SimpliciTEA

Experience buying from @Ashley: I bought this tea from Ashley when she was selling all of her tea. I received the tea quickly through the mail and my package was filled with many surprises. Thank you Ashley!

Packaging: 52Teas packaging is very professional: small silver zip locked bags with a clear front that has a 3” X 3” label on it which has the name of the tea, an ingredient list, and an expertly created picture of the food item that the tea replicates.

Appearance and aroma of dry leaf: it has a strong spicy chai-like aroma and is comprised of tiny bits of tea and other flavorings.

Brewing guidelines: two tsp. dry tea for 16 ounces of water. I used a metal basket strainer inside a ceramic 16 oz. cup, such that I put a lid over the top to keep the heat in. Cup was warmed before steeping. Milk and Stevia added.
…………….1st: 195, 2’
…………….2nd: 195, 3’
…………….3rd: 205, 6’
…………….4th: boiling, 10’
…………….5th: boiling, 10’

Color and aroma of tea liquor: Dark color, very aromatic: spicy chai.

Flavor of tea liquor: strong spicy chai flavor.

Overall: My wife and I both liked this chai, having tried at least two other chai flavored teas before. It yielded good flavor right up through five steepings! Woo, hoo!

Experience buying from Harney and Sons http://steepster.com/places/2779-harney-and-sons-on-line-millerton-new-york

Age of leaf: Lot # 11201: puts ‘production’ at roughly mid-July 2011 (although according to their website, all their Japanese tea is ‘harvested’ from previous years harvest – 2010).

Appearance and aroma of dry leaf: Very small cut, straight pieces, dark green in color with a fresh vegetal aroma.

Brewing guidelines: Small amount of Stevia added, glass Bodum pot with metal strainer/plunger.
…………….1st: 160, 60” – great flavor
…………….2nd: 180, 40” – good flavor
…………….3rd: 155, 120” – very mild flavor, mostly just sweet

Color and aroma of tea liquor: a light lime green color on the first steeping, light yellowish green on the second and third steepings Grassy aroma.

Flavor of tea liquor: The flavor is what I believe the best Japanese green teas are known for: grassy, vegetal, fresh.

Appearance and aroma of wet leaf: looks a lot like cut grass—I have cleaned many lawnmower and this looks a lot like the grass clippings: dark green leaves cut into tiny pieces! There are a few large pieces of stems mixed in with the “clippings”.

Blends well with: I believe any Sencha will blend well with Gyokuro as they are both steamed when processed and take a little cooler temperature when steeped (I have had success blending it with at least one Sencha).

Value: For the sample direct from H&S, great, considering what you get for $2 (it is roughly $10/ounce otherwise). I was also lucky to get a large supply of this through a third party for a great price.

Overall: I have heard much about the amazing qualities of this tea, and I have not been disappointed: everything about it is fresh, and the flavor is strongly vegetal and unusually sweet for a green tea (I add less Stevia to the first steeping than I do with other green teas). I have been drinking this since late summer. I enjoy it all through the week since I drink it on mornings before work to give me that extra theanine kick (it is purported to have more theanine than other green teas due to its being shaded at the end of growing period); its hard to say for certain, but it does seem to have a greater effect on calming and focusing my mind than most other green teas. This is a tea that, if I can get it for a good enough price, I like to have on hand at all times.

_{This is my 6th and final review in a series of six samples of Wuyi oolongs from China Cha Dao}

Experience buying from China Cha Dao: I responded to an offer on Steepster for free samples. Received exactly what was stated in the offer: fresh tea and very generous sample sizes. On their website on eBay they have a good variety of tea for reasonable prices.

Age of leaf: Stated as harvested in 2011. Received in mid-summer, brewed in fall 2011.

Packaging: small, clear bags with small label printed with the full name of the tea.

Appearance and aroma of Dry leaf: a little milder than the rest, also a number of broken bits, but not as many as the Spring “Shi Ru” had.

Brewing guidelines: three 8-oz cups of water used, leaves loose in glass Bodum pot. Stevia added. _{(I went with one less cup than the first four Wuyi oolongs in the series)}
…………….1st: 185, 2’
…………….2nd: 187, 3’
…………….3rd: near boiling, 5’
…………….4th: boiling, 7’

Aroma of tea liquor: different than the others, milder, more pleasant, slightly carmal-ly, and possibly malty. Amazing. On the forth steeping I smell something different, like something that is possibly barley-like, something good!

Color of tea liquor: same as all the rest: looks like coffee.

Appearance and aroma of wet leaf: Pleasant. Smells different then the tea liquor, and different than the other Wuyi oolongs in that it is more clear, and not as roasted.

Flavor of tea liquor: not as roasted as the others, and not at all harsh; mild and pleasant.

Value: Free 10-gram sample (Thank you Jerry Ma @ China Cha Dao tea on Ebay!). His regular tea is very reasonably priced, in my opinion ($7/125grams).

Overall: I like that the aromas of the wet leaf and the tea liquor were different as compared with all of the others. This one was also not as strong and intense as the others in all of its aspects. Once again, the third steeping on an oolong surprised me: it is the better than the first two! Mild flavor on this third steeping (and in the forth), and there are clearly floral notes running around in each cup. Although I stopped at four steepings, I think I could have easily gotten another steeping or two out of these leaves. This is probably the best Wuyi oolong for me in the series.

Summary after drinking the six Wuyi oolongs: I still consider myself fairly new to this class of semi-oxidized teas. Overall, the taste of these is not something I would seek out, although I would gladly drink them if offered. Each one of these teas was fresh and yielded up something worth experiencing—-especially if you like roasted and/or floral notes. I am grateful for the opportunity to broaden my experience with oolongs. Thank you Jerry Ma at China Cha Dao!

