658 Tasting Notes
Wow! This is really good. It’s the first darker oolong I’ve been so drawn to. Dry it smelled like dry wood (actually it reminded me of my grandmother’s wicker furniture), and the liquor came out quite dark so I was worried. But it’s really clean-tasting, with a hint of floral. Astringent but not at all bitter. Really smooth and pleasant. Also, the huge leathery leaves are really cool!
This is the first houjicha I’ve been able to say emphatically that I like. I am always intrigued by the roastiness but sometimes put off a little by how intense it is. This kukicha is very roasty, toasty, and earthy without tasting like dirt. It had a nice sweetness and mildness, even after a three-minute preliminary steep as suggested. I’ve decided what this tastes like is when you’re eating a walnut and some of the inner shell lining is still stuck to it. You know? It’s nutty and with a touch of that woody nut shell taste, but sweeter. I got a second infusion before spilling the leaves all over the sink, and it was much milder and even sweeter. I’ll have to try the Den’s version of this some time.
Finally getting around to my sample of this!
I’m only on my first infusion but should have time for one or two more here at work if everyone leaves me alone. The dry leaves smelled really verdant and grassy in the cute little sample bag. As it was steeping, the floral and buttery notes came out. The flavour mirrors that: this is sweet, buttery, and somewhere between floral and grassy. There’s also a slight toastiness. Very refreshing! Helping me wash down a piece of the peanut-butter-ice-cream-and-brownie-cake I made for the boyfriend’s birthday.
This smelled incredible, and fell only a little short in the taste department. I indeed should have added milk, but didn’t bother. There was a little bitterness which must have come from the green tea. Why is there green tea in this?
Anyway, this was a sweet and creamy tea. Very tasty but I found all the flavours blended into one another. Not necessarily a bad thing, but desserty teas like this are all starting to taste the same.
This was an interesting cup. Really rich, and very nutty thanks to the rooibos and rice. One of the nicer caramel teas I’ve had. Caramel flavour can tend to be either too thin or too sweet, but this is robust and tasty. I think it would resteep well but I didn’t get around to it.
