Daylon R Thomas Send Message

Thanks Evol! I am tired while writing this note. No reason other than my own fault for staying up reading books and watching A Series of Unfortunate Events. I am at least four notes behind lol. I put a small teaspoon in my tumbler and grandpa styled it. Surprised it was too strong. The butterscotch was tasty, but something didn’t sit right between the rum and the coconut for me. I have plenty left over so I can experiment with the ratios.

This is sooo good today. So buttery…

Thanks Evol! Brewing it up Gong Fu, and the first sip is mostly malty with a slight honey aftertaste. Nice body and texture with a little bit of a chocolate covered raisin thing going on, but I get malt, honey hints, and smooth texture more than anything else. Malty black tea overall. The same can be said for the later steeps. A little flat, but again thick and smooth in terms of texture. I did not enjoy this one as much as the other samples you gave me Evol, but it is not bad.

Damn, the chocolate notes and fig are coming nicely. This is a sad goodbye, and one in which I’m dangerously high on caffeine. I am having such a huge euphoria right now. I need to keep in mind to use less leaves if I ever drink this again ‘cause hot damn it’s smooth.

This is why it is so highly rated. I was happy with it before, but now I deeply enjoy it. The chocolate notes are super rich even into the later steeps. Sorry, tea snob vocab. IT IS A SMOOTH TEA THAT IS CREAMY AND ROASTY. I am so lucky to have another tea that is very close to this one ’cause damn I would be desperate if I did not have some. Talk about getting a quick fix. #caffeineaddictproblems.

Finishing off Andrews What the Heck Birthday Oolong. First time, it was a mess of dry, nutty pecan water, but this time, it was a floral, creamy and sweet oolong with a pecan taste along the lines of a Dong Ding. I would not be surprised if he used that for the base, maybe a jade or jin xuan, but more so on the Dong Dingy side. Oddly, it was very refreshing. Good oolong= a happy Daylon.

After begging to sample this from Evol, and so much waiting, I am trying it. I love me some longan fruit teas, and when Evol described it, I was hoping for it to be very similar to the Ailoashan from Whispering Pines, which was and is one of the most popular teas on this site, and is blended into the OTHER TWO most popular teas on this site. And yes, I read the other reviews hitting at the lychee, the rose, and the allusive cocoa note that Evol and others pick up on.

It definitely has a malty, dark chocolate body for a tea that is a little bitter, but bittersweet like dark chocolate. This would make a good pair for that kind of desert in the after noon. But the cocoa-chocolate thing was the background of the tea for me, and the longan fruit was the leading heady star. If I were to have tried this blind, I would have guessed this was a rose black tea. The lychee, which is pretty damn similar to a longan fruit, is more of an accent for me than anything else though I taste it. This cup is like someone decided to pour some cocoa in hot rose water. The rose makes me think of candy wax for what-ever reason because it is so sweet.

For the brew that made me babble this way, I more or less tried to Gong Fu it beginning at 20 sec, 30, 40, 45, and the current cup at a minute. The third cup was a tad bit too strong, so I splashed the smallest amount of milk and it was actually pretty nice because it off set the bitterness and helped push the rose taste along. I could probably get another cup for a longer steep, but since I have more left of the sample, I am not too worried. I am getting more rose and dryness towards the end with a continual smooth body.

As much as I enjoyed it, I am not sure that I would drink this often. A part of me liked it more with the splash of milk. Yes, I liked a tea more with milk. This was sweet enough for me personally to not add sugar because the longan fruit processing is VERY STRONG, but some might add a dip of sugar. Next time, I think I’ll use just a little less leaf, more water, and try it western to see if that smooths it out. I do recommend it, but essentially, this tea is a rosy black type of tea with some UMPH. If that is what you’re looking for, this would be a good stop along the way.

Used the right amount of leaves for the right time. Again, florals you would associate with luxury soaps, but this time, the florals were light and balanced with the snap pea green vegetal taste. I finally got a little bit more creaminess later on. I am glad to have some for today and some for later. Oddly, I can see this tea being just as good for the summer as it is right now in the winter. That’s what a good oolong can do anyway :) I do wonder how the Yu Lan Xiang compares.

Another review with pretty close notes to what I get: Butter, Fruity, Malt, and White Raisins. It also had the usual dry basil smell and taste that I associate with Darjeelings. I got two solid cups, and one third lighter cup western starting out at two minutes fifteen seconds, 6 oz of water, one medium teaspoon. I loved that this was a lighter black. Thanks Evol!

Impulse buy. I dig cocoa shells and cardamom, plus I’ve never had a coffee fruit tea. This is heavily marketed as a pick me up alternative from coffee and some teas, but mostly black coffee. Given the blend, I figured it might taste good, help with my cold, and was worth a shot.

The taste is not too bad, but it is way too close to the Smooth Move herbal tea with cocoa shells. Surprisingly enough, this tea is better for me to just let it sit at the bottom of a cup, thermo, or tumbler. I was able to get a tad bit more nuance from it. I like the cocoa shells, but since I did not add honey to it, the tea was a flatter herbal. I could definitely pick up on the cardamom, but it was sloshed a little into the elderberry and licorice root. The coffee fruit has a very light taste that you can barely tell is there. Cascara, or the shell, is like a cross between cherry and vanilla, but is very light and wispy as a flavor with very little sweetness. I will definitely try it again with some honey.

I did enjoy a few aspects of it: the energy it gave clarity and focus more than anything else. A few people on here can get that from certain oolongs, matcha’s, and white teas, but this one is really balanced. Think of the effect of gingko without the mega pump of circulation going into your head. The herbs were also noticeable enough to alert my senses with mild pleasure. So for me, this tea delivered on it’s market promise. I also like that it is almost impossible to over steep.

I personally think it would be better with some vanilla added to the mix to bring out the chocolate flavor more because the shells alone make the water cocoa-y and muddy. In my limited experience with blends, vanilla really brings out chocolate tastes. I might change my mind when I sweeten it, but my western pallet says otherwise when it comes to chocolate. The price is also a bit high for an herbal-$7.99 for a box of 10! I wonder how expensive sachets are… Despite my dismay, I have project fuel and study fuel for the next few days.

Sip down with my roommate. He likes it a little more than the last one. I still really like it. It is practically like a pineapple flavored tea blend though it’s all natural. Put this on my to go list with the Lapsang if I shop from this vendor.