Wuyi Ensemble

This is for the sachet version of this tea, two people sent me one each and now I don’t even know who! After trying a red robe oolong and absolutely hating all that was going on with it, I don’t know why I’m actually attempting another wuyi, but here goes.

I didn’t follow the little instructions on the packet at all. Five minutes with boiling water? Noooo. So I went with about 4 with near boiling water.

It’s okay, not something I would ever buy myself. Woodsy, roasty flavors in oolong just isn’t for me I guess.

I do like that it has a bit of sweetness to it, but it makes me feel like I’m drinking tree roots. I’m going to blame that actually more on the scent of the tea. If I could avoid smelling it when I take a sip, I would probably enjoy this a lot more, because it is actually decent once I get past that.

I’m surprised I like this better than a higher quality wuyi oolong but then again it probably is cheaper overall and it’s a tea bag, therefore all these flavors aren’t coming out like crazy like the other one.

But yeah, wouldn’t actively seek this out.

I’ve been on a black tea kick as of late, so I thought I’ve give one of my past favorite oolongs a try. I still like it, but after getting caught up in office mumbo jumbo, my cup was cold and yucky. I still drank what was left, but it was consumed with a little snarl on my face. Tea shouldn’t make you snarl.

This one courtesy of Tea Sipper’s traveling tea box!!

I love dark oolongs, which makes it mysterious as to why it’s taken me weeks (months?) to try this! Picture me slapping my own hand!

The first steep at around — almost 3 minutes is roasty and chocolatey but vegetal too. Very delicious. The tea liquor is ambery — lighter than the bold flavor would lead me to expect.

I tried the second steep at 4 minutes, but I think I could have left it at 3. A little bitter and astringent — but by all means enjoyably drinkable — just a note for me to remember for next time to keep the steeps short.

I can tell that I will get several more steeps from these leaves! What a nice change of pace from black tea without sacrificing heft. I need more dark oolongs in my life!

Dry Smell: Plum, Sugar, Milk Chocolate, and a hint of Smokieness.

Wet Smell: Vegetable and Mineral.

Tastes just how the wet leaves smelled. It was nice and I shared a bit of it with a friend and they enjoyed it as well.

I’m joining the sipdown extravaganza here on Steepster! I’m going to attempt to sipdown a bunch of these old teas I’ve had for years, as well as some more recently acquired teas from swaps. My goal is to be back in the double digits before my honeymoon at the beginning of October. Here goes nothing!!

Sipdown #64

Oh man, this one is old. This is actually from my first online tea purchase ever! O_O I’m not even kidding…I wish I were. I believe this was stored with some peppermint because it tastes a bit minty. Not overly so though. There’s just a hint of mint and then the aftertaste is where the rock oolong flavor comes in.

I don’t usually like Wuyi oolongs, but this is a greener version. The flavor has lost its intensity due to age. But even though these leaves are at least 2 years old, this is still a tasty cup of tea. :)

I’ve never been much of a fan of oolong teas – they’re just not my kind of thing. I got this sample free with my last Adagio order, though, so I thought I’d give it a try. The leaves are kind of impressive. They’re the second biggest tea leaves I’ve seen so far, twisted, and black-brown with a faint green tinge. I don’t like the smell of the dry leaves much , or the scent of the tea as it brews. I’m not sure what it is, but I find it bitter and a little coppery, and not very inspiring.

Brewed, the liquor is a fairly pale golden yellow. I find the taste more tolerable than the smell, although similar in some respects. There’s still a slight coppery taste that I dislike intensely. I can’t really get very excited about this tea, probably because it’s not the kind of thing I like to drink. I know there’s a lot I’m failing to appreciate, but I guess I’m just going to have to mark this one up to experience. If I ever find an oolong I can more or less stand to drink, I’ll be as surprised as anyone. And I’ll be sure to let you know.

I’m discovering that I really, really like oolongs. I suspect I’ll like most all of them, but I’m finding I particularly like the ones that produce a cup of tea you feel as though you could chew on…the kind that smell as though they could be a meal, and a carbohydrate-laden meal, at that.

I’m actually backlogging this from last night, so this note is destined to be a short one. The dry leaves are large and seem somehow ashen to me, which is appropriate given the smoky flavor. Smoke and starch, peanut-y and roast-y. It’s an earthy tea, and the tasting note that referenced a rainy day in the mountains seemed to be spot on. It’s not the best oolong I’ve had, but it’s pretty tasty. A little bit dry toward the last, but not to any unpleasant degree. I’m curious as to how Auggy pulled the pineapple note out of it and interested in trying to get it to do the same for me. Having read that shorter steep times do funny things to oolongs, maybe that’s the way to go? I only wish I’d been awake long enough to try to steep the leaves a second time.

The first time I tried this I think I may have steeped it a minute shorter then needed. It was so weak! So I upped it a minute and added just a TINY bit more and it was amazing. This oolong kind of has a heavier flavor. Kind of earthy with hints of woods and a slight apple aftertaste. I really enjoy this one. I wish I had ordered more!

drinking this iced outside in 90 degree weather, mmm! It’s tasting delicious!

I recently got a bunch of tea from Adagio using points I had saved up. I’m trying to get more into oolong so I figured trying Adagio’s couldn’t hurt. I made a cup of this and…didn’t drink it. I was preparing things to be mailed off, and cleaning. This poor cup sat on my headboard waiting for me to drink it. Now that I’ve rediscovered it, it’s a mild lukewarm temperature. This temperature definitely doesn’t seem to do this tea any justice. I’m getting a vague, general floral oolonginess. But nothing in particular. I’m assuming this tea is much tastier when made properly, so I apologize to the Wuyi Ensemble and withhold judgement