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I was surprised that this tightly wrapped oolong, unfurled to rather large, green leaves. First steep was more floral, second steep more sweet, third steep still a nice sweet full bodied oolong.

A very smooth, but tasty example of Yunnan. Earthy, with a coppery finish. I didn’t get the sweetness described on the package, but I did really like this tea.

I thought this tea smelled a bit better than it tasted. Earthy and robust smelling, but a bit weaker tasting. Maybe I had too much water for the pouch? It was a very nice example of Red Robe, but I wouldn’t say its one of the best I’ve tasted. Still all around a nice cuppa.

I’m not too fond of green teas that taste grassy, but this was in the Select box this month so I thought I’d give it a go. It is grassy without being bitter. I will sweeten with a bit of honey next cup (I normally don’t sweeten tea at all). I am not getting any of the other flavors besides minerality, and it tastes more grassy to me than pine.

I did like this tea because it had such a complex character. I will try shorter steeps for the next sample. My first cup reminded me of a bitter Assam without the bitterness. There was a slight metallic taste, as well as mint at the end. The second cup was much weaker, but the metallic taste was gone, leaving a mild mint behind

I liked this tea better than the previous select green, Karigane. Long Jing was a bit grassy on the first steep, with a slight honey note at the end. The second steep was less grassy and more honey at the end. I’m not the biggest fan of green tea, but this was quite drinkable.

This one of my favorite Pu erh teas, I brew it very strong for three minutes, and the second brew is as good as the first. It is earthy and tangy and a bit nutty at the end. The taste is not for everyone, but as a former coffee drinker, this is about as a thick of a cup of tea as you can get.

This tea is toasty and nutty and smooth, both in the full leaf and in the foil packs. It inspired me to try the Hojicha at a local tea shop (the Path of Tea) and that was very good as well. Thanks to the Mighty Leaf for introducing me to Hojicha. I have since learned that since the leaves are roasted they have less caffeine, so that’s a bonus as well. This is a great tea to wake up to or as a pick me up in the afternoon. Its hard to drink other green teas after you have had a nice smooth Hojicha