This was alright but not very exciting. I think it got a little over steeped (to go cup), so there was probably a bit more bitterness and astringency than there would normally be, but there’s also a strong charred, woody note that I’m just not that into, and that I find fairly common in oolongs.
Second steep is smoother and less astringent, but this still isn’t much to my taste.
Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Char, Roasted, Wood
I grew up drinking jasmine green tea with meals, but really fell in love with tea on a trip to Britain in elementary school. My first great love was Earl Grey, and I still adore it and all its variants.
I discovered the beauty of loose leaf tea much later, when, on impulse, I picked up a few teas that were on clearance at a home store. My introduction to loose leaf teas were Masala Chai and Provence Rooibos by the Metropolitan Tea Co and an unknown brand of kukicha and gyokuro (little did I know what a precious treasure I’d stumbled onto with that.)
At the time I was lucky to live in a place with multiple tea shops and several places to have afternoon tea, which is a delight I still miss.
Tea is part of my daily ritual and a nice, affordable way to appease the collector in me.
I enjoy distinctive whites, greens and oolongs, flavoured blacks, and herbals that are heavy on the citrus, lavender or mint.
Rating rubric, to give myself some consistency:
0-15 Yuck, not even drinkable.
16-30 Disappointing, not really inclined to give it a second try.
31-45 Disappointing, but maybe there’s potential? Worth one more try, prepped differently.
46-60 Mediocre, not terrible but not memorable.
61-75 Not bad. I’ll definitely finish what I have and might buy again.
76-90 Very enjoyable. Tasty, complex, it’ll keep me coming back.
91-100 BEST! I love everything about it and I will drink it forever.
Beyond tea, I’m a sex educator, polyamory activist, and radical queer. I love backwoods camping, abstract painting, baking & cooking, nail polish, cats, ceramic sculpture, and home nesting.
Winnipeg, MB, Canada
MMMMmmmmmm charred, woody note. Probably something I adore in oolongs! (But not bitterness and astringency.)