Leaf of the East

Sipdown 21-2021
Received this in my SipsBy box.
This is pretty mediocre. It has a bit of a honey flavor going on, but not as much as I’f expect by a black tea that has the word honey in its name. Overall, it’s pretty flat tasting and doesn’t have much depth to it.

I’ve never had GABA before! I haven’t tried it long enough to say if it’s a more relaxing tea than others, but I do find this particular variety delicious. It tastes like a white tea to me, with sweet notes of melon and hay, but with more body and resteeping power. The leaves are nice and huge, so allow lots of room for them to open in your steeper. I’m very pleased by how well this resteeps. Tastes the best when it’s cooled a little. Great tea sent to me by Sips by.

Sipdown!
I’m legitimately sorry to finish this sample. This is the most delicious oolong ever. The rolled up leaves spring open and look so gorgeous.
It’s good Western style with tap water. It’s even better gongfu style with spring water. It stayed fresh for six months without issue.
Roasted, mineral-y, nutty, earthy, with a breadlike mouthfeel. Inviting. Quietly strong. Fortifying. Like an old friend.

This is from last week. I got this one in my August Sips By box.
I brewed it gongfu style, using spring water at around 190 degrees F, 10 seconds for initial rinse, 35-40 seconds for each subsequent drinking steep.
Leaves are huge and beautiful to look at once open. The liquor is a surprisingly light brown color, considering that this is such a heavily oxidized oolong.
I got notes of delicious roasted nuts, minerals, chocolate, and baked bread in the first two to three steeps. The flavor trailed off slowly after that. I got about 6 steeps in before the leaves were totally spent.
This was an amazing tea.

A rich tasting tea that is easy to drink. I really love this! I received it in my January 2020 Sips By box.