Oh, man. Finding this buried in the very back of my cupboard was the tea drinker’s equivalent of striking gold. Practically untouched, this incredibly smooth and creamy puerh has remained hidden from me for over three years. That fourth short steep is glorious (thank you, tea gods).
And now it’s all gone.
At least my faith in delicious tea is restored (booo, rancid coconut rooibos infested cupboard).
Flavors: Bamboo, Cream, Mushrooms
I started my Steepster loose leaf adventure back in 2012. I can’t say I’m completely new anymore, but I still view oolong as a magical, extraterrestrial creature that unfurls in water.
Favourite Flavours/Ingredients:
-Vanilla, Maple, Caramel, Cream, Toffee, Nougat, Marzipan
-All Citrus: Lime, Grapefruit, Lemon, Bergamot, Orange, Yuzu
-Anise, but not licorice
-Ginger or Clove-forward chai
-Rosemary
-Grass/Marine/Vegetal/Nutty Green teas
-Florals: Rose, Lavender, Jasmine…
-Musky and/or Woody Incense-like stuff: Sandalwood, Frankincense, Eucalyptus
-Berries: Blackberry, Raspberry, Currants, Blueberry, Elderberry
-Bananas, and most fruits actually.
Less Preferred Flavours/Ingredients:
-Stevia and most sweetners
-Cinnamon-forward chai/blends
-Apple & Cranberries
-Mango pieces (love mango outside of tea though)
-Coconut pieces (as a sub/filler ingredient)
-Metallic or overly artificial teas
-Cocoa Nibs, 95% of the time.
Subjective Rating System 3.0:
90-100: My absolute favourite tea. I’ll impulsively buy in large quantities and hoard like a dragon.
85-89: A favourite tea. I’ll try to keep this one around when it’s practical.
76-84: A good tea, but not one I’m likely to order again.
70-75: Alright, but I may have a few problems with quality, consistency, ingredient chemistry and/or personal preferences.
50-69: Average to mediocre cup.
11-49: Varying levels of undrinkable tea. I don’t give a lot of these ratings out, since I tend to grab tea I know will appeal to me.
1-10: Nightmare tea from the chaos realms. This tea is the embodiment of the primordial swamp, the unholy abomination that is a chimera. It’s very gross and I’m almost positive it doesn’t exist.
BC, Canada
