34 Tasting Notes
So, normally I love this tea. It’s one of my favorites. I don’t know if it’s because I’m sick and maybe my tastebuds are off, but somehow I taste artificial sugar in it today. It’s still great, but…weird.
Preparation
I bought two pounds of this tea a few months ago when Teavana discontinued it. It’s a pretty great Chinese green, and at such a steep discount, I couldn’t resist! It’s a strong green, vegetal but not too grassy. Tonight I’m just resteeping over and over in my yixing, getting hours and hours out of a handful of leaves. Very classic, although I definitely drink my green tea much stronger now than I did back in the day.
Preparation
Tastes sort of like a light pu-erh, or over brewed bai mudan, maybe. Overall, I’m not impressed. I think green oolongs are more my thing.
Preparation
Cara captures yet another character perfectly. Smooth, yet exciting. A promise of adventure, whether you like it or not.
The creamy earl grey moonlight is perfectly complemented by coconut. The rooibos barely comes out, but the lemon is there very lightly. All in all a great tea. I think my brewing on it could do with some tweaking.
Preparation
This evening, my head is feeling a little foggy. I need to sit down and relax a bit. I just got a shipment of tea from Adagio, so it seems like a perfect time to break that open! I got a sampler pack of a few different oolong teas. Oolong is a tea that I’ve tasted now and then, but never really bothered to sink into. So here we go! Starting with Tie kuan yin, the iron goddess of forgiveness and mercy.
First steep
This steep was light. It reminded me of the first steep of bai mudan in that it very, very light, with a hint of floral tones. It is slightly vegetal, like Chinese greens. There is a little more depth to it which I can tell I’m not uncovering, but mostly it is just very light. I enjoyed it, but I was not overly impressed. I’m definitely liking this better than some other oolongs I’ve had.
Second steep
And here is some of the depth and complexity the first steep hinted at. The scent is more what I have gotten from the oolongs I’ve tried in the past. A little more earthy than vegetal. I’m starting to detect some of the nutty textures. The floral aroma has toned down a bit, but I can still tell that it’s floating right beneath the surface. The first steep was smooth, and this one is even more so. It feels like I’m sipping the lightest velvet.
This oolong has been very warm and filling. Just two cups, and I don’t think I can drink anymore right now. I’ve enjoyed this. I think I will probably enjoy it even more in the future when I have a better idea of what to expect.
Preparation
With Weight-to-Go! this morning. A super fruity concoction, even keeping the sugar as low as reasonable. I’m really enjoying this – it’s a fantastic wake-up tea. Quite complex, and each sip is giving me a different mix of the fruit flavors. I think I’d like to do the same thing, but with a dash of Earl Grey? Hmm. Next time.