Tea Trekker

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.

I think this is a pretty good tea. The first stepping is exceptional however the flavor really drops off in the additional steepings.

The second new jade oolong I’ve tried in the last few months. Very, very good first infusion. Looking forward to the next few, as they tend to get better and better.

Brewed this one as suggested. Bold flavor (the brand’s description as “steely” is quite appropriate) that held up over three steepings. Very nice.