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Just used up the last of my sample today. Slightly different steeping parameters, and I made much more than I was initially going to because my mother spotted me making tea and wanted in. She has never tried an oolong before; hopefully she will enjoy it.

Higher steeping temperature, I think, may be the reason this looks darker. But it also might just be because I poured into a mug rather than a small teacup. I can’t quite remember how this tasted the last time I had it (I’m not going to cheat and read my old notes), but it’s pleasantly light in the vegetal taste, a stronger floral almost sweetness coming through with a sort of milky aftertaste. Sometimes I think I might be getting a nuttyness as well in there somewhere. And occasionally there is a sort of sweet yeasty ’bakey’ness, but it’s hard to pick out as a flavour on its own—I think it’s more of the taste I get because of how the other flavours blend together. Hmm. Especially since otherwise there’s no way I would consider this tea at all ‘bakey’. It’s light, maybe buttery, sweet.

I still think ‘magnolia’ just smells like jasmine, but it’s much lighter, so it’s nothing like A&D’s Jasmine Green, which seems to be much too strong for me to handle.

I plan to resteep this a few more times and enjoy my book. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (Susanna Clarke) if anyone wants to know. I’ve been reading this book on and off for four years. I love it, but I just can’t seem to finish it.

Giving this an actual RATING now, because I realized I hadn’t given it one before.

This sips like a good book-reading tea, I think.

And for the record, my mother really likes it and came back for a second steep. This second one seems to have a slight tang to it, I think, but otherwise I’m not finding any significant difference.

I recognized the powdery sweet, fruity smell of lychee when I sniffed the dry leaves (we’ve gotten them in the store where I work at in the past, so I know the smell, although I’ve never tasted one before so this will be new for me).

The smell transfers to the brewed tea, although there’s also a somewhat green smell as well.

Huh. The taste is very unique. I’ll have to buy the fruit one of these days. The black tea taste is there, but so is a sort of sweetness from the fruit. It’s very interesting. I can’t really pin down the taste of the lychee, mostly because I’ve never had the fruit (I decided to take a chance when I bought this tea). There is, though, something about it that reminds me about Marco Polo. I wonder if that includes a bit if lychee in it then.

There is a touch of dryness on the tip of my tongue when I sip, and then a burst of perfumyness before the black tea taste, and then a bit more perfume in the aftertaste. But not a floral perfume. Hmm.

I like it, but not enough that I think I would get it again in the future. I find that it is a bit watery (I did three teaspoons to two cups of water), so maybe I’ll try a bit stronger next time.

I added a bit of white sugar to my next cup (I usually add honey, but it seemed like it might overwhelm this flavour), and I think it does bring out the lychee slightly more. I added milk next, and it’s actually quite nice with milk. I didn’t think it would be able to stand up to it, and although I lose a lot of the tea flavour, the lychee is definitely more noticeable now. And it reminds me even more of Marco Polo.

Overall, quite enjoyable, although I want to test making it stronger next time. It’s light and very nice with a bit of sugar and milk.

I keep meaning to log this one.

I’ve had it a few times. It’s rather nice. Strong assam, malty. I was a little disapointed when I opened the tin to find that the tea was broken up rather small, like common Breakfast blends, but I just used my super-fine infuser. Although the smaller pieces mean more volume when I scoop, because there’s less pore space and I measure via the teaspoon because I don’t have that fine of a scale. Plus more surface area, and thus overall a stronger brew, so I tend to use a little less to compensate.

Not too outstanding, although I haven’t really sat down and sipped it with Steepster in mind, so I can’t remember too many details. I’ll do that next time.

Had this this morning. I have less than a teaspoon left, bah.

Ended up adding milk to the second steep because I was in a hurry and didn’t have time to wait for it to cool down enough to drink. Quite tasty with milk. Although I added a little too much, the maple flavour was still fairly evident.

This’ the last of this. Thank you to Jillian for sending it to me.

Nutty and wine-like, and quite enjoyable.

I proclaimed this to be a Finish Up All Samples and Singles day. Although yesterday I proclaimed that today would be a Go To Winners And Buy Hazo Teas day.

I might still do the latter. I don’t know how well I’m doing with the former. I don’t really have any more samples I can finish up in one cup. And I’m unable to consume 8 cups + of tea in one day.

I let the water get a little too cold, and I guess as a result there wasn’t much of a pear flavour. It just tasted like white tea. Still nice, though. Tasty.

I’ve had this a few times since I got it, but haven’t logged it.

I remember REALLY liking this when I had it at Murchie’s, so I came home with two ounces. Only to find that it… tasted quite different. I’m guessing it was a difference in tastes from the bagged fanning-form that they serve, and the loose that I went home with.

It was a bold, black tea flavour with this faint green sweetness/vegetalness underneath, just enough to compliment, and then a hint of smoke. I brought it home, and all I got what a bitter, burnt charcoal taste. Very bitter, green, not nearly as much bold black, and burnt not smoky.

So I started experimenting with my steep times and temperatures. I don’t know what temperature their water is, but I steeped it at around four minutes and it was good. No bitterness!

This time around I brought the temperature down to 180F, the steep time to 2:30, and replaced 1/4 of the tea I used with Murchie’s Assam tippy golden.

There’s a difference, and it’s a difference for the better, although I don’t like how watery it tastes with the reduced steeping time. But I know if I steep it any longer it’ll go bitter (especially since I added Assam black). Maybe I’ll have to buy a little box of their bagged stuff. Damn.

Enjoyable, though. Blacker in taste—closer to the bagged form that I remember—with a bit of a bittergreen taste, and then a faint burnt not-quite-smoky taste.

Drank this to stay awake to work on projects. Still good. A strong bergamot flavour, but the tea is also strong; neither drowns out the other.

Funny story! I was cleaning my room quite thoroughly, and came across a box under my bed containing one half Christmas decorations, and one half Tazo’s Awake and Chai (and a small amount of sweet orange). So yeah, I’ve got a lot. I remember my neighbour giving it to me (along with the Christmas decorations).

We’ve always had Tazo in the house, but the few times I tried Awake it was very bitter and gross right through the milk and sugar. And now I’m going to try it with nothing!

Not as bad as I remember. No bitterness at five minutes steeping. Then again, when I drank it in the past, I just left the teabag in.

It’s not remarkable. I’m getting a dryer taste at the back of my throat, but it’s nothing like I remember. It’s probably been in that box for quite a while though, and my neighbour’s probably had it even longer.

Edit: As it cooled it got more astringent, but then I noticed something else. There’s a very faint hint of cherry.