61 Tasting Notes
Interesting fact – if you drink this right after eating a Nutrigrain soft breakfast bar, it will taste like a Nutrigrain bar.
That’s kind of true for anything, BUT – these two products really have a lot in common – the baked-bread scent augmented by the almond really smells a lot like a sweet packaged filled cookie. Once I got past that, it’s a comforting flavored tea. I even got two good steeps out of it, brewed Western-style.
Preparation
Received a small sample. When people describe an oolong as “milky” I now know what they mean, because this has a perfect flavor/feel of sweet cream. However, it’s not sweet, in the way that a jasmine tea leaves a floral impression of sweetness. Instead it’s mild and round, like peaches and cream, or oatmeal and honey.
Flavors: Cream
Preparation
This is what was promised and I’m so happy about it – as others have mentioned, it stands out among other jasmines.
I brewed a very small teaspoon of these extra-small pearls at 180 degrees for 2 minutes. The jasmine scent is more verdant and tropical than I was expecting. It smells exceptionally sweet and leaves behind a very lasting perfume. Silky, buttery, and fruity also. This would be excellent blended with something else sweet in a summer drink, but would be too precious to drink that way! My only negative comment is that this would not be a daily drinker due to the sheer power of the jasmine flavor, but I would gladly sip it as a treat or digestive occasionally.
Preparation
Picked up at my local bulk tea section. Disappointing that I can’t find more information online about it.
Burned it a bit I think at 205 degrees. It was quite strong and a little astringent. The second time I steeped for 4 minutes at 180 degrees. This was better. I couldn’t detect what character the black tea brought but the jasmine scent was very well-done and not overpowering. Has a tiny bit of tannic bite that less oxidized jasmine teas don’t, maybe. I was able to get about 2.5 great infusions out of a rounded tsp per 8 oz. Overall a good everyday purchase.
Preparation
Miro Tea does an admirable job of bringing a lot of diverse selection to their tea room; although I might not buy my dry leaf from them directly, I feel like I’m stealing tea when I get a whole pot of quality oolong like this for $6.50. Meanwhile other Seattlelites meander outside with their $8 venti cups of ice. Sorry, is that my budding tea snob showing? Feel free to bean me with Bigelow.
They may have brewed this a little light for me, and I can’t compare it to their BRR #1 (I assume one exists, although I didn’t see it on their current list.) However it met all expectations of delicious, robust malt and smoke flavors. Without being “barbecue tea.” BRR generally quickly becoming my favorite winter breakfast tea.
Flavors: Malt, Raisins, Smoke
Bought a box of this without tasting a sample because I was intrigued that it contained valerian root and schizandra. A little fancier than your usual “sleepytime” blend of chamomile and lavender. I have an infant and I don’t sleep, so I’m willing to pay a premium for anything with more potent sleep herbs.
Cooling sensation from the mint and fennel, fragrance from the rose (but less so from the chamomile, which I’m totally fine with). I don’t exactly get what this schizandra adds, but altogether this is a well-balanced and tasty blend, without any tartness or spiciness that would be upsetting before beddy-time.
The iron goddess reigns in Seattle.
I had never heard of B. Fuller brand tea. It was hard to avoid their cleverly-named tisanes in favor of a pure leaf tea. But I’m glad I did. This is everything I want from a nice quality oolong. Fragrant, light body with sweet aftertaste that runs down your throat. Yum.
Kind of a complex cuppa.
Just smelling it…
First sniff: Hay! And … pu’er. Or autumn leaves.
Second sniff: Lettuce!
Third sniff: Mmm, apricot.
Fourth sniff: Leatherwood honey, maybe?
Taste: departing from the oolong/white scent, there is an immediate savory tang or astringency. A tiny bit of toasted nuts, but mostly that lingering green zip. Less subtle than the smell/color would indicate. The vegetal flavor is almost slightly peppery. But with a lingering hay kind of flavor underneath. Interesting.
Flavors: Apricot, Honey, Lettuce
Preparation
Brewed hot. Full disclosure I’m not a fan of rooibos (the licorice herbaceous type flavor reminds me unpleasantly of detox tea), but coconut and rooibos are a perfect match. I only wish the coconut flavor could completely overwhelm the rooibos actually, although that’s probably not what most chai drinkers or rooibos drinkers want.