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drank Honey Black Oolong by Mountain Stream Teas
1605 tasting notes

Received as a freebie with my order, thanks!

I have to preface this review by stating I… don’t really care for honey blacks. :$

Real-time review. I’m preparing this according to MST’s gong fu guidelines. About 4.5 g, 100mL, 195F, steeps of 30/45/60/+5-10.

MST be throwing me off. Nothing says this is roasted but that’s what I taste.

Dry leaf smells like, well, imagine Honeycomb cereal. Rinsed leaf scent is hard to pick out because it seems perfumey above all else but hiding in there is roast, wood, and a mix of citrus-red cherry-rose. The brew starts out very light in the first steep and gets successively stronger in aroma, taste and texture. It moves from light roast and sweet into a progressively darker but light-bodied liquor with notes of citrus-cherry-honey. The light roast flavor underpins it all. It’s a bright tasting tea considering it tastes roasted, with a long and brilliant citrus and honey aftertaste. The bottom of the cup is retaining a scent of honeycomb. There’s an incredible body buzz that comes with it, too. I feel like I’m puddling, spreading out, then sucking parts of myself back in. Imagine the movement of an amoeba. A grinning tea-stoned amoebaaaah.

Oof. Don’t drink this before a work meeting or a test. I can’t even finish my review.

Edit: Got 6 steeps by letting the last one sit for 5+ minutes. There’s also a very strong tangerine zest feeling throughout my whole mouth. Added a rating.
Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 OZ / 100 ML
6 comments
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brutusK
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Okay well I’m glad I’m not the only one that picked up roast lol. I liked this one but I unfortunately didn’t get body feels like you did! Sounds like you should be getting more…

derk
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I don’t respond well to trees in my advanced age. This is a decent and cost-effective replacement. Sorry you didn’t get the feels. I hope somebody else can corroborate my claim.

Leafhopper
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If I ever order from MST, this tea will be on my list. I’m not crazy about body feels either, but I love honey/fruity black teas!

brutusK
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It tasted like slightly toasted raisin cinnamon bread to me—good stuff and you should totally order some

Girl Meets Gaiwan
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I have some of this on the way – unfortunately seems to be hanging around in customs for some time. Looking forward to trying.

gmathis
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You had me at Honeycombs (flashbacks to 5th grade with a mountainous bowl near one hand and a book in the other)>

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Comments

brutusK
Delete

Okay well I’m glad I’m not the only one that picked up roast lol. I liked this one but I unfortunately didn’t get body feels like you did! Sounds like you should be getting more…

derk
Delete

I don’t respond well to trees in my advanced age. This is a decent and cost-effective replacement. Sorry you didn’t get the feels. I hope somebody else can corroborate my claim.

Leafhopper
Delete

If I ever order from MST, this tea will be on my list. I’m not crazy about body feels either, but I love honey/fruity black teas!

brutusK
Delete

It tasted like slightly toasted raisin cinnamon bread to me—good stuff and you should totally order some

Girl Meets Gaiwan
Delete

I have some of this on the way – unfortunately seems to be hanging around in customs for some time. Looking forward to trying.

gmathis
Delete

You had me at Honeycombs (flashbacks to 5th grade with a mountainous bowl near one hand and a book in the other)>

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Bio

This place, like the rest of the internet, is dead and overrun with bots. Yet I persist.

Eventual tea farmer. If you are a tea grower, want to grow your own plants or are simply curious, please follow me so we can chat.

I most enjoy loose-leaf, unflavored teas and tisanes. Teabags have their place. Some of my favorite teas have a profound effect on mind and body rather than having a specific flavor profile.

Favorite teas generally come from China (all provinces), Taiwan, India (Nilgiri and Manipur). Frequently enjoyed though less sipped are teas from Georgia, Japan, and Nepal. While I’m not actively on the hunt, a goal of mine is to try tea from every country that makes it available to the North American market. This is to gain a vague understanding of how Camellia sinensis performs in different climates. I realize that borders are arbitrary and some countries are huge with many climates and tea-growing regions.

I’m convinced European countries make the best herbal teas.

Personal Rating Scale:

100-90: A tea I can lose myself into. Something about it makes me slow down and appreciate not only the tea but all of life or a moment in time. If it’s a bagged or herbal tea, it’s of standout quality in comparison to similar items.

89-80: Fits my profile well enough to buy again.

79-70: Not a preferred tea. I might buy more or try a different harvest. Would gladly have a cup if offered.

69-60: Not necessarily a bad tea but one that I won’t buy again. Would have a cup if offered.

59-1: Lacking several elements, strangely clunky, possesses off flavor/aroma/texture or something about it makes me not want to finish.

Unrated: Haven’t made up my mind or some other reason. If it’s puerh, I likely think it needs more age.

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Sonoma County, California, USA

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