Teavivre Taiwan Ginseng Oolong

Country of Origin: Taiwan
Leaf Appearance: deep green, grainy and tightly rolled
Ingredients: oolong tea, American ginseng
Steep time: 2 minutes
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Preparation Method: ceramic teacup and mesh infuser
Liquor: brassy gold

The leaves of this tea had an unusual granular look to them. Teavivre’s website explains that the ginseng is a powder that is added during roasting. I was still able to taste the floral notes of the oolong but everything was dominated by the sweet, somewhat grassy taste of the ginseng. The aftertaste was very strong and lingered long after each sip. This tea was actually a little strongly flavored for me. It just toes the line of cloyingly sweet. The finish was dry which also made it not as refreshing as I might like. I’ve really enjoyed most of Teavivre’s teas but I would much rather drink their Monkey Picked Tie Guan Yin or Jin Xuan Milk Oolong. If you are a big fan of ginseng you might enjoy this one a lot more than I did.

You can find out more about this tea here.