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Yet another What-Cha black better Gong Fu. I got more malt subtleties with the same chocolate, plum, and stone fruit notes. This is a nice start for the morning.

Later steeps still have a bit of plum, but there’s some florals. As in black tea florals that literally taste like eating flower pedals. Pedals taste like nothing to some. Not quite sure how to describe it in more detail.

Now a constant companion. I missed this tea too much, so I got more to tag along with me. Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication.

Yet another tea I need to figure better brewing parameters for. Gong fu with a ten second rinse, followed by 30 seconds increasing by fifteen, 30, and a whole minute. Very nutty, roasted, a little bit vegetal, and very sweet. After 30 seconds, it almost reminded me of sugar cookies. A lot like a roasted Tie Guan Yin. Nice, but could be more impressive. I had to be missing something.

The second time was Grandpa Style to get more of a spectrum. Very rarely have I tasted such vivid rainbows of weed. So, epic fail. I’m still missing something. I expected better, but I must be blind to what I wanted.

Thank you Beautiful Taiwan for this incredibly generous sample.

Now, I have a third Taiwan Moon Lake black tea in my collection. It also requires a resteep. I’m getting cooked tomato, malt, a bit of cream, white bread, smoothness, and honey. Not quite feeling it. This could be due to the specific leaves in this cup, and will probably be different the next time I make it.

Wanted to try out of experimentation and yearning. I’ve actually had mixed feelings about some darker oolongs, and wanted to see if this one dispelled any of them.

I get the notes already on here like wet rocks, grass, salt, sweetness, and roast. I also get sesame, salt, seaweed, butter, and highly cooked pastry crust. It got sweeter in later steeps, but saltier at first. The sweetness actually goes well with the odd marine and fire qualities. Memories of Makapuu beach and the mountains on Oahu come to me. For those memories, I like this tea. I would not buy this one in higher amounts and I’m personally not sure if I would buy it again, but I’d certainly be willing to try this varietal another time. This is also more for tasters than those who prefer a classic green or Earl Grey.

Got it for cheap at the Chinese market to try it and gift it to someone. I considered giving to Andrew though he would prefer a higher graded leaf version. I also considered giving it to my dear friend Rachel since rose black is her favorite, she has gone through some crap, and this totally appeals to her tastes. Anyone could use a good cuppa tea. Lychee and rose is what I get with no to little astringency. Also mega smooth and sweet. Probably one of the better teas meant for a tea ball.

Okay, like the misty mountain, this one turned into one of my absolute favorites. I get the same tasting notes but full on this time. I was craving this tea, and I am now satisfied for the night. I won’t be when I’m finished. I’ll probably buy this one in greater bulk in the future. Currently, I’m also perusing the J-Tea’s selection and there are so many I want to try. I’m going to talk to Andrew soon about his recommendations and which ones to sample or get in full.

Andrew, I owe you a lot. I still owe you $15 (which makes me a hypocrite because I wanted to get it to you as quickly as possible, but it would have been quicker to send it than to think about the quickest way to get it to you). Thank you, Sensei.

Loose leaf smells like boozed up cherry cough syrup. After 30 seconds and delicate teaspoons, it tastes like an overly astringent Irish Breakfast soaked in cough syrup. With cream and sugar, it tastes like a cherry tea latte from a high end cafe.

In short: only a dessert tea that requires condiments. Without them, impossible for me to drink. My mom loves it with cream and sugar, but for a type one diabetic whose diet consists half of leaf water, this is a bad idea.

Interesting. I get the expected notes of both a regular silver needle with the Ceylon black tea. Honeydew, hay, some malt, and a little bit of cocoa. Three solid steeps western. First time was at three minutes and thirty seconds. It is darker than a normal white; I see why this was nearly named as an oolong.

I like it, but am a little bit underwhelmed compared to the other good teas I’ve had from Beautiful Taiwan. Wish there was more going on with it. Probably would be great Grandpa Style. I also think I’d have to be in the mood for it or traveling.

Christmas sampler! I hesitated with Tea Forte at first, but then low and behold, a loose leaf individual set with a little bit of each flavor. Each serving is the perfect size for my tumbler. Lucky for me.

I liked this tea quite a bit for the following reasons.

1. Incredibly easy to steep, and does not over steep at all-it actually gets better as it soaks.
2. I like the blend picked. I’ve had pear flavored white teas before and they typically work really well for me. The ginger is an added spicy bonus. I also really like these individual flavors, so totally narrow appeal.
3. Though it took long steeps, I got five out of it-each amount of water was different. 12 ounces at first, then 8 towards the end.

I’m a little surprised that Tea Forte offered a combo like this, and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. At the same time, I’m rating this tea by the standards of: can I drink it and not worry about over-steeping across campus? Yes, I can, so this tea is narrowly tailored for my purposes. I otherwise have different standards for other teas, which is subjective. But this is a gift. All tea are meant to be enjoyed, and each tea is to be enjoyed at its moment of calling.

The leaves were actually quite pretty, though by no means the highest quality tea at all. I think the allure lies in preference for this type of flavor; tea purists might think this is artificial. It wasn’t too artificial for me. I the Bai Mu Tan actually blended naturally and creamy with the sweet pear. I’d introduce a newer drinker to it, though my mom and my grandmother loved it and they are fairly experienced. Again, down to preference and someone searching for a unique, spicy, but calming tea.