Tea Review: Basilur White Moon

Basilur White Moon Tea

We received this lovely tin of tea as a gift. The artwork on the tin is gorgeous, what is lacking is practical descriptions and instruction. Of course, that is where the internet comes into play and I just found a few images of the tin and all those fabulous details are on the bottom. Who'd have thought to look there?

Milky Oolong

What do you have this morning, Mel?
I thought we should try the tea Lady Trav gave us.

Sure is a pretty tin. What kind is it?

Well, the tin reads, "Basilur White Moon Premium Green Tea."
Interesting. 
It also says, "For many centuries tea has been enjoyed, black tea as a warming, comforting brew and green tea as a refreshing thirst quencher. Harvest the pleasure of an ancient tradition with a steaming cup of Basilur tea."
Hmmm. Any other information on this?
Well, not really. I went online to do a few searches. The white moon blend is a milk oolong green tea. I did find an awesome website for converting temperatures.
Okay, so what do we know about green tea? Don't use boiling water and don't add milk.
And oolong is the kind of tea many Chinese restaurants serve, so it doesn't need sweetener. Oh, I did find out that milk oolong is also known as Jin Xuan.
Is this loose leaf or bag?
It's kind of both.
What?
It is bagged but they use the pyramid bags that allow the leaves to expand more fully.
Oh, now I see. Lots of space.

Hmm, green tea has a shorter steep time. So let's set the timer for 2 minutes.

(Timer beeps)
Wow! The leaves opened and filled the bag.
Yeah, there isn't much space left at all.

Look at the lovely color of the tea, golden.

The aroma is really unique. Kind of...well, hard to describe, but maybe warm milk.

How are we going to try this?
Let's do three: plain, agave nectar, and honey.
Cool!
Plain is really nice. Very light; a hint of floral.

Mmm, yes, and maybe a hint of fruit, kind of tropical.

The agave adds a hint of sweetness that brings out the floral notes.

Not too sweet, just a hint. Blends well with the tea, nothing sticks out like it doesn't belong.

Hmm, for those who like really sweet tea, the honey works well for that. This is much sweeter, but you can taste honey.

Yes, so any flavored honey would completely take over. It is good like this.

The White Moon tea is very unique in its aroma and that does add into the flavor of the tea. This one needs to be prepared just right or the notes will clash*. 

There is no milk involved in the processing, preparing, or drinking of milk oolong; the popular noun is used as an adjective to describe the aroma and silkiness of this particular tea.
Not sure where this one stands. It is okay and may grow on us.
But not an immediate hit. I have a feeling milk oolong enthusiasts won't be happy with our take. That's okay. We all have different tastes and likes and dislikes.

What do you do when you try something and don't quite like it?

*Xyra Note: While the girls have just tried this, I have had a couple different cups of this tea. The milkiness can be very strong when not brewed just right. Today's brew was the best so far. This is not one for when you are not paying attention. Save this for a special moment when you want to enjoy the entire event of making a cup of tea. 

Happy sipping!