Mark T. Wendell

I made two infusions of this tea earlier and I enjoyed it more this time around. I still didn’t find any of the sweet notes or have the brew change significantly from one infusion to the next, but since I wasn’t expecting those things I was able to appreciate the tea for what it is. A lightly toasty wood-like tea.

Alright, I’m finishing up the 4th infusion of this tea from last evening. The color is still fairly dark, although in the brown/honey stage now. I’m not getting a lot of bold flavor from the tea though. It could just be that I’m not quite awake yet. I mean, it doesn’t take like plain water but I’m not sure there is enough of a taste to justify making a 4th infusion again. Unfortunately, I never got a lot of variation between infusions. I will try this again on another day to see if I can pull more out of it. As for now, I feel like it is a good plain oolong, but I’m not so sure about the Extra Fancy part.

3rd infusion is still a bit on the toasted wood side but has a sweeter aftertaste. I’m fairly certain this will last for at least a couple more infusions as the strength has not diminished.

2nd infusion is like a lightly toasted wood in a good way. At least I think it is good. I have to say this plain oolong is much more interesting than the flavored ones I’ve had. I’m still not going to rate this as I’m waiting for some other flavors to shine through (sweetness? fruity? floral?)

Oh, as the leaves begin to unfurl they are really cute. They remind me of miniature fall leaves complete with a mixture of red, green, and brown hues.

Oooh, Extra Fancy, huh? Awesome! I believe this is the first plain dark oolong I’ve had so I am really excited to try this. The leaves were almost as pretty as Dawn’s, but were not as long. There were some awesome light gold/green pieces mixed in which made the mix look quite pretty for a plain tea. I’m not sure I got the water hot enough on this first attempt, but it is still pretty good. Very smooth and not at all astringent like I’ve experienced in the first 1-2 infusions of other oolongs. This is very drinkable plain and has a slight roasted scent (but not vegetal, thank goodness). Since this is plain, I wonder how many infusions it can take. I’m also curious as to how the flavor will morph over time – which is my favorite thing about oolongs. I won’t rate this tea quite yet, I want to see how it progresses and make sure that I use hot enough water from here on out.

I was just packaging up some tea swaps for fellow steepsters and thought I would sip on this while doing so.

This smells AWESOME.

If you like Pomegranate – check out this tea! It’s an intensely flavored green and is a pure delight! Fruity and sweet yet true to the green! YUM!

I’m always nervous with Spice Chais. Mostly because I think most companies over0due it on the spices! But I have to say this is terrific! Everything is perfectly even and you can still taste the black tea! Wonderful!

Where has this tea been all my life? Yes, the smoke is heavy, but it isn’t overpowering, and good wood and tea were used. This tastes like, erm, barbeque tea. Delicious!

Drinking this iced. Splendid stuff. Sort of the quintessential black iced tea: Crisp, bold, strong, vigorous and bracing. Ooh, la la.

Ok. This is really, and surprisingly, good. Yes, it is a CTC tea, and no, it isn’t fancy. But it is fresh, balanced, and well made. Wowsa.

Very nice, subtle and smooth rooibos. Refreshing.

This one has been on my shelf for a while forgotten for the moment. I usually drink black tea with a little sugar and no milk or cream. I tried another tea in the morning with half and half so I decided in the afternoon to give this a try with half and half. I found that I like it a lot better that way. It reminds me of a Russian Caravan type tea. It has that Lapsang Soochong slight smoky flavor. It is very smooth and with cream and sugar it was very enjoyable.

I have for many years been a big fan of Mark T. Wendell’s Hu-Kwa tea. So I decided to give this one a try. I loved it. The blend is excellent, with just a note of smokey Labsang Souchong, great for afternoons when you’d like a tea with some body but not as strong as Labsang Souchong. I also love it in the morning. This one is a permanent one in my collection.

Brewed up a delicious cup on this my favorite Lapsong Suchong tea. It has been my favorite for over 40 years. Many Lapasong Suchongs are too strong for many tea drinkers. This one is just right, strong, but subtle, all the notes come through. MTW is the only supplier that gets this quality from Formosa Island. It made my morning,

I have been buying this tea since the 1960’s and as far as I’m concerned it is the absolute best Lapsang Souchong tea there is. Over the years it has not deviated even slightly from its excellence. In comparison to other Lapsang Souchongs, many are far too strong and the tar taste is too intense. Hu-Kwa strikes the perfect balance with that wonderful smoky flavor and a hardy deep amber brew that warms your body and soul on a cold morning. This tea is simply the best…

I made a trip to my local health foods store and bought more of this assam tea. At 1.60 an ounce its cheap and also makes a very nice brisk full bodied cup of tea. I’m getting no bitterness and almost no astringency. This tea is not as harsh as some assam teas I have drank. Its a very smooth cup with a kick to wake you in the morning. I may buy a pound next time as the price drops to a buck an ounce. (I’m not sure why this is cheaper in Freeport than online, but it is.) This is one tea I can drink every morning with no regrets.

This is a very nice robust , brisk assam tea. It has no bitterness and only slight astringency. It has all the nuances of a good assam tea. The best thing about this fine tea is that it only cost me a buck sixty an ounce at the local health food store. That being said, It is no Mountain Malt, the tea that I will judge all assam teas by until I find a better one.

Revisiting this one before sending some to Mercuryhime…This is really lovely! a bit nutty and roasty but overall sweet and bouquet-like towards the end of the sip! YUM!

This rating is based on the tastes from a drastically over-infused attempt and may be altered or edited later.

I mistakenly stepped away from my tea as it was infusing and infused for at least 15-20 minutes! Oye!!! I will say this holds up nicely and is VERY forgiving! It even good over steeped! It’s earthy yet sweet!

This is ever so slightly scented green and the post infusion liquid color is very lightly colored yellow-green. I will say this is probably the sweetest green tea I have ever tasted or at least in recent memory. I think that is the highlight of this tea! The natural sweetness. I can get a little bit of the chestnut comparison but it’s not a nutty flavor, persay…well, maybe if you sip and hold the tea on the middle part of your tongue it’s a little (chest)nutty-esque. It’s earthy-sweet – more sweet than earth! I like it and it’s pleasant!

Randomly chose this one from my stash…it’s a goodie! YUM! I think I will move on to Matchas, whites, and flavored greens, and rooisbos(eseseses) – Rooibos-EYE??? LOL

Had some earlier today! YUM!

I over infused and it was much more smokey today. Still good but I just wanted to point that difference out since my last review. My rating is based purely on the fact that I like this for what it is…a smokey tea. This rating is a little different because the rating is so specific and for a specific reason…not just on my taste level. It serves a purpose…if that makes sense. It’s based on what I was looking for in a smokey tea specifically, I guess…WOOT!