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I will start by saying that although this is very good, it does not inspire me the way other oolongs do. It has a slightly vegetal aroma. I also detect butter and black pepper in the scent. The vegetal notes are also present in the taste, with a slight mineral quality…Potato and cinnamon are also floating around. Pleasing overall, but I generally enjoy more floral oolongs.

Thank you caile :D

So mad at myself for underleafing and not steeping this long enough.
Was still good, but I know it can be great!

Can I just start by saying that I thought it was ok to put our huge wood cutting board in the dishwasher, and that I was not trying to sabotage the board by doing so. It came out horribly warped and I had to order a new one because my boyfriend reacted as if I had killed his mother. Now I know.

Also, speaking of my boyfriend: he said if I let him buy a cold air intake and speed chip (whatever that is), I’m off the hook for all tea related purchases. Ever. I don’t think I’ve ever said yes so quickly in my life.

In other news, my baby girl is starting to stand on her own two feet with no assistance. Her teeth are also coming in and she says “Maman”. Where have I been these past 9 months???!!! Time is so precious.

So, I’m drinking this because I’m thirsty after drinking too much tea so this baby, iced with a bit of agave = sweet and sour iced tea deliciousness! I love that it tastes like sour juice.

Ablagard. Abloobleh. Schmoo.

Hold on, I need to recompose myself.

I knew from the start that this was going to be epic. As soon as I opened the bag I was taken aback by how strong this tea’s chocolate aroma is. Very malty as well. I’m drooling.

As I pour the liquid into my cup and smell the leaves, I want to cry a little. This smells exactly like thick chocolate cake and freshly baked bread. Gaaaww…

Fudge. This is like fudge in a cup. It’s malty with strong cocoa notes. I also detect wood, and something vaguely similar to tobacco. There is a slight bitterness at the end, but these flavours really make up for it. I feel like I’ve had actual chocolate that doesn’t compare to the chocolate notes of this tea.
Caile I love you for sharing this with me and I am SO grateful.

When I saw the H&S bag that caile sent me I wanted to let out a shriek of delight (read I shrieked like a belieber at a Justin Bieber concert). Yessssss!

When I opened the bag and all the caramel/vanilla/fruity/citrusvapors registered in my brain all I could do was just stand there with my eyes closed, nose buried in a bag of tea and let out a sigh of contentment and just stay like that for about a minute.

No one cares I don’t care about the dry leaf or the liquor , I just want to pour this tea down my face NOW! OoOooo roses and vanilla and bergamot and plums. I love you.

So yeah I kind of liked it.

Hmm…this is weird. Cinnamon, floral notes, a strange sweetness and ever so dreaded rooibos I did not expect. It’s not horribly bad, but I would not buy it. I’m glad I tried it though, because I was very intrigued by it. Thank you caile :D

The dry leaf is beautiful: short and fluffy with a rich golden colour. It gives off sweet potato, hay and corn. The liquor is almost the exact same colour as honey. My cup gives off a beautiful aroma of green beans, corn, and sweet potato. All the elements of the smell are present in the taste, with the addition of cocoa and malt. I have read that many people have picked up some spices as well, but I did not. It is a wonderful tea that I would definitely buy.

Thank you caile for the generous sample!

At first glance, I absolutely love the visual aspect of the dry leaf: long tightly twisted black leaves. The aroma of the dry leaf is very fruity, with an intense sweetness and strong notes of apricot. After 3 minutes of steeping, the liquor is a burnt orange, maybe a bit lighter, like an early fall maple leaf.

The scent that emanates from my cup is gorgeous. Notes of sweetened dry fruit, apples and malt. The flavor is all caramel, malt and apples cooked in brown sugar. There is a little something in there that reminds me of crepes, a hint of vanilla… No bitterness and an almost insignificant astringency. I could drink a bucketful of this.

The dry leaf has a black tea scent. I wish I could write something ultra poetic about the dry leaf scent, but I still have trouble picking up specific scents from a black dry leaf. This is oolong? Interesting. It smells like black tea. It looks like black tea…Hm…

The cup’s aroma is simply to die for. Sweet potato, raisins, a very rich sweetness that one would attribute to syrup. Is that a bit of mushroom there? Just a tiny tiny bit? Yes it is!

This tea is so thick! It’s smooth, velvety and thick. What oolong? All I’m tasting is…Huh. I couldn’t even say. Well that never happens. I can’t pinpoint specific flavours, but what I can say is: it’s good. Like REAL good. And I can’’t get over the texture of it. Also, I do not pick up any astringency, much less bitterness. It does leave me with a dry mouth however. About this being an oolong, I can maybe discern a slight aftertaste that one would associate to oolong, but for the rest, this tastes like a good black tea.

Imma resteep this real quick.
Maybe bring some more specific flavours out.

The dry leaf is reminiscent of apricots and shiny new leather. I mean that in the best possible way. The steeped leaves give off a strong smell of chocolate, malt, cream and a tiny hint of bergamot.

It’s a very good tea, sweet, very malty with a hint of wood. I wouldn’t say it is overly complex, or that I’m completely blown away by it, but I can see myself drinking it on a regular basis.