Irie Tea

I usually don’t like Darjeelings, but this one was really pleasant. The smell had a floral woodsy quality that was sweet and smooth, and the tea had the texture too. It didn’t have any drying effect on my throat and was silky throughout. It also gave me no jitters like others had.

The thing that I usually don’t like about Darjeelings is their raisin taste, but this one had a fruitier taste that was fresh and lingering. It was muscatel like it was supposed to be with a faint citrus finish.

So yes, I recommend this tea. It does partially resemble Champagne, and a fresh one at that without a skunked taste.

I chuckled to myself when I saw the words ‘black tea’ on this package as I saw Wu Yi Oolong… come on now, really?

The toasty bamboo is actuate to explain this tea. It’s a nice cup of relaxing warmth that goes down slowly. I quite enjoyed it as expected since it’s an oolong :)

Since I keep coming back to it, I’m upping the rating. I’ve gotten some guava notes the last few times I’ve had it. I’m also fairly convinced that this is a Dan Cong. Dan Congs, Qilans, and some Shui Xians are officially my favorite yan chas.

Orchid and toasted bamboo are really the best ways to describe the smell and taste of this tea. The smell is what sold me in the first place, reminding me of the tropical forests in Thailand, filled with rosewood and thickets of bamboo. There are some hints of nuts, a wet, earthy body like a Pu-Erh, and some smoke mixed in with mountain mist. The color is also a rosewood color, though not quite as amber or red as black tea, nor as yellow as a green tea. I’d say this one is one of my favorites, and mind you it is six bucks for 50 grams on Espresso Royale’s website.

This is also my first fully roasted oolong that I can remember, and I started drinking at the Espresso Royale near the MSU campus. Their coffee was either great or dirty and acidic, so I decided to opt out for their loose leaf. There, this tea was named Songbird Oolong, and then I smelled to see what it would be like. Coming full circle, I smelled what I just described and it instantly became one of my preferences when I went there. Even this morning I am drinking this tea instead of coffee, and while the caffeine is medium, I would say it’s on the higher end of that scale. There is also some cold coming in from the morning, dewy rain, and this is keeping me warm while I romanticize my memories in Thailand.

I’ve only had a few other fully roasted oolongs, and this one is the most flavor I’ve had yet. I’ve only had one bagged version that was remotely similar and that was Ten Ren’s Wu Yi, but I prefer this loose leaf because of it’s cleaner and less astringent quality. I’m guessing that this Oolong is the standard of the roasted variety, and if so, anyone who likes roasted oolongs would appreciate this tea and definitely be satisfied. Someone newer to teas may not be as accustomed to the roasted woodsy, earth like flavor, but they may like it with some sugar being somewhat similar to a coffee. Otherwise, it would taste like dirt water to someone really new to tea.

I like this tea both Gongfu and Western style, with Gongfu yielding more of the woodsy bamboo, orchid, and nutty flavors whilst Western is the same but with more Earth and body. I would prefer the Western style for this one.

This is one of my newest teas I got with my Irie Tea order this week. It’s pretty good. Very mellowing in any case! Skullcap,catnip, valerian and lemon balm too! oh my! chillin’ out is correct! A great night time tea. The chamomile is the leading taste and the other herbs are really subtle in this herbal blend. I have a sinus infection though so my tastebuds are a bit wonky presently..I will definitely come back and re-log this later. Definitely will be sipping on this again!

Just got this one w/ my Irie Tea order and it’s yum! Love the licorice & ginger w/ chicory undertones. My stomach was not feeling well this morning and this is making it all better!