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Malt is one thing that never comes to mind with oxidized red oolong but here, I can agree with the description as well as Martin’s. He describes that dark sweetness as beer-like — a dark Munich malt — and I think that’s spot on. It’s as well a floral tea, being of the Four Season’s cultivar, but I can’t tell what type of flowers. Maybe something more in the wildflower realm, almost like chamomile with it’s apple taste. Subdued citrus and a floral red fruit like hawthorn. Other, more distinct notes are comprised of autumn leaves and old wood furniture. It’s well balanced like its green counterpart, Ji Long, and very easy to drink. This made for a mellow daily drinker bowl tea at work.

Thanks again, Martin!

While not my preferred cultivar, this green oolong is the best example I’ve had of Four Seasons. It is a potent, heady bouquet of narcotic flowers but well balanced by soft vegetal and fruity pineapple tones. Performed very well as bowl tea and with water off-boil. Smooth with a lingering sweet aftertaste and some nice floral bittersweetness that sneaks in if left to sit.

For somebody that’s a fan of floral forward oolong, this tea would be a treat.

Thanks for sharing, Martin!

If Vietnamese red teas are too strong and rustic for you, consider this oolong. It has a very similar taste profile without the harsh stomach. A beautiful tea, silky smooth with strong wet rock minerality and a slight rasp on the tongue. Alluring character that evokes damp smoke and tobacco notes weaving through a pristine high mountain clouded forest. This tea manages to capture citrus, red fruits, osmanthus, leather, cocoa and tobacco in equal parts. It also has a strong calming effect.

Thanks for sharing, Martin!

Oh wow. That’s good. Better than the cocoa nib buckwheat tea? Maybe so.

Thanks, g. I needed this.

<3

Random office find of unknown age, packaged in an open-to-the elements paper envelope.

Green tea fannings. That was gross. Dumped.

Had at Pete’s Henny Penny with pancakes, bacon and eggs for dinner.

Plain was fine. Adding a bit of half & half and honey drowned the spices so that it tasted mostly of “tea”. As an American diner chai tea had with breakfast-for-dinner with my loved one during a winter’s night windstorm, I have no complaints.

I got a BIG bag of this from a friend who got it in San Francisco’s Japantown. The amount of tea intimidated me, so I offloaded most of it to ashmanra and distributed half the remainder to other tea drinkers.

It’s exactly as Cameron B describes ( https://steepster.com/CameronB/posts/435684 ) and really pleasant to drink. Tonight’s sipdown was brewed in the big glass pot for 3 of us in the house. I paired it with a small white chocolate peanut butter cup. The tea is also rich and nutty but the slight astringency of the tea absolutely complemented the richness of my dessert. I like the charcoal taste here — the tea is roasted skillfully and has a nice, smooth roasted flavor.

This has a richer flavor brewed in a small clay pot and can be steeped again. It does equally well with the recommend 90C as with 100C.

Now I wish I had kept more of this houjicha for myself :$

Random office find. Guh. I love peppermint! Especially this clean, sweet and strong kind. No mustiness or scratchy throat here.

Freebie with my last order – thank you!

Smooth and sweet with rich, warm tones that are light and sparkling. With such a strong fragrance, I can overlook the lack of depth in the mouthfeel. It is a very easy drinker. I feel a soothing mix of cassia and cypress in the throat but without the sharpness of the former. Resteep is good.