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Thanks to Lindsay for this yummy tea!

I finally got around to trying it this morning. When I drink new oolongs, I like to be in a quiet place where I can focus on the tea. This has not been possible for a long while. :( But today! No obligations until afternoon and husband out for a 12 mile run (in 16 F weather!). I have plenty of time to savor a new oolong.

I opened the pouch and it smelled like honeyed leaves and sweet fruity nectar. Yum. The directions called for near boiling water, which I usually don’t do for oolongs. But I went ahead and followed directions. It’s always good to see how the tea sellers think the tea should taste.

The first steep yielded a lovely cup. The taste was lightly honey and more heavily leaf. Like an autumn forest. It’s not as smooth and syrupy as I’m used to for Honey Fragrance oolongs, probably because of that stronger roasty quality.

The second steep was more to expectation. Syrupy sweet with a supporting autumny background. It’s still roasty. The flavor is not so complex as others I’ve tried. This is more straight forward, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but not so interesting. The Honey Phoenix from Canton Tea, for example, had more lychee fruit and ripe peaches going on, while this one is more just honey and autumn.

In the following steeps, the honey flavor decreases and the roasty autumn leaf aroma becomes stronger. Very pleasant and relaxing.

While this is not my favorite Honey fragrance dancong, it is still pretty good. I normally don’t like dark oolongs, but dancongs are an exception. I’ve been focused on the honey fragrance ones, but I want to branch out and try different fragrances. I’m especially interested in the almond variety.

This oolong also has a bit of a caffeine kick. I’d say medium buzz. One more infusion and I’ll stick with caffeine free stuff for the rest of the day. :) And while I’ve still got some quiet time, I think I’ll curl up under the covers with a book and a puppy or two.

I had this cold brewed and it tastes a hundred times better. None of that funny strong hay aroma and earthiness. It’s pure delicious strawberry with a refreshing white tea background. I’ll be seeing more of this as a cold drink for sure! It would probably blend well with my cantaloupe bai mu dan. I’m raising the rating a lot just for the cold brewed experience. :)

Wow, Uniquity, thanks for the sample! This is good. It’s nutty and spicy and desserty. It’s got a weird hint of sourness, but it may be because I literally steeped it for 45 mins while I had dinner. I think it could use a bit of vanilla to smooth out the flavors and make it feel even more dessert like. A bit of rock sugar makes it special.

There is that woodiness that often accompanies a rooibos, but I’m really getting used to it. I pretty take it for granted, which allows me to enjoy the flavors on top. I glad I tried this tonight instead of the chai I was considering. :)
It would make a good liquid for cake or pudding or something. Or a cocktail. I’m sleepy. Good night Steepster!

I saw this displayed at my local grocery store. I’m a bit peeved at them for not having the holiday teas until after the holidays but better late than never. I was hoping for sugar cookie but there wasn’t any.

This needs a loooong steep to taste good. At 5 mins it was pure ginger. Medicinal. I left the bag in as I sipped and then the cinnamon came forward. Mmm cinnamon. Then a sweetness developed. Nice. Needs some other spices to be real gingerbread but this is ok. Not my favorite, but I’ll drink it.

Ok. So now I’ve had it hot and cold brewed. I must say, it’s much better cold brewed. Hot, it has a creaminess from the coconut and more spicy flavors. Cold brewed, the fruit punch flavor and almond notes come through clear and clean. It’s less rich but more intense.

In any case, I’m liking this less. Perhaps I have to be in the right mood for such intense flavors. I’m craving an oolong but it’s too late for that now. :(

Yum! This tea was great today! I steeped it at green tea temps and it was vanilla heaven. I couldn’t stop sipping on it. Half way through the cup, I added a bit of the rock sugar I purchased in Germany. The caramel flavor really popped! I think I like it both sweet and not sweet. Awesome!

In the future I’ll have to remember to use a lower steep temperature.

Mmmm…nummy. THis is perfect for when you’re in a mood for savory flavors. At first, the scent of the leaves confused me. Then I realized I was smelling nori. I love nori. This tea totally reminds me of a chinese pantry. Dried shrimp, dried shitakes, fermented soy products… all those things used in chinese cooking to add a punch of umami. Is umami even possible in tea leaves? Delicious. Slightly brothy and a hint of dryness on the tongue. Am I having soup?

Ok, let’s back pedal a bit and talk about the leaves and the steeping parameters. I was tickled to see how mini the little leaf pellets were in the pouch. Adorable! I was also surprised by the steeping instructions. Less than 30 seconds in 90 C? I’ve never seen a green calling for such a short steep. And the temp is a bit high for my usual greens, but since the directions were so specific, I figured they were worth following. I can’t imagine going for more than 30 seconds with this tea. The flavor is perfect at 29 seconds. I imagine it would get astringent if left longer, judging by the dryness already present. I love the care Teavivre shows toward their teas. Every variety is treated with respect.

I bet this could go a few more steeps too. I’m off for steep 2. :)

It tastes like real coconut! The nuttiness from the rooibos really adds to the experience here. The rooibos is pretty strong tasting though.

It’s a great dessert tea.

My brain is too tired to write extended reviews these days, but I know when tea is awesome. Take my word on it. :)

I’m so happy I finally got some of this tea! I’ve been eyeing it since foreeever! I was lucky to purchase a bag of this before it was sold out. It went pretty fast!

anywho, the tea is great! I love the dessert-y sugary scent and slight toasty rice scent is soooo mmmmmm. I’m wishing the toasted rice flavor is more prominent, but it’s yummy otherwise. The mouthfeel is thick and creamy. It’s savory and sweet and so freakin good. I should have ordered 2 pouches…but then I’d feel bad about depriving everyone else of this tea.

Steep two had only a hint of candy sweetness but it was still awesome.

I thought I would like this one but I don’t really. It’s probably because this tastes similar to a couple of other David’s Teas I tried and the other ones were better. This has the same bakery yellow cake flavor in Forever Nuts and Mulberry Magic, leaving me to feel like David isn’t being very original. The nuttiness is minimal and green tea tastes funky. Funky like wet tea leaves left over night and then brewed too hot. Except that I actually brewed at a lower temp with fresh dried leaves.

Husband liked it though so it’s alright. “mmm vanilla,” said he.

I’m glad I tried it! Only 3 more samples to go before I need to go back for more sample sizes! Research is hard work!