_{This is my 5th review in a series of six samples of Wuyi Oolongs from China Cha Dao}

Experience buying from China Cha Dao: I responded to an offer on Steepster for free samples. Received exactly what was stated in the offer: fresh tea and very generous sample sizes. On their website on eBay they have a good variety of tea for reasonable prices.

Age of leaf: Stated as harvested in 2011. Received in mid-summer, brewed in fall 2011.

Packaging: small, clear bags with small label printed with the full name of the tea.

Appearance and aroma of dry leaf: leaf looks and smells basically the same as the rest of the Wuyi oolongs with the exception that many of the leaves are broken into smaller pieces.

Brewing guidelines: three 8-oz cups of water used, leaves loose in glass Bodum pot. Stevia added. _{(I went with one less cup than the four previous Wuyi oolongs in the series)}
…………….1st: 185, 2’
…………….2nd: 190, 3’
…………….3rd: near boiling, 5’
…………….4th: boiling, 6’

Aroma of tea liquor: smells a little different than the other Wuyi oolongs.

Color of tea liquor: like coffee.

Appearance and aroma of wet leaf: smells about the same as the other Wuyi oolongs, with a hint of caramel. Lots of little bits and pieces.

Flavor of tea liquor: fresh and roasted, with a tad of bitterness towards the end of the third cup of the first steeping. Had mild flavor in each cup on the forth steeping.

Value: Free 10-gram sample (Thank you Jerry Ma @ China Cha Dao tea on Ebay!). His regular tea is very reasonably priced, I judge ($7/125grams).

Overall: Although nothing really stands out about this oolong as compared to the others, it is tasty. The fact that the leaf is comprised of many more small broken pieces than all of the other Wuyi oolongs makes me question the quality of this one. Overall, this was an OK tasting Wuyi oolong as compared to the rest.

_{This review is for the caffeinated version normally sold only to restaurants}

Experience buying from The Tea Butler: Positive. I had several contacts with the owner, both via e-mail and over the phone, and he was very accommodating with an unusual request I had. Unfortunately, he is out of loose-leaf tea, and my understanding is that he does not plan to get any more to sell.

Age of leaf: unknown.

Packaging: the large box contained a large plastic bag with 50 one ounce iced tea bags.

Dry Leaf: this is one of the best smelling teas I have ever had. The room that the open box (after all the of the tea was removed) sat in had a wonderful tropical fragrance in it for months! The leaf within the large paper teabag is chopped, but seems to be decent quality (much better than the fannings size leaf in a standard teabag).

Brewing guidelines: glass ring Crate and Barrel pitcher capped with a tea saucer to keep the heat in, lots of Stevia.
………..1st: boiling (unwarmed pitcher), 4’
………..2nd: boiling (warmed pitcher), 8’
………..3rd: boiling (warmed pitcher), 15’

Aroma: Unbelievable! When brewed this tea produces a tropical-coconut smell that fills the entire kitchen. I love it!

Color of liquor: Standard black tea color: dark brown-red.

Flavor: It has a wonderful tropical flavor.

Value: I got this for a bargain price, but The Tea Butler doesn’t have any more of it, and H&S doesn’t list it on their website (although they list a caffeinated version). : (

Overall: This is probably my favorite iced tea. It is normally only sold to restaurants, but The Tea Butler was selling them to the public to liquidate his inventory. He no longer sells them, and I don’t know if you can get these anywhere else (I bought two big boxes of it—-yes, lots of it—-and would be happy to share some of it in a tea swap).

I make about a pitcher and a half on the first steeping, a pitcher on the second, and 2/3 a pitcher on the third. The first steeping clearly has the strongest flavor, but the second and third are also tasty! I drink the 1st steeping knowing it is fully caffeinated, and then treat the 2nd and 3rd steepings as basically decaffeinated (neither me nor my wife has had trouble sleeping after drinking the second of third steepings, so I imagine most of the caffeine is removed in the 1st four minute steeping). We also have the decaffeinated version (bought directly from H&S), and it basically tastes the same as this decaffeinated one. I have been drinking this daily since the summer, and plan to drink it daily all year round until it’s gone. I love this iced tea!

_{This is my 5th and final review in a series of six Skin Smart Beauty Tea Samples}

Experience buying from Tea Forté: Good. Website is very colorful and easy to navigate. Sent free samples after responding to an invitation on Steepster. Package came in reasonable amount of time. Other than sending my address, no e-mail or phone contact.

Age of leaf: Unknown. Steeped within weeks of receiving.

Packaging: Colorful: each tea came attached to a colorful paper backing labeled as a "Skin Smart” sampler. Each tea bag comes in standard tea bag packaging, with a picture of the flavors that the tea replicates prominently displayed on it. The tea bags themselves look like standard paper teabags with a small Tea Forté label and string attached to the bag by a staple.

Dry leaf in the bag: coconut, tropical, fun!

Brewing guidelines: in a ceramic cup with a touch of Stevia.
……………1st (and only): 170, 4’

Aroma: not anything strong or discernable.

Color of liquor: light honey color.

Flavor: It was hard to nail down the flavors, but I definitely tasted coconut in there. I have had a lychee scented/flavored tea once (and I have eaten the canned version of this fruit), and I think I tasted the lychee in it.

Value: I am grateful for the free sample (thank you Cindy at Tea Forté!), but their price on their website is more than I would be willing to pay if I purchased it.

Overall: This one was probably the most interesting flavor of the series. I am not certain that it had the best flavor, though. I liked the tropical flavor to it, and I liked that it was different than anything I have tasted before. On thing both my wife and I noticed (I also noticed this about the Honey Yuzu): it has a strange aftertaste, which felt like a dry sensation in my mouth, almost like a very gentle pull inward; it wasn’t strong, or unpleasant, it was simply unexpected; I don’t know if it’s due to it being a white tea, and so needing a little cooler temperature, or less steeping time, or what. Still, I did enjoy this tea.

