Blue People Oolong Review

Type: Oolong
Origin: Taiwan
Price: On sale price of $21.60/4oz.
Vendor: Aroma Tea Shop
Brewing Method: 1 tsp of loose leaves, 8 oz. of filtered water, boiled at 212F, in IngenuiTea teapot, for 2.5 minutes
Overall Score: 4 out of 5

When pouring this tea into my cup, I detected an anise-like smell with some faint mint in the background. I observed that the liquor is a light amber color. When tasting it, I was first hit with a slight licorice root flavor that this tea has been fermented with.

After taking a few more sips, my mouth and tongue began to feel cool from the mint. The licorice lingers for a short while but the mint stayed with me for quite some time. This brew had no bitterness at all. In fact, it was very smooth and sweet.

Before brewing: The leaves are like nothing I have seen. They are very tightly rolled into balls resembling tiny pebbles. I got a laugh as I poured the loose tea on the plate and some of the tiny balls had enough momentum to roll off the plate as if I had just poured out a bag of marbles. I know I can say that has never happened with any other loose leaf tea I have tried.

After brewing: These pebbles put on a show when the boiling water was added. They slowly opened up and revealed wrinkly but attractive whole and half leaves. While trying to open up, some of the pebbles would bob up and down in the water. It was definitely fun to watch.

I shared this tea with a friend and he informed me that he, too, liked the cool mint after taste. He said that even though there was no bitterness found in the tea, he added a small amount of sugar. He concluded that it intensified the mint flavor a little bit, but the anise was very faint.

Milk Aroma Oolong Review

Type: Oolong
Origin: Taiwan
Price: On sale price of $21.60/4 oz.
Vendor: Aroma Tea Shop
Brewing Method: 1 tsp of loose leaves, 8 oz. of filtered water, boiled at 212F, in IngenuiTEA teapot, for 2 minutes
Overall Score: 2 out of 5

These leaves from Taiwan were steamed with milk, so when they say “milk aroma,” they were not kidding. I noticed a milk-like smell when brewing the tea. However, that is the one thing that I wish I could have taken out of this tea. Before I brewed the leaves the smell was that of a very sweet oolong tea. However, when the tea was in my cup, the smell was like that of spoiled milk.

The description of this tea on the Aroma Tea Shop website was describing this tea as “sweet, creamy, and smooth.” I agree with this description, but the after taste was quite unpleasant. The spoiled milk taste was left in the mouth along with some astringency.

Before brewing: The whole leaves are rolled and curled into tight little balls. There is hardly any dust or small pieces. This definitely looks like a high quality tea which was meticulously handled with care.

After brewing: The liquor is an amber or deep yellow color. The leaves have almost fully opened up. Most of the leaves are whole but some are torn or ripped in half. I would say that these leaves are very attractive as I observe them spread out on my plate.

Despite my dislike for the taste, that does not mean that you may not like it. I love milk, but not warm milk. I even shared this tea with a friend and he had the same opinion as I did, even after tasting the tea without and then with sugar.