Tea Review: Blue People Ginseng Oolong - Vital Tea Leaf

Brand
Vital Tea Leaf
Price
$40 for 4 oz
Type
Flavored dark/roasted oolong
Brew Time, Temperature, Amount (from the container)
Gaiwan- brew up to 30 secs, 180-190°F, 1-2 tsp; 8 brews
Leaf Appearance
Misshapen, ball-rolled oolong covered in a dark green powder which gives it a bit of a dried owl pellet like texture; balled leaves are about 0.5 inches long (pre-steeped)
Medium-small very dark green/brown, wrinkled leaves up to 1 inch long  (steeped)
Rating
B | 84/100

Tasting notes and thoughts:
So, I got a bit of a headache today after watching Iron Sky (funny movie, but staring at a screen and just lying/sitting down all day isn't really good for me), and I thought, what would be a better way to fix it than a nice drinking session? This tea is covered in ginseng and stevia too, which is great for energy.

Brew 1 (post-rinse; 20 sec):
For the first brew, the tea had a light, clear yellow color; despite the strength of the aroma, it wasn't as colorful as the milk oolong. On the other hand, the aroma was very similar to coffee- it smells very roasted and earthy, but with a tiny bit of sweetness. At this point, the leaves are still mostly closed. The taste was honestly somewhat weak, but smooth and with a bit of a smoke and licorice taste. The effect that this tea is known for, a very sweet aftertaste that lingers in the mouth, has already begun- and personally, I enjoy it.

Brew 2 (30 sec):
Since the previous brew was a tad weak, I decided to increase the brew time to 30 seconds. The leaves were starting to open up, revealing a very dark green, wrinkled leaf. The liquid was a much darker and brighter yellow (probably due to the increased time and second brew), with an oily film- probably the stevia- on top. It smelt a tiny bit less roasted and coffee-like, and is moving towards a sweet, sugar-like aroma. As for the taste on this brew, it was a bit stronger, still with the roasted, smoky, wood-like taste; it slowly moved towards a super sweet aftertaste, staying in your mouth.

Brew 3 (45 sec):
Bumped up the time again because I think my water is starting to not be hot enough for this tea. Color is now a darker yellow with small particles (which got past my filter), and honestly, at this point, the smell is almost only the sweet stevia. However, the taste has changed from a primarily smoky taste to a sour/tart taste, then smoky, and finally sweet. The sweet aftertaste that lingers in your mouth continues.

Brew 4 (35 sec):
Lowering the time now since the last brew was a tiny bit bitter. Leaves are almost fully open by this point, and the brew is now starting to change to a lighter yellow. The smell is a bit of licorice, roastiness, and sweetness. The taste starts with the roasted licorice notes, which quickly changes into a very tart, sour taste. At this point, there's very little sweetness, but it's still somewhat noticeable. Honestly, I think I enjoy the sourness of the tea at this point, since it's actually much more sour than other teas but is still enjoyable (not like lemon juice sour, but just tart). Gonna stop brewing here, since I'm almost certain my water is too cold for this tea.

Final Notes:
I enjoy this tea mainly because its so different from other teas; rather than just being scented by the ginseng, it's actually rolled with the ginseng and stevia during preparation. This gives it a characteristic super sweet aftertaste that you can't find in other teas (at least I haven't found it in anything else yet), and also creates an odd, but satisfying, flavor change over brews. It starts out smoky and sweet, and eventually changes to a sour, roasted flavor. It's decent as a cold-brewed tea (it's mostly sweet though), too. I like it, but it wouldn't be a daily drink for me; however, it is one of those teas you have to try at least once or twice because of how unique it is. Oh, and remember to use the correct temperature of water, unlike me. I ended up leaving my water out too long so it got too cold, and this tea is one of those that need a higher temperature.

Other Notes:
My posting schedule is now as follows: I'll have tea reviews once a week (specific day TBA), followed by a life update. I might also post other stuff too like the Alternate History prompts, but those will mostly just be random. I'll probably need to stock back up on tea though if I want to do this more than a month; the only tea I have at this point is a ton of different powdered instant teas,  Lupicia Momo Oolong Super Grade, Lupicia Cookie, Red Blossom Tea Co. Pi Lo Chun, Red Blossom Tea Co. Tieguanyin, Red Blossom Tea Co. Chai, and probably some cheap tea bags that I have lying around in the kitchen.