Sleeping Dragon Customer Reviews

My CommuniTEA packet today smelled a bit like seaweed. When steeped for 2.5 minutes with water below simmering, it had a smooth feeling similar to Silver Sprout and tasted mild with no grassiness. It was a bit stronger like Dragonwell but without the bitterness. It was nice and mildly smokey without being savory or too earthy. I accidentally resteeped for a bit over 3 minutes. It wasn't as smooth and was overall a bit meh. Acceptable, but not as good as the first steep. I tried a second resteep for 2.5 minutes and it was surprisingly still smooth with no bitterness but the flavor was very light and lacked the smokiness of the original cup, but it was still enjoyable.

2 helpful votes

Pretty good tea. good flavor profile. Not very astringent. 180F at 3 min

180 degrees for 3 minutes, but would have taken it out at 2 minutes if I’d remembered to be in the right room when my timer finished. Green tea from the high-altitude mountainous Fujian province of China. Clean, yet smoky vegetal taste when hot, and cools into a mild vegetal astringency. Highly recommend for green tea beginners and aficionados alike.

2 helpful votes

I sampled this one with the CommuniTEA. It’s a wonderfully smoky green tea that’s not too grassy.

9 helpful votes

Adagio has some great, fun, exciting teas. While this one isn't 'fun' or 'exciting', it's a really solid great tea that reminds me of the sophisticated teas in my favorite tea shop. Grassy, brothy, warming, tasty.

2 helpful votes

This is a very pleasant and solid green tea. I think it might be nice to blend with but honestly it feels too high quality for that.

It's perfect for a late-morning steep when you want a bit more of a pick-me-up before lunch but still want to relax. I didn't find it particularly heavy on any one note (e.g. not grassy) and it was nicely balanced.

3 helpful votes

Today's CommuniTEA packet contained Sleeping Dragons! Strangely enough, the scent of the curled dragonesque tea leaves reminded me of banana pudding for some reason. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Pressing the VelociTEA button for white tea steeped it for 3 minutes at 180ºF, as recommended. The tea was nicely golden green, and smelled almost floral but not as pronounced as a jasmine tea might be. The flavor was completely different than the scent leads one to believe. It's much more earthy and similar to a light gunpowder green. However, there is a vegetal brightness to the flavor without being grassy or bitter. This one seems like a pleasant middle ground between a milk oolong and a gunpowder green.

Just what I needed as an afternoon pick-me-up after a difficult night of unrestful sleep. Maybe these sleeping dragons can help my body reset.

5 helpful votes

Love this tea! Especially the name! Not usually a green tea fan, but this one is just right <3

12 helpful votes

I forgot my water (oops!) and ended up steeping this at 160F for 3 minutes. The leaves unfurl their scaly wings, ready to take flight.

The first steep is strongly vegetal, almost like seaweed. Not my favorite, but definitely a bold, dragon-like flavor. There's a slight toastedness that adds another savory dimension. The second steep (2 minutes) was a milder version of the same flavors, keeping the rounded, smooth mouthfeel with just a hint of dryness at the end.

This tea is good for showing off your glass infuser and enjoying with a meal. Multiple steeps means more opportunities for flavors to emerge and evolve. Though the flavors coming through aren't really to my preferences, this is a high quality green tea.

1 helpful votes

This green is very mellow, with a much lighter flavor than others I’ve tried. The little dragons uncurl beautifully when steeped, and add a rich caramels flavor to my cup.

What a smooth and smoky green tea this is. When sweetened with honey, I found Sleeping Dragon Green to be such an easy and delicious sip. No grassiness here, just a toasty vegetal lightness that starts off with a smoky flavor and ends with a slightly floral finish. Because of careful steeping, I didn’t detect any bitterness, just a hint of astringency. I could sip it plain but enjoyed it more with a dollop of Adagio’s raw honey for green teas. The honey added a pleasant sweetness to balance the smokiness well and enhance the natural floral notes of the tea.

