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I have a bit of a confession to make. This blog, specifically its devotion to teas, might be one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not only do I get to try wonderful teas from around the world, I have met some amazing people, and have been told many times that my descriptions paint pictures in my reader’s minds and have led them to discover new favorite teas. This blog fills a part in my life I felt was missing, I feel like I found my true calling. Everyday my views increase, and this is such an honor. I am so very thankful to everyone who reads my blog, tea companies that send me samples to try, and just the tea community at large. You guys rock!

Today’s tea is part of the Red Leaf Tea Sampler Pack, lucky number 14, Roast Ti Guan Yin from Fujian, China. Ah, Ti Guan Yin, my first ever Oolong and the tea that really got me into appreciating tea as more than something you quickly chug to relieve thirst. Specifically it was a roast TGY that I tried first, so this will be a nostalgic trip for me. The aroma of the rolled leaves is fairly mild in the roasted department, like toasted rice, with that hint of sweetness you get from rice. There is a heady floral aroma blending strong orchid and delicate honeysuckle, meaning this tea is extra sweet smelling.

Into the basket the leaves go! At the time of writing this tasting note in my notebook I did not have my gaiwan yet, so it will be for a Western Style steeping. Once steeped the leaves become much headier, the orchid notes become almost overpowering. The roasted notes from the dry leaves also become stronger giving the tea a bit of a toast aroma. There is sweet honeysuckle as a finish. The liquid is honey sweet and gently roasted, much subdued in comparison to the wet leaves.

Fun side trivia, this was the first tea I steeped using my electric kettle I got as an early birthday present, so yes this tasting note is from mid October. The taste is sweet, like honeysuckle nectar and roasted chestnuts. The sweetness stays with you from beginning to aftertaste with the honeysuckle and chestnut fading in and out. As a first steeping it is mild and refreshing, a promise of more intense flavor to come.

With the second steeping, the leaves are more unfurled and have a much sweeter aroma with a nice hint of mineral. The aroma of the liquid strong chestnut with an accompaniment of honey and orchids. The taste is very sweet, not only is there the floral honeysuckle nectar flavor, there is also a honey flavor that is quite intense. The mouthfeel is silky smooth, almost oily in its smoothness. The floral sweetness fades to a mineral aftertaste.

The aroma of the leaves on the third steep is still sweet, but there is also a strong mineral note, like spring water and pennies. The liquid has no mineral notes, it is all sweetness and flowers. The first thing I noticed when sipping this tea is the mouthfeel, it went from being silky to creamy and thick. It no longer coats the mouth it explodes into it filling the mouth with sweet honeysuckle and orchids. Like the previous steep the finish is mineral, but what happened to the roasted notes?

Onto the fourth steep! The leaves have a more buttery vegetal, like green bean, aroma with only a faint floral sweetness. The liquid’s aroma is mostly notes of chestnut with a very faint hint of flowers. The taste is winding down now, only a faint hint of floral and strong mineral taste. It is very much so like drinking spring water or licking a piece of limestone. There is an aftertaste of chestnuts.

I really wanted to put this tea and my new kettle through its paces! The fifth and final steep’s leaves are fully unfurled and barely any aroma left. Just the ghost of flowers and honey. The taste is like mineral water with a hint of chestnut and honey. The most amusing thing about this steep is that the mouthfeel is still really creamy. I enjoyed this tea, I think that is blended its floral and roasted notes well, even though the roasted taste faded pretty quickly.

For blog and photos (including a great side by side leaf comparison of wet and dry, always fun) http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/04/red-leaf-tea-roast-ti-guan-yin-tea.html

Flavors: Chestnut, Flowers, Honey, Orchids

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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I am a nerdy, obsessive, crafty, tea blogging, gaming nut. Yeah, that about sums me up! Ok, you want something more informative….

I am a Geek, hardcore fan-girl Geek. It shapes my life. I spend a large chunk of my life painting miniatures and contemplating my various army layouts. I hoard dice, get obsessed with games, and will talk about whatever fandom, game, etc that I am obsessed over until I am blue in the face. I am not just a gamer girl type Geek, I also fit in the collecting knowledge and spending way too much time reading and researching category of Geek.

But there is more to me than just being a giant nerd. I love tea, always have and have just gotten more and more obsessed as I get older. I love trying new teas and then writing lengthy descriptions about them on my blog, I love reading and researching the history and culture of tea, I love collecting tea pots and fancy tea tools.

When the weather allows it, I love to go mushroom hunting. I don’t eat them, instead I use them for photography and spore prints. I love nature and worked as a Naturalist in the Northwoods one summer, it might have been the best job ever.

I have Fibromyalgia, it sucks, but I feel people who are going to interact with me should know since I tend to vanish because of it so fair warning! I do tend to not vanish very long though. Also I have some ‘social disorders’ which basically translates to I am really awkward and bad at socializing, so forgive any lack of social graces.

I also have cats, love the ocean and all aquatic life, have teal hair, love cheese, and collect hats.

My favorite tea is definitely Oolong, but I also love Japanese greens and…ok I just love tea actually :P I am not a huge fan of lemony black teas or tart fruit teas. I also loathe hibiscus (usually)

This is my actual tea wishlist, you know that I actually update and keep track of…I tend to forget Steepster’s https://www.facebook.com/notes/amanda-wilson/tea-wishlishtshopping-list-perpetually-in-progress/10152336515414411 I use my steepster WL to keep track of teas I have had and really want more of :P

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Kansas City, MO

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