Orchid Temple

Tea & Cards TTB #3
I have to say that I’m surprised by all the low ratings on Steepster about this tea. Although I did notice that many of them are older, so maybe the tea changed a bit since then? Anyway, I decided to ignore the steeping parameters given by the packet and waited for my boiling water to cool a bit before steeping. I also did a quick rinse before my first steep and did not let the first steep sit as long as 2-3 min as suggested by the packet. All this resulted in a wonderfully floral but not artificially perfume-y oolong. The floral tastes transitioned smoothly into a nuttier, roastier taste toward the end of the sip. The tea also had a buttery feel. I actually really enjoyed this green oolong, and since there is a weirdly small amount left in the sample, I may just pull the rest of it from the TTB.

Earthy. Smells toasty and tastes a bit like green tea. Pretty, bright green balls in the bag. Like many of the oolongs I’ve tried since that first terrible milk or whatever it was one, this was nice but not my favorite sort of thing. Fine, just not thrilling/exciting me.

Another one from Rachel’s sale! Thanks! I’m not sure if Golden Moon just likes putting crumbs in their sample bags or if this was just crushed, but this was mostly just oolong dust with a few actual bundles of oolong. Nothing I would pay $1 for from their site, that’s for sure! Luckily the flavor was enjoyable. I had two nice steeps and the flavor was even better in the second cup. A bit vegetal and floral. The color of the cup was light bright green. Not really much else to say, just a standard decent oolong. It probably would have been better if it wasn’t dust though.

I’m baaaacccckkk! Due to switching internet providers I had about a week without service (can we say, going insane)?! Anyways, I am backlogging from teas that I have had over that time. I decided to try this sample since my previous Orchid Tea that I sampled from a tea bar tasted watered down. This one was ok, definitely not watered down tasting…pretty smooth, but nothing special. I expected a more floral note to it, but it was very mild…so mild that I kind of had to concentrate a bit too be able to pick up on it. All in all it was a decent tea, but it seemed to be lacking something.

I’ve decided that I’m a floral freak and I’m letting my floral freak flag fly (say that ten times fast)! Oolongs are still new to me, so I’m guessing that someday in the future I will think this one’s ho-hum. But for now I’m loving this. I’m on the third infusion and plan to keep goin’ as many times as possible – I just had to get my first 3 steeps down before I forgot (and will edit to add more info if I feel it is warrented).

Steep 1 (180ish for 3 minutes): I always think that I’m going to hate oolongs on the first infusion. The dry leaf smell doesn’t do anything for me and then the first taste is always so very veggie and I’m not a huge veg fan. Still nice, but very veg and no floral (but the leaves hadn’t fully opened). Oh – and I had done a short rinse on them.

Steep 2 (180ish for 3 minutes): Less strong veg and just the tiniest little whisper of floral. Mmm…

Steep 3 (180ish for 4 minutes): Where the hell did this sweet floral side come from?!?! It’s like a completely new tea! It has a great floral taste and then it’s the most interesting sweet lingering sensation on my tongue. I’ve never experienced that lingering sensation before. If someone handed me this tea on its third steep and had me try it, then I think that I’d be utterly confused and not know what it was. A floral white perhaps? Again – remember I have a noob palate. ;) Off for the fourth steep I go! TG

A light tea with a predominately green tea flavor. Significant floral notes, almost to the point of being a green jasmine tea. The floral taste doesn’t last long and it is a green tea that you get as an aftertaste.
I wouldn’t be surprised to find this tea in a better quality Chinese restaurant.

I had 2 steeps of this. It smelled so good I couldn’t stop smelling the package even after I’ve emptied the leaves into my gaiwan. It reminds me some cute tea shops that I used to frequent when I lived in NY. I love the dark green leaves all rolled up into a ball. There are some stems in there. The scent is a little musty, sweet, floral, and green.

I had 3 steeps. The steep is a nice yellow color. It tastes and smells buttery and green. There is a hint of floral and sweetness to it but it is very slight. Something lingers in the back of my tongue and its a bit fishy. Sometimes I get that similar taste with some senchas I’ve had. I imagine this would be good with seafood.

I didn’t rate this very well because it was also a bit bitter and the fishy thing.

-EDIT—
So I did one more steep and it was so smooth! The fish thing I’ve been experiencing has diminished. I’m bumping the rating up a bit.

Ah it was ok. Nothing seriously huge about this one or as it is “nothing to write home about” May have to try it again to make sure. It was sorta grassy/earthy but like I said no “Wow” factor here.

This isn’t the strongest tasting tea, but I would definitely accept a tin of this for a gift. I think I would even buy it!

I will need to try more oolongs before I can give a really good review of this. I’m not sure my palate is sophisticated enough to figure out what’s missing. Maybe there’s nothing missing, but after reading the other reviews of this tea, I suspect that I just haven’t tried enough oolongs.

Golden Moon Sampler Tea #15:
Goodness, the packet wasn’t kidding about the whole pale green thing. My initial brewing, which I did exactly as I was told to, (Boiling water, really?) and got a very light, almost tasteless green tea. No floral note that I could discern, and altogether not particularly impressive.

I let my second cup steep longer. It’s now more of a golden color, and has more taste, but on the downside is, of course, also more bitter. By quite a bit. The original steep didn’t have any bitterness, which was probably the point.

On the third cup, the tastes seem to have settled down somewhat and I’m finally getting something floral. It all seems quite muted to me though, and I can’t help but feel decidedly meh about the whole thing. Guys…I think I might just not be that into Oolong.