Vital Tea Leaf

This delicious golden monkey was the result of our tea tasting experience yesterday – if you’d like to read about that check out my new blog over on Tea Trade:

http://sanfrantea.teatra.de/2012/04/29/getting-vital-with-the-tea-leaf/

This is very dark and luscious for a golden monkey. The aroma of it reminds me a bit of the supreme red robe I also got from the Vital Tea Leaf. I am following the suggestions and steeping it for 30 seconds in the gaiwan with multiple infusions.

It is a bit smoky, with a sweetness like burnt caramel. If you let it steep longer it becomes a lot darker, but I like these shorter infusions. A very smooth tea with a moistening mouthfeel. This is yummy… or even yammy as it has a bit of roasted sweet potato flavor too.

Recommended if you ever get the chance to go there, as I don’t see this tea on their website.

This was the second Red Robe I had in my side-by-side(-by-side) tasting of Red Robe oolongs.

After the first infusion, I smelled the damp leaves and they had very little scent, but what I could detect was lightly spicy, as I’m used to associating with Red Robes. The first infusion itself had a pretty light flavor. It was smoother than most first infusions I enjoy, but had a very slight astringency toward the end of the cup and a lightly peppery flavor that danced on the tongue.

As with most second infusions, the tea had mellowed somewhat and had a nice roasty flavor. It was interesting because that light peppery, spicy flavor from the first infusion was magnified as an after-taste at this point and I loved it. That flavor is one of my favorite things about a Red Robe. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone else comment on the spiciness of a Red Robe before, but I taste it to some degree in every Red Robe I try, so it must be there! ;)

Definitely a tea I’m glad to have a nice stock of on hand!

This is actually my third time drinking this tea. The first was in the Vital Tea Leaf shop with Kenny in Chinatown. After that, I purchased a decent amount of it. The second was just yesterday with a small group of coworkers and we all sat around enjoying this tea very much.

Today, I am enjoying this tea once more and the light, springy aroma of the liquor is perking me up nicely! The liquor itself is extremely light in color, even lighter than most green oolongs I come across. The tea itself is somewhat vegetal and mildly grassy. Most of all, it lightly plays in the mouth with a simple, pleasant, and almost sweet flavor.

I’m definitely fond of this tea and perhaps will like to try other Iron Goddess options from Vital Tea Leaf someday. When talking with Kenny, he described this as a good “everyday” oolong. I think he is exactly right about that!

Oh no, the last of my stash of this at the office is gooooone! Thank goodness I have more at home… It was a perfect pot, too, not oversteeped and deliciously juicy.

Morning tea, on the go.

Sitting in the office on a Saturday morning, enjoying sips of this deliciousness, accompanied by the sounds of Mozart.

Coming into the office, all I wanted was a big pot of fruity black tea.

I got it.

For the first time in a while, my first tea of the day was cold-brewed. Breakfast was accompanied by some cold-brewed Lychee Black, and it was delicious. Zero astringency. Wonderful sweetness.

Just the morning boost, complete with a burst of fruity flavor!

Just the morning pot. Or is that “potta” to coincide with cuppa? Either way, it was/is one of those mornings where one cup will not do, so four were made.

The sweetnessa and juiciness from the lychee juice is fantastic.

Up hours before the sun; Lychee black tea carrying me on.

A second pot for the afternoon

Yum – early morning work fuel

After a morning of pu’erh, this sweetness is very pleasant!

Literally drank this all day long…

Attempting to make oatmeal, using it. Yesterday’s attempts to make oatmeal with a peach rooibos and a pu’erh were…semi-successful.