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This is one of the teas with a flavor profile that I used to refer to as “mushroom,” although it doesn’t exactly taste like a mushroom. I associate the smooth, slippery, heavy mouthfeel of it with mushrooms. Now that I have more experience with flavor profiles, I’ve come to learn that honey is at least one common denominator among all these “mushroom” teas.

It’s a flavor profile I really disliked in the beginning, but have slowly acquired a tase for. I especially appreciate it after long breaks from high-end teas. I usually prefer bold, astringent, and malty black teas. But every once in a while, its nice to change things up so that I can appreciate a sense of newness in the flavors I get too accustomed to.

Despite having been on Steepster for so many years, I have not developed the tea-conossier tasting sensitivity so many of you others have, so my reviews tend to be pretty basic (sorry!). What I can say for this tea is that it stands out from the crowd with its subtle minty finish.

I was in a hurry when I ordered this tea and did not realize it wasn’t the pyramid-bagged sencha that I usually get from Den’s. But no matter, I just wanted anything that tasted better than the store-bought green teas I have been drinking recently.

It doesn’t taste bad, but it hardly tastes like anything at all. I brewed it first for 1 minute per package instructions and wrote off the lack of flavor to short brew time. Tried it again for two, then three minutes.

It has a very subtle flavor that one might miss if they aren’t really focused on the tea while drinking. I think next time I will brew it two bags at a time and see if that helps.

I also ordered loose-leaf kukicha, so I have backup for when I really need a flavorful tea, but I have four boxes of this to get through because I ordered in bulk. Oh well!

UPDATE: I brewed another cup using two tea bags, a 5min steep, and water at 170F. There was more flavor, but still mild relative to what I’m used to.

This tea is so good!

Yet again, I’ve had a hiatus from serious tea. And also again, I have turned to Whispering Pines to break the hiatus. What can I say? I’m a sucker for inspirational names and tea stories. :p

It has been so long since I have used my Gaiwan, that it had collected debris, despite the lid being on it. I cleaned it out, threw some of this tea in without measuring, poured some water at 200F in and waited about a minute. I wasn’t being to particular about parameters. I was just desperate for some tasty tea! And my tea brewing skills have gotten rusty anyway.

But this tea survived my hasty technique and it tasted amazing. Like an ancient forest in the late afternoon. The first steep was bright, peppery maybe, woody, but with an air of secrets and mystery. I steeped it again for three minutes. The second steep was less bright, with a heavier mouth feel. Very smooth. I liked the first steep best, but next time I have this tea I will have to be more careful about parameters and give it the proper attention Brenden suggests! Stay tuned!

It has been such a long time since I have had any serious tea. You know, tea for the serious connoisseurs. A friend of mine recently started a small tea shop featuring witchy and fandom-themed teas. I’ve been exploring her blends lately in addition to trying to finish off a giant bag of sub-par sencha.

So anyway, my thoughts on this tea might be strongly biased by my long hiatus from serious teas. This is such a wonderful tea! It has a very creamy mouthfeel. I pick up the oat flavor right away with only a hint of sweetness that could easily be floral, but I don’t recognize it as such without going out of my way to think about it. I am a big fan of white tea in general, but I am also very very picky about it. My previous favorite white tea came from Whispering pines, but it doesn’t seem to be available anymore. Way to go Whispering pines for offering what might be my next favorite white tea!

My husband wanted a bag of Scottish Caramel Toffee puerh, so I decided to add a bag of this sencha to the order. I’m not a big fan of English Tea store teas. They are a good price, but it’s a “get what you pay for” kind of deal. I’ve gotten too spoiled with my tea options the past few years, so cheap tea is rarely my first choice. But, we are on a tight budget atm, I was placing the order anyway, and I was fresh out of green tea. So, I figured, what the heck?

It’s drinkable. I’ll definitely finish the bag. But it won’t be a repurchase. The flavor is oddly metallic. Theres a grassiness hiding in there, but the metallic flavor dominates.

This tea tastes like an herbal roasted oolong, though the base is green tea.
I’ve never had mugwort before, so I didn’t know what to expect for the flavor. Though I don’t know what mugwort is supposed to taste like, I think it is the dominant flavor. I definitely don’t get much jasmine or fennel coming through. I hear that mugwort can be bitter, so perhaps these other ingredients tame the bitterness, because its definitely not bitter.

It’s a pleasant, comforting tea. Maybe not one I’ll drink everyday, but I will be in the mood for it from time to time.

New tea, New tea!!!! I have been stuck in a rut lately, sticking to my favorites and not venturing out much anymore. Then I found this new line of teas with pagan, fantastical, and sometimes geeky themes and I had to try some!!

This tea tastes like a hearty cup of slightly sweetened oatmeal and no weird aftertaste. If you like bready/nutty teas, you need to try it!!

Very smooth green tea, barely any astringency. It has a kind of Japanese green essence about it without the smack-you-in-the-face (or rather, tongue) with GREENS!!! effect. But, then, thats exactly what I love about those Japanese greens. haha

Nevertheless, this tea is not bad per my standards. It manages to pull off the spirit of the Japanese umami without going all out vegetal. A good green for those who can’t handle the power of the green ;)

Admittedly, even I have overdone it with the heavy greens and needed a break – this would be a good choice when I want to tone it down a bit.

I haven’t been a fan of Sheng puerh in the past. But I also know that I haven’t come close to trying all that’s out there, so I still give it a try once in a while – when I’m feeling brave. So glad I did this time!

This is the best Sheng I’ve ever had. Perhaps I should specify, for anyone familiar with Kant, that it’s the most agreeable Sheng I’ve had. I am not expert enough of puerh to make a judgement as to how good it is ;) (Damn you grad school – messing up my simple thoughts…)

A perfect tea for autumn. I agree with previous reviews about the slightly over-steeped green flavor – but this tea totally works it. It tastes like an autumn forest. That’s the best way to describe it.
I recognize the usual characteristics of raw puerh that usually put me of, but in this particular tea, they are pleasant.

This is definitely a re-purchase for me!

I got this tea as a sample in my Republic of Tea catalog. I usually don’t try the samples because they rarely appeal to me, but this one seemed like it could be good.

It smelled alright after brewing – maybe not the greatest thing ever, but good enough. The first sip was overwhelmingly sweet. Not something I’d drink again, but I didn’t think it was too bad for the time being. A few more sips into it and all that sweet and funky flavor built up into a cup of nope. And that’s all I have to say about that.