M&K's Tea Company
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I got this tea in a sampler set from M&K’s and I really enjoyed this brew. I used less tea to make a more mellow brew, although I may try it stronger next time to get more of the full, malt/earth flavor. Its simple, clean and was a nice start to the morning with just a bit of rock sugar to enhance the natural sweet notes. I re-steeped the leaves and actually enjoyed the second cup even more, and the flavors were somewhat bolder. Even so, it was a very light brew, sweet brew. I will definitely be back for seconds!
Flavors: Earth, Malt, Smooth
Preparation
This is nice and refreshing. Not as floral as I thought it would be, but also not lacking too much in flavor. While it is a bit weaker than I would like, it is a nice cup for an outside sitting. There is a semi dryness to it that is a little disappointing though, but that happens a lot with TGY teas from my experience.
This takes the prize for being the most bitter oolong I have ever had. It’s like an unrolled kudding tea. Really rough to continue drinking this one down.
I was really looking forward to it as well.
185f for 3 minutes and then tried it again for 2 1/2 on the second steep because I really wanted this oolong to make friends with my taste buds. :/
Nothing beats kudding for bitterness, LOL.
Probably should try gongfu with this one, starting with a rinse & super short steeps. :)
I followed M&K’s instructions on the package… but you are probably right, it’s all gone now though because it was a sample.
L.P. I just tried it myself at 3 min, 185F and it was very bitter. WHO CAME UP WITH THESE DIRECTIONS? (hint: it was me).
Do you think I should modify the directions to suit a gongfu style brewing? To keep it consistent I have western style on all our other teas, so I’d rather keep it that way. Maybe reduce the steeping time a lot? Or I could cut it from 1tbsp to a lower amount, but I think it may still be bitter. Thanks for the feedback.
I’m unsure… most teas you can just give them a hot bath and drink them whenever with no problem. May change the taste, but it generally works. This one might have to be flash steeps at 190f. I’ve done that with some darker oolongs.
I’m no expert, but I usually go gongfu with this type of tea, on the other hand, you might also try multiple steeps of 1/2/& 5 minutes. As the owner of the company, since you have access to plenty of the tea, I suggest you try it several different ways & see which one makes you the happiest! :)
Thanks for the input guys, I appreciate it. I’ll work on tweaking this one (and the tangerine one, too).
I drank many different types of bancha while I was in Tokyo this year and I’m thinking that maybe something was wrong with the sample of this I got… maybe, maybe not. I am not going to rate this because I’m unsure how to even do so after drinking this. The taste was a bit off though it brewed just fine.
College Graduation Party Tea #6
So the night should end with a nice tea, right?
I decided to pick something that I only have a sample of to end my drinking tonight and decided with the Fuji Apple oolong. While the taste of this is a milder TGY there is something very ‘eh’ about it. The apple isn’t a taste with this tea, it’s a scent that is absorbed in the mouth. It’s hard to describe, but I am unable to do so. I have a few more M&K Teas left and I hope to find one that is worth purchasing a sampler pack because so far they sound and look amazing only to let me down in taste.
Dangit, I was really looking forward to this tea!
I got home last night and wasn’t sure what to drink out of 908039284903809483209840932 teas so I chose something that sounded juicy. Unfortunately, both of the steepings of this tea has no fruit flavor at all. The oolong flavor was okay, but when you’re expecting tangerine to pop out it just doesn’t do it. I would have settled for vivid dreams as I sipped it without the tangerine though… that didn’t happen either (not that I expected it to). The appearance was nice, green oolong with orange pieces in there but they just don’t show up on my tongue :/
I agree. I felt the same way about this.
I have a handful more of their oolongs… I really hope they are not like this, but it was odd because I could see the fruit and not taste it at all.
I guess we will have to work on adding more tangerine flavor. It can be tough because I didn’t want to overpower the base, as people often complain about fruity teas being a little overly fruity and not enough tea flavor. It is a pendulum that is very difficult to predict, in terms of adding the flavor. Sometimes the results are fruity, other times they are not. I suppose that explains the differing results I have seen so far. Keep in mind we are a new company, so we are always fine-tuning our recipes. Oolong tea blends in particular are difficult.
