just received this in a swap with alysha :) thanks!
so i’m super duper picky about oolongs.. usually they’re way too floral for me and i really want some other kind of main flavor other than floral or else i feel like i’m drinking perfume.
this however smelled promising: sweet and nutty with a nice mineral scent that comes with oolongs
steeped about 2tsp in a very small mug for 15 seconds, adding 10 seconds each steep (i like em rich) at 185F rather than boiling like it recommends. i usually have better luck with dark oolongs brewed at lower temps for some reason:
1: smell reminds me of when i pan roast almond slivers in butter to add to green beans for dinner sometimes. the taste is pretty much the same, not that i’m complaining ;) i love nutty teas. also getting that nice mineral flavor underneath and in the aftertaste. overall very pleasant.
2: same flavor as before, but a little more cashew sweetness rather than almond. still not really getting any caramel flavor as described, but i’m still enjoying the tea. oh, as it cools a bit, i’m starting to notice this tart flavor settling on my tongue after teach sip. maybe this is the elderberry people are talking about? very nice
3: i keep getting this strange acidic taste only on the sides of my tongue, but that might be from my wisdom teeth extraction sites. idk man. still very nutty and that tartness is still here, a bit more strong. i was very tired from my meds during this one so i took a nap afterwards haha
4: strong taste of mineral water, if that’s a kind of taste you can describe as strong. probably the smoothest on my tongue so far, and much more sweet. sweetness reminds me of a really light, thin caramel sauce rather than a darker, thicker one like the one i made last night to accompany my brownies (my friend ate the entire pan. no joke). almost like taffy
5: same to the last one, but that tartness came back. ate this with dinner so not as much to say
6: i decided it was getting too light for me so i steeped this for a good 2 minutes as a final steep. i’m definitely getting taffy, and another source of sweetness: melon. now, i really really hate melon, but a melon note in tea is far different than a slice of melon so i actually enjoy it. it settles on my tongue nicely and despite being a hot cup of tea seems to cool me off and refresh me. the nutty taste becomes more of a water chestnut freshness. just what i needed :)
overall, despite not getting the caramel taste everyone is touting, i really enjoyed this tea. with verdant it seems less of “will i like this tea?” and “will i like this tea enough to drop tons of $$$ on it?”. thanks again alysha!
maybe i’ll brew the rest of the leaves western style. does anyone have any successful parameters they’d like to share?
Glad you enjoyed it! I brewed this western style, about 1.5 tsp for 5 minutes with good results.