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The coiled dry leaves are very pretty and incredibly soft, like curls of fur, and would be a very visually impressive tea to serve to a visitor. Wet leaves smell like a barbecue, preparing me for a strong-flavored tea. The taste is similar, savory and smoky with a slight aftertaste of sweetness, like a good beef jerky. This tea could stand up to a meal accompaniment, I’m tempted to try it as an after-dinner dessert alongside grilled pineapple. A nice but not overwhelming pick-me-up, but could be too smoky for those who prefer more delicate black teas.

What a surprising tea. The leaves are almost black with a hint of blue, like very ripe blackberries, with a sweet and smoky aroma. Based on this I was expecting something more like a black tea. Instead the first infusion had me thinking of seawater and trees in spring. But those more oxidized flavors of fruit and wood are in there too, later on. The liquid is a dark orange, with a light texture. I’m curious if this unusual flavor combination is typical of purple teas – I have a roasted purple from the same order I’m looking forward to trying now.

I usually prefer heavily oxidized teas, so sometimes Taiwanese oolongs are not to my taste, but I enjoyed this one quite a bit. The first few infusions as the leaves open up are a little green for my taste in a roasted oolong, marked by notes of cooked vegetables, but the later infusions bring out the fruit and nut flavors I was looking for. I would love to see how this ages, I think time would bring out that really nice ‘sour plum’ flavor while mellowing out the roast.

A mellow black tea with moderate body, a sweet aftertaste (which reads more ‘fruit’ than ‘honey’ to me, but I’m splitting hairs here), and a lingering coolness in the mouth characteristic of Taiwanese black teas. I was surprised but pleased by a pine sap note that reminds me of zhengshan xiaozhong. I think the sweetness would be appreciated by both new and experienced black tea fans. Enjoyable either in a teapot or a thermos, but I advise leafing moderately heavy or else the flavor is rather thin.

I enjoyed how sweet the chrysanthemum version of this tea was and thought I would try out this one, but at this point I have to admit I just don’t care for osmanthus. It’s sweet, yes, but with a savory flavor that I always find off-putting in tea. Note to self to try the plain “Drunk on Red” without the flowers; the black tea base here is robust enough to be noticeable but definitely plays second fiddle to the osmanthus. The leaves are pretty and striking in appearance, very dark against bright yellow flowers, so this would make a nice gift for someone who likes flower teas.

I’ve been trying not to get too interested in high mountain oolongs because of the cost, but this one weakened my resolve :) The leaves open up quickly in the teapot, accompanied by a jasmine-like aroma, much more floral than the liquid tastes.
The most prominent tasting note for me is butter, almost too strong except that it’s balanced out by a floral and nutty aftertaste. Very different from my usual fare, but delicious, especially at this price.

This has become my go-to special occasion shou, I should probably order more. Worth leafing hard because the flavor is subtle but delicious: very little bitterness, some hazelnut-vanilla kind of sweetness. As promised, the texture is impressively thick and creamy. I think it’s often the texture that elevates a fancier shou above a cheap one. This tea makes for a great session in a small teapot but is washed-out and underwhelming in a thermos.

(drank in 2019) Maybe my storage was the problem, but I found this tea unpleasantly sour (and it attracted bugs to boot). I got some of the fruit and malt flavors that others have mentioned, but no chocolate notes.

A straightforward but rewarding tea, good for either a focused session or throwing in a thermos. Thick and bitter, but with a pleasant sweetness as well, like a bar of very dark chocolate. Very good for the price.

(drank in 2019) Has a “dry” flavor (think autumn leaves and dry wood, rather than mushrooms or wet soil) that I associate with Jingmai shou, with a cinnamon-like sweetness to it. Very well balanced and pleasant to drink, but neither flavor nor texture are particularly strong.