Korean-American freelance writer & illustrator/concept artist.
Not much experience, so my reviews are very much ‘ymmv’. Got into tea during a month-long trek through China, where I got to research some tea history and experience gongfu tea ceremony in Guangdong.
My friends think I get overboard and ‘fancy’ with teas, but my favorites tend to be stuff I grew up drinking like náaihchà, red teas (NOT rooibos)/whatever’s commonly served in yum cha and bori-cha- which I drink straight. I do use honey, lemon juice, milk/cream, or Demerara sugar in some other teas.
Got some ‘Congou’ tea from visiting colonial Williamsburg a few years back and have been fruitlessly trying to pin down what it actually is.
Likes: fruity (lychee, black currant, melon, apple), citrus, muscatel, creamy, nutty, cinnamon, chamomile, mint- don’t really mind high astringency for some reason?
Dislikes: Smoke/Tobacco, licorice, pepper, anything reminiscent of alcohol/overly malty. Most herbal & Yerba Mate.
South Bay, California