9 Tasting Notes
The sweet milkiness is coming through so intensely that it overwhelms every other flavor. This is a great oolong for beginners (my 13 year old sister absolutely loves it) but the leaves have very clearly been steamed with milk. This masks a lot of the delicate, natural flavors found in the leaves of pure high mountain Jing Xuan oolong, aka “real” milk oolong.
Flavors: Milk
Preparation
After having some bad experiences with Jasmine tea I decided to give it another shot by trying Samovar’s Jasmine Pearl. I thought the reason I disliked Jasmine tea was because I had yet to try well-made, fresh buds but in all honesty it wasn’t much better than other Jasmines I’ve tried. I think the problem is that the Jasmine flavour is so overwhelming it masks the subtleties of the underlying leaf. So while it was light and soft I still felt overwhelmed by a flowery, perfumey, sweetness that tasted slightly cheap. This may be subjective, but at least I realized that Jasmine tea isn’t really my thing.
Preparation
I’m floored by how luxurious this oolong is, it looks like I’ve found my new favorite! There aren’t enough adjectives to describe this tea. It has a full body taste that is smooth, milky, and sweet. The finish is buttery and soft.
I especially love how the aroma complements the taste, rather than masking or changing it. Be careful not to over-steep it so the milkiness doesn’t become overwhelming as it cools.
Preparation
Dear Peet’s: WHAT. What is this poison you’re calling tea? Its undrinkable!
They can’t say I didn’t give them a chance. Trying this tea made me feel like I was drinking melted candy with cheap perfume. The jasmine aroma was completely overwhelming and the taste was worse than Peet’s Matcha Latte. I barely made it through half a cup! Maybe they over-steeped it? We’ll see… I got an extra tea bag so I’ll try making it at home tomorrow.
Preparation
Scent: mmmm… chocolate! Unlike other chocolate teas I’ve tried the scent doesn’t remind me of liquid candy. It does smell pretty sweet though… the best way I can describe it is thin mint girl scout cookies with a dash of maple syrup.
Flavour: wow… this is incredible! They managed to balance the chocolate and peppermint perfectly so neither would be overwhelming. The chocolate flavour is dark rather than sweet (yum!), and the mint complements it with a fresh, cool aftertaste. One of my problems with chocolate teas is that they tend to be sickeningly sweet but Read My Lips is an exception, props to whoever came up with this concoction!
I can see myself drinking this black tea year round, especially when I get a craving for sweets. Looks like my tea cupboard has a new long term resident… I’m stocking up on this one!
Preparation
I got a new job the other day and decided to celebrate by treating myself to copious amounts of tea! I ADORE mate (can’t live without those stimulants!) but was worried that the artificially flavoring would make it cloyingly sweet.
Scent: Tootsie rolls + raspberry flavored cough syrup + maple syrup. Yuck… its not very appetizing. Every time I take a sip I’m expecting medicine. Luckily this mate tastes completely different than it smells!
Flavour: its pretty decent, but not the best mate or dessert tea I’ve had. I honestly expected it to be better because of the rave reviews I read. Its smooth, chocolatey and surprisingly thin, with an artificial almond aftertaste that coats your mouth for a while. This would make a good dessert mate though, I’ll try it next time I get the munchies! I can see myself craving this on a cold, rainy morning.
