4 Tasting Notes
Despite being eager to sample all of Butiki’s Oolong teas, I was weary about trying this one. The last time I tried a tea with roses in it, I felt like I was drinking perfume. Or sipping on Mrs. Kaplan from the second grade. This tea smells more “potpourri” than a steeped Mrs. Kaplan.
It actually smells more like my Jasmine candles after steeping it — though not necessarily like “Jasmine tea” Jasmine. The smell is amazing. I have Jasmine candles for a reason: the aroma and warmth soothes and relaxes me. I noticed that this tea has a similarly calming effect. Possibly doubly calming as the process of drinking warm tea is itself already soothing.
The taste is nothing remarkable. It’s a pleasant, non-descript good quality green tea with only a bare hint of floral in the flavor while warm. It’s something that I can see myself drinking any time without having to wait until the mood strikes me.
The only downside to this tea is that its magical therapeutic properties seem to evaporate once it becomes cold. The aroma transforms back to “potpourri” as does the taste. I don’t like drinking it after that.
Preparation
It smells and tastes like the grape lollipops I use to get whenever I went to the pediatrician as a kid. The texture is buttery and smooth. The flavor leans more toward the vegetal side while hot, and the grape becomes increasingly “present” as it cools. It’s very drinkable, but maybe a little too sweet and candy-like for my personal preference. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re the type who loves sweets and gravitates toward grape flavors.
Preparation
Once steeped, this tea has a yummy, fruity aroma. I was worried that the lychee aspect of the tea would extend only as far the scent because “flat scented water” has been my experience with flavored greens. However, this actually does taste like lychee! Like a combination of lychee juice and tea. There’s even a wonderful natural sweetness that lingers on my tongue long after every sip.
As for the oolong base, I wouldn’t recognize it as oolong in a blind sipping. It’s less prominent than I had expected. Even so, I think the subtle oolong base added depth (pardon my vagueness… I can’t really explain it) to the tea. All the elements in here harmonize perfectly with one another to create a relaxing and refreshing tea experience. It’s really delicious. I’m so in love with it.
I’ve just resteeped my sample. The flavor taste just as strong as it had in my first steeping. Yay!
