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This tea is an enigma. The leaves are purple from anthocyanins, Butiki calls it an oolong, and while the leaves are shaped like oolong, the brewing recommendation is 170F. That’s considerably lower than usual for an oolong, almost as low temperature as some delicate green teas. I can say from experience that brewing it any warmer than this does make some bitterness emerge. The liquor color reminds me of plum wine, mostly peach or a subtle orange from the meat of the fruit, but with a slight rosy purple tinge from the dark purple flesh. This tea does not brew purple, but it is ever so slightly more pink or violet tinged than a usual oolong tea. The leaves are certainly a deep eggplant color.

The flavor seems plum as well, with subtle lingering notes of tangy red berries like raspberry and floral overtones. There’s an undertone of wood and green bean like you might expect from some Chinese green teas, but it is subtle and secondary to the sweet flavors. There’s a very subtle hint of cinnamon if you let the tea cool a bit.

Unfortunately, the taste overall is not quite as clean as it could be. It leaves a bit of a dry feeling in the mouth, though if you brew it lightly it isn’t overpowering.

EDIT: I have taken some more time getting to know this tea and developing a proper gongfu brewing method for it. It took a bit of experimenting, but I’ve found a good formula to be 2.5g per 100ml for 45 seconds at 170F. Add 15 seconds to repeated infusions. Going by this method, I was able to get MUCH fruitier and more floral notes out of this tea, barely any of the vegetal flavor. The sweet and mild woodiness was still there, reminding me of rooibos or honeybush. I’ve raised my rating of this tea quite a bit since the initial review because a lot of really unique and nice qualities have emerged since I figured out a good gongfu method. I would definitely recommend this tea to any tea enthusiast, as it is unique to try this purple-leafed tea. It really helps you explore the world of tea. My only qualm is that the ending notes of flavor just aren’t all that clean. They’re a bit dark, earthy and dry. It’s not a bad thing, per se, but not terribly common in high quality teas. To me a quality tea has a clean finish. Still, the front end flavors of this one are so lush that I find myself coming back for more.

I’m gonna keep this quick, as fruit flavored teas are not my thing:
Incredibly delicious coconut smell. The taste pairs wonderfully with the light floral of the pouchong. It’s really surprsing how well the two pair as I was sort of expecting the very strong coconut smell to overpower the tea. It leaves a really dry feeling in the mouth and throat after 5 infusions or so gongfu style. Otherwise, really nice light flavor with a generous amount of coconut that surprisingly seems like just the right amount.

This green tea is really interesting! At first the appearance of these dainty little curls reminded me of Bi Luo Chun, and after steeping it, I can say it continues to remind me of that tea in many ways. The first infusion has a very pleasant flavor with notes of green bean, artichoke, and a mellow sweetness… no bitterness at all here. There’s also hints of fresh mint or clove that actually leave a recurring coolness on the tongue. These become more obvious as the liquor cools down. The leaves themselves smell like green beans. The second steeping is a little less sweet. The third infusion is overall more mellow and more sweet than the second. There’s just a hint of dryness at the end, but only by the third infusion.

This tea seems to have a lot of lower reviews than I expected. Make sure when you brew this tea you don’t exceed 80C/176F water temperature or it will become bitter. As for amount and time, I used 2 grames per 100ml in a gaiwan and brewed for 1 minute, adding 15 seconds to each additional infusion. Brewing with the lid off will really help keep this delicate tea from overheating and tasting poor. Really, you probably shouldn’t exceed 1 minute regardless of whether you are brewing this gongfu style or western style. This tea has a lot to offer in a light infusion.

Roasty and nutty with hints of baked sweet bread and caramel. This houjicha is rather mild, smooth and agreeable. The empty teacup after drinking smells like waldorf salad (weird, I know, but that’s what comes to mind, and I like it), while the brewed leaves smell like nori. My first experience with houjicha (a different brand) was kind of terrible, ended up tasting like coffee, despite having followed the brewing instructions that came with it. I have done a little research and honed my skill for brewing it this time around and I find that this produces quite a nice tea.

This tea is wonderful! It’s very green and vegetal tasting, yet very light, with an almost clear liquor. It is also incredibly sweet for a green tea, and has a creamy, velvety mouthfeel. There’s a very light aftertaste of orange if you smack your tongue.

By the second steeping there is a more distinct vegetal flavor, taking on the flavor of green beans. The sweetness is still very rich. There is absolutely no astringency or dryness to this tea. It is ever so slightly nutty. The third steeping is similar to the second, but with less sweetness and more nutty and vegetal flavor.

