Tea Trekker

I think I may have misbrewed this one. It had that pure-black tea taste that really only describes itself. The aroma in the package was that sweet tobacco, dried raisin smell, but when brewed it didn’t seem to have that flavor. It was tasty, and deserving of more attention than I gave it. It also had a hint of aluminum. Seriously, not just metallic flavor, but aluminum specifically. It wasn’t unpleasant (the aluminum), but I think it points to a misbrew rather than a fault with the tea.

This tea is a mixed bag for me. I didn’t taste any nutty flavor as other reviewers did. What I did taste was a buttery aftertaste with a very astringent flavor.

The astringency isn’t really pleasant, but it isn’t too bad either. It may turn some people off though. My wife definitely didn’t like it. It kind of reminds of the astringency of drinking a Darjeeling for example.

What is really odd is that the buttery taste seems to remind me of an orchid or green Oolong. Which is definitely good.

I’m torn between two flavors here….The astringency turns me off but the butteriness keeps me drinking.

I brewed this tea using the instructions. I brewed the first two infusions for two to three minutes at a temperature of around 175. I brewed the third time for 5 minutes with the same temperature.

I wouldn’t say I will never drink this tea again, but after this sample is done I definitely won’t buy anymore of this.

If you like the astringency of a black tea mixed with the buttery taste of a greener Oolong wrapped up in a green tea package this tea is for you.

I like this tea a lot. I don’t love this tea. I see this tea as a very high quality green tea with a subtle flavor to it.

To me the flavor seemed almost nutty, but it was very hard to notice. There wasn’t much in the way of vegetal flavor, and as Teafreak states this is a tea for someone with a very advanced palate who is able to realize the subtle flavor.

I wouldn’t go as far to say that I wouldn’t let a beginner to green tea try this tea, I would just rather them try something else with more flavor and sweetness first.

To me the flavor is nutty but yet sort of metallic in nature, not in a bad way, just the same as a lot of really fresh Chinese green tea in my opinion.

The tea could grow on me and I will definitely drink it again soon.

The directions on the bag stated to brew it with 1 heaping teaspoon per 6 oz of water. I chose to use 2 heaping teaspoons plus 3/4 of a teaspoon for 16 oz of water which is the customary amount of water I use when brewing so either my wife can have a cup or I can have two instead having to re-brew so quickly.

The first steep I did as the directions stated and steeped for two minutes. The second I steeped for three to three and a half minutes. The third I steeped for about 5. The tea doesn’t really hold up all that well to more than two steepings as far as I gather.

Another thing I want to note is that the leaves are really hairy. The hair is a really fine hair, so fine that when i took the teaspoon out of the bag the hairs were sticking to the spoon due to the static electricity. They reminded me of iron filings and when I smelled the tea I think i got some of the fine hairs in my nose…lol

I am in green tea mood lately. The description of this tea says that it has a sweet taste. They weren’t kidding. The taste is very hard to describe. The sweetness is there, It is an ethereal sweetness that you don’t really notice at first but the longer you leave it in your mouth the sweeter it becomes. It never becomes too heavy or even too sweet, at least on the first steep. It is just right.

The liquor is very light green. The tea gives you a sort of calming stress float away sensation, just as it should.

I brewed it for 2 minutes at roughly 175 F, using two heaping tablespoons just as it said to use.

In summary, I am not a green tea expert but this is one of the most elegant green teas I have ever tasted. It is light and airy with an ethereal sweetness to it that only gets better the longer you leave it in your mouth.

This is a solid entry in the category of black teas. I remember my first sip thinking “Ahh, now that’s what a good English tea should taste like” I would describe this tea as rich, dark, with a certain spice flavor to it – somewhere in the cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg range but woodier.

This tea enjoys some adornment from the milk and sweetener department, but personally I don’t find that it goes well with whiskey or rum.

I find this to be a perfectly satisfying midday tea that can be enjoyed in gulps (because dammit you’re tired and need a quick pick me up with a smile) or in sips (because you need that moment of you time).

A final note is that this was the first tea I’ve had that wasn’t grown in China, Taiwain, India, or Japan. If this is an example of what Kenya has to offer the tea-drinking world, then I am excited to explore Kenya’s other teas.

I recently reviewed “Tieguanyin Traditional-Style Traditionally-Grown” Oolong tea, as purchased from from the Tea Trekker store. In this instance I might suggest that you read that review to get a baseline.

This particular tea is similar enough in description, but all in all a better tea. It enjoys better results from multiple steepings, has a richer and more complex flavor. On the other hand it doesn’t seem to tolerate cooling in the mug very well – gets that dusty flavor – blech. Drink while warm to hot for best results!

What a wonderful tea!

In my opinion there are two ways of enjoying this tea, and both methods really deserve a little attention. The first is the more traditional method of steeping quickly and frequently. This method could be described as taking a long slow sip of a wonderfully complex cup of tea. It is best done with small tea cups, 6 oz. or smaller, so that it can be drunk while still hot to warm in temperature. Each cup, and I’ve made it up to ten steepings when I’ve had the luxury of time, offers a gentle progression of the tea’s green, earthy, flavor. I get the impression that I am drinking the tea from the tip of the leaf and through the plant all the way to the root. It progresses from a bright and leafy flavor to an earthy almost bark-like flavor.

The second method, while not traditional, has a lot to offer as well. Brew the tea for three minutes or so, still using the very warm but not boiling water. Watch the tea leaves color the water as they trade essences. Then enjoy a deeply complex play of both subtle and rich layers of flavor. Even using this method you can enjoy multiple steepings, but rather than a progression, I find that they flavor weakens.

