

I’d also like to point out that mine (and all, I assume) came with a card inside the box that reads: “For best results, serve others first.” Sadly, I had no one to share with, otherwise I would have.

That’s the last of that. I plan to buy some next time I’m over there, and possibly some of the blueberry black as well. Both were delicious. This’ very good as a breakfast blend.

I like that this is at the top of my ‘most drunk’ category. Makes it easier to find.

Still my favourite earl grey, although I’m so low on it it is becoming painful to look at. I can only hope that, by some chance, Winner’s gets them in again, although I haven’t seen the brand in there for a very long time.

The company, from what I’ve learned, is Taiwan-based, and I think the tea base in their Earl and also in their Litchi must be Taiwan or China-grown. Definitely not Ceylon. Much darker. A bit cut up, but still delicious.

Rushing a review of this this morning. Have to leave in ten minutes…

It’s a very nice base, and a good caramel flavour. Not incredibly strong, but not weak. The flavouring includes caramel chips, and overall it rounds out to a very nice desert cup. The smell overtakes the actual taste a bit, but I am sipping it while it’s still rather hot.

Picked up Kakuzo’s The Book of Tea from my library. Surprised it had it, actually. It’s a wonderful little book about culture clashing and life. Yes, and tea. It’s a sort of rambling description comparison, which I have to admit I always enjoy reading. I think I’d like to buy this after I finish it. If I can find anyplace that sells it. It’s an old book. I need to stop checking out books and read the ones I’ve already got, though. Honestly.

Dan, watched Watchmen last night—should be able to bring the dvd back into the shop today. It was pretty good.

As it cools, the caramel becomes more prominent, but mixes with the tea very well. It’s got that caramel mouth-feel. Bet some sugar would bring this right out. I like it how it is, though.

This is the other tea I picked up there. I believe he described it as a blend of many black teas, including vanilla and pomegranate. So naturally, it smells of Monk’s Blend. Well, Monk’s Blend with Assam.

The leaves are a mixture of orthodox and CTC, like Cream Irish Breakfast’s.

They list their steeping instructions as 2-3 minutes. I did four instead. Mild tea, makes me think of a slightly malty monk’s blend (Assam? Mild? I suppose it’s their tea ratios). This is definitely more of an afternoon blend. Nice, though. Liking it more than the Ice Wine, but I think that one might just require some special attention to steeping parameters.

The vanilla and pomegranate are definitely more hints in the background. But I think they compliment it well. Assam’s a bit drying on the tongue, but that’s to be expected.

Sipping this out of my brand new Dalek mug, which I picked up for ten bucks from Golden Age when I was headed back from Granville Island. The bus was passing it. I couldn’t NOT stop. Of course, I get in there and someone’s completely cleaned out the Doctor Who comics. NewWho I could understand, but there was NOTHING in Classic either. Just two division tabs with nothing between them. Sob. The only figures they had were Four and Newly-Regenerated-Five, as well as “Rassilon” (I ought to punch RTD) and the freaky-faced robotics from series five’s second episode. I thought for sure they’d have a 11-Doctors-Hundred-Dollar-Set stashed away, but alas. No Pertwee action figures for me.

Sitting at home drawing the Shalka Doctor comic, and contemplating my Oz and ComLit projects.

Was gifted a sample. It’s nice. It’s not AnD’s, but it’s likeable; I might have to pick some up after I run out. There’s hints of Keemun in amongst the smoked teas—which aren’t very strong, but they mesh well.

I’ve been on the lookout for a good ice wine tea. Seems only proper as a Canadian. I’ve already got maple.

I had a Baroness Grey while I was there, but wasn’t too pleased with it. Picked up fifty grams of this and their House blend as I left.

It’s very mild. The tea, I mean—it’s oddly tasteless. Difficult to describe—I’m not getting a hot water taste. Almost kind of soapy. Which probably isn’t good. The notes of wine are there in the smell (sans alcohol, which is normally all I can smell or taste whenever I try to consume liquor), and there are sweet notes as I sip. Very odd.

Mellow, though. Reminds me of chamomile, even though this is SUPPOSED to be black tea.

Edit: Tea’s gone cold now, and it’s a soapy but grapy taste. Huh.

I opened this tin today to find that there was not even enough to provide a proper layer to the bottom of the tin. I let out a pathetic little sound at this. I’ve practically been rationing this since I got it. That’s quite a while ago, now—it’s getting on in age, and I really should finish it.

How will I go on once it’s done? With it’s perfect tippy golden leaves and precise ratio of smoke to tea-taste, and no charcoal, just deliciousness. I’ll have to branch out after this and find my next smoky tea. I’d like to try the rest of The O Dor’s, but I doubt I’ll find my plain perfect smoky tea there—they’ve just got a lot of interesting smoky blends with fruit.

Black Dragon?

I’m still trying to find a good tarry lapsang to taste too.

At any rate, this hit the spot this morning. Still delicious.

Sipping this again. Only steeped at two minutes, and it doesn’t taste too much different—although it’s been a while, so who knows.

It’s definitely green, I realize. But roasty, so that there’s a good vegetal taste under a barley and/or cooked rice sort of note. I like it.

Sipping this again, I’ve been getting this tinge of bitterness that’s sort of synthetic and reminds me of decaffenation. I know it isn’t, and the sharpness also makes me think of Darjeeling. Also, there is definitely Keemun in this; I’m getting that very slight breath of nut and smoke I personally associate with it.

Anyways, flipping through Kusmi’s teas as I drink this, I’ve concluded that Kusmi’s unflavoured blends have many more strongly disappointed reading notes compared to their flavoured’s. From my (meagre) experience, they definitely seem to put a little more effort into their flavoured blends.

This isn’t BAD, though. It’s a little sharp, but also goes well with orange. I’m beginning to run low on it, and I doubt I’ll get it again—I’d rather try some of Kusmi’s OTHER teas—although I hate that their tins are so permanently decorated. If I want to reuse it, in my obsession I’ll have to tape over all the pre-existing labels.

Hot banana just smells bizarre. This was gifted as a sample during my latest visit (I was there when they carried in a new shipment, and this was one of the new teas included). I don’t know if I’m liking it. Dry, the smell was just “dried banana” (my dad used to dry fruits). Again, brewed, hot banana smell. It’s just odd.

The taste of the banana is very mild—barely there. It does come back in the aftertaste a bit, and there’s a natural sweetness that lingers. I probably won’t buy it, but I’ve got a good sized sample to play around with.

Edit: There was another, odd, drying taste that I thought might be the tea base, but no—or well, maybe it is—but it reminds me of banana peal. Definitely.

Can’t do a detailed review because I’m about to fly out the door. In a hurry.

I got the “oak” she described in the smell, but didn’t get it right away in the taste. It’s cooled considerably since then though, and I’m getting something that could be described as a strong oak, perhaps. The tea is a very solid Ceylon overall though. I haven’t had a bag of just Ceylon in my cupboard for a while, so this is nice.