I found this sample while rooting through my tea. I have no idea how old it is and there is no date on it. I know it is much newer than the Bi Luo Chun I reviewed in the past and it seems completely different to me.

I chose this one because it was a favorite of my husband’s years ago. We are having a cheese plate and tea before bed so I made a tea that I know he likes.

The leaves are soft and fluffy, and a lovely fresh green. Instead of the very short steep recommended years ago, this one recommends 185F (up from 175F) and one to six minutes for time. The steeped tea is just full of little downy hairs that covered the leaves. Looking down into the pot, it almost looks like broth rather than tea.

My husband’s response was as I expected. “Wow, this is really good, this is a good one.” Pouring cup after cup and resteeping, he drank quite a lot of it. I told him it was one he had loved in the past, and broke the news to him that even with all the tea stashed here and there, we are low on the things he likes best, so oh dear I suppose I will have to order tea soon!

The first few years that I got this, it tasted heavily of oats and could have passed for plain Cheerios in a sniff test. This time, even after the food was all gone, I keep getting a fruity taste, even citrusy. There is a tiny hint of briskness, almost not noticeable. It is great tasting tea, it just isn’t tasting anything like what I remembered.

Bluegreen

Interesting. Wouldn’t cheese overpower the taste of tea, especially if it’s green? Or do you develop with time the ability to mentally separate them in your head?

ashmanra

It depends! This was a mild goat cheese. I love cheddar with black tea, though! The cheese makes the tea seem especially sweet and Golden Monkey is one of my favorites to pair with cheddars. Sometimes we pair with chocolate, sometimes we are simply having food and drinking tea. If the tea is brisk, the food can disguise that and you don’t really realize HOW astringent the tea was until the food is gone and you have another cup. Those teas I intentionally pair with a meal.

Teatotaler

I love tea and cheese. Second flush Darjeeling with a nice creamy Muenster is divine! Golden Monkey with cheddar sounds wonderful, ashmanra!
Bluegreen – Google tea and cheese pairings. Tea and cheese is a marriage made in heaven! :)

ashmanra

I am no cheese expert but I do love cheese! I just found out that a cheese we bought at a soecialty ahop out of town is now available at our Fresh Market! It is called Humboldt Fog and my husband and I both really loved it. It is great to find a cheese (or tea) that you both love equally.

Shanie O Maniac

Just to throw my two cents in, my parents received a six month subscription to a “Cheeses of the World” type monthly box, as a Christmas Present last year. They receive three cheeses of a specific type or locale every month, with this coming month being the last month. I have thoroughly enjoyed eating their gourmet cheese with various teas that I have brought over there. There was one I had, it was part of the “American” box, that I enjoyed with some Jasmine Silver Needle that was just lovely. Good stuff.

ashmanra

Shanie O Maniac: That sounds like amwonderful gift! Last night we had Humboldt Fog with Wenshan Baozhong. I would have gone with a dark oolong but husband prefers green.

Kittenna

Late to the party, but I’m going to have to look up tea and cheese pairings. I love cheese, but wine+cheese never worked for me because I generally dislike wine.

ashmanra

I am just glad you made it to the party! Black and Oolong teas are my favorites so far with cheese. Let us know if you find any magical combinations!

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Comments

Bluegreen

Interesting. Wouldn’t cheese overpower the taste of tea, especially if it’s green? Or do you develop with time the ability to mentally separate them in your head?

ashmanra

It depends! This was a mild goat cheese. I love cheddar with black tea, though! The cheese makes the tea seem especially sweet and Golden Monkey is one of my favorites to pair with cheddars. Sometimes we pair with chocolate, sometimes we are simply having food and drinking tea. If the tea is brisk, the food can disguise that and you don’t really realize HOW astringent the tea was until the food is gone and you have another cup. Those teas I intentionally pair with a meal.

Teatotaler

I love tea and cheese. Second flush Darjeeling with a nice creamy Muenster is divine! Golden Monkey with cheddar sounds wonderful, ashmanra!
Bluegreen – Google tea and cheese pairings. Tea and cheese is a marriage made in heaven! :)

ashmanra

I am no cheese expert but I do love cheese! I just found out that a cheese we bought at a soecialty ahop out of town is now available at our Fresh Market! It is called Humboldt Fog and my husband and I both really loved it. It is great to find a cheese (or tea) that you both love equally.

Shanie O Maniac

Just to throw my two cents in, my parents received a six month subscription to a “Cheeses of the World” type monthly box, as a Christmas Present last year. They receive three cheeses of a specific type or locale every month, with this coming month being the last month. I have thoroughly enjoyed eating their gourmet cheese with various teas that I have brought over there. There was one I had, it was part of the “American” box, that I enjoyed with some Jasmine Silver Needle that was just lovely. Good stuff.

ashmanra

Shanie O Maniac: That sounds like amwonderful gift! Last night we had Humboldt Fog with Wenshan Baozhong. I would have gone with a dark oolong but husband prefers green.

Kittenna

Late to the party, but I’m going to have to look up tea and cheese pairings. I love cheese, but wine+cheese never worked for me because I generally dislike wine.

ashmanra

I am just glad you made it to the party! Black and Oolong teas are my favorites so far with cheese. Let us know if you find any magical combinations!

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Bio

I am a music teacher, tutor, and former homeschool mom (25 years!) who started drinking loose leaf tea about fourteen years ago! My daughters and I have tea every day, and we are frequently joined by my students or friends for “tea time.” Now my hubby joins us, too. His tastes have evolved from Tetley with milk and sugar to mostly unadorned greens and oolongs.

We have learned so much history, geography, and culture in this journey.

My avatar is a mole in a teacup! Long story…

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North Carolina

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