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Tea provided by Tea Ave for review

Ever since Tea Ave contacted me to try this tea, a bit of hype has built up for me. So I had a lot of expectations going into my first steepings of their samples. Out of the three samples received, I started with Oriental Beauty. In my experience it can give you a really magical experience or be really disappointing.

For the steeping I decided to short steep as suggested on the packaging with a bit of personal adjustments (increase water temperature/reduced water/longer steep times towards the end). Tea Ave was also most generous in providing a sniffing vessel and cup along with the samples, so I used them in my tea sampling today.

Smelling the fragrance cup, there was a heavy honey/nectar smell. Sipping, the the liquor was delicate. It had a nice balance of the flavours I associate with Oriental Beauty; sweetness (honey/nectar), floral, wheat, and spice. The tea body didn’t have a strong/bold flavour, but it wasn’t flat or weak either.

As suggested on the package, I resteeped it ten times. The tea flavour changed quite a bit from the following steeps. On the second steep I got more a citrus flavour. Then on the third steep, more of a roasted flavour came out. Nearing the end on the seventh steep, the liquor tasted and felt really creamy in my mouth. Finishing off on the tenth steep, the tea retained a dark color, and I could still taste subtle characteristics from my initial steepings.

Overall this is the sort of Oriental Beauty that I have a strong preference for. It is delicate, subtle, and just sweet enough for me. I’ve tried the same style of this tea in the past, and I do not like the overly sweet ones as much. I really enjoyed how the tea flavours unfolded over the short steepings. So I’d recommend Tea Ave’s Oriental Beauty for those that enjoy sweet, but not overly sweet oolongs and also for those that like good resteepers.

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 5 g 3 OZ / 75 ML

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Feel free to add me on Steepster, I’ll probably add you back. :)

I don’t log tea every time I drink it. Tasting notes tend to be about either one style of brewing or a new experience. It is helpful for me to look back on my notes and see what a tea tasted like or which steeping parameter worked best for me. I try to mostly short steep tea unless it only tastes better with a long steep. I’d rather experience what a tea tastes like over 3 or 12 steeps than just 1 to 3 long steeps.

When I write “tsp”, the measurement I use is a regular western teaspoon. Not a tea scoop

How I rate tea:

99-100: Teas that blow my mind! An unforgettable experience. Savoured to the last drop. I felt privileged to drink this.

90-98: Extraordinary, highly recommended, try it and you won’t be disappointed (and if you are, mail me the tea!)

85-89: Wonderful, couldn’t expect more but not a favourite.

80-84: Excellent, a treasured experience but not a favourite.

70-79: Good but could be better. Above average.

60-69: Average, unexceptional, not something I would buy again. Slightly disappointed. I’d rather drink water.

50-0: Varying degrees of sadness

No rating: Mixed feelings, can’t decide whether I like it or not, not enough experience with that sort of tea to rate it. A dramatic change of heart.

Location

Ontario, Canada

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