If it didn’t say “Ceylon” on the label and if I didn’t see the dried leaves before steeping, I’d say this could almost – almost – be mistaken for an oolong if you were simply judging by aroma and initial sips alone. It’s delicious, but it’s subtle. It finishes the sip a bit more stridently than it starts. I’m smelling the same sweetness my palate’s come to know in various Tie Guan Yins. I can now comprehend how the more processed Ceylon teas get their reputation for notes of honey if this is how they “begin.” More akin to a China green or a weaker black tea as it goes down. Definitely a heavier mouthfeel than a sencha, regular green, or an oolong.
Intriguing! I may need to steep another pot or two to round out my full opinion, but great quality.
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Still fairly new to the life-long process of learning and appreciating tea. Got into loose leaf a number of years ago after health concerns cut soda and sugared drinks from my repertoire. I’ve been blogging about and exploring tea more in-depth for the past several years and I just plain enjoy it. I keep an eye out for French tea trends as well, so if you parlez, bienvenue!
My ratings tend to fall into these categories:
I don’t bother discussing teas that I wouldn’t recommend to other folks on some level. Not worth drinking, not worth wasting time, so you won’t see many yellow light scores from me. I will, however, post if a tea is marketed as something it’s not. There are a couple of examples in my tea log.
50-70’s : Fair. Either a quality or grade issue or perhaps not suited to my personal preference. Wouldn’t turn it down if it were a gift, but wouldn’t purchase it for myself.
80’s: Good teas. Enjoyable and well-crafted, but maybe some slight room for improvement or maybe a notch below another of the same type that I’ve tried. Would buy again if the price were reasonable.
90’s: Excellent teas. My personal favorites that I’ve fallen in love with and have been surprised by.
I don’t know that I’ve ever rated a 100, which is why the 80’s and 90’s are more representative of the teas I like and would recommend. A 96 is just about perfect.
