Thanks to TheDJBooth for a sample of this one.
I wasn’t sure about this because my one other experience with Ginseng Oolong (Rishi’s) was not such a positive one.
I did steep this one up and noticed the leaves smelling very roasted which of course is an intriguing sign. I know some king’s tea is charcoal roasted but the Dr. Tea website does not any information about it whatsoever, why I have no idea. That seems kind of strange!
I think perhaps the ginseng is throwing me off a bit here but it isn’t as prominent in the Rishi tea, you can hardly taste it at all, which is a good thing. This isn’t a very flowery or buttery tea at all. It’s more nutty and roasty with a slight ginseng aftertaste.
I think the third steep was my favorite here which often seems to be the case with oolongs. I also let my water cool down a bit which is helping to bring out a bit more sweetness.
I’m not really sure if I need ginseng in my oolong tea, aside from the supposed health properties it has. This is fairly stimulating as well, would be good for when you need an energy boost so I think I’ll save the rest of my sample for a day when I need a kick in the pants. Glad I got to try it, definitely better than I thought it would be.
I have a couple of very nice ginseng oolongs my brother gave me. If you’d like to try some, I’d be happy to send some along! It adds a new layer and mild sweetness in the ones I’ve had. I have never ordered a ginseng oolong from any tea vendors, so I’m not sure how they compare (I see you note Rishi’s is not particularly exciting).
The one from Rishi just tastes like a smelly old root.
If you’ve read my review of my Ginseng Oolong my friend brought me from China, the tea is coated with licorice, which I like. The ginseng is never bitter, but I did taste less of the oolong tea itself. My experience with my Gin Oolong was quite positive. :))
Yes, Amy, you should read his review. It’s very nice and has an interesting story in it, too!