A final note on the teabags in this series: to get the proper flavor they probably need to be steeped only once for at least 4 minutes (with the possible exception of the Lychee coconut, which may need shorter time).

_{This is my 4th review in a series of six Skin Smart Beauty Tea Samples}

Experience buying from Tea Forté: Good. Website is very colorful and easy to navigate. Sent free samples after responding to an invitation on Steepster. Package came in reasonable amount of time. Other than sending my address, no e-mail or phone contact.

Age of leaf: Unknown. Steeped within weeks of receiving.

Packaging: Colorful: each tea came attached to a colorful paper backing labeled as a "Skin Smart” sampler. Each tea bag comes in standard tea bag packaging, with a picture of the flavors that the tea replicates prominently displayed on it. The tea bags themselves look like standard paper teabags with a small Tea Forté label and string attached to the bag by a staple.

Dry leaf in the bag: Good, strong cinnamon smell.

Brewing guidelines: in a ceramic cup with a touch of Stevia.
……………1st (and only): Boiling, 4’

Aroma: cinnamon!

Color of liquor: honey color, tending toward red.

Flavor: Apple flavors come though, but the cinnamon flavor is stronger (yet, not overpowering).

Value: I am grateful for the free sample (thank you Cindy at Tea Forté!), but their price on their website is more than I would be willing to pay if I purchased it.

Overall: I really liked the cinnamon smell. And I did like the taste of both cinnamon and apple in the tea liquor. This was a little better tasting than the Honey Yuzu for me. This is a tea I could enjoy drinking.

_{This is the 3rd review in a series of six Skin Smart Beauty Tea Samples}

Experience buying from Tea Forté: Good. Website is very colorful and easy to navigate. Sent free samples after responding to an invitation on Steepster. Package came in reasonable amount of time. Other than sending my address, no e-mail or phone contact.

Age of leaf: Unknown. Steeped within weeks of receiving.

Packaging: Colorful: each tea came attached to a colorful paper backing labeled as a "Skin Smart” sampler. Each tea bag comes in standard tea bag packaging, with a picture of the flavors that the tea replicates prominently displayed on it. The tea bags themselves look like standard paper teabags with a small Tea Forté label and string attached to the bag by a staple.

Dry leaf: odd, but pleasant smell, like the smell of new clothes (cotton, perhaps from the bag itself?)

Brewing guidelines:
……………1st (and only): 182, 4’

Aroma: pleasant, but I can’t place it.

Color of liquor: honey colored!

Flavor: It has a very interesting and unusual flavor, with honey running around in there somewhere. I liked it.

Value: I am grateful for the free sample (thank you Cindy at Tea Forté!), but their price on their website is more than I would be willing to pay if I purchased it.

Overall: Although it was difficult for me to pin down the flavors, it was the best tasting teabag in this series so far. It may be that brewing it hotter and longer—than the first two teabags—-is in part what made the difference. This is a tea I would be open to drinking on occasion.

_{This is the 1st review in a series of six Skin Smart Beauty Tea Samples}

Experience buying from Tea Forté: Good. Website is very colorful and easy to navigate. Sent free samples after responding to an invitation on Steepster. Package came in reasonable amount of time. Other than sending my address, no e-mail or phone contact.

Age of leaf: Unknown. Steeped within weeks of receiving.

Packaging: Colorful: each tea came attached to a colorful paper backing labeled as a Skin Smart” sampler. Each tea bag comes in standard tea bag packaging—with a picture of the flavors that the tea replicates prominently displayed on it. The tea bags themselves look like standard paper bags with a small Tea Forté label and string attached to the bag by a staple.

Dry leaf: teabag smells minty, and when I first took it out of the packaging I got a faint whiff of some kind of chemical smell, like glue.

Brewing guidelines: in a ceramic cup with a touch of Stevia.
……..1st: 170, 2’
……..2nd: 185, 5’

Aroma: same minty smell as with the dry teabag, still with a little off aroma.

Color of liquor: Light copper color.

Flavor: minty, but overall bland tasting.

Value: Free sample (thank you Cindy at Tea Forté!), but their price on their website is more than I would be willing to pay if I purchased it.

Overall: _{Although I occasionally use teabags, I much prefer loose leaf; I invite you to keep this in mind for each of these reviews.} I was not at all impressed with this teabag. I have had many a teabag that was tasty (using similar parameters as I have above), but this was not one of them. Surprisingly, the second steeping had a little more flavor. It may be that these teabags need a higher temperature and a longer steep time than standard loose leaf green tea to get any appreciable flavor out of them.

_{This is the 2nd review in a series of six Skin Smart Beauty Tea Samples}

Experience buying from Tea Forté: Good. Website is very colorful and easy to navigate. Sent free samples after responding to an invitation on Steepster. Package came in reasonable amount of time. Other than sending my address, no e-mail or phone contact.

Age of leaf: Unknown. Steeped within weeks of receiving.

Packaging: Colorful: each tea came attached to a colorful paper backing labeled as a Skin Smart” sampler. Each tea bag comes in standard tea bag packaging—with a picture of the flavors that the tea replicates prominently displayed on it. The tea bags themselves look like standard paper bags with a small Tea Forté label and string attached to the bag by a staple.

Dry leaf: teabag smells like amaretto, and as with the Cucumber Mint teabag, when I first took it out of the packaging I got a faint whiff of some kind of chemical smell, like glue.

Brewing guidelines: in a ceramic cup with a touch of Stevia.
……..1st: 180, 3’
……..2nd: 190, 6’

Aroma: Mild cherry amaretto smell.