I completely understand not wanting to overpower the tea with any flavor at all. To be honest, if you were to take mildly roasted or darker oolong and made it a tangerine creamsicle, you would have many people trying it out. It just came to me because I could easily drink some phoenix oolong while eating a creamsicle. That is different though… I think if you amped the flavoring on this tea a bit you can market it as having two steeps; the difference would be strength.
Thanks for the feedback, I’ll definitely try out some experiments on this one. If you’re interested, I can send you a free sample if you want to give me some more feedback.
I’ve decided not to try anymore black teas that I don’t know if I like or not.. It’s turning out that I dislike a lot of them. The flavors are okay, I’m just not excited about drinking it. This one has notes of wood and raisins with a slight sweetness. It’s not bad, but I’d much rather something else.
Flavors: Raisins, Sweet, Wood
Sweet, simple, and honey like. Pretty tasty!
Here is my full review:
http://sororiteasisters.com/2015/04/23/green-rooibos-mks-tea-co/
Flavors: Honey, Sweet
This tea is good. Like fresh roasted coffee good. That is exactly what it tastes like. It has a really nice full bodied roasted quality about it. I can see this being an excellent morning substitute for a dark roasted coffee. I’m digging it.
Here is the rest of my review:
http://sororiteasisters.com/2015/04/19/dark-roast-gunpowder-mks-tea-co/
Happy Sunday!
Last night was the final night of the Dropzone Commander League, meaning next Monday is the first day of the tournament. I have a respectable (yes, this is sarcasm) 3-3 record putting me square in the middle for tournament seating. I have no hope of winning, I just hope that I make it past the first round of single elimination. Also my DAO suppliment experiments seems to be going well, I have not gotten a stomach ache after eating any of the things, including stuff that has made me really sick in the past, it also seems like my ‘post-fermentation’ headaches are better, meaning no more fear of Shou migraines (that was a horrifying thing, though it only happened after a really nasty Shou, higher grade clean ones give me a slight headache at the worst, much like the headaches I get post cheese binge. Though it did make me unable to even smell Shou without getting a splitting headache for the better part of year!) So that is news from the me world, now on to tea!
Today’s tea comes from the mad scientists at M&K’s Tea Company, specifically their Kuromaicha! If you are wondering what that is, it is a blend of Toasted Black Rice, Kyobancha, and Hojicha, this is a toasted tea lover’s dream, or at least my dream, because I am always wanting to see people make blends with Hojicha and Kyobancha, they are just such awesome teas that never get used. You all know me, I get excited when I see unusual blends, and that is how I first discovered M&K’s Tea Company, it is a bit of their specialty. So, does it smell toasty? Yes, yes it does, it is like a campfire with notes of marshmallow, toasted bread, toasted corn, loam, and a slight umami note from the toasted rice. Yes, it is rather fascinating, the black rice is not as sweet as the rice you get in the usual genmaicha, it has a savory note more similar to Basmati rice.
I decided to use my neglected pseudo-houhin for this one, the poor thing does not get enough love. Brewing the leaves fills my little tea area with an intense toasty aroma, like someone is toasting rice over a campfire next to me, it makes me feel warm and relaxed. The aroma of the soggy leaf pile (that looks like a leaf pile, Kyobancha is such a ‘pile of mulch’ tea) is sweet, with notes of marshmallow and freshly toasted corn and bread. After that is a finish of toasted rice and loam, with a lingering toasty note. The liquid is sweet, smoky, and loamy, just like an autumn campfire!
Ok, clearly someone took the essence of autumn and distilled it down into a cup of tea! It is loamy, toasty, smoky, grainy, and sweet, all in one! It is not as sweet as Kyobancha on its own, but it does still have the toasted marshmallow and loamy notes, but now they are mixed with toasted bread and rice, and a nice finish of smoke. It reminds me of eating rice crackers (not the seaweed ones, but the more Gluten Free alternate to crackers, ones) while drinking a toasty cup of more savory Kyobancha. This tea pleases me on a taste level and a feeling level, since it reminds me so much of my favorite parts of autumn.
