I’d been wanting to try an Oriental Beauty and jumped on the chance since I was already making a Whispering Pines order and there one was.
Fresh and hot, it has an almost camphor or eucalyptus vibe going for it in both scent and flavor. That’s not quite right, but these are the descriptors that first came to mind. As I sipped more, maybe this is more woody than anything else?
Really surprised me as most descriptions I have read of this type of tea are more sweet/floral/fruity. I don’t get these flavors at all. Not anywhere near even remotely close.
As it cools, the wood comes out even more. It is drying in the mouth, though I would not call it harsh in any way.
Second steep the wood has calmed down a little, but still there. I’m also actually getting a little bit of a sweet note in the back end of the sip maybe. However this seems to fade as the tea cools. Woody and maybe a little bit earthy flavor is what’s standing out now.
