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Cameron B. drank Mountain Breeze Oolong by Monsoon Tea / Monteaco

4123 tasting notes

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The last of my Monsoon teas, wooooo!

The name on this one is interesting to me, I don’t personally associate mountains with mangosteen or citrus, but it definitely makes sense for Thailand. Also it’s worth noting, this tea is meant to have their rolled oolong as the base, but it seems they ran out of that tea this season, so they substituted their more oxidized unrolled oolong instead.

This is a nice enough tea. The mangosteen flavor is the star, and I’m not sure I detect the kaffir lime or lemongrass alongside it. I’ve never had a mangosteen, but it seems somewhat similar to passionfruit to me, with a nice sweet-tart flavor. Maybe with a touch of peach or mango mixed in? I do pick up a hint of lime adding a bit of citrus tartness. The base here is not my favorite. I find it very light in flavor, and it struggles to stand up to the strong flavoring. Also it gets bitter quite easily, I found I needed to steep it for only 2 minutes to get a smooth cup, and even then there are some hints of bitterness around the edges.

Would be interested to try this with the original rolled oolong, since that one had a more assertive flavor IMO (but also got bitter easily). Regardless, happy to have sipped through all of my Monsoon teas! There were several that I enjoyed, and I am planning to reorder a couple and try some others. Maybe once the Christmas blend is back in stock!

Flavors: Bitter, Citrus, Fruity, Lime, Mango, Passion Fruit, Peach, Sweet, Tart, Thin, Tropical

Preparation

190 °F / 87 °C 2 min, 0 sec 4 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- October sipdowns: 1
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 130

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing