King's 103

Amazing tea. I still have to specify the smells and aromas of this tea but when I had this tea it was absolutely amazing and the huigan was so intense, It was almost like I’ve just swallowed caramel and honey!

This is the 4th grade King’s oolong tea offered by Ten Ren, and I believe this is the lowest grade of the “green” variety of ginseng oolong which they offer. There is also a “dark” (darker roast) variety. I purchased a 5.3-ounce package for $19.99 at T&T Ginseng here in Las Vegas. It brews up an orange-tinged yellow color and has a slightly musty but not unpleasant smell. The taste is dominated by the licorice and it lends a pleasant aftertaste. The oolong seems to be a typical green oolong flavor with medium body, but not much character from the oolong is noticeable. You also get some hints of spice from the ginseng, I think. Despite this, I find this tea to be very enjoyable and would like to try some of the higher grades as well as the dark version of this oolong. The low grade on this is clear, with a good number of stems and broken leaf being present. Ten Ren’s packaging is excessive, with a cardboard box enclosing a tin which encloses the tea in foil packaging. I would rather not be paying for all of this packaging, not to mention the environmental impact. Ten Ren does offer 1-lb bag of these teas on their website, but I’m not sure this tea is such a great value at $61/lb. I would definitely be interested in trying some other brands in this style of tea.