Evergreen Spice

This is probably the most balanced “spiced” green oolong I’ve had. At times the base does feel swamped by the ingredients but it doesn’t have that “not mixing” vibe that green and oolong chai blends often give off..

The flavour profile is clean (eucalyptus, mint, cedar), warming (cinnamon, cardamom), and savory rich (buttery oolong). I still think oolong is a tad strange with spices but I keep coming back to this one because it’s such a relaxing and intriguing cup. It holds up well to multiple steeps, so bonus!

From a swap with Zennen. Thank you!

This one is unusual. It’s quite mild with a single teaspoon, so I think I might use two next time. It uses some ingredients you don’t see every day, which I do appreciate. I could definitely taste the ceder and the oolong, but I think I would be able to pick up on more flavors if I brewed it stronger.

My favourite of the 3 teas I ordered from Brenden, this tea is an experience.

Opening the bag you smell the spearmint and cedar leaves and you’re immediately transported to the forests of Northern Michigan. Steeping this tea smells like an evening campfire at the end of a long day of hiking. Removing the tea from the water I get a strong smell of spearmint.

Beginning of sip tastes of the organic Chai spice blend (organic ginger, organic allspice, organic cinnamon and organic cardamom). Midsip you get a hint of roasted cedar that is mellow and not overpowering. Finishes with a cooling taste of spearmint.

Fantastic tea made from wholesome ingredients. My first experience with tea from a small batch company. Wow, what a difference!

I don’t taste much of the oolong, but honestly, I didn’t want to with this blend.

The tea is currently available as of February 22, 2016.

Brewed this tea gongfu this afternoon. Who would have thought that roasted cedar would make such a good addition with a blend but Brenden has used it a few times successfully.

The cedar in this tea gives it that evergreen feel and taste. The chai flavours are nicely balanced. I pick up cinnamon and cardamom a bit more than the others. Thank goodness ginger is toned down since I am not a fan of ginger. Overall, it’s blended nicely so that it doesn’t overpower the buttery flavour of the oolong. I also pick up a hint of mint on the finish of the sip.

It’s a really nice tea to have on a cold day as the spices are really warming.

Thank you Brenden for spoiling me at my request! And I KNEW I should have snugged some Jabberwocky for myself. Oh well. Callooh callay there’s only three before it goes away.

But I knew I had to at least try this tea. I hesitated with this one because Ben Shan is a green oolong, and green oolong+spices is a risky mix because green oolongs have delicate flavors and are usually buttery or floral if strong. But I knew that the cedar would be the central actor for this tea, and Brenden’s description are telling.

Brewing, started out with three minutes and I get the evergreen he writes about. The Ben Shan itself is on the greener side: green oolongs are really just creamier, fruitier and often more floral green teas. At least to me, or that’s what they are like to a newer drinker. This indeed has the creamy, slightly buttery and floral background. But they are the back ground, and thus the canvas. The chai spices are the paints and hues, with the spearmint and tulsi dripping into the foreground like dew on the eventual cedar. There’s even a little bit of a caramel texture going on, but again, that’s the cedar beginning to open up.

The second brew at four minutes continues the first one’s tastes with a more noticeable cedar, tulsi and spearmint combining into a very distinguishable eucalyptus no matter the palette. Quite green, and very, very fresh. Like a breeze from the Upper Peninsula without a doubt.

And finally, the third brew at five minutes and beyond, and the cedar with the oolong take over. So fresh, and crisp. It becomes the same lingering eucalyptus as Rivendell, but with a spicier finish. Technically, this tea is done but I can brew this even more for the notes of the cedar.

I am very glad to have tried this tea. The cedar, mint and tulsi blend incredibly well with the chai spices. My main criticism is that the oolong fades a little bit too much for me in the background, but the oolong really shouldn’t be that strong for this blend anyway. The other big hesitation is price and I’ve unfortunately had green chais pretty similar to this tea, but the cedar makes the biggest difference. Personally, I prefer the Harvest Chai to this one, but I do like that I get the best aspects of Rivendell save the vanilla in this cup.

This tea is for mint lovers hands down. Actually, it’s like turning an Altoids into a tea and drizzling it with honey.