Thank you FONG MONG TEA for this free sample

Wow-this doesn’t taste like any kind of oolong I’ve ever had! In fact, if you had given me a blind taste test, I could not identify this tea-or even hazard a guess. I might guess an herbal tea. I’ve never had an Oriental Beauty tea before, so I had no idea what to expect here.

The leaves are large and twisted with colors of chocolate brown and rust contrasted sharply by chalky white tips. The dry leaf aroma is a rather generic, mild black tea scent.

The brewed leaf aroma smells much like grapefruit. Liquor is a deep amber hue. Flavor is very unusual and unique. This does not “remind” me of any kind of tea I’ve ever had. I taste notes of grapefruit, apple, and vinegar (apple cider vinegar?). I also taste some sort of woody type spice.

This is all very interesting. Let me try another steep or two to think about the number rating.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 6 min, 0 sec
TeaBrat

try it around 180 degrees… :)

Scott B

How long should I steep it for at that temp? You only did 90 seconds? That’s so much shorter than they recommend.

TeaBrat

I don’t know why they recommend 6 minutes…. I usually steep all my oolongs for short periods of time, but then I am usually going for multiple steeps as well.

Scott B

Okay, well I have enough loose tea for another brew, so maybe I’ll try that next time.

ScottTeaMan

Six min is too long…….I gongfu my oolongs and kep the steeps alot shorter.

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Comments

TeaBrat

try it around 180 degrees… :)

Scott B

How long should I steep it for at that temp? You only did 90 seconds? That’s so much shorter than they recommend.

TeaBrat

I don’t know why they recommend 6 minutes…. I usually steep all my oolongs for short periods of time, but then I am usually going for multiple steeps as well.

Scott B

Okay, well I have enough loose tea for another brew, so maybe I’ll try that next time.

ScottTeaMan

Six min is too long…….I gongfu my oolongs and kep the steeps alot shorter.

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Bio

Started drinking tea for health benefits maybe 5 years ago-exclusively bagged tea. Usually went for various Celestial Seasonings type of stuff. I bought a tea infuser at a gourmet shop once and then I realized there was almost no loose tea available. Eventually tiring of bags, I started ordering loose tea online and I have never gone back. Initially, I was exploring all the wild and exotic flavor combinations, but now I mostly drink straight teas. I still enjoy blended teas-but prefer those without “flavoring”. Hope to learn here and find some new teas I might not otherwise find. Am a vegan, so “milk” generally means “soymilk” to me. If it’s almond, rice, or coconut, I will mention that fact.

I am new here, and new to reviewing tea. Many of my initial reviews will be from memory and may not be very detailed at all. I hope to write more informative reviews on current and future teas.

I won’t let external factors affect my rating of the tea-such as slow shipping, too expensive, etc. I’ll mention any customer service problems in my reviews. I also won’t let my mistakes in not following the seller’s recommended parameters affect a rating. I can’t believe people who say “I forgot about it and oversteeped it” and then give it a rating. If I brew outside the parameters, I will wait until I brew it right before I give it a rating.

TEMPORARY RATING SYSTEM- Don’t hold me to these numbers and descriptions-like George Bluth, I like to tweak.

90+ It’s awesome, right?? I’ll probably try to keep it on hand.

80-89 – I really like this and will buy it again at some point, but there are so many teas to try!

70-79 – This is a pretty good tea and I may buy it again based on my mood, what tea store I am buying from, and what kind of deal I can get.

60-69 – This is okay. I finished the bag. I would drink it again if offered, but would not buy it again.

40-59 – IF I finished the bag, I recall this tea thinking “Why in the hell did I finish the bag?”

1-39 – Did not finish the bag. Maybe not even the cup. Tea was given away or discarded.

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Usa

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