Most oolongs taste like either greens or blacks to me, but this one’s a perfect in-betweener. It’s got that lighter, vegetal green, but throws in a dash of that sexy deep note that I love about black.
There are also other notes here, some sort of a plum/raisin sugar-tartness that really kicks it up a notch. If I were going to going to assign this tea an aura color, it would be a warm autumn purple.
This is the sort of tea that I would sip while exploring an attic while wearing an oversized woolen sweater. Knowing my luck, that attic would be haunted as EFF. I’d open a yearbook from 1934 and be possessed by some girl who died of — I don’t know — polio? The vapors? What did people die of back then?
I wouldn’t be possessed long. In movies, ghosts LOVE their new bodies, but in reality, a ghost from 1934 wouldn’t know how to use my car, phone, or computer at work. She’d probably go “the hell with this” and bounce of her own accord. If our grandparents are any indication, people of that generation loathe the digital area. She’d cross over.
Back to the tea.
I really enjoy this tea. It’s just the right afternoon lift without making my heart dive-bomb out of my chest.
The outside of the bag says Formosa Oolong is a “perfect introduction to the world of Taiwanese tea.”
Okay, Taiwan. You have me interested. I’m ready for a second date.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Simple Loose Leaf
Description
This semi-fermented tea from Taiwan, gets its name from the Portuguese explorers who called the island Formosa, meaning ‘beautiful’. The copper-red leaves with tips of silver brew into a beautiful bright golden brisk cup with peach undertones. Delicious hot or cold.
Ingredients: Taiwanese Oolong Tea
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Mint Chamomile Rooibus from Simple Loose Leaf
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Roiboos
Where to Buy: Simple Loose Leaf
Tea Description:
Our Mint Chamomile tea will put a smile on your face regardless of the day you are having. Brew a cup of this floral, sweet and soothing tea and enjoy a wonderfully fresh finish of this beautiful cup of tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Mint and Chamomile seems to be an unusual combination – I think I’ve only ever tried one other similar blend. Based on that experience, I’d say that this surprises me. It sounds a little odd to begin with, for sure, but they’re ingredients that do actually work well together. I used 1 tsp of leaf for my cup, and gave it approximately 5 minutes in boiling water. I made no additions. The dry leaf itself is very herbal-looking – there are whole yellow chamomile flowers, green shreds of peppermint, red rooibos leaves, and a smattering of creamy white chamomile petals. The scent is predominantly minty, with an underlying sweetness from the vanilla flavouring.
The main flavour to taste is, interestingly, the chamomile. It’s sweet and almost thick-tasting, with the characteristic flavour of honey and hay. It’s a flavour I find instantly calming, whatever I’m doing and wherever I am when I taste it. Underlying the chamomile is the sweet creaminess of vanilla. This pushes it almost to the point of too-sweet, and the mid-sip is slightly cloying. Thankfully, though, the mint emerges at the last moment and completely saves the day. It cuts through the sweetness instantly, adding a cooling, refreshing edge that sets this tea back to rights. The combination lingers in the aftertaste, where it unmistakably resembles the flavour of a buttermint. Delicious!
I was expecting to taste more of the rooibos base, given that the liquor is a tell-tale bright red-orange, but I actually can’t pick it out at all amongst the other flavours. I do find rooibos a little woody sometimes, so its absence is no bad thing in my book. I think it’s testament to how well blended this tea is, also, in that the flavours are allowed to shine without interference. I was also expecting the mint to be the main flavour, but I’m pleased that it didn’t take over – the three together are a good pairing, and are balanced enough that they complement rather than compete.
I thoroughly enjoyed this tea, and it’s definitely one I’d consider adding to my cupboard for late evening drinking or just times of stress. It’s a sweet, calming cup with hints of candy – a real winner in my book.
Breakfast Americano Black from Simple Loose Leaf
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simple Loose Leaf
Tea Description:
A blended black tea with smooth cocoa beans gives a rich and malty cup of tea. Breakfast Americano makes an amazing start to your day and we recommend you try it with a touch of steamed milk.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Still on my Epic Sipdown Journey, I came across this fellow who I bought from other Steepster friend in a Stash Sale a while ago. I’ve had a few Simple Loose Leaf blends before so I was looking forwarded to this one.
I have to admit right off the bat, I think I steeped this guy wrong. The whole description of this tea doesn’t match what I’m drinking. The description is a malty rich cocoa like black tea. Exactly what the dry mixture smells like. When I brewed this up like a black tea with water at 212F and 3 min, I got a very smoky malty tea with no hints of cocoa beans and a very astringent finish. This is a new tea cup and tea pot that I hadn’t used before so I’m very curious on how this happened.
I think even if the smoky notes weren’t there, this wouldn’t be the tea for me. There is an overwhelming amount of malty notes and nothing but the astringency to offset them. I wish I could get those cocoa beans to pop.
My apologizes to Simple Loose Leaf. I think I royally screwed up this tea and won’t be able to give you the proper review. Maybe another time I’ll get this right and we can try this again!
