I haven’t posted in awhile because it took forever to get those Tea Forte pics off the camera, through Photoshop, and uploaded to the blog. I didn’t want to post until I was all caught up and I had time to get photos of a new tea. Read: I got bored amidst sifting through the many photos and procrastinated a lot. In fact, I’m procrastinating now. Yes, I’m writing about tea to procrastinate on something else. I have new bedroom furniture coming in this week. The old furniture gets moved tomorrow morning, in approximately eight hours, and my room is still a disaster, I mean, still has a lived in look. I know where everything is! It’s an organized chaos! Shh…
So I’ve got a lot of work. I’m really tired. I need caffeine – but not so much that I’ll stay up until the morning. I want an oolong, but most of my oolongs are the kind you sit, sip, experience, and enjoy, and I don’t have time for that tonight. Time to bring out Utopia Tea’s Oolong Formosa.
Dry: Not particularly pretty to look at. Smells woodsy and a little sweet. Kinda roasty and smokey too. A little musty?
Brewing: Wabi Sabi Teapot, 1tsp/12oz ratio, 200*, 2min
Aroma: Roasty, woodsy.
Flavor: Roasty, woodsy, and a bit sweet. Has a good bold flavor. Smooth texture. Nice warm finish. Allllllmost a bitter note – where it’s still a bright, pleasant bitter and not oh-god-my-tongue-bitter.
Originally I really wasn’t impressed by the tea. It’s not super awesome. I’m not licking my lips post sips. But… I do find myself using it for occasions like tonight, where I don’t have enough time to properly steep and enjoy a full yield from my other oolongs like my wu yi or ali shan, yet I want oolong. I enjoy it but I don’t feel guilty if I only steep it once or I happen to use slightly off steeping parameters. It’s currently my quick and dirty oolong. I appreciate that.
Time to clean. A lot. I better steep another cup.
What: Oolong Formosa by Utopia Tea
Type: Oolong
Cost: TBD
Cost per Cup: tbd
Resteeps: 4
Tea Score: 70 – It’s grown on me. Good flavor. Good caffeine level. Good aftertaste.
Cupboard Score: 55 – At this point in time, it’s not something I’d buy again. I expect in some future purchase, I’ll snag another oolong that’s not super delicious, satisfies the want and will be my next quick and dirty, guilt-free oolong.