Color of liquor: Light copper color.

Flavor: very mild taste, like amaretto.

Value: Free sample (thank you Cindy at Tea Forté!), but their price on their website is more than I would be willing to pay if I purchased it.

Overall: _{Although I occasionally use teabags, I much prefer loose leaf; I invite you to keep this in mind for each of these reviews.} I was not at all impressed with this teabag. I have had many a teabag that was tasty (using similar parameters as I have above), but this was not one of them. The second steeping had even less flavor than the first. Although I didn’t, my wife liked this one better than the Cucumber Mint. Again, it may be that these teabags need a higher temperature and a longer steep time to get any appreciable flavor out of them. I plan to do just that with the next teabag in this series.

_{This is my 4th review in a series of six samples of Wuyi Oolongs from China Cha Dao}

Experience buying from China Cha Dao: I responded to an offer on Steepster for free samples. Received exactly what was stated in the offer: fresh tea and very generous sample sizes. On their website on eBay they have a good variety of tea for reasonable prices.

Age of leaf: Stated as harvested in 2011. Received mid-summer, brewed early fall 2011.

Packaging: small, clear bags with small label printed with the full name of the tea.

Dry leaf: looks and smells the same as the other Wuyi Oolongs teas in this series: long slender dark brown leaves with a roasted aroma that reminds me of the smell of burnt gunpowder from my cap gun when I was a child.

Brewing guidelines: four 8-oz cups of water used, leaves loose in glass Bodum pot. Stevia added. _{(I tried to keep the following guidelines as consistent as I could throughout the series)}
…………….1st: 185, … 2’ Good.
…………….2nd: 190, … 3’
…………….3rd: near boiling (un-warmed teapot), … 5’
…………….4th: boiling (un-warmed teapot), … 7’

Aroma: smells mildly roasted and a tad burnt.

Color of liquor: pretty much the same as the other Wuyi oolongs: medium brown—like a lightly roasted coffee.

Wet leaf: aroma is mild and pleasant. Most of the leaves were on top, the rest on the bottom of the pot during the first steeping; all were on the bottom for the remaining steepings. Most of the leaves and buds are whole, many are large, and there are a few broken pieces (probably due to transport and handling); they range in color from dark green, through brown, to very dark brown (almost black).

Flavor: roasted and a little sweet.

Value: Free 10-gram sample (Thank you Jerry Ma @ China Cha Dao tea on Ebay!). His regular tea is very reasonably priced, I judge ($7/125grams).

Overall: Like the other Wuyi Oolongs, I liked the second and third steepings the best. The flavor comes out more when it cools. This tea is touted as Special Grade, and yet I can’t tell the difference between this grade and the standard version of Da Hong Pao. Like the other version, it tastes rich, robust, fresh. It’s good, but to me it doesn’t set itself apart from the others in this series.

Experience buying from DeRen Tea http://steepster.com/places/2836-deren-tea-online-portola-california?visit=1354

Age of leaf: Advertised as early autumn 2011. Received samples late September. Brewed up a little over a week after I received it in mail.

Packaging: Samples: silver translucent bags with simple label.

Dry leaf: Smelled like a standard oolong, but with a powerful floral fragrance. Very long, thin, wiry looking leaves; dark, uneven coloring, with some green showing through.

Brewing guidelines: _{I decided to break with my traditional brewing techniques prompted by the brewing instructions for Dancongs on DeRen’s website. I also decided not to ‘wash’ it}
………1st : 190, 30”
………2nd: 185, 45”
………3rd: 190, 60”
………4th : 195, 75”
………5th : 185, 90”
………6th : Boiling, 2’

Aroma: very floral.

Color of liquor: light copper.

Wet leaf: very floral aroma; light green color, tinged with brown on many of the edges. Whole, big, beautiful leaves!

Flavor: Ranged from very floral to a well-balanced and nuanced oolong flavor.

Value: Sample was provided by DeRen Tea (Thank you Aaron!). This particular tea on their website is more than I am willing to pay for any oolong, but I am guessing it is still competitively priced for a Semi-Wild Yulan Dancong, as the rest of their tea is.

Overall: This tea has changed the way I view oolongs. I consider myself fairly new to this class of semi-oxidized teas. After having had a number of flower-scented teas (green, black, and oolong), I am discovering that I don’t particularly like them; to me, the scent—-and especially the flavor—-does not ‘belong’ in tea. And so on the first steeping of this tea, I was a little put off by the overpowering floral taste and aroma. But I liked the second steeping more, as it was less floral. Then the third, ah, the third. This is what changed my relationship with oolongs. The floral flavor was there, but I guess more as a supporting cast member, because it was also sweeter, and the overall flavor was like something I have never tasted before. That third cup was probably the best cup of oolong tea I have ever had. I think some underlying perception about oolongs has lain dormant inside my consciousness for awhile, and has finally surfaced. Don’t judge a tea by it’s first, or even its second infusion: wait at least until your tried the third! But wait, my guess is there are other oolongs, and Pu-erhs, that get better even later! Wow! I really enjoyed watching the leaves slowly change after each steeping, such that they were finally fully unfurled on the forth. The later steepings were not as flavorful, but surprisingly, the sixth had more flavor than the fifth! What an adventure in steeping and tasting. In summary, this tea is amazing.

Experience buying from DeRen Tea http://steepster.com/places/2836-deren-tea-online-portola-california?visit=1354

Age of leaf: Advertised as spring 2011. Received samples late September. Brewed up a couple of days after I received it in the mail.

Packaging: Samples: silver translucent bags with simple label.

Dry leaf: Looks as shown on website and like one other Bi Lo Chun I have tried. Smelled fresh, woodsy, and somewhat sweet.

