100
drank Ruby Oolong by Rishi Tea
1403 tasting notes

Yeah, so I have been continuing my green, white, and oolong days as I continue my acupuncture and Chinese herbs treatments. Surprisingly, the transition from black teas has not been all that difficult. I am not giving them up forever, of course, just for the time being to not contradict what is happening in my treatments.

The tough thing for me has been giving up milk, as well as black tea. I find myself craving lovely sweetened chais and good strong tea lattes. I predict I will be breaking down and having one or two some time soon. I do miss them so. I only hope that, when and if, I do break down, the milky cup in front of me will be worth it.

Back from my tangent to this fine tea. Very very lovely.

My first steeping was full of lovely heavy red wine— reminds me of Mondavi vineyards— and chocolate notes. These flavours dissipated in subsequent steepings, but the cups continued to be lovely. Many many steepings later, I am still enjoying the tea.

I might have to make a Rishi order very soon. Just as soon as I can justify it.

Flavors: Cherry, Dark Chocolate, Red Wine

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 30 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML
VariaTEA

Sounds lovely :)

Indigobloom

Yikes! that’d make me sad. Can you do an herbal almond milk chai?

Daylon R Thomas

I hope you were able to enjoy the blacks I sent. I think I also added a few dark oolongs, but I could be wrong. And I’m guessing the ruby is on the muscatel side?

Evol Ving Ness

Daylon, I am ashamed to say, that I am WAY behind on tasting and sending and the tea world in general. I am sorry. hangs head

I will get to them and I will enjoy them. I promise.

And yes, I think there were dark oolongs too. The selection of all of them was totally ohmygod fab and I thank you for that. I should go through it to see just what teas I can drink NOW on this current regime. I have just been foolishly assuming that everything is out of reach. Or maybe it’s been fatigue and this heat.

Evol Ving Ness

Indigobloom, I will have to ask about almond milk though you know how it is when only the exact same thing of the craving will do.

Evol Ving Ness

VariaTEA, yes, the first steep was really quite remarkable.

Evol Ving Ness

I am just reading up on this tea. Apparently, it is grown in Thailand. I had been unaware of that. I also did not know that Rishi is an American company. I had been under the impression that it was Canadian. Ooops.

http://www.rishi-tea.com/product/ruby-oolong-organic-oolong-tea/oolong-tea

Evol Ving Ness

I just took a look at Rishi’s shipping rates for Canada and that’d be a nope.

Indigobloom

Evol, yup I know what you mean!! here’s hoping the time goes quickly for you

Evol Ving Ness

Thank you. :)

Daylon R Thomas

Rishi is not bad. Their coconut baozhong blend is good.

Evol Ving Ness

Their teas are lovely, but $20 US or so shipping to Canada is insane.

I see you are really in a Baozhong state of mind. :)

Daylon R Thomas

I’m in a light Green Oolong state of mind. I typically have a staple of some throughout the year, but right now it’s the main type of tea I’ve been craving. I’m currently on a quest to find a Milk Oolong as sweet as Mandala’s for a more affordable price.

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Comments

VariaTEA

Sounds lovely :)

Indigobloom

Yikes! that’d make me sad. Can you do an herbal almond milk chai?

Daylon R Thomas

I hope you were able to enjoy the blacks I sent. I think I also added a few dark oolongs, but I could be wrong. And I’m guessing the ruby is on the muscatel side?

Evol Ving Ness

Daylon, I am ashamed to say, that I am WAY behind on tasting and sending and the tea world in general. I am sorry. hangs head

I will get to them and I will enjoy them. I promise.

And yes, I think there were dark oolongs too. The selection of all of them was totally ohmygod fab and I thank you for that. I should go through it to see just what teas I can drink NOW on this current regime. I have just been foolishly assuming that everything is out of reach. Or maybe it’s been fatigue and this heat.

Evol Ving Ness

Indigobloom, I will have to ask about almond milk though you know how it is when only the exact same thing of the craving will do.

Evol Ving Ness

VariaTEA, yes, the first steep was really quite remarkable.

