I am a creme brulee fiend. It is one heck of a tasty dessert and it is one of those flavors that always ends up in my shopping cart. So when this tea (complete with glitter balls and cute candy cane sprinkles) showed up in my monthly subscription box, I was all too excited to give it a try.
I steeped it per the package directions, in 185F water for 3 minutes. The brewed tea filled the entire kitchen with the smell of bruleed sugar deliciousness. Flavor-wise, there is definitely a sugar sweetness but as much as I thought peppermint would be a great addition, I feel it is a bit too medicinal for this tea. It takes over and though there is a sweet mint aspect, there is also a burn that is far too distracting. With that, any hope of caramel from a bruleed brown sugar aspect or any creamy custard notes are drowned out.
I had high hopes for this one but it was a bit of a miss for my personal preferences.I want more brown sugar. More custard. Less herbal mint.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Notes on Zhong-Shu-Hu Oolong Tea from Tea from Taiwan. . . . .
This is my second cupping for this tea. Though it doesn’t call for it on their website,
I found that this tea is better off if rinsed for a few seconds before the first sipping. Judging on the grassy flavors and marine mouth feel and I would guess this oolong to be on the lighter end of the oxidized spectrum.
The liquid is a light golden amber.
IT does have slightly bitter tendencies and can be too strong if brewed too long.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Tea from Taiwan
Description
Zhong Shu Hu oolong tea comes from the Zhong Shu Hu area of Ali Mountain (Alishan) – one of the most famous tea producing regions of Taiwan. The climate here is cool and moist with cloud cover and mists every day. These conditions are ideal for tea because the plants grow very slowly and produce tender, flavorful tea leaves and buds.
Zhong Shu Hu oolong tea has a sweet taste and refined aroma. Each brewing brings out new flavours and taste sensations. This tea has a complexity that provides continuous nuances with every cup.
Zhong Shu Hu oolong tea can be re-brewed several times while maintaining an excellent flavour. We recommend the Gong Fu method of preparation to bring out the best of this excellent tea.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Currant Conversation Oolong Tea from Plum Deluxe. . . .
This rich, tasty blend whisks together vanilla, currant, and a deep oolong to form a soothing steep. The berry notes hold hands with the earthy oolong; the vanilla wraps around everything to keep the enterprise running smoothly.
The ingredients also include rose hips, which I didn’t detect at the outset. I also didn’t pick up on the “love” and “gratitude” that are supposedly in here. To me, this doesn’t taste so much like love as it does ACCOMPLISHMENT and DECADENCE.
This creamy and fancy blend tastes like something a VERY rich widow would sip while looking out over her veranda. Her gilded armoires hold her furs; her wine glasses are always crystal, never glass; and her heels click on the marble every time she walks.
Has she had plastic surgery? She’ll never tell. But she looks AMAZING.
Maybe it’s the tea.
It’s probably the tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Description
Looking for a conversation starter? We’ve got one right here with our signature vanilla black currant oolong tea. It’s elegance in a cup, a wonderful balance of woodsy vanilla and tart fruit.
This blend relies on its simplicity. The base is a fresh, earthy, and grounding Formosa oolong tea from Taiwan. Our favorite vanilla extract helps bring out the layers of floral notes in the oolong, while rose hips and black currant add wonderful highlights of sweet-tart fruitiness. It’s invigorating and calming at the same time. We can’t decide if we like it more hot or iced, so you’ll have to try both.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Pomegranate Oolong from Harney & Sons. . . .
The first word that comes to mind while drinking this tea is “zesty.” Pomegranate — aside from being a difficult word to spell — is a complex flavor. It’s sweet, but it’s also got that sassy tang. The oolong flavor — slightly vegetal, a little bit nature-y, but nothing horribly strong — makes it seem thoughtful. I’m getting a “literature” vibe from the oolong.
For some reason, this tea is reminding me of Elle Woods from Legally Blonde. At first, you’re getting all that sparkly, fruity zest. Then you sip further and you realize, hey, there’s a little bit of something “extra” here. Maybe this girl could, you know, go to Harvard Law and start winning cases. YOU NEVER KNOW.
This tea is delicious hot, but I don’t recommend it cold. The green gets a little weird. It’s a hot-tea. Don’t try to go off-book.
Of course, now that I’ve said that, you’re all going to try it cold. You’re going to try to paint me as a restrictive-rules monster. I’m not! I’m cool! Not as cool as Elle, but, you know, modestly cool.
Now, ladies, Bend. Snap. Brew. Enjoy.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Harney and Sons
Description
Deliciously silky and full of complex flavors, our Pomegranate Oolong tea blends large Ti Quan Yin leaves—also known as Iron Goddess of Mercy—with the tangy, sparkling flavor of pomegranate. The result is a luscious and fruit-forward brew with a toasty aroma and ample flavors of bright pomegranate. Brew hot to enjoy its smooth, silky texture and sweet aroma at its finest.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Watermelon Oolong from Fraser Tea. . .
Imagine, if you will, a watermelon Jolly Rancher, then mellow it out by melting it into a nice cup of jasmine oolong. Boom. Watermelon Oolong by Frasier Tea. I really don’t have to go on, honestly, because I nailed the description in the first sentence. I could walk out of this post. I COULD LEAVE RIGHT NOW.
But I won’t, because, you know, I have an obligation to you guys to entertain you and bring you joy.
So let’s talk about summer and how it is JUST around the corner. This tea is going to be your summer buddy. It is basically the Fourth of July watermelon platter in a liquid. You can feel the rumbling booms of fireworks echoing off nearby mountains. You can hear children shrieking as they chase each other. Everyone’s hair is frizzy and no one cares because they’re drunk on sunshine and casual long weekend companionship.
THAT’s how this tea feels. This tea feels like the promise of good weather with your friends.
Summer is just around the corner. Ready yourself.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Fraser Tea
Description
A virtual summer picnic in your glass, Watermelon Oolong Organic Oolong Tea combines fresh berries and tropical fruit flavors together with lemongrass for a crisp and refreshing taste. This superior grade organic oolong tea offers numerous nutritional benefits including weight management, diabetes management, and mental health. Think wellness; embrace flavor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!