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Went to Teavana looking for an unflavored oolong (hahaha). Of the two teas I was presented with (Monkey Picked vs. Tung Ting), this one had a sweeter smell. I didn’t follow the brewing instructions and used boiling water the first time. The tea was probably pointing and laughing at me, because it was bitter and generally gross. I used 1/2 a teaspoon since the leaves are tightly rolled and unfurl rather quickly. Successive infusions at lower temperatures are hit-or-miss so far: sometimes I get the promised floral notes, and sometimes I get a lot of meh. There are other oolongs (flavored and unflavored) that I’d rather be drinking…

The Steepster community saved me from tossing out a bag of expensive leaves. I tried to brew this as a black tea, but I think it’s actually a green or a white tea that’s been mislabeled. It’s very fussy and has to be steeped exactly as the instructions say. However, once I got it right, it does brew a delightful, bright cup.

Amazing, amazing Taiwanese oolong that just gets better/richer with each infusion. It’s nutty one sip and floral the next, with notes of sweetness that surprised me. This is the kind of tea that I hide in my closet for “me time.” I got about 4-5 solid infusions out of a 1/2 teaspoon. The tea comes rolled in little balls, so you don’t need that much for a good cup.

A delicious oolong from Lupicia. Delicate, drinkable, “happy dance” tea :))

My first cup of this was yummy, but I had steeped it very lightly and noticed a really strong bergamot odor/flavor. So I made a mental note to steep it even more lightly next time. Then I made the horrible mistake of trying to brew a POT of this, and the bergamot flavor was so strong I almost wanted to throw up. It became known as The Pot That Almost Put Me Off of Earl Grey Forever, and my friends are still trying to put me through Earl Grey rehab because of it. I have renamed this tea “Bergamot Bomb” and hold out hope that, someday, I’ll be able to enjoy normal Earl Grey again…

Highly drinkable vanilla-flavored black tea. I like the yellow flower petals floating around in it, though I’m not sure what flavor they impart. It smells and tastes great!