Brewing guidelines: Loose in glass Bodum, Stevia added. Two and a half teaspoons of dry tea = two and a half eight-ounce cups of water (I brewed this up a little longer than I would for a standard green tea):
………1st: 165 (I was shooting for 170), 2’
………2nd: 170, 2’
………3rd: 175, 2’
………4th: 180, 2.5’

Aroma: Pleasant: standard fresh green tea smell.

Color of liquor: Very light yellow-green.

Wet leaf: Not uniform in color—-ranging from pale yellow to dark green—-but looked fresh and smelled sweet and slightly roasted.

Flavor: light, sweet, and very pleasant, with a slightly roasted note.

Value: Sample was provided by DeRen Tea (Thank you Aaron!). Tea on their website is competitively priced for fresh, standard Bi Lo Chun.

Overall: I was pleased with the flavor of this tea (it reminded me of a H&S version I had weeks before). To me Bi Lo Chun seems to exemplify freshness (somewhat similar to the taste of Anji Bancha, but not as strong). It held flavor through to the forth steeping, with a slight astringency coming through (most of the leaves were on the bottom beginning with the first steeping). With the right price, this is a tea I would seriously consider buying and having around.

Experience buying from DeRen Tea http://steepster.com/places/2836-deren-tea-online-portola-california?visit=1354

Age of leaf: Advertised as spring 2011. Received samples late September. Brewed it up not long after I received it in the mail.

Packaging: Samples: silver translucent bags with simple label.

Dry leaf: Mildly roasted scent, fresh, woodsy? Caramel color, with a few light brown colored leaves (reminded me somewhat of a Yunnan Gold—but not as fluffy and light).

Brewing guidelines: Loose in glass Bodum, Stevia added. Three teaspoons of dry tea = three eight-ounce cups of water. Used my standard red tea guidelines.
………1st : Temp -Two minutes off the boil, Steeping time – 2’
………2nd: One minute off the boil, 3’
………3rd: Boiling, 4’
………4th : Boiling, 6’

Aroma: Reminded me of the smell from a brewery: malty.

Color of liquor: light caramel color.

Wet leaf: Similar to liquor aroma; not smoky at all. Brown medium-size chopped leaves, with a few whole leaves and buds.

Flavor: I brew beer on occasion, and the taste of this tea reminds me of the taste in the unfermented beer product (called ‘wort’), a barley or grain-like taste, which I believe is called, ‘malty’. There was no smokiness what so ever in the taste. It held flavor up through the third and had little flavor on the forth steeping.

Value: Sample was provided by DeRen Tea (Thank you Aaron!). Tea on their website is competitively priced for fresh, red tea.

Overall: I was surprised by this tea. I was expecting lots of smokiness (I have had one other of this type of tea, called Strong Smoke Lapsang Souchong) and yet found none in the aroma, nor in the taste (I have it on authority just recently that not every Lapsang Souchong is smoky). This wasn’t bad; it just wasn’t what I was expecting. The tea itself was clearly fresh and tasty—it tasted like a quality red tea. I wouldn’t buy it if you’re looking for a smoky tea, but it is definitely a quality Chinese red tea.

_{(Backlogging)}

_{Based on two experiences: my wife’s and my own}

Experience buying from Tea Forte: Positive. Website is very colorful and easy to navigate. Sent free samples after responding to an invitation on Steepster. Package came in reasonable amount of time. Other than sending my address, no e-mail or phone contact.

Age of leaf: Unknown. Steeped within weeks of receiving.

Packaging: Creative: each tea came in a silver and somewhat transparent plastic bag with five smaller “Single Steeps” packs attached to a colorful paper backing describing each tea. The tiny tea foil packs themselves are the most colorful and most professional-looking tea packages I have ever seen—with a picture of the fruit that the tea replicates prominently displayed on it.

Dry leaf: smelled just like I remember Amaretto tasting!

Brewing guidelines: _{(package states 12 oz. I used closer to 16 oz.)} I used a metal basket strainer inside a ceramic 16 oz. Cup. Two steepings: 1st: boiling, 3mins. 2nd: boiling, 5 mins. (hours later). Small amount of Stevia added.

Aroma: smelled pretty much like the dry leaf, but not as strong.

Color of liquor: dark brown.

Wet leaf: << I can’t remember >> : (

Flavor: Like amaretto! A bit too strong, and possibly too tart.

Value: Free sample, but their price on their website is more than I would be willing to pay if I purchased it.

Overall: I have always liked the taste of amaretto, and it is fun to smell it and taste it in the tea, but that flavor overpowers everything else in the cup. Then again, it may not be designed to taste like a tea.

_{(Backlogging)}

_{Based on two experiences: my wife’s and my own}

Experience buying from Tea Forte: Positive. Website is very colorful and easy to navigate. Sent free samples after responding to an invitation on Steepster. Package came in reasonable amount of time. Other than sending my address, no e-mail or phone contact.
Age of leaf: Unknown. Steeped within weeks of receiving.

Packaging: Creative: each tea came in a silver and somewhat transparent plastic bag with five smaller “Single Steeps” packs attached to a colorful paper backing describing each tea. The tiny tea foil packs themselves are the most colorful and most professional-looking tea packages I have ever seen—with a picture of the fruit that the tea replicates prominently displayed on it.

Dry leaf: sweet smelling, reminiscent of lime and mint.

Brewing guidelines: _{(package states 12 oz. I used closer to 16 oz.)} I used a metal basket strainer inside a ceramic 16 oz. Cup. Two steepings: 1st: boiling, 3mins. 2nd: boiling, 5 mins. (the next day). Small amount of Stevia added.

Aroma: similar to dry leaf, but not as strong.

