Blue People

WOW!!! This tea is sensational!

It’s almost impossible to describe, and I don’t see how anyone could dislike it. It has a clean, crisp, sweet flavor going down. But the aftertaste is what’s so fantastic!

The aftertaste is so unique and different from anything else I’ve ever had. It sort of cools your tongue and refreshes your palate, while at the same time being incredibly flavorful and delicious.

I don’t know about the tea being a good alternative to an energy drink. Yes, it has ginseng added to it, but oolong is naturally very low in caffeine. I can drink it right before bedtime and still fall asleep with ease.

It’s pretty expensive as teas go, but it does have a very long shelf life (around 3 years). As with most teas, it’s better the fresher it is. But you can brew the same tea leaves up to seven times! In my opinion, it tastes best on brews 2-5. Funny that the first brew isn’t the best, huh?

But truly, this is a lifetime favorite. Brew it in very little water for 15-30 seconds, and you’ll have magic. Trust me, this tea is worth a trip to a Vital Tea Leaf shop all by itself.

Just don’t buy their Piao I Teapot to brew it in. Yes, it’s so simple and cool. But it breaks really easily after just a few uses. Instead, go for something like Teavana’s Classic Comfort Touch Tea Strainer with lid. You’ll be much happier in the long run, and the large open strainer allows the tea leaves to expand more than a small tea ball would.

Our host at the Vital Tea Leaf tasting room in San Francisco China Town loves giving this tea to visitors because it’s so unique. I consider myself to be a tea connoisseur, and I’d never tasted anything like this.

His brother calls it “party in your mouth tea” because the flavor changes dramatically with each sip. It starts out with a nice Oohlong flavor, but the aftertaste is wonderfully sweet from the licorice root. Additional sips will continue to change in taste.

This is one of my favorite teas to help me focus through my work day. I also love sharing it with friends because it’s so unique.

A better-balanced blend of ginseng to oolong than most “emperor teas” of this variety. The base oolong isn’t of the highest quality, but then you wouldn’t want it to be as the subtleties would be wasted underneath the blanket of sweet ginseng. It’s a nice pick-me-up or something to drink when your palate isn’t clean enough to appreciate more refined teas. A fun and comforting tea. It’s a tea I’d buy again from Vital Tea Leaf

I drink this tea nearly every day, and go through a 4oz canister every couple of months. Last time I stopped by Vital Leaf to get a refill they suggested a adding a pinch of rose tea for a new flavor. It adds a lovely floral note to the ginseng sweetness.

Run over with hot water first, seep only ten seconds in a smallish cup, then take a sip and breathe in slowly over your tongue. You will experience an inexpressible kind of sweetness. After your first cup, you can seep again six or seven times, ten seconds at a time, until the flavor is gone.

This tea is also fermented with licorice which you can readily taste. I usually drink Japanese green tea, but this is a great tea to have at my office because you don’t have to fuss with water temperature as much. And, it is a good energy drink.

One of my favorite teas, steep for only 10-15 seconds. The best steep is the second, in my opinion. A great tea to introduce to people that drink tea often, but also a bad one aswell.

Incredible and unexpectedly sweet aftertaste. Clarifying and energizing.

Gets better with every steeping.

Can be brewed all day with just one tablespoon of dry. The flavor is slightly sweet with savory overtones. Good way to attack the mornings and afternoon. Keep warm water handy!