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As a birthday gift, my husband signed me up for Golden Moon’s monthly tea club. I just received my first shipment, Honey Orchid. When I opened the tin, I couldn’t believe how BLACK the tea leaves were — and how large. They even have a sheen to them. They look like they are made of black silk. It’s hard to believe this isn’t a flavored tea.

I brewed some water and steeped the tea for 4 minutes (the card said 3 min. 30 sec., but I always like to go a little longer). I’m drinking it right now. I normally put a few packets of Stevia in just about everything, but this tea needs very little sweetener. For a tea with such black leaves, it doesn’t even taste like a “black” tea to me. It’s somewhere between a black and an oolong in its flavor profile. It has an almost biscuit-like, sweet note and I’m definitely getting the floral and honey flavors as well. It’s smooth and has a sweet aftertaste. Really a lovely tea – but if you’re looking for a hearty or robust black, this isn’t it. It’s kind of delicate. I’m looking forward to the next steeping already!

This tea is almost bursting with flavor, yet its flavor profile is still what I would call “delicate.” I know that seems like a contradiction in terms, but bear with me. It’s definitely an oolong — it has that toasty, sweet note you get in most oolongs — but it’s lighter than a Formosa oolong and not that far off from being a green tea; there’s a bit (but not a lot) of grassy, vegetal goodness in there as well. The color in the cup is yellow, similar to a green tea. It’s just a wonderful flavor; I’ve purchased this one several times, and it’s become a staple in my tea cabinet. It always delivers what I’m looking for when I want a light (but not weak) oolong that goes with just about anything. It’s great to serve with dessert, but also delicious with any type of Asian meal.

I’ve noticed a few reviews stating the tea is too weak. I suggest brewing it a bit longer. I think you need to brew it for at least three minutes; as for me, I always brew it for four minutes, at a slightly lower temperature than the label advises (the label says 194, I brew it at 180), to really bring out the flavors.

Smells better than it tastes. Not bad, but there are so many better flavored black teas out there. Harney’s Vanilla Comoro, decaf though it is, is superior to this.

I’m surprised this tea has such a low rating. I like this tea enough that I’ve purchased it twice since initially sampling it over a year ago. One thing to bear in mind with this tea is that it’s not delicate or fussy about steep times and temperatures, like a gyokuro, sencha, or so on. It’s an entirely different style of green tea. The leaves themselves are larger and more robust looking. The tea has a mellow flavor, but is not too delicate. It does not have richness or depth like a gyokuro. I love gyokuros; in fact they are my favorite green tea, but sometimes I want something a little less fussy, something requiring a bit less attention. Sometimes I just want a trustworthy, serviceable green tea, one that I can brew and drink while turning my mind to other matters. This one delivers. It is smooth and pleasant. I brew this at a higher temp than I do other green teas to help bring out the flavor. It blends well with other teas, particularly oolongs.

I was eager to try this based on the description of the notes. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any lotus, honey or sweetness from this blend; it was sort of dry, astringent and a little bitter, similar to some lower quality Darjeelings I’ve tried. It’s not a bad tea, but I don’t see myself buying this. I prefer black teas that are full bodied and rich/malty. This definitely is not. If you like more delicate and dry black teas, you may want to try this.

The first time I drank this, I thought it was kind of bitter. But that was back in the day before I was fully aware of the need to steep green tea at a lower temperature and for a shorter time. So I gave it another try today, about 2 minutes at 160. It turned out well, and was much better than another sencha I recently drank (whose name escapes me now). This one is not overly vegetal but has a smooth flavor. I have yet to try a repeat infusion but will update when I do.

When it comes to Japanese green tea, I still prefer the richer flavor of a gyokuro, but this sencha will be a good alternative.

Lovely fragrance — the orange blossom scent is almost overwhelming. In the cup, it retains an orange-y flavor but the oolong is there as well. A good, reasonably priced flavored oolong, and one I think would be great as an iced tea. However, I am beginning to realize that the natural flavor of oolong tea does not really need any help — it is enchanting on its own — so I may not repurchase this.

I’ve sampled several gyokuros, and so far this is my favorite. It has a depth of flavor some others seem to lack. It almost has a “chocolately,” dense sort of scent in the tin. I brew this at about 155 for two minutes only, otherwise it does turn bitter. But brewed properly, it yields a flavorful yet delicate, savory, vegetal cup. The price point of this gyokuro is more comfortable than some others I’ve found. In my experience, the second infusion is not as rich; the third is very good, then after that it loses flavor.

This is a very good choice for a strong black tea. For me, the two things that stand out most about this one are its beautiful coppery-red color and its smoothness. It is not the least bit bitter or astringent, even when slightly overbrewed. I love drinking this in the morning to help wake me up.

This is one of my favorite wintertime breakfast teas. It is rich and slightly chocolatey, but unlike many other “chocolate” teas I’ve tried, it lacks hazelnut, almond or minty flavors. It’s straight-up strong, robust breakfast tea with a hint of chocolate and a bit of “boozy” richness (this must be the whiskey flavoring). The other day I made this as a tea latte (half strong tea, half foamed milk) and it was incredibly good. I’m going to have to do that again soon — and I’m going to have to stock up on this while it’s still available. It’s one of TG’s seasonal teas.