Color of liquor: brownish looking green.

Wet leaf: << I can’t remember >> : (

Flavor: Good. I did taste like a Mojito.

Value: Free sample, but their price on their website is more than I would be willing to pay if I purchased it.

Overall: We both enjoyed it. Like all the rest, it had some flavor on the second steeping, but not much. This was one of the most enjoyable of the five Single Steeps for us.

Experience buying from DeRen Tea http://steepster.com/places/2836-deren-tea-online-portola-california?visit=1354

Age of leaf: Advertised as spring 2011. Received samples late September. Brewed up the day after I received it in mail.

Packaging: Samples: silver translucent bags with simple label.

Dry leaf: smells carmel-ly. It looks as shown on website, like a standard Yunnan black tea: a mixture of light and dark brown curly leaves and buds.

Brewing guidelines: two 8-oz cups of water used, leaves loose in glass Bodum pot. Stevia added.
………1st: Temp – a few minutes off the boil, Steeping time – 2.5 minutes (Great, strong flavor)
………2nd: Boiling, 3.5 minutes (Still strong flavor)
………3rd: Boiling, 6 minutes (the next day) (Still good flavor)

Aroma: Pleasant: sweet and rich.

Color of liquor: Dark amber.

Wet leaf: A number of medium and small chopped pieces, but also quite a few nice buds and whole leaves; a consistent brown color throughout.

Flavor: Similar to one other Yunnan black I have had before, but possibly more flavorful. It has what I believe to be the characteristic Yunnan flavor, which I don’t know how to describe, other than it has what I believe is known as ‘a full body’ and a carmel-ly taste. It still had good flavor even on the third steeping; that is impressive.

Value: normally about $4/oz. I am not too familiar with the standard price of quality Chinese black teas, but I think this is fairly reasonable for the quality.

Overall: I do like this tea. I drank the first two steepings in the early evening—-which I normally don’t do—-and yet I don’t remember feeling jittery (as I commonly do when I drink more two cups or more of any red/black tea. Hmmmm That’s a bonus in my book!). I think I may be hooked on Yunnan blacks!

_{This is my third review in a series of six samples of Wuyi Oolongs from China Cha Dao}

_{Updated 10/12/12 after doing the third and forth steepings}

Experience buying from China Cha Dao: I responded to an offer on Steepster for free samples. Received exactly what was stated in the offer: fresh tea and very generous sample sizes. On their website on eBay they have a good variety of tea for reasonable prices.

Age of leaf: Stated as harvested in 2011. Received in mid-summer, brewed in very early fall 2011.

Packaging: small, clear bags with small label printed with the full name of the tea.

Dry leaf: slight roasted aroma, otherwise the same at the other Wuyi oolongs: long, slender, dark brown leaves. There were very few small broken pieces.

Brewing guidelines: four 8-oz cups of water used, leaves loose in glass Bodum pot. Stevia added. _{(I tried to keep the following guidelines as consistent as I could throughout the series)}
…………….1st : 190, 2’
…………….2nd: 198, 3’ (Over a week later, tea sitting, sealed, in fridge)
…………….3rd 195, 5’ (Same day as 2nd steeping)
…………….4th: 200, 7’ (Two days after 2nd and 3rd steepings)

Aroma: mildly roasted, with possibly a hint of caramel.

Color of liquor: pretty much the same as the other Wuyi oolongs: medium brown—like a lightly roasted coffee.

Wet leaf: aroma is slightly different than the others, milder, and slightly more pleasant. Half of the leaves were on top, half on the bottom of the pot during the first steeping. All were on the bottom for all of the remaining steepings. Most of the leaves/buds are whole, many are large, and they are a dark green color, where some have roasted edges on them, and there are a few brown leaves.

Flavor: sweet and mild, with a slightly roasted flavor.

Value: Free 10-gram sample (Thank you Jerry Ma @ China Cha Dao tea on Ebay!). His regular tea is very reasonably priced, I judge ($7/125grams).

Overall _{I consider myself a newbie when it comes to oolongs.} Based off of the first two steepings I didn’t see anything really notable about this tea other than the fact that there are very few broken pieces in the leaf—-leaves and buds are almost all whole—-and that it was a little sweeter tasting than the other two Wuyi oolongs I have tried. But the third steeping changed everything. I honestly don’t know what happened, but something did, and it tastes different, carmal-ly, like a Yunnan black. It’s good! It’s sweet, good, amazing. Since the flavor was so good on the third steeping, I decided to do a forth. Amazing, there is still good flavor in my cup! It’s good, mellowed from what it was on the 1st and 2nd steepings. Even the color is now mellowed to a clear rosy hue. I already composted the leaves, but I bet this could have easily stood up to at least a one more steeping! This is a tea I would definitely brew up and drink.

_{Based on two experiences: my wife’s and my own}

Experience buying from Tea Forte: Good. Website is very colorful and easy to navigate. Sent free samples after responding to an invitation on Steepster. Package came in reasonable amount of time. Other than sending my address, no e-mail or phone contact.

Age of leaf: Unknown. Steeped within a month or so of receiving.

Packaging: Creative: each tea came in a silver and somewhat transparent plastic bag with five smaller “Single Steeps” packs attached to a colorful paper backing describing each tea. The tiny tea foil packs themselves were the most colorful and most professional-looking tea packages I have ever seen—with a picture of the fruit that the tea replicates prominently displayed on it.

Dry leaf: Great scent: sweet and fruity, possibly with a piney smell?

Brewing guidelines: _{(package states 12 oz. I used closer to 16 oz.)} I used a metal basket strainer inside a ceramic 16 oz. Cup. Two steepings: 1st: boiling, 3mins. 2nd: boiling, 5 mins. (the next day). Small amount of Stevia added.

