Ok, so I’ll say it: I think I may be the only person in the universe who hasn’t had a good experience with this tea (yet). Stephanie was kind enough to send me a sample of this, which is awesome because I’m always excited to try a steepster beloved. I steeped this Western style, for about four minutes. It tasted fine, although I must admit I was itching to add milk and/or sugar. It did taste milky and a bit sweet, but I just wasn’t blown away. I’m convinced it was something I did though, because i find it peculiar that everyone and their mother swoons over this tea and I can’t seem to make it work. Maybe unflavoured oolongs (sans additions) simply aren’t for me?
I have enough left for another cup due to Stephanie’s generosity, but I’m hesitant to brew it until someone tells me what to do differently LOL.
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I like this one, but it isn’t my favorite oolong, honestly. Nor is it my favorite Mandala tea!
Oh good. I’m glad I’m not the only one who won’t, like, offer to sell my soul for this tea.
Hahaha, totally :)
I want to try it because almost everyone raves so much about it, but if I don’t like it, does it mean there’s something wrong with me? I hope not, because I don’t think there’s something wrong with either of you. ;-)
haha. I just mean that there might be something different that I can do to make this tea more likeable to me. That’s the beauty of playing with brewing. But I agree—ultimately no tea is for everyone, so it’s ok.
I haven’t had this particular milk oolong, but when I do, I do a 2-3 minute steep and (shock, horror) add a packet of sugar, and sometimes, if I’m feeling really crazy, a splash of milk. Which is probably super wrong, but you know what? I like it that way.
I think that’s the secret to enjoying tea: drink it how you like it.
Ok, I’ve gotten all the encouragement I need. I’m going to milk and sugar this baby!
Hi!! I had written a reply and then posted it and then the darned thing disappeared :(
Not every tea can be everyone’s cup of tea, that is for sure. Some things most definitely make a difference – water temp (I like this at 195 and increase temp as steepings go by), water type (not distilled, not reverse osmosis, not something sitting in soft plastic jug for weeks on end).
While I prefer to brew most of my teas gongfu style, this is one that some of our customers brew up “grandpa style” in a cup or tea thermos, letting the tea leaves sit in the hot water as they sip and adding more hot water as the water level gets down to just covering the leaves. Western style, some will do one 3 to 5 minute steep, others do 1 minute, 2 minute and 3 minute steepings combined into a pitcher. It is so up to us to prepare it a myriad of different ways.
We are sitting here in the tea shop right now experimenting with a brand new sheng pu’er we had pressed a couple of months ago. We have brewed it up 3 different ways so far, each way providing us with different glimpses into the aromas and flavors of the young tea.
Also… as with wines, teas will have different characteristics due to weather and picking time, etc. This may dramatically affect the experience one has.
But still…. despite brewing many ways, one might still find that a particular tea is just not for them. No problemo at all! There are thousands of teas. It’s like a book – pick one up and if by page 50 you’re not into it, put it down and start something else. Just be prepared to pick that same book up some day and totally love it. The way we look at things, the way we taste things changes, just like our moods, though oft times more slowly.
Alot of Americans think Busch Light is good beer…. but me, I’ll take turpentine, thank you. Good discussion here, friends!! Thanks!
I like this one, but it isn’t my favorite oolong, honestly. Nor is it my favorite Mandala tea!
Oh good. I’m glad I’m not the only one who won’t, like, offer to sell my soul for this tea.
Hahaha, totally :)
I want to try it because almost everyone raves so much about it, but if I don’t like it, does it mean there’s something wrong with me? I hope not, because I don’t think there’s something wrong with either of you. ;-)
haha. I just mean that there might be something different that I can do to make this tea more likeable to me. That’s the beauty of playing with brewing. But I agree—ultimately no tea is for everyone, so it’s ok.
I haven’t had this particular milk oolong, but when I do, I do a 2-3 minute steep and (shock, horror) add a packet of sugar, and sometimes, if I’m feeling really crazy, a splash of milk. Which is probably super wrong, but you know what? I like it that way.
I think that’s the secret to enjoying tea: drink it how you like it.
Ok, I’ve gotten all the encouragement I need. I’m going to milk and sugar this baby!
Hi!! I had written a reply and then posted it and then the darned thing disappeared :(
Not every tea can be everyone’s cup of tea, that is for sure. Some things most definitely make a difference – water temp (I like this at 195 and increase temp as steepings go by), water type (not distilled, not reverse osmosis, not something sitting in soft plastic jug for weeks on end).
While I prefer to brew most of my teas gongfu style, this is one that some of our customers brew up “grandpa style” in a cup or tea thermos, letting the tea leaves sit in the hot water as they sip and adding more hot water as the water level gets down to just covering the leaves. Western style, some will do one 3 to 5 minute steep, others do 1 minute, 2 minute and 3 minute steepings combined into a pitcher. It is so up to us to prepare it a myriad of different ways.
We are sitting here in the tea shop right now experimenting with a brand new sheng pu’er we had pressed a couple of months ago. We have brewed it up 3 different ways so far, each way providing us with different glimpses into the aromas and flavors of the young tea.
Also… as with wines, teas will have different characteristics due to weather and picking time, etc. This may dramatically affect the experience one has.
But still…. despite brewing many ways, one might still find that a particular tea is just not for them. No problemo at all! There are thousands of teas. It’s like a book – pick one up and if by page 50 you’re not into it, put it down and start something else. Just be prepared to pick that same book up some day and totally love it. The way we look at things, the way we taste things changes, just like our moods, though oft times more slowly.
Alot of Americans think Busch Light is good beer…. but me, I’ll take turpentine, thank you. Good discussion here, friends!! Thanks!