89

Received this lovely Shu blend as a free sample again and I couldn’t be too disappointed at not getting a new tea to try because it’s such a delight. I’m already in love with it in the Rice Aroma blend (I grabbed 4oz). Given enough time, I may just fall in love with it on its own.

I’m putting it in that easy-smooth drinker category with Noble Mark and Special Dark- the two teas that taught me that shu puerh isn’t always disgusting and “fishy”. I still haven’t really ventured past them though.

On a side note, my five year old temp varient HB Pro Kettle is starting to leak from the water level gauge. When I went to buy a new one I noticed almost all of the brands have only 5-6 crappy temp settings now. I’ve become spoiled with my kettle’s versatility and lack of presumption when it comes to assigned tea type temps; we’ve brought two home so far and taken both back after deciding our leaking kettle is better. C’est la vie (looking for recs).

Steep Count: 2

Flavors: Berries, Brown Sugar, Camphor, Chocolate, Cream, Dark Chocolate, Earth, Milk, Mushrooms

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 30 sec

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Bio

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.

My favourites are teas like Milk Oolong, Silver Needle,and Japanese Sencha/Gyokuro, or fruity and floral flavoured ones. However, I generally enjoy ALL the teas, including a good old cup of Earl Grey or Breakfast blend.

FAVOURITE INGREDIENTS/NOTES:

DESSERT FLAVOURS
Vanilla, Maple, Caramel, Butterscotch, Cream, Toffee, Nougat, Marzipan, Butter

FRUIT & BERRIES
Citrus Fruits, Passionfruit, Banana, Pineapple, Melons, Blackberry, Raspberry, Currants, Elderberry, Persimmon, Rhubarb..

SPICES
Ginger, Turmeric, Clove-forward chai, Cardamom

AROMATIC & HERBACEOUS NOTES
Sandalwood, Frankincense, Juniper, Eucalyptus, Mints

FLORALS
Lavender, Jasmine, Rose, Lilac, Violet, etc.

VEGGIE/GRAIN NOTES
Spinach, Grass, Hay, Cucumber, Rice, Sweet Potato

Less Preferred Flavours/Ingredients:
Stevia, Apple, Cocoa Nib, Almond, Licorice, Cinnamon-forward blends, Chinese Sencha

Subjective Rating System:
I don’t give a lot of low ratings out, since a) I tend to grab tea I know will appeal to me, and b) I don’t have a lot of strong dislikes.

90-100: Favourites. The Desert Island Teas.
80-89: Loved teas. Possibly staple-worthy.
70-79: Good teas, but I’m less likely to repurchase. Minor quibbles.
60-69: Ok teas. Likely a few preference and/or quality issues.
50-59: Cup of meh. Will do in a pinch.
11-49: Varying levels of undrinkable tea.
1-10: Nightmare tea from the chaos realms. This tea is the embodiment of the primordial swamp, an unholy abomination. It’s very gross and I’m almost positive it doesn’t exist.

Location

BC, Canada

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