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86? 96!
I have this tea from… ehem… very long time, order was placed in May 2021. I tried it once, closed the bag with strong clipper and opened just once again when sending a sample to derk.

I have decided to fullfill ashmanra’s sipdown prompt — A tea for joyful solitude and meditation because this tea seems best to me for that prompt.

I decided to gongfu it this time, using 8 grams (a little overleafed maybe?) for my 125 ml gaiwan, which was full with leaf. When I infused the leaf for first time, the volume of leaf is half; however still very full gaiwan. So, I guess I never used whole volume of my gaiwan in this session.

I did in total 8 steeps, from 10 seconds long to 40 seconds, with very small increments and only the last one was the watery one.

In between I got very meadow like tea, with hints of herbals (thyme comes to mind), honey notes, a little astringency peeks out as well. The liquor is very viscous, as derk noticed, not much hay, but straw this time.

As of fruity notes, I can point out some stonefruits, however they aren’t much present. There is also yellow melon note a little bit.

I was drinking this tea while studying again, so not so much joyful, but for sure solitude. For those who do meditations, I believe this one could work for them as well. It has got some relaxing properties I assume.

Boys’ sauna is my new office tea, though I had it for a little while (but tried once at home only).

Oh well, this one is good! Sadly not for everyone, as it seems that TakeT uses for sauna teas smoky teas. But the base is probably some Chinese (Keemun) tea, as notice lovely choco notes? Also it is lightly smoky… not sure if from one tea, or it is a blend of base teas; and slighlty malty.

The flavour note is obviously also cocoa, as there are cocoa shells too. I don’t know which aroma they have used (sadly they say only aroma, without more description); but it wasn’t overpowered with any notes.

It was like a hot chocolate, with smoky twist.

Okay, this is very last tea from Devon’s advent calendar. It was funny 25 days with many interesting teas, new companies for me and 25 tea bag wrappers to my collection! Thank you so much Devon!

Okay, my wrapper says actually Key Lima Colada, so I wonder if there is a typo on the wrapper, or it is actually the name and mistake is here? Too busy to find out.

Anyway, it doesn’t smell good, the coconut is having slightly rancid smell; and there was a cheap cosmetics odour as well. Brewed it isn’t a winner either, it is a black tea (which is fine) with coconut taste, quite oily, but somehow smooth. No lime for me. Somehow strange in conclusion, and somehow not a fan… the lime is missing indeed.

Luckily, I have another lime fruit tea in front of me… with basil (and rooibos base); one of the teas from Romania.

Another chai but this time with rooibos base. My wrapper says Mint Apple Chai Redbush; but I assume it is very same. Thank you for this tea Devon!

Mostly because I don’t notice any mint at all. Apples are red variety, quite sweet and refreshing. I have been afraid of spicy element, however it is fine and actually it was like a peppery note, like in rose teas. Another spices were cardamom and sweet cinnamon.

It was fine, but nothing I would necessary keep in my cupboard.

Received a sample from Devon and somehow… I am not a fan (again!). I like EG, I don’t mind rooibos.

It tasted pretty much citrusy, but it was not bergamot. Rather lemon-orange. Rooibos was very, very woody, almost overpowering the citruses. Also some other notes, some say medicinal, decayed wood… and I am not sure. But it was a bit off.

Also, it does not last long as a aftertaste. I know I am somehow biased drinking EG by Birchall (which has got black tea base); but the flavour there lasts much longer. This was like a sip, wait five seconds, and it’s gone.

Very, very forgettable tea.

Nope.
It is very plain black tea with little fruity — generic red fruits, flavour. What a shame, because it smells (when dry); like a raspberry jam.

Thank you anyway Devon that I could try it.

Whew, what a weekend this was.

Well this one was hidden today in advent calendar from Devon ad honestly I have to say, I am not a fan of it.

Theoretically, I would like it. I like coconut as well the almond, however it’s somehow weird. Soapy, at least. It also tastes quite funky. Almonds and coconut are overpowering each other. I see now that Almond bark is another US confection. Also it has got some kind of fruity + dirty taste as others have mentioned.

An unopened pouch (with former name), which must be from December 2021, my last subscription month from B&B. As I don’t like coffee and I don’t drink it either, this prompt from ashmanra was a bit hard — Jan. 20 – a coffee flavored tea. I actually wasn’t sure if I had some coffee flavoured tea, but when searching tea for tea pot yesterday, I found this one. I was so puzzled, because unopened packages are very rare in my stash.

I am not surprised, that I am not a fan. It tastes like Venetian Tiramisu by Harney & Sons; but much weaker and more boring base — well the rooibos isn’t as potent as a hojicha.

Actually I am not tasting coffee much and it wasn’t creamy at all?! It was rather drying. Shame, as it smells nicely.

And last tea for today, prepared in family pot, was Shanlinxi by Bok by Leafhopper again. Thank you! My mother have asked if I can prepare some tea, of course I could; but when I have asked what kind of tea is she craving, I get a reply:“Some good one.” Well, I have mostly good ones!

Anyway, it is a little experiment on them, as I am not sure if I ever prepared pure oolong for them; preparing is a little tricky as well, as my basket strainer doesn’t fit well the pot and floats around; oolong leaves expand rapidly (which was watched with amazed faces by them)…

So, I naturally took a glass of this tea as well to try this out. It is very floral tea, with great mouthfeel, almost honey like with some herbal nuances.

There is some quality, which I can’t find out what is it, but it is telling me: “Well, this is a very good stuff.”

This tea I have received from Leafhopper, however it was sitting in my box of oolongs for a little while. Thank you!

And as we have no vintage years here, which would be highly useful, as there is 2012 and 2013 version; I decided to make a new entry. But it seems it is actually very same tea, just different harvest!

What is uncommon as well, is that when I was searching for this tea, Lochan Tea website leads to TeaSwan webshop. As it is direct link; I assume it is just vendor for them, but it is interesting putting TeaSwan branding on the teas though.

Last thing I want to write down before my experience is that I really liked the name from very first time I saw it. Rolling Thunder sounds a little tropical, a little like upcoming monsoon season in India or something like that.

And now to my experience. I have used 90°C water and all 3 grams for my 125 ml gaiwan, which I haven’t been filling fully. I think that I could add 100 ml each steep.

I made a several steeps, in total I think it could be around 6-8. I wasn’t counting them properly as I was studying for finals (held on 6th February). Also steeping times were various, between 20-80 seconds.

At first it was very pleasant, mouth-covering oolong with notes of stonefruits, mostly apricots and peaches, very straightforward, but certainly not boring; with grassy-mineral aftertaste, with meadow-floral aromas. With following steeps it started to be more floral in my opinion, with autumn-leaf notes too, a little like a white tea notes.

Then I did a several a bit longer… around minute long steeps and while those steeps were tasty and enjoyable, it was over rapidly and last steep was just a hot water with hints of leafy flavour. Maybe I over-brewed it fast and thus the tea went boiled away quickly. Also, my hopes for this tea were a bit higher, but afterall it’s Indian oolong, a region not so famous for this tea type.