Aroma: This was hard for me to pin down; it was pleasant, though.

Color of liquor: a light, rosy, orange.

Wet leaf: sweet and pleasant.

Flavor: A sweet lime flavor, mixed in with some flavor I could not place, possibly mint. I liked it.

Value: Free sample, but their price on their website is more than I would be willing to pay if I purchased it.

Overall: The whole experience was enjoyable from when I opened the package and smelled the dried tea to the finishing flavor in the cup. Something fun to curl up with on a dark, cold night. If the price was right, I would consider buying it.

_{This is my second review in a series of six samples from China Cha Dao}

Experience buying from China Cha Dao: I responded to an offer on Steepster for free samples. Received exactly what was stated in the offer: fresh tea and very generous sample sizes. On their website on eBay they have a good variety of tea for reasonable prices.

Age of leaf: Stated as harvested in 2011. Received in mid-summer, brewed in very early fall 2011.

Packaging: small, clear bags with small label printed with the full name of the tea.

Dry leaf: similar roasted aroma to the Da Hong Pao I sampled previously, but not quite as strong; long, slender, dark brown leaves.

Brewing guidelines: four 8-oz cups of water used, leaves loose in glass Bodum pot. Stevia added. _{(I tried to keep the following guidelines as consistent as I could throughout the series)}
…………….1st : 195, 2’
…………….2nd: 195, 3’
…………….3rd: 190, 5’ (mild flavor, so no forth attempted)

Aroma: very mild, fresh and pleasant fragrance.

Color of liquor: light amber color.

Wet leaf: aroma is intense, almost harsh, but they also have a tiny hint of caramel? Leaves are dark green with a few small brown leaves here and there. Otherwise same appearance as the Da Hong Pao: lots of large leaves with a fair amount of smallish pieces that look chopped and a few stems. For this oolong, most of the leaves were on the bottom at the end of the first steeping, and all were on the bottom for the remaining steepings.

Flavor: tastes like most oolongs I have had, with a roasted flavor—-like coffee—-but much milder than the Da Hong Pao. A little more pleasant once it cooled a bit. On the second steeping, not as harsh, and not as coffee-like. I’m not certain, but it seems I am picking up a very faint hint of something fruity in the after-taste.

Value: Free 10-gram sample (Thank you Jerry Ma @ China Cha Dao tea on Ebay!). His regular tea is very reasonably priced, I judge ($7/125grams).

Overall _{(I consider myself a newbie when it comes to oolongs)} This on was not as interesting as the Da Hong Pao, but it was still an enjoyable oolong. I tried it chilled, mixed with some chilled passion fruit flavored black tea: the combination was quite interesting! This tea is not something I would buy and brew up, but I don’t mind drinking it.

_{This is my first review in a series of six samples from China Cha Dao}

Experience buying from China Cha Dao: I responded to an offer on Steepster for free samples. Received exactly what was stated in the offer: fresh tea and very generous sample sizes. On their website on eBay they have a good variety of tea for reasonable prices.

Age of leaf: Stated as 2011. Received in mid-summer, brewed in late summer 2011.

Packaging: small, clear bags with small label printed with the full name of the tea.

Dry leaf: long, slender, dark brown leaves. Slight scent, something burnt, like paper, gunpowder, or something (reminds me of the smell from my cap gun when I was a kid; wild!). I am guessing this is due to the roasting it goes through?

Brewing guidelines: loose in glass Bodum pot. Stevia added. _{(I wanted to start with shorter steeping times than the other reviewers to get a wider perspective—-range of flavor—-for this tea.)}
…………….1st: 195, 2’
…………….2nd: 200, 3’
…………….3rd: 212, 5’
…………….4th: 195, 6’

Aroma: rich, almost like coffee.

Color of liquor: medium brown, like a lightly roasted coffee.

Wet leaf: slightly different smell than the dry leaf, more pleasant, perhaps sweeter? Lots of large, very dark leaves, a fair amount of smallish pieces (chopped?), and a few stems. Some of the leaves are so dark they look almost burnt (due to the roasting?). Leaves on the top of the water with some hanging vertically during the 1st steeping, some hanging vertically, and some on bottom, during the 2nd, and all sitting on the bottom during the 3rd and 4th steepings.

Flavor: _{(I struggled with how to describe the flavor, and I finally settled on this description)} The taste is similar to the smell of the leaves, with a rich, roasted, robust flavor (the three R’s?!) reminding me of coffee. The third steeping tasted somewhat burnt (which I did not taste in the first or second steeping), but that was possibly because I used water that was too hot for it; I chalk that up as a learning experience: don’t steep this oolong in boiling water! Tasting it at room temperature, it tastes almost chocolaty. It held flavor all the way though to the fourth steeping (even at boiling!).

Value: Free 10-gram sample (Thank you Jerry Ma @ China Cha Dao tea on Ebay!). His regular tea is very reasonably priced, I judge ($7/125grams).

Overall: _{I am a newbie when it comes to oolongs (I’ve only had about three to four), so I invite you to read my review from that point of view. This may be the most challenging review I have written to date, trying to pin down the flavors and aromas.}
I like this tea! It gives me somewhat of a sense that I am drinking coffee, as seule771 has mentioned in her review (I like coffee, but my wife does not, and she does not like this tea either). There is something else about it that I like which is hard for me to put my finger on; I think it’s that it tastes fresh. There is nothing stale or off-putting about the flavor in this tea at all. Although it is rich and robust, it is nonetheless somewhat mild tasting, and still enjoyable (I don’t know if you can have rich, robust and mild in the same cup, but that’s the best way I can describe it for now!). There certainly seem to be subtle flavors stealthily swimming around in my cup that I am missing (as a few of the other reviews has eluded to), and that’s all the more reason for me to drink a tea like this: to discover the wonders hidden in this cuppa!

