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A mellow black tea with moderate body, a sweet aftertaste (which reads more ‘fruit’ than ‘honey’ to me, but I’m splitting hairs here), and a lingering coolness in the mouth characteristic of Taiwanese black teas. I was surprised but pleased by a pine sap note that reminds me of zhengshan xiaozhong. I think the sweetness would be appreciated by both new and experienced black tea fans. Enjoyable either in a teapot or a thermos, but I advise leafing moderately heavy or else the flavor is rather thin.

I enjoyed how sweet the chrysanthemum version of this tea was and thought I would try out this one, but at this point I have to admit I just don’t care for osmanthus. It’s sweet, yes, but with a savory flavor that I always find off-putting in tea. Note to self to try the plain “Drunk on Red” without the flowers; the black tea base here is robust enough to be noticeable but definitely plays second fiddle to the osmanthus. The leaves are pretty and striking in appearance, very dark against bright yellow flowers, so this would make a nice gift for someone who likes flower teas.

I’ve been trying not to get too interested in high mountain oolongs because of the cost, but this one weakened my resolve :) The leaves open up quickly in the teapot, accompanied by a jasmine-like aroma, much more floral than the liquid tastes.
The most prominent tasting note for me is butter, almost too strong except that it’s balanced out by a floral and nutty aftertaste. Very different from my usual fare, but delicious, especially at this price.

This has become my go-to special occasion shou, I should probably order more. Worth leafing hard because the flavor is subtle but delicious: very little bitterness, some hazelnut-vanilla kind of sweetness. As promised, the texture is impressively thick and creamy. I think it’s often the texture that elevates a fancier shou above a cheap one. This tea makes for a great session in a small teapot but is washed-out and underwhelming in a thermos.

(drank in 2019) Maybe my storage was the problem, but I found this tea unpleasantly sour (and it attracted bugs to boot). I got some of the fruit and malt flavors that others have mentioned, but no chocolate notes.

A straightforward but rewarding tea, good for either a focused session or throwing in a thermos. Thick and bitter, but with a pleasant sweetness as well, like a bar of very dark chocolate. Very good for the price.

(drank in 2019) Has a “dry” flavor (think autumn leaves and dry wood, rather than mushrooms or wet soil) that I associate with Jingmai shou, with a cinnamon-like sweetness to it. Very well balanced and pleasant to drink, but neither flavor nor texture are particularly strong.

(drank in 2019) Very well-rounded, nice sweet and toasty flavor. The texture is the standout here: thick to the point of feeling chewy. Easy to steep, doesn’t demand attention, works well in a thermos. I could drink this all day.

Intensely floral and creamy scent which, despite the name, reminds me more of rosewater than of jasmine. Flavor is sweet and floral verging on overpowering, with a slight bitterness like lime peel. Texture is smooth and slightly oily. Well-priced for a dancong.

Starts off with a surprisingly intense marine flavor of kelp and seawater, later steeps are more sweet and less salty. Handles boiling water well.