For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2015/04/m-tea-company-kuromaicha-tea-review.html
This caffeine free herbal tea is super cool! The appearance is really neat in a big stemmy pearls. The pearls unfurl right away leaving a vibrant green leaf!
The taste is barley, corn, roast and sweet (like sweet potatoes and hits your mouth similar to stevia). This tea also resteeped very well, I got 3 infusions! I like the 2nd and 3rd infusions best as they were less sweet.
Totally check this one out for a new, adventurous caffeine free option!
Full review on Oolong Owl http://oolongowl.com/jiaogulan-dragon-pearls-from-mks-tea-co-tea-review/
Such a solid tea! Love this one. Its such a great combo of mint and green tea with hints of other flavors always surprising me. I’m loving it! Having it cold brewed today to enjoy the beautiful weather we are having. Try this company if you haven’t. They just expanded from their etsy store to their own webstore and have added several new blends. I can’t wait to try them.
Flavors: Citrusy, Green, Mint, Sweet
And my computer is back to its same old terrible refusal to connect to the internet again, well, except in brief little stints here and there. I really hate this thing, but it is what I get for rushing and getting something cheap, this is my punishment sigh But, whinging aside, I was able to enjoy some warm springlike weather today, the air was warm so the windows were opened, fresh air makes everything better!
So today’s continuation into Oolong week is brought to us by M&K’s Tea Company and their Tangerine Dream. This tea is a blend of Fenghuang Dan Cong Oolongs (specifically Mi Lan Xiang and Yu Lan Xiang) dried tangerines, tangerine peel, dried orange peel, and tangerine oil while also being coated with orange blossom extract, holy orange batman, that sounds like a citrus lover’s paradise. It may be way known by now that I am very finicky about my citrus teas, I want them to taste like the fruit and not like bathroom spray, also I like them to not be black teas (sorry citrus blacks, I just never really liked you) so it was not a real shock that I had to pick up a sample of this tea. Something about mixing tangerine with Dan Cong Oolongs just sounds decadent as all get out. So, opening up the package and giving it a good sniff, and oh my, that is rather rich and citrusy sweet, lots of tangerine, like a fresh juicy tangerine sitting next to a vase of flowers. The floral notes of orange blossom, grapefruit flower (everyone should sniff that plant at least once) orchids, honeysuckles, and magnolias blend so wonderfully with the sweet tangerine notes.
I decided to go western style for this one, so into my tea alchemy device it went for steeping. The now soggy leaves and peel, and rather plump no longer dry tangerine smell delicious! Juicy citrus, heady florals, and honey sweetness mix for a surprisingly mellow aroma, this tea does not overwhelm. The liquid is immensely juicy smelling, it really is like someone sliced into a tangerine next to a bouquet of flowers and a dish of slightly warm honey. If you are into tangerine, fair warning, this might smell a bit mouthwatering.
First off, the tea is both juicy and smooth, it is an interesting effect. The citrus cause a juicy mouthwatering effect and the oolong gives a silky smooth feeling, which is a pretty fun blend of textures for my mouth. Taste-wise, ok, imagine taking a section of tangerine and popping it into your mouth and then sipping some very floral and honey sweet Dan Cong Oolong, right as the Oolong hits the mid taste you bite down on the piece of tangerine. So what started as a tiny hint of citrus blooms into very juicy, ripe, tangerine. It dances with the floral notes of the Oolong to the back of the throat and lingers long after finishing. Guys, I am going to level with you, I have purchases several of M&K’s Teas and I am always struck by how clever the blends are, but this one took the cake for me, it is so delicious and I keep kicking myself for not getting more. I am going to straight up say this might be my new go-to summer time tea, I want to try cold brewing it, gongfu brewing it, grandpa steeping it, I want to see what all this tea can do, because just taking it western style was amazing!
Blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2015/03/m-tea-company-tangerine-dream-tea-review.html
