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So this is it.

The last tea to try in the Golden Moon sampler.

Back when I started rating teas on Steepster, and when I started my loose leaf journey, one of the first things I noticed was the Golden Moon sampler. I began to sound the alarm around Steepster, probably annoying the hell out of a bunch of people in the process, but I really was pushing this thing on people. Because you know what? The sampler is a tea education in a box. It’s the perfect way to convert your friends to tea. It can show you everything that tea has to offer. Because Golden Moon is a damn fine company.

And Golden Moon is also a company that does flavored teas really, really well.

So I’m saving their award-winning baby for last, the pinnacle of their tea artisanship.

And you know what? This tea is amazing. This tea is just… man.

Okay, let’s start with the basics though, before I start babbling on about the taste. First off, when you open the packet, all you can smell is rich, delicious coconut. Toasted coconut. The inside of a Mars bar. It’s extremely distinct. You cannot mistake this for anything else other than coconut. I’m serious.

Yay for my first loose leaf pouchong! The leaves look more akin to a green than an oolong, and since pouchong falls somewhere in the gap between green and oolong, it’s understandable. They’re very full and dark and lush. So I steeped it up, and the resulting infusion was a pale lemon chiffon color. Very pretty.

Did I mention how much I love the color that oolongs steep up to? Okay, I’ll mention it now. Oolongs have such an appealing color palette.

Anyway, the infusion pretty much smells just as delicious as the dry leaves. Except now add butter. I’m serious. You can smell the buttery pouchong shining through.

Is there a first thing as love at first sip? Because I think this might be it.

Oh my. The pouchong is the first flavor that hits your tongue, smooth and ridiculously sweet and full of buttered goodness. And then the coconut comes, authentic and delicious and real. It doesn’t overpower the taste of the pouchong, but rests happily next to it, all cuddled up inside of it, until the two tastes merge so well that it creates a newer, better, wonderful taste.

I love it when flavored tea does that. When neither the tea nor the flavoring overwhelms the other, and there’s this wonderful balance that makes you just sigh with happiness when you drink it.

That sigh is this tea.

Much love for Golden Moon, and yay for all of the people that have taken this remarkable tasting journey with me! Let’s convert some more people to the Tea Box to End All Tea Boxes, and have fun drinking tea! Because if tea tastes as good as this, I’m a full-on crazy convert to this wonderful beverage.

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 3 min, 0 sec
Erin

You’ve inspired me to buy the GM Sampler – as soon as I get some money!

Ricky

Aww, the journey’s over!?!? Round two with Golden Moon’s sampler box? Haha, take the journey all over again. I wish green oolong’s didn’t kill my stomach =( I have a whole tin of this! Erin did I send you some Coconut Pouchong last time?

Shanti

Om nom nom. I have a sample packet of this lying around that I need to try and review soon…it sounds delicious!

~lauren.

Hey, I’m one of those that heard your clarion call (“sound the alarm around Steepster”) and am really enjoying the GM sampler so THANKS! :)

__Morgana__

After reading this I had to hop on over to the Golden Moon site and order the sampler. I’m soooo looking forward to it. It did, however, lead to a bit of a sample spree at other sites as well. I should know better than to shop online in the quiet of the late evening without any potential for interruption…

sophistre

Every time someone likes this tea, I feel strangely vindicated for no reason at all.

Sad for the sampler to come to an end! I enjoyed reading all of your logs…and everyone else’s, so no apologies for all of that pushing!

TeaBrat

I liked it but really? It’s not THAT good…

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Comments

Erin

You’ve inspired me to buy the GM Sampler – as soon as I get some money!

Ricky

Aww, the journey’s over!?!? Round two with Golden Moon’s sampler box? Haha, take the journey all over again. I wish green oolong’s didn’t kill my stomach =( I have a whole tin of this! Erin did I send you some Coconut Pouchong last time?

Shanti

Om nom nom. I have a sample packet of this lying around that I need to try and review soon…it sounds delicious!

~lauren.

Hey, I’m one of those that heard your clarion call (“sound the alarm around Steepster”) and am really enjoying the GM sampler so THANKS! :)

__Morgana__

After reading this I had to hop on over to the Golden Moon site and order the sampler. I’m soooo looking forward to it. It did, however, lead to a bit of a sample spree at other sites as well. I should know better than to shop online in the quiet of the late evening without any potential for interruption…

sophistre

Every time someone likes this tea, I feel strangely vindicated for no reason at all.

Sad for the sampler to come to an end! I enjoyed reading all of your logs…and everyone else’s, so no apologies for all of that pushing!

TeaBrat

I liked it but really? It’s not THAT good…

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Bio

28-year-old NYC girl just starting out on her tea adventures! I used to hate tea. If you asked me a few years ago what I thought of tea, I’d tell you it tasted like hot, dirty dishwater. Not anymore! I acquired a taste for tea when I started drinking peppermint tea for my upset stomach problems. From there I graduated to teas like chamomile and Lipton. But Lipton wasn’t strong enough!

I’m getting the hang of this loose leaf thing. Black’s my default, but I’ve found that I really love teas that fall into every category. I’m a purist – I always drink my tea neat. I prefer unflavored tea over flavored tea, and really dislike anything flavored with artificial-tasting substances. I’ve grown up a bit in my tea drinking, and I find that novelty appeals to me less and less.

I also am the happy wife of the boy that created the tea randomizer, which can be found here: http://www.jaydeee.net/pickatea.php

Location

New York City

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