Sleeping Dragon appeared as 4 grams (2 tsp) of tightly rolled green buds in the CommuniTEA packet today smelling ever so gently of grass. My electric kettle had a setting for 175F, not 180F so I settled for a steep at 175F for 3.5 minutes using 12 oz. of water. The half minute more than Adagio’s suggested time was to allow for a complete unfurling of the tea leaves into a mini green forest in my Ingenuitea. The pale green liquor had a smoky taste upon first sip. Thereafter, the 3 minute resteeps resulted in a flavor less smoky and much milder and sweeter. I very much enjoyed this cuppa. Since I haven’t tried many green teas, I can’t say I have a favorite but I would put this on my A list for now. Trying for a fourth resteep of Sleeping Dragon let me know I liked it 5 stars worth and enough to place an order gladly.

19 helpful votes

I received this tea as part of the CommuniTEA box. As such, my review might be colored by the fact that this is just a small portion and not part of a larger batch (I really hope so, since I have a sample of this in the cupboard). On with the review.

The tea smells somewhat grassy as you open it up and look at the cutely coiled leaves with slightly silvery edges. It seems nice, and while I'd like to watch the leaves uncurl, I don't really have a way to easily keep track of how much water I put into my pot (it's about 12-16 ounces, and doesn't have marks on the sides for measurements), so into the tea ball it goes. Honestly, this could have ruined the tea, I'm not sure (can you tell that I really want to like this tea?)

After steeping for three minutes in water about 165-175, the tea is a pale yellow-green tone, and smells more strongly of a grassy hay sort of thing. Some sort of vaguely green smell. Upon tasting, it is...much the same. A strange almost grassy/green flavor, with something a little odd to it, and not much else. It's a very clean mouth-feel, with none of the bitter astringency some teas can get. Sugar brightens it up a little bit, but it still tastes much the same.

Honestly, this tea reminds me of a lovely Sauvignon Blac wine. Clean, crisp, with a smooth mouth feel, and just like any good Sauvignon Blanc, it is characterized by a delightful smell of cat's pee, at least in this cup. Really, I was almost surprised by it, but that's almost exactly what it smelled like to me, without the alcohol that wine would have. It's not for me, though I can see why people might like this tea (despite that colorful descriptor), and I'm merely 'meh' about it while my mother is resoundingly 'nay' about this tea.

1 helpful votes

I don't like green teas at all, but at least so far I don't feel like dumping this one down the drain. It has a slight 'cooked spinach water' flavor, but it isn't strong. It doesn't have the usual lawn flavor, so that's good, but there's a bitter bite to it that's unpleasant. There is no sweetness, and no smokiness that I can detect, contrary to the description. In fact, even added sweetener didn't add any sweetness, nor did it counteract that bitterness.

1 helpful votes

Not a robust green tea but still very enjoyable. I really like this tea. I received some as a sample. I don’t get any grassiness and the smoky is just a nice, light backdrop. Overall a very enjoyable tea.

3 helpful votes

An Average Green tea but I love the Dragon Themed Rolled Tea. I love to watch the Leaves Dance and unfurl. good hot or iced and sweetened with Honey. I Sampled this Tea as part of the CommuniTEA February Box.

9 helpful votes

I definitely oversteeped it, but oversteeping should not make tea completely undrinkable. I've been doing CommuniTea for the better part of a year, and this is the first tea I poured down the drain. Unbelievably bitter, with a dark foul taste underneath the normal notes of green tea.

This is a great green tea for those who aren't interested in grassy flavors. I love the herbal green flavor of Sencha but this is a match for it in full flavor and aroma. Not at all floral, it's good but hot and after you forget your cup on a counter for a while.

4 helpful votes

This tea is a real standout for me. Just the right amount of grassiness and mild smokiness to hit all the right notes for me. I highly recommend it!

3 helpful votes

This is a favorite green tea of mine because it is more fruity/floral than most green teas which are on the grassier tasting side.

20 helpful votes

I don't like green tea, so this rating and review are both objective rather than subjective. The grassiness known to green teas is still definitely present and I didn't get any of the fruitiness mentioned in the description. It's also earthy with some hints of florals and just a touch of butteriness. Not my thing; didn't personally enjoy it, but if you're a green tea person, you might really like this, as it's fairly mellow compared to some others I've tried.

6 helpful votes

While I did enjoy the buttery mouthfeel, I did not enjoy the smokey, astringent spinach flavor. This is too vegetal for my liking. (reviewed through CommuniTEA; 2 min @ 180F)

11 helpful votes

As a huge fan of Dragonwell, I love a Chinese green tea with some toasty flavor. I absolutely adore this tea. A nice toasty green tea flavor with a Smokey, almost miso-like after taste that sets it apart. I will definitely be ordering more of Sleeping Dragon in the future.