Evol Ving Ness

I am just reading up on this tea. Apparently, it is grown in Thailand. I had been unaware of that. I also did not know that Rishi is an American company. I had been under the impression that it was Canadian. Ooops.

http://www.rishi-tea.com/product/ruby-oolong-organic-oolong-tea/oolong-tea

Evol Ving Ness

I just took a look at Rishi’s shipping rates for Canada and that’d be a nope.

Indigobloom

Evol, yup I know what you mean!! here’s hoping the time goes quickly for you

Evol Ving Ness

Thank you. :)

Daylon R Thomas

Rishi is not bad. Their coconut baozhong blend is good.

Evol Ving Ness

Their teas are lovely, but $20 US or so shipping to Canada is insane.

I see you are really in a Baozhong state of mind. :)

Daylon R Thomas

I’m in a light Green Oolong state of mind. I typically have a staple of some throughout the year, but right now it’s the main type of tea I’ve been craving. I’m currently on a quest to find a Milk Oolong as sweet as Mandala’s for a more affordable price.

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Profile

Bio

A monk sips morning tea

A monk sips morning tea,
it’s quiet,
the chrysanthemum’s flowering.

- Basho

(1644-1694)

Note to self—-you do not actually need any more tea.

My real tea obsession began in February 2015.

Not, sadly, when I had been living and working in China, though I very much enjoyed sampling a variety of teas during my travels there as well. No, no, that would have been far too sensible.

I am a reformed coffee drinker. I still enjoy a long double espresso with a good quantity or milk or cream from time to time, but for now, tea is my thing. All day.

*note—this is way out of date, so if we are doing a swap and you are checking to see what I like and dislike, mostly never mind what you find below. One of these days, I will update this. In the meantime, check what I’ve been drinking and use your own judgement. I like all the teas. Well, I am open to trying all the teas.

I tend to drink black, green, or oolong tea in the morning to early afternoon. Rooibos or
Honeybush or herbal in the evening. And perhaps some sort of sleepy-type tea in the wee hours.

This year, I’ve been discovering flavoured teas, so it may look like that is all I drink although that would provide a false impression.

Not a big fan of chocolate or mint in teas, but I will try them and, from time to time, have been pleasantly surprised. Also, usually I dislike a prominent cinnamon flavour, if untempered with other things, in teas. Again, I say usually, because there are exceptions.

Also, please note that haven’t quite gotten into the habit of updating my tea cupboard on Steepster, and it is unlikely that I will do this on any kind of regular basis.

I drink my tea black and unsweetened. If there comes a rare moment that I add something to it, I will mention it.

Finally, while I thank large and successful tea companies for tantalizing and beckoning me to the world of tea, I prefer to support independent ventures with real people, real enthusiasm and commitment, and real dreams.

Currently, I am researching monthly tea subscriptions. Perhaps it will keep me out of tea shops.

And here is Shae’s rating scale— which I am using with permission, of course— which more or less describes the way I have been rating teas. I am going to make more of an effort to stay very close to these parameters now.

Rating Scale

1-20: By far, one of the worst teas I’ve tasted. I most certainly will not finish my cup and will likely “gift” the rest to my sweet husband who almost always enjoys the teas I dislike (and vice versa).

21-40: This tea is not good but if I mix it with another tea or find another steeping method I might be able to finish it.

41-60: This one is just okay. I might drink it again if someone were to give it to me, but I probably won’t be buying more for myself.

61-75: This is a consistently good tea. It’s reliable but not necessarily special.

76-90: This one is a notch above the rest and I would gladly enjoy a cup of it any day of the week. I’ll likely be keeping this in my cupboard, but it isn’t one of my all-time favorites.

91-95: One small change and this tea would be perfect. I’ll definitely have a stash of this in my kitchen if you come over for tea.

96-100: No words can describe this tea. It’s an experience, an aha moment. Closed eyes, wide smile, encompassing warmth. Absolutely incredible. Perfect.

Location

Mostly, but not always, Toronto, Canada.

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