Plum Oolong Tea Blend

Sipdown, for me…
I’ve had this tea for a while, possibly too long as I think it’s been 3 years since I got it from my brother for Christmas. This isn’t one I drink too often because of the hibiscus and it is tart, but thankfully the hibby is not that strong in this blend. I still wish I could taste a little more of the oolong underneath which seems to be more of the Eastern beauty variety.

kind of glad this is gone and don’t think I’ll be repurchasing.

This came in the mail today, on one of the few times a year (or decade) that it snows in Texas. The UPS man was thoughtful enough to prop my doormat on top of the box to shield it from the falling snow. Southerners really are more friendly! I’ve been here for 6 months, but the little things like this continue to amaze me on a daily basis. Granted, I grew up in New Jersey, king of assholes, so the fact that people don’t flip other people off for no reason really blows my mind.

Anyway, about the tea. It steeps to a very pretty color that’s hard to describe. It’s kind of like pink mixed with orange mixed with yellow. If you want to know what it really looks like, check it out here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/47736372@N04/4382845180/

The smell is actually like wine. It’s intoxicating and fruity, inviting you to take a sip. I couldn’t help but oblige. It tastes exactly like it smells. It’s mostly floral with a hint of plum. Upon tasting, it’s obvious that this is a plum tea. It really does taste like plums. And I love plums. For just tasting floral and fruity, it’s surprisingly complicated. This is going to require many cups to get a full idea of what I’m tasting. I’ll let you know!

Wow, I was a little bit worried about the plum being too sweet in this one, but it isn’t. The oolong makes a great complement to this pleasantly subdued fruit tea. This feels cozy, and great as a holiday tea. Too much red fruit tea winds up tasting to me like jello mix, when you first pour the boiling water into it, but this is much more complex than the jello-tea genre. Perhaps if I’d steeped it too long it would have gone in a bad direction. I think the key to letting the oolong shine through in this tea is not to brew it with boiling water, and to stick to under 5 minutes. Glad to have some more of this ’round the house.

Woo, it’s been awhile since I pulled this one out! I made some to go (in my shiny new IngenuiTEA!) before heading to the dojang to sip before class and then enjoy cool later.

I’m typically not into hibiscus (as delicious as a Starbucks passion tea lemonade is, would you believe that after almost 4 years of working there it’s possible to get tired of them?), but it’s such a light note that it adds a pretty blushing pink color and just a touch of tanginess. The oolong in this acts more as a check for all the tangy and sweet ingredients to keep it balanced, but I’m still asking myself, “Is there really oolong in this?”

This one is light and feminine. It is sophisticated, but it also doesn’t take itself too seriously. I like that it doesn’t have that overbearing flavor you find in many fruity herbal blends, and it’s a nice change of pace for a minimalist like me.

This posting has been completely updated!

I had this tea the Briar Rose Bed and Breakfast this morning. I picked it from their ‘wall of tea’ because of the way it smelled; blueberry yogurt, but in a good way. Little did I know it had hibiscus in it. I knew I should have gone with the genmaicha!

Ah well, I had an amazing stay at this BnB and enjoyed the rest of my breakfast. Maybe I will ask for their kukicha later :)

Fruity and sweet. I could taste a hint of the oolong but overall, just another pleasant, inoffensive flavored tea.

Gah, Rishi, NO! No hibiscus! That is what I hate about so many fruity teas, they feel the need to hibiscus it. Luckily they didn’t overdo it, but it would be nice if they (grocery store tea “they”) didn’t depend on it. The oolong is less prominent than in the Rishi peach I just had. The aftertaste is vaguely plum like and it also has a mild sweetness to it, like the peach. Very unexciting.

Steep 2: Flavor seems dulled, but otherwise the same. The leaves are leaving beautiful purple and pink spots on my white steeping cup.

Delicious! Fruity but with tartness rather than much sweetness. This just rocketed to the top of my new favorite teas list.