676 Tasting Notes
This delicately flavored tea has been steadily creeping to the top of my rotation. For a while I’ve been on a green/floral oolong kick after being turned off by some of the overroasted batches of other oolong varieties like Wuyi. This tea falls squarely in the middle of the oolong spectrum, combining the best characteristics of light roasts with its pronounced floral notes and sweetness along with the smooth, roasted flavor of a darker roast.
I usually do 3 infusions of this tea in a guywan. Roughly 3/4 tsp per 5 oz of water at steep times of 4, 6, and 7 minutes respectively. Steeping longer on subsequent infusions yields an even deeper flavor.
Flavors: Dried Fruit, Floral, Roasted
Preparation
I was a little reluctant to try this tea fearing it would be overly fruity or tart but it turned out to be surprisingly good. It has a nice mellow raspberry flavor with floral undertones and a natural sweetness. The liqueur was a barely noticible faint pink but that’s probably me using the wrong tea to water ratio. I got two good infusions out of this
Preparation
Just got my tea sampler set from Arbor Teas and this was the first tea I tried. The tea leaves have a wonderful potpourri like aroma of pineapple and tropical fruit and when brewed the flavor of the tea is true to its scent. Pineapplely and tropical with a hint of bubblegum flavor. Although it’s a tad fruitier than I prefer, it’s not overly so like Teavana teas tend to be. Second infusion was equally good. Next time I would brew it with regular green tea to tone down the fruitiness. A very nice tea overall.
Preparation
I loved the deep steamed Fukamushi I ordered last time from O-Cha but this similar offering from Yuuki-cha was a let down. The flavor is swampy with a lingering astringency even when brewed at low temperatures. However the taste and color of the tea improves with subsequent infusions. The first infusion is unremarkable with a pale green-yellow color. But the second infusion, 150-155 F for 30 seconds, turns bright green and with a smooth, grassy flavor and a hint of sweetness. A lot of the tea’s flavor notes begin to come out in the 2nd infusion. Third infusion, 155-160 F @ 90 seconds, was mild and pleasant.
Preparation
A nice, light green tea with a hint of jasmine essence. It won’t be replacing my Rishi jasmine pearls any time soon but it was cheap ($3 at Homegoods) and makes an excellent bagged tea for the office. I actually prefer the flavor of this jasmine tea to many of the inexpensive brands I’ve bought from grocery stores and Asian markets and then had to throw out.