Cool stuff, definitely on par for one of China’s 10 famous teas.

There’s a nice juicy onset of grape on the tongue at first taste, which is underscored by a peppery quality and faint notes of cardamom. There are even some slight notes of melon. The finish is lightly astringent but wet feeling, not dry, which is pleasant.

There’s not a lot I can say about this except that it was a pleasantly surprising Darjeeling. I don’t profess to really be a huge seeker of black teas, so I usually go in thinking “I need warmth and caffeine.” When the flavor accompanying the brew is more complex than I expect, I’m charmed. This is nice. Not my cup of tea, but nice.

This is the best lavender tea I’ve had! Really wonderful. The lavender pairs so well with the sencha, giving it this rich, brothy vegetal undertone that is still quite light and pairs so well with the gentle lavender floral notes that leave a minty tingle on your tongue. There are slight citrus notes as well and a bit of honey sweetness. I got a sample of this from a friend, and decided to drink it on a night I was feeling really restless and in need of some calming of the nerves. This really helped. I will definitely be getting more of this tea someday.

I got this tea as a free sample from Berylleb, who is a wonderful eBay seller. I was hooked and have had to come back for more on numerous occasions! This tea is unique! It’s a Jin Xuan cultivar grown on Mt. Dong Ding, so you get that creamy milky flavor of Jin Xuan with some of the fruity flavors of a Dong Ding, likely from the terroir of Mt. Dong Ding.

This tea pulls you in with its enticing peaches and cream aroma. There are generous helpings of cream and fruit flavor throughout every steeping of this tea. In later steepings some subtle floral tones enter the scene. This tea is so creamy, light, smooth, fruity, buttery… and did I mention creamy? I have not had a milk oolong with as creamy of a flavor as this one. There are times I think I’m drinking a melted milkshake, it’s so wonderful. It’s like peache pie a la mode! And this tea is organic and unflavored, to boot! Wow!

I highly recommend this tea to anyone who likes light and sweet oolong. It is a favorite I constantly come back to and one of the teas I often use to introduce my friends to the world of Gongfu Cha and loose leaf teas. Everyone loves it and requests me to make it for them again!

For the perfect steeping, use 4.5g per 100 ml and steep for 45 seconds at 194F/90C. Add 15 seconds to each repeated infusion. After the fourth, start adding 30 seconds. You’ll get consistently milky and light steeps out of it this way and avoid the bitterness and overt floral that can escape from this tea if you don’t handle it properly.

This oolong has a light floral scent and the flavor is green, vegetal, slightly salty/tangy and floral.

I feel some difficulty in picking out specific notes, but the overall taste is rich while still remaining light. It’s a got a nice buttery green feel to it with just a hint of floral. Relaxing without being too heady. It has a Tie Guanyin feel to it but a little less green and more floral and light.

Let’s be honest, I LOVE oolong, and oolong like this Li Li Xiang is exactly why.

The initial aroma of the dry leaves is sweet and peachy with hints of vanilla and floral. The wet leaves smell of dessert with just such aromas. I used this funky little travel gaiwan I recently got on a whim. The appeal of this piece is that it requires no additional equipment and not really a gongfu table or mat either. It has a little dam built over the inner lip on one side with holes poked into it to hold the leaves back while the water pours through them and off the spout on the other side. The lid of the gaiwan is the cup you drink from and holds all the tea at once so you don’t have to worry about oversteeping. You do, however have to start pouring about 10-15 seconds before your infusion is over or you might oversteep. It takes a bit of time to strain the water through the leaves.

This is my first time really using this gaiwan, but it worked wonderfully for this tea. The first infusion smells floral and fruity and the taste is of vanilla, floral and peach or apricot. Lots and lots of hui gan (recurring cooling sensation).

Steeping number two has a more heady floral flavor with a bit of tanginess and undertones of apricot or peach and seriously, that hui gan is immense! It really lingers in your mouth.

The flavor profile or this oolong is really reminding me of the Shan Lin Xi that came out in an earlier month this year in Steepster Select, though where they differ is that this one seems a bit more fruity where the Shan Lin Xi is more foresty and floral. They both offer a surprisingly bright and light bouquet that is very spring-like. The fruity and creamy tones make me recall a Jin Xuan that I have that’s grown on Mt. Dong Ding.

Really this is a wonderful tea that seems to cover a middle ground between some of my favorite oolong. I really recommend it!