Category: Totem Tea

No comments

Incense and Tea Testing – featuring Totem Tea

  By ,

If you didn’t know, incense and tea is a thing. There are cool tea and incense photos on Instagram, or maybe you have seen it at a gongfu session with all the fixings. Early on, I was put off as I bought a teapot from a tea shop that lit incense and it took work to get the smell out of my pot. That reason alone, I do not recommend lighting incense around your tea. I am big on scent – I think my sense of smell is the majority of my skill and enjoyment in tea drinking. I’m no supertaster… Continue reading, hoot!

No comments

Gui Fei Red Oolong from Totem Tea – Tea Review

  By ,

Totem Tea has two Gui Fei oolongs available in their Leaf-Bitten category, and today’s review is their Gui Fei Red (Concubine Oolong). The package simply says Gui Fei on it, so I was expecting something green and sweet. Upon drinking this tea and checking Totem Tea’s site, this is their Red Gui Fei.  This Gui Fei has a mild charcoal roast treatment. Dry Leaf and Steeping Instructions The leaves are rolled dark, with bit a silver. The scent is floral and roasty. Monster leaf! So I messed up and thought I had more leaf in my sample. My sample came up 5.5grams, so… Continue reading, hoot!

One Comment

Pacific Northwest Taiwanese Black Tea Comparison

  By , ,

I’m up to no good. I’ve been collecting Taiwanese Black teas for a rainy day like today. I’m gonna brew a bunch up together and see how it goes. It is thundering outside, as long as I got a mobile data and enough kettle water I’m good. All the Taiwanese Blacks were obtained from local Pacific Northwest tea sellers – two Seattle and a Portland one. The Seattle teas I purchased in person, and Totem Tea mailed me a sample of their Ruby 18. These are all 2015 teas just to be fair. I have more Sun Moon Lake and Ruby 18 kicking around but they… Continue reading, hoot!

One Comment

Wen Shan Bao Zhong Oolong from Totem Tea

  By ,

Today’s tea review is tea from a tea seller in Portland, Oregon – Totem Tea! They contacted me and sent me some goodies, which got me excited as their tea line up is very nice. Totem Tea’s line up is heavy on oolongs, including bug bitten, aged, and dark teas. Their website is quite nice and has great tea photos! Strangely, I am reviewing one of their lighter teas today, the Wen Shan Bao Zhong. Gosh, I haven’t reviewed a Bao Zhong since 2013 (cringe), back in the early days of Oolong Owl. Oh have times of changed. Dry Leaf Wen Shan… Continue reading, hoot!