Osmanthus Oolong – Redstraw Tea Bar

Today Russian Wednesdays are back at Redstraw! We read about Russian saunas today, banyas, amidst this very hot weather. And very hot weather is the best occasion for a drink!

Today I went for Redstraw’s Osmanthus Oolong, which I noticed on their menu after I found out about Omomo’s. For some reason, because of Omomo’s “seasonal” label I was adamant about trying theirs first, so now that I have, I figured it’s time to try Redstraw’s.

I’m actually kind of happy to be trying a drink off the menu here that doesn’t have fruity flavors in it, which is ironically kind of refreshing. A simple tea really hits the spot, and the Osmanthus Oolong is pretty good. Unsurprisingly, it tastes similar to Omomo’s, which is a good thing. I do taste the light Oolong flavor, and (if I’m not deluding myself) there also is a refreshing floral taste that goes very nicely with it. I did get 50% sugar, but if I did get it again I might go for less to taste the tea more and since the boba adds some sweetness. This would also probably taste good with milk. As a comparison, maybe someday I’ll get Redstraw’s with milk or Omomo’s without milk if I get the chance. The boba is very good today, chewy and just the right amount of sweetness.

For the record, it’s kind of hard to get a free drink here. I feel like I’ve gotten so many drinks here but I barely just reached the amount of points needed to get a free drink here, which is 70 something in FiveStars. They do give random discount promotions every now and then, but I feel like it’s a lot easier at other places. Is it just me? Am I not coming often enough? Is their point system a low-key scam? I was telling my friend and she said that maybe it’s because their prices are not as high as some other boba places nowadays, which can go up to about $6 for a drink. Anyway, next time I’m using my free drink on a pricier drink on the menu (that’s within my desire to try).

Details: Osmanthus Oolong; Iced; no ice; 50% sugar: with honey boba; from Redstraw Tea Bar (Irvine)