Not long ago I conducted an Oolong-a-Thon and did back-to-back tastings of all the oolong teas in my collection. Somehow I missed this Himalayan Musky Thunder from Terroir Tea Merchant. That’s because it didn’t look like an oolong at first glance. Apparently, Himalayan Musky Thunder is a “dark oolong,” meaning it is more heavily oxidized than its greener oolong cousins. Like other oolongs, I brewed this tea with cooler water (190 F) and steeped it a few times.
Upon brewing, the scent and taste of dark chocolate were very forward. When you taste a chocolate bar with a high cocoa percentage, there’s an almost-floral note to the earthy chocolate flavor, and that note comes through in this tea as well. There’s a rich muscatel, red grape flavor right after the chocolate tones, making this tea winner for any dark chocolate, red wine drinkers out there.
If the package didn’t inform me that this dark tea was actually an oolong and not a black tea, the mouthfeel would have given it away. There’s a silky smoothness to how this tea falls on your tongue that is reminiscent of milk oolong teas, without any of the mouth-puckering sharpness you find in black teas.
Upon further steeping, the sweet chocolate tones evolve into earthier notes, like a vegetable garden after a fresh rain. The tannin richness of red wine and unsweetened cocoa linger as an aftertaste.
All the tasting aside, I love the name for this tea, Himalayan Musky Thunder, and I think it is aptly chosen. This is one of the boldest oolongs I’ve tasted: deep and romantic like the smell of the air and earth after a thunderstorm. The next time you find yourself caught in the rain, wait out the storm with a cup of this tea and a bar of dark chocolate.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Terroir Tea Merchant
Description:
With qualities of a black tea and no astringency, this strip style dark oolong is surprisingly light and full of flavour.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Black Ruby from Terroir Tea Merchant. . . .
Today is one of those days where I need all the caffeine to keep going. I literally bring a tote bag full of tea wherever I go so I dug into my lovely portable tea stash and landed on this lovely option.
Black Ruby from Terroir Tea Merchant is a black tea described as having a smooth, sweet, and cinnamon mint flavor. That description alone peaked my interest. I’ve tried a few offerings from Terroir Tea Merchant and I have to say, even though I typically reach for flavored teas, they’ve even turned my head and made me re-think my mostly flavored tea stash and possibly add in more straight teas.
Brewed up with fresh prepped water, I accidentally allowed this tea to steep a bit to long. Recommendations called for 3 minutes and I think the tea steeped about 5 (at work and failed to multi-task properly).
I will say this tea had gorgeous cinnamon notes going in to steep but has an incredibly strong malty flavor. Even though I did steep the tea longer than I should have the flavors were stop on with a slight twinge of astringency (which is totally my fault). This tea is one of those that gives you that whole mouth feel and demands your attention. I can’t say that I picked up any hints of mint, the cinnamon was present. Combine that flavor and the malty tone, you’ve got yourself one heck of a cuppa tea.
I think I have enough in my sample to brew up another cuppa properly and this time I’ll pay closer attention to my steeping parameters. I’m hoping with a bit of patience, I can draw those minty notes out because a cinnamon mint tea just sounds so darn interesting!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Terroir Tea Merchant
Description
cinnamon and mint flavour. This tea is guaranteed to excite even the most jaded taste buds. Flavour: Cinnamon, mint and malt sugar
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Lung Ya from Terroir Tea Merchant
99.9% of the time I start each day out with at least one black tea and then move on to other tea types throughout each day. Recently, I had a morning that was out of the norm for me. I started the day with this tea. The tea I’m referring to is Lung Ya from Terroir Tea Merchant. I was intrigued by this green tea because it’s NOT your typical green tea.
The company’s website says it’s organic and hand-picked at the earliest point of the spring harvest. On this cold wintery day I sure could use any and all nod to spring and warmer weather that is for sure!
The leaves of this tea are thin, twisted, fine, and a deeper, darker grey-green color with random silver tips and has a jasmine aroma with a speck of biscuit to it, too!
Sure this tea is on the sweeter yet floral side but it seems to also have a hint of artichoke and/or water chestnut flavor to it, too! I can still make that semi-crusty, biscuity flavor connect, too!
I was able to get 2 to 3 solid infusions out of this tea which I found pretty impressive! I’m looking forward to trying more teas from Terroir Tea Merchant in the future if I am ever so lucky! Two thumbs up on this lovely green tea!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Terroir Tea Merchants
Description
Refreshing, fruity, floral and vegetal.
This is not your typical green tea. Organic and hand-picked at the earliest point of the spring harvest, the leaves are thin, twisted and fine, emerald green with silver tips and a jasmine aroma
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
