Mandarin Silk

I did not pay attention to how I brewed this one… but it is absolutely DELICIOUS! Fabulous oolong base, light citrus, and delicious creaminess. Lingering oolong aftertaste. And I just got a rock sugar sweetness from my current sip, like I get from an amazing green. I see why everyone is raving about it! Thank you for sending me a sample, Azzrian , and if their website ever comes back up (I kid), I’ll definitely be making an order sooner rather than later. This one’s definitely a winner. YUM.

The only thing I’d change is brew it a touch stronger. I can’t really recall how much leaf I used though, nor how long I steeped it (3 min??) so will have to pay more attention next time.

ETA: Second infusion, less water (195F) is tasty too. A little lemony, creamy, and with lovely oolong flavour holding it all together. Yum.

ETA again: Third infusion weak, but still smooth and drinkable. Tasty.

SIPDOWN! because the rest is going over to Kittenna who loves this cup so much more than i. ick. There is just something about this brew that says no wai! so off it goes!

I adore this tea! I have had this on my Wish List almost since I first began sipping loose leaf tea. It was one of my first samples ever received! No idea why I waited so long to order it.
Its creamy, slightly tart with the lemon flavor I am finding I love in many teas, the vanilla is NOT over done and you can still taste the pouchong coming through.
The smell is dreamy!
I also find that a slightly lower heat level and a bit longer steep do this tea well. Otherwise you may find it a bit on the weak or watery side.
One of my favorites.

The last time I tried this it was much better. This time, I got very little “mandarin” and mostly a stinky gym sock kindof flavour. First steep was bearable. Second one, not so much.
Last time I added agave so perhaps that was the difference?
Either way, my rating is being lowered :(

I remember not loving this tea the first time I had it. I didn’t necessarily dislike it but the citrus was too strong and a bit bitter—either I got a weird batch, there was some cross-contamination in the sample, or I over-leafed my cold brew. But this has such rave reviews I wanted to give it another shot, so I threw a sample of it into my last Persimmon Tree order.

So much better this time! The vanilla is sweet and creamy, they could totally call this “vanilla pudding tea” it would be quite accurate. Delish! And the cirtusy vibe is softer now, in the background and cuts the vanilla a bit making it a light and refreshing brew despite the dessert-y quality of the vanilla.

I think DavidsTea’s Vanilla Orchid is my current favorite vanilla oolong (and boy are there a lot of them!) but this is close behind. It reminds me so strongly of the Tea Merchant’s Silk Dragon, but if you look closely between them, Persimmon Tree and Art of Tea many of the blends are near-identical! Persimmon will always be my favorite though because of their great customer service, sample sizes and loyalty program. It’s funny how much difference things like that can make when you’re shopping for tea!

Another that I had yesterday.

Before this, I had tried only one other oolong. It was overly perfume-y and not something I was very fond off. When I found out this was oolong, I was disappointed at first. I’m so glad that I bothered to try it though! This teas smells absolutely wonderful. It has a creamy, oolongy smell and tastes just the same. The vanilla flavor blends really well with the oolong taste. I will definitely be stocking up on this one!

This was recommended to me by Azzrian and I have to say I’m glad it was because I totally would have overlooked it otherwise.

I’m trying to figure out how to describe it. And now I’m even more paranoid about my descriptions after the “Overdoing it?” discussion currently taking place!

I would have to say “Fragrant” is very appropriate to describe this tea. It is a bit perfumey, but not in a bad way. I can taste a bit of vanilla and some sort of fruity/citrus coming through. It has a wonderful oolong base, too! Usually I get teas that are supposed to resemble something else (Guava, coconut, chocolate covered strawberries, caramel, etc.) that it’s nice to just be able to enjoy this cup without trying to figure out if it lives up to its noun-name :)

Overall, I like it.

Now, it’s my last day of summer vacation and there is a 5-part Chopped All-Stars marathon waiting for me in my DVR folder. You know where to find me.

Such a lovely honey color liquor and the leaves unfurl to such a huge size! I steeped 3 times and combined all 3 steeps in one pot.

A nice, mellow vanilla flavor that lets the oolong peek through. The lemon is much fainter. More a smell than a taste to me. Still very nice.

This reminds me very much of Silk Dragon Oolong from The Tea Merchant. I think I prefer The Tea Merchant’s blend, but this is very, very nice and I will enjoy it while I have it! Thanks so much to JosieJade for the sample!

Hooked On You by Silk – The Remix
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk8elIn3uGI

Okay…so…seriously…who ever came up with this one is PURE GENIUS!!!!
An Awesome Pouchong – Marvy Myrtle – Smooth Vanilla – Citrus Finish – Incredible Aroma – Silky Smooth…mouth watering MASTER PIECE….nomnomnom…

just smelling the dry leaf…i can tell i’m going to love this tea. i’m in the mood for this tea today. i need this tea today. and i only have the one cup so i’m gonna cherish every sip. (i will try a re-steep).
lightly citrusy and mushily creamy. so musical.

thank you whatshesaid!

i taught myself to play the misty mountain song from The Hobbit on my viola. i also learned the sherlock theme melody. and i am considering stenciling the 221b Baker street wallpaper design onto one of my bedroom walls.

i have been rather busy as of late. i want to give everyone’s adorable discussions and comments lots of attention, but i just can’t seem to dig out the time. sadly.