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Didn’t have any expectations going in- just thought it looked interesting and ordered a sample. It is a bit different; in a good way. Normally I don’t like teas that are too subtle, but this one I don’t mind. It looks like Franken-tea when you first open the package….and it’s difficult to maneuver into a glass as it comes off in rectangle chunks. However, the taste is far less frightening than it looks. At first sip you get the taste of ‘nothing’, but then it has a unique honey raspberry (pecan notes when steeped at 205F) aftertaste which lingers on the palate. Very smooth tea with no trace of bitterness even when steeped at a high temperature. I chose to leave it at 185F and that seemed to work out the best for me. Overall, I enjoyed this tea and will probably order a few more samples if they’re still around. Would be more likely to order a larger amount if they weren’t individually packaged. Those who enjoy sweet/subtle tea flavors, or have experience drinking tea, might really like this…wouldn’t recommend for anyone who is new to tea. This was my first time trying this tea type so I think this has encouraged me to try more golden flower fu bricks.

I ordered this tea as sample (Autumn 2016 version), as it’s very expensive. My initial impression was disappointment that the color wasn’t as green as what was pictured. I steeped it at 185F and gave it about a minute. The color of the liquor wasn’t strong at all and my expectations really lowered after these two things. However, I was blown away on the first sip. The liquor has primarily a sweet orchid taste, bringing back memories of Hawaii, which eases into a subtle seaweed aftertaste. It has salty (“mineral”) notes as well. There is amazing complexity to it – what one would hope for in a tea that costs this much. Furthermore, it has an amazing cha qi – I felt a sudden clarity and giddiness after consuming the first cup. I was so impressed with this tea that I infused it several times. I think this would make a fantastic ‘social’ or ceremonial tea. This can’t be an every day tea for most of us, but worth having a sample or two around for special occasions. If I’m in the mood for something elegant and refined this is what I will go to.

I gave this tea a fair chance, steeping it at a variety of different temperatures for different lengths of time, but it’s just not for me. The cake itself is ‘pretty’ and easy to break apart. However, It doesn’t have much flavor, zero complexity, and has bitter undertones. The tea itself is very picky even for a white. I found that the ‘best’ it got was @ 175 F for two minutes; it produced a strong golden colored liquor and only slight bitterness. The taste itself is sweet, sugarcane, with bitter afternotes. I find myself passing it over for other teas (most of which were cheaper). Overall, overpriced and unenjoyable – I find it a struggle to drink a full cup of this.

Excellent, but robust green tea. Not traditional in the slightest and borderline black tea territory. It has light smoky notes. The main flavor is Potato/BBQ potato chips and is very savory and full mouthed. Nice complexity and an extremely bold flavor for a green tea. I immediately fell in love with it. It paired nicely with a cheeseburger and salty chips, and would be a nice tea to accompany a meal. I will definitely order again. If you don’t like heavy teas this green laoshan is not for you; the taste is overwhelming.

This tea took me several drinks to really develop a good review of it. I would say it’s got mild complexity to it, but at the same time the overall flavor is pretty subtle for a puerh. The taste/smell is primarily mushroom, but interchanges with a traditional “earthy” puerh flavor . There are hints of nuttiness here and there. There is definitely astringency that follows and this puerh does not feel full bodied. Overall, not very smooth. The shape is harder to break pieces off than a regular cake. The taste just isn’t bold enough for me – it’s not an undrinkable tea, but I think I’ll try something different next time.

I bought a handful of different teas, and the shipping took forever, but opening up the package just on this tea was worth the wait. Rich, sweet smell. The tea itself has no astringency and is light and airy. Just a wonderful tea if you like sweet, hay like teas in general. It’s more robust than it looks, but not overly flavorful. It’s worth trying but many other teas out there that are more economical as far as price is concerned.

A pretty simple tasting Puerh, but definitely worth it. It has a very full bodied, creamy taste that immediately hits your palate. The earth flavor that one usually finds in a puerh is barely detectable; not the overwhelming. The flavor itself ends abruptly and is not complex but I’m happy with this tea. Not all teas have to be a life story, and this one will be a nice morning puerh. I will order again.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to get when I ordered this, as I’ve never tried the purple tea varietals. This one is a nice strong tea; a smooth, mild black tea, and has a sweetness that reminds me of rose petals or a flower. I found that it steeped best at (1.5 tsp/8oz) 185 F for 3 minutes . I did try 205 F for 4 minutes just for fun – while slightly more ‘potent’ than the first option it was definitely still smooth and not remotely bitter. Not a picky tea IMHO. What I really love about this tea is the ‘energy’ of the tea. It leaves me feeling good about the world and with a sense of wellbeing. Out of all the teas I got last time (most of which I will order again) none of them compared in “esscence”. I hope to order more in the future.