Sarah M select Send Message

Definitely one of my favorites. A nice toasty flavored tea on a comfortable evening… makes me want to have a fire on my back deck and sit outside indefinitely.

PS- I oversteep EVERYTHING practically. The package of this from Den’s says to steep 15 seconds or something like that. I usually steep it for a good several minutes. Gives it a more robust flavor (but not overpowering). It is a little bit too weak for my liking if only steeped for 15 seconds.

Another positive- since it’s mostly twigs, and it is roasted, this tea is very low in caffeine, making it a good evening option for me. I’m fairly caffeine sensitive, so I have to switch to tisanes or low caff options at night.

Subsequent steeps are more vegetal, but maintain the floral notes. I’m on number 4 now.

I don’t drink as much oolong as I would like, because I feel as if I really ought to savor it. And usually I don’t have a lot of time for savoring. This tea is amazing. It has wonderful tropical & floral notes. I even oversteeped it (ha not unusual) but it is fabulous. A little strong, maybe, but very good. And I love how my teapot looks like a kelp forest when I’m brewing it. From prior experience I will say that steeps 2 and 3 will be the best… assuming I don’t forget about it and leave it for 30 minutes. Ahem.

Definitely one of my favorite teas- I come back to it over and over. The flavor is kind of sweet and toasty. It reminds me a little bit of the flavor of honey. My husband thinks it tastes like brussell sprouts, which I think is kind of strange. It’s an easy one to brew- temp and steep time will not adversely affect the brew. Good for me, the tea killer.

This is my second steep, and it’s ok. I am really bummed that I screwed up the second steep. Yesterday I made a cup and left it to steep for about a minute or two… 30 minutes later, I gasped and realized that i was making tea… needless to say, I dumped that cup. This morning’s second steep is only so-so. This was the last of my sample, so now it’s either pay up (this stuff ain’t cheap), or settle for a slightly less decadent sencha. It’ll probably be the latter.

Mmmm! Genmai cha is one of my staples. So, after a 60 hour work week and 7 hours of sleep in the last 2 nights (combined) I brewed a cup of this. The toasty flavor is just perfect on a rainy, dreary day. I’m on my second steep now.

Den’s says in their description that this tea provides a good alternative to cider or cocoa. I don’t really know where they got that idea… it does not remind me of cocoa or cider at ALL. However, it is one of my staples. It is similar to the flavor of a houjicha, but a little more earthy / twiggy. I’m a big fan of that flavor profile- the roasted, toasted, earthy, smoky flavors (houjicha, genmai cha, gunpowder, etc). If you like that sort of thing, I would definitely recommend this. And I’m thinking some of that sweetness that they describe might come out at cooler temps. But mine never has a chance to cool, as I always drink it promptly.

Tonight I blended half Honeybush hazelnut, half Honeybush chocolate. It smells kind of like some fancy coffee drink (minus the coffee) and tastes amazing. Honeybush is awesome because it has a sweet, mellow flavor- similar to rooibos, but not as powerful. It is amazing iced- i think iced honeybush is probably one of my favorite things, ever. I like to cold brew it because it’s easier that way. But tonight I’m drinking it hot, and loving it.

I LOVE green rooibos. While I love the red as well, I find green to be much more mellow. It also blends well with other tisanes- tonight it is lemongrass, and a little bit of peppermint. I really enjoy experimenting with herbal blends in the evening. I’m too caffeine sensitive for “real” tea at night.

Caramel and houjicha- I was very skeptical. A friend sent me a sample of this, and it is actually quite good! Probably not something I would re-order, but something interesting for a change of pace. The caramel flavor compliments the houjicha very well, and it makes for a brew that is slightly reminiscent of coffee… in a good way.