The smell of the tea after the first steep is intoxicating and divine, with a creamy, sweet, and buttery scent that just makes you want to inhale the liquid through your nostrils (painful as that may be). Initial sips were delicious and filled with vanilla and a light citrus note, but as I reached the bottom of my cup, the tea began to turn more watery and bitter. My feelings about this tea are similar to the Buddha’s Blend—smells better than it tastes. Based on reviews, it seems like I may enjoy DavidTea’s vanilla orchid oolong more, so that’s been added to my shopping list.
EDIT: I was able to resteep this oolong in my Teavana perfect tea maker three times, and it still retained a light, vanilla flavor. The subsequent steepings were done at lower temperatures (around 180-190F) with longer times (5-8 minutes), and it did make the tea taste more mellow and even from start to finish.