Drinking this tea without adornment is my recommendation. This tea also makes a great iced-tea as well.

I would warn that in my experience this tea has a strong caffeine effect, and a long lasting one. While it isn’t as harsh (in that way) as coffee, this is a work horse of a tea. My suggestion, start your day with this tea, and keep it going with steepings throughout your day. This tea, he will be a very good companion to you!

Okay, this proves it. This is an amazing tea that really needs careful brewing. Exactly two minutes in very hot water. Let it cool a little bit, but then drink while still quite warm. Today I added whole milk and some sugar, and while they made it a sweet treat, I highly recommend that those of you interested in trying a Lapsang for the first time try this one, and brew as directed above. (and previously)

Low on sugar so I used maple syrup, perfect.

Be careful with this tea! I say this because I found that I must very carefully stress-test (as my engineer friends tell me) this tea to find the optimal brewing time. Use a near to boiling water and test steeping times every thirty seconds until you hit about four minutes as each variety of the Lapsang will differ wildly in its tolerance of steeping time. I have seen as much as a three minute variance. That being said when the flavor of the tea and the charcoal combine just so, the tea becomes something quite magical. This is a perfect winter tea, in fact it has become my tradition to celebrate the coming of winter with this tea. Enjoy this tea after being out in the cold.

The flavor is smokey, charcoal, but also woody, almost meaty (yes, as in red meat), and some times you can get a hint of piney goodness. If brewed too quickly it just tastes like ash, and if brewed too long it becomes acrid, dusty, and just disgusting. Also, drink this tea while it is still hot to warm. Letting it cool can make it bitter.

This tea does go well by itself, but it also benefits from a small amount of sweetener (sugar, honey, maple syrup) and milk (but not cream in my opinion). This tea does not work well in the therapeutic use of a “Hot Toddy” because it will leave a sore throat scratchy, but it can be enjoyed with whiskey. As you will often find this tea mixed with others in blends at your local tea store, I recommend mixing a small amount of it with a bright flora tea (like an Assam), or with an Earl Grey (especially if the Earl Grey’s bergamot is a little on the aggressive side)

This morning the tea seems a bit heartier than I remember it. Perhaps I used a little more leaf tan usual. I detect a flavor that is not unlike the scent of freshly sawed wood, and I mean that in the most pleasant of ways. Perhaps that goes in the “tannin” category?

This is a great standard black tea for all purposes. It is bright, floral, and fairly hard to misbrew. In my experience this tea tolerates a wide range of temperatures, and steeping time. It tastes fine by itself, but can be enjoyed with a little sweetener, milk, cream, and even a touch of whiskey or rum.

This tea is a very good black tea. It has the typical muscatel aroma and flavor. The key to enjoying this tea is to not over brew it or it becomes very astringent and somewhat bitter. I brew the tea using 2 heaping teaspoons per 16 oz of water and increase the steeping by 2-3 minutes each time at around 190F.

This tea borders on black tea. It has a distinct slightly coffee like flavor, but is not as harsh on coffee. It does have a bit of a bitter finish, but nothing that I cant stand. If you like your oolongs dark this is the tea to try.

Buddha’s Tea by Tea Trekker is a fantastic tea. It has beautiful long needle-like tea leaves that dance as you brew the leaves. The taste has a very refreshing, sweet taste, similar to what you might find in a dragonwell but with a slightly less nutty taste.

This tea is a very good, and as the description says it is really hard to over steep it. It is less oxidized than most oolongs, at only 30-40 percent and it has a sort of golden buttery flavor. I tend to use a tablespoon per each 8 oz because I like my tea a bit stronger. A teaspoon just doesn’t give me enough flavor.

I have to say that this is one of my favorite teas. The mug has a slightly floral smell once the tea is drank. This is a very good tea which reminds me of the bagged black tea with milk which my mom used to make for me when i had a stomach ache as a kid(and yes I know this far from black tea).

Oh clear and fragrant Tieguanyin. How do I love thee? Your taste is a mixture of buttery and creamy with a hint of nutty goodness. You unfurl more and more with each passing steeping revealing the red tinged tips of your carefully processed leaves. Your aroma is very slightly flowery when brewed and even more flowery before you are steeped. You are the perfect tea for making into an everyday oolong tea. You do not let me down with each passing infusion, as you still taste great every time.

I brew this tea at 180F for three minutes the first time then increase the subsequent time of each steeping by two minutes. I also tend to like my teas stronger so I use 1 heaping tablespoon per 8 ounces of water.

I honestly do think this is one of the greatest oolongs Ive tasted. When you taste the rich buttery flavor of the infusion I think you will definitely agree. This is a bit more floral than the traditional style tieguanyin.

This tea is great. It has all the freshness and taste of a steamed green tea but without the grassy notes. The liquor is very pale in color, almost white.

The tea makes the lightest brew that I have ever seen! It has a very subtle, sweet taste that is delicious for those who have an advanced palette, but I wouldn’t recommend this for those who are new to green tea.

This is a very delicate and delicious tea, but unfortunately it can only be steeped about 3 times effectively before is losses quite a bit of flavor.

I really enjoy this yellow tea. A great way to relax and de-stress.

This tea has a very light, nutty flavor that is very smooth and delicate. Yellow tea is processed in a way that allows the tea leaves to reabsorb lost flavor, and you can definitely taste that in this tea.

This is a pretty good tea with a earthy, grassy taste to it

This tea has a nice bold, nutty taste to it.