I’ve tried this a few more times, and the more I drink it, the more I like it. If I use boiling water and a longer steep time (5-10 minutes) I get a smooth dark oolong with hints of dark chocolate and nutty rice. It’s a very relaxing tea. I can let it sit and steep without worrying about it if the boys interrupt me, and the taste, although mild, is unique and natural. It makes me wonder if any other companies make a black or oolong genmaicha.
I drink a lot of herbal tea, and the occasional cup of traditional tea here and there. I enjoy experimenting with my own blends. I also enjoy stories, board games, music, nail polish, philosophy, science, teaching, and faith.
Flavors I like:
Tea (unflavored/dessert blacks, dark, floral or flavored oolongs, jasmine green, unflavored/fruity/floral whites)
Desert (caramel, cheesecake, chocolate, cream, honey, maple, molasses, vanilla)
Spices (allspice, anise, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, ginger)
Fruit(apple, blueberry, fig, grape, grapefruit, honeydew, lemon, lime, mango, orange, pineapple, plum, raspberry, strawberry, tangerine, watermelon)
Flowers (chamomile, chrysanthemum, hibiscus, jasmine, rose)
Nuts and seeds (coconut, hazelnut, pecan, cashew, sesame)
Grains(barley, rice)
Herbs (dandelion leaf, echinacea, green rooibos, honeybush, mint, rosemary, thyme)
Vegetables (carrot)
Flavors I Dislike: cardamon, elderflower, licorice root, stevia, tulsi; artificial cherry, and almond flavors; bitter smokey, leathery, medicinal, or overly sweet teas
Allergies and Sensitivities: lavender and stevia upset my stomach
I have participated in the Overboard TTB, the Butiki Herbal Blending Box, the Butiki Educational TTB, and the Puerh Beginners Box. I ran the Herbal TTB and the Monthly TTB Club, and am currently running the Herbal and Decaf TTB.
Ratings: I rate teas based not on their objective quality, but on how much I personally liked them. I mostly do this because it’s an easy way to tell at a glance if I’ve tried a tea before and if I’d be interested in buying it. It sometimes takes a while to sort through and find out whether or not I’ve reviewed a tea without rating it.
90-100: Truly excellent tea, will buy again, could drink it every day but might save it for special occasions because it’s just that good, will miss it if it’s not in my cupboard.
75-89: Really good tea, would buy. Might be a solid everyday tea, or something that has a strong appeal but doesn’t quite amaze.
66-74: Good tea, would buy, but will also look for better
50-66: Probably wouldn’t buy this tea, but would drink it if offered
33-49: I will never buy this tea, and would probably even turn it down if it was offered to me.
1-32: I hope to never drink this tea again
I currently have a young baby, so while I’m drinking lots of tea, my activity may be sporadic.
Maryland
is this a blend? flavored? sounds interesting.
It’s a blend. It’s made with laoshan black tea, wuyi oolong, toasted rice, and cacao nibs. It mostly tastes like oolong, with just hints of other flavors, but it’s really growing on me.