I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas Day yesterday :) I didn’t have time for much tea yesterday, so I didn’t log any notes. But today, after a disastrously messy opening of my tea drawer with company there, I decided I am cleaning house today, and hopefully before the new year. I am trying as many untried teas I have, and making decisions on whether I like them or not. Also purged the final few cups of some that I just couldn’t get down or finish the bag, no matter how I tried. Time for a cleaner cupboard in the new year!
The first teas under fire are all my untried teas in the blends club. As I have mentioned previously, I really dislike the scent of sarsaparilla, and as this tea has it in it, I put off having it. Also, to me the dry smell is strongly of pickles haha! There is a sharp, salty, and slightly sour scent to this one haha. Definitely some spice in there too, as my nose gets a bit tingly. It’s also a good day to try new teas, as I have an allergy pill in my system from yesterday so I shouldn’t react to any haha :)
So yes, finally I brewed up a cup of this after the offputting pickle scent. The steeped tea, after about 2 mins with 195 degree water, thankfully does not smell like pickles :D it is quite nice now, an oolong scent with a toasty, spicy smell. I think it is the schisandra and tulsi contributing. Not much in the way of sarsaparilla either, thank goodness. No idea what Blue Lotus contributes or tastes like, so I cannot comment on that.
As for the flavor, this is kind of a weird one to me. It’s like a very herbal chai. I get the green flavor from the laoshan oolong, which has some of the attributes of Laoshan green to me, a bit beany and vegetal ( I haven’t tried Laoshan Oolong by itself, so just guessing from the flavor). The tulsi is present, which I enjoy, it adds a nice spiciness. There is a faint woodiness from the sarsaparilla, but this is one blend I can tolerate better as it’s muted by the tulsi.
Overall, this is an interesting tea, once I get past the dry scent. It is very savoury, and not one I would drink every day, but it would be good for a salt craving. I am unsure if I will keep this one or re-home it, will have to think it over. Happy I finally got over the smell and tried it though, as it’s not nearly as scary as it smells!
Oh, and I will henceforth refer to my new tastings/cleaning cupboard as The Great Tea Purge/Sampling of 2014. Lol.
Flavors: Herbaceous, Spices, Tulsi, Vegetal