Experience buying from Tea Trekker http://steepster.com/places/2820-tea-trekker-online-northampton-massachusetts

Age of Leaf: Harvested spring 2010. Received spring 2011, brewed up summer/fall 2011.

Brewing Guidelines: I have brewed it four times so far: three times on its own, and once with another green tea (Specialteas Yunnan Silver Tips). I tried brewing it at both my standard green tea temperatures (170, 175, 180) and at my standard white tea temperatures (160, 165, 170). Each time was a full pot (six 8-ounce cups) in my glass Bodum with metal infuser/plunger. Stevia added.

Appearance and Aroma of Dry Leaf: Very large and fluffy (two TBS for each serving). In some ways it looks more like a mid-grade Bai Mu Dan white tea with its large multi-colored leaves—a mixture of whitish, light green, and dark green looking leaves. Smells somewhat like a black/red tea, thus it does not have that vegetal and sometimes sweet smell typical of a Chinese green tea.

Appearance and Aroma of Tea Liquor: amber colored, with a somewhat smoky aroma.

Appearance and Aroma of Wet leaf: The largest leaves of any green tea I have seen, yet. Even the buds are huge. A sight to see!

Blends well with: Specialteas Yunnan Silver Tips.

Flavor: The flavor profile is unusual for a green tea; in some ways it tastes similar to a black tea, especially on the later steepings. It is mildly smoky, and somewhat sweet, not astringent.

Value: Good. Sale price: $10 / 4 ounces. Normally: $14 / 4 ounces.

Overall: Since it undergoes light withering—warm air-dried—I am not sure it has the theanine content in a typical green tea (which is a big reason why I drink green tea).

I have had brewed up this tea at least four times so far (as of this writing). The first time I was a little disappointed in the flavor as I was expecting something like a more standard green tea flavor profile (using my standard green tea temperatures). The second time I recognized the similarities of the flavor to that of a black tea and opened myself up to the possibilities of a more complex flavor profile (again using my standard green tea temperatures). Now I have brewed it at least four times and I am really starting to like it (although, ironically, my wife is now decidedly against drinking it). Recently, I brewed it using my standard white tea temperatures, and it seemed to brew up a good tasting cup.

I have never experienced this kind of swing in how I experience a certain tea. Previously, I have been brewing it up and enjoying it on occasion. Now I that see this tea in a more favorable light I have been brewing it up more often. This change in how I experience a particular tea over time gives me hope that other teas I do not currently like may gift me with some hidden treasure at some later date!

This was my very first loose leaf tea.

I don’t have much to say about it (since I finished the tea over six months ago as of this writing ) other than I remember it not being as sweet as other versions of Dragon Well.

Strange, I just now realized I already wrote a review of this tea! Oh well, I will list my newest one first, and keep the original below for comparison purposes (why not?).

Experience buying from Seven Cups http://steepster.com/places/2824-seven-cups-online-tucson-arizona

BEGIN NEW review
I bought a 25 gram sample of this tea in April of 2011 and I just finished the last of it today (6/21/2012). I drank this off-and-on through out the year using my standard times and temperatures for oolongs, steeping it in various ceramic teapots; stevia was always added.

I have been getting at least four good steepings out of it (starting at near boiling at 45" and adding 30" and hotter water for each additional steeping). Now having had a number of them, I consider this a good quality Tie Guan Yin in terms of leaf, aroma, color and flavor. I have grown to appreciate them (I didn’t at first), and now I am beginning to explore the Taiwan High Mountain Oolongs (THMO) with the hopes that I will be able to tell the difference between the two (right now I can’t, having had many TGYs, and only two sessions of a THMO). Finishing this one off makes room for more new ones!

Since I have now had many TGYs, I am giving this a rating. (Although, now that I look at the name, it doesn’t sound like a TGY. Oh, well).
END NEW review

BEGIN old review
_{Note: This is my first of this type of ‘green’ oolong.}

Age of leaf: Harvested spring 2011. Brewed in late summer of that year.

Dry leaf: Small dark green semi-balled oolong. Looks and smells fresh.

Brewing guidelines: Glass Bodum pot; leaves freely floating. Four
8-ounce cups of water used. Stevia added to compliment flavor.
Steepings:
…….1st: 195, 1’
……………..2nd: 200, 1’45” - a little less water (about 3.5 cups)
……………..3rd: 202, 2’15” - a little less water (about 3.5 cups)

Aroma: Very strong osmanthus scent, which became milder in each steeping.

Color of liquor: Light golden color to begin with, then became lighter with each steeping.

Wet leaf: has a fresh green look to it, and it smells quite a bit different than the taste or aroma of the tea liquor—more like a green tea overlaid with a strong fragrance. A few stems, one or two leaves that are brown on the edges, but mostly whole, large, fresh looking leaves. Interestingly enough, some leaves have slightly serrated edges, and some do not, and some have more of a wrinkled look than others.

Flavor: Starts off with a strong flowery flavor, then it becomes less flowery, and more like the taste of a Dan Cong Oolong I have had before in later steepings.

Value: $3 for 25-gram sample. (Currently sold out)

Overall: The first steeping was too flowery for my tastes (but my wife really liked the aroma), as it reminds me somewhat of jasmine tea (which I did not like the one time I tried it). The second steeping was lighter in color, and both the osmanthus taste and aroma were muted; I enjoyed the flavor more, as it was not as flowery. On the third steeping there was very little flavor and no aroma. I think I will go with shorter steeping times next time in the hopes of getting at least three good steepings out of it (start at 30 seconds). It was a fun oolong to steep.
END old review