5 helpful votes

Like eating a mouthful of grass. Horrible. Took one sip and dumped the whole thing.

4 helpful votes

I will preface this by saying that I am not usually a big green tea fan, but I always commit to having the communitea with an open mind! Upon opening the package, I found the smell to be grassy and I proceeded to brew this up at 175 degrees for 3 minutes. I have to admit that I put these buds into my clear ingenuitea maker to watch the buds unfurl- Oh my goodness, what an absolute treat. It would practically be worth buying the tea for the experience of watching these leaves unfurl on their own...They move sinuously, like a dragon, twisting and turning, unfurling from their original shape, to grow and create such a show! What an amazing Zenlike experience to watch! Then came the tasting portion, as i brought the cup to my mouth, the scent was very reminiscent of my mother in law's spinach soup- making me a little fearful, but the sip was only a little grassy and quite a bit smoky. Not too bad for a green. The end of the sip revealed a very mild floral finish, which was quite nice. A second steep (which I rarely do) revealed a much less smoky taste with a more forward floral tea. Although I am still not a huge fan of green tea, I would have to say that this one is definitely one of the best ones I have tried and is actually almost worth buying simply for the lovely dance of leaves you get upon steeping!

8 helpful votes

While this is a good green tea, it is not my favorite. It’s got a strong flavor when I prefer greens a little lighter.

2 helpful votes

Part of the February 2021 CommuniTEA box. Soothingly vegetal, no need for additional sweetener (although if desired, it mutes the smokiness and brings out a more fruity taste).

3 helpful votes

This is a nice veggie-flavored tea with a good green tea scent. It looks and smells exactly like it tastes! Don't brew it too long - it's good after just 2 minutes. (2 mins @ 165 F, no additions)

1 helpful votes

This is a pleasant but undistinguished Chinese green tea, decent in its concentration of savory aminos but with an astringent edge to its smoky qualities that I don't especially care for. I'd rather keep an eye on dragonwell tea and try to catch it on sale, or stick to Japanese greens, which are grassier and more buttery than this. (2m30s @ 165 F, no additions)

4 helpful votes

This is a solid green tea. Mild and a bit buttery. I detect a little bit of smokiness.

1 helpful votes

I will be the first to say I’m not some tea drinking expert. My favorites are fruit herbal teas. That being said for a green tea, I found this one ok! No overwhelming smell and just a nice clean tea flavor!

1 helpful votes

What a pretty dry tea this is, and then it's fun to watch unfurl as it steeps. My cup didn't taste a lot like the description though. I brewed it at 180°, for 3 minutes. It had a very tasty green, vegetal, spinach-like taste including a grassy flavor. There was a hint of sweetness, but no fruit and no smokiness. A moderately strong mineral taste came through in the finish, which was a touch astringent and dry. Despite not tasting as expected, it was a very nice cup of tea to start the day with.

16 helpful votes

Today’s communiTea is a favorite green tea, sleeping dragon! As suggested by Jim, our fabulous communiTea tea guru, I steeped 2 mins, 30secs @ 180F. So fun watching, a mist of light green liquid being released, as these cute, green dragons in my glass teapot this morning, were awaken. My kitchen seemed to have a comforting slightly smoky, earthy scent. Yum, a perfect cuppa tea on this chilly winter morning. Each sip covered my tongue with that earthy tea green taste, but very mild, and sweet. Instantly, yet in a soothing way, my sips had a smoky flavor, leaving behind a little fiery bite on the tip of of tongue. Maybe this is how a dragon feels after a around of fire-breathing 🔥?? Hmmm, this is a delicious & fun cuppa green tea. (steeped 2mins, 30secs @180, careful your water is not too hot, will lead to a bitter bit rather than a fiery one).🐉

12 helpful votes

I wish my palette would love plain green teas other than jasmine but all I taste is grass. I like to smell grass on a sweet spring morn but I don’t like to drink it.

4 helpful votes

I did not like the first sip of this tea (steeped at 180F for 2 minutes). It tasted strongly vegetal. After cooling for a few minutes, though, it mellowed quite a bit, becoming slightly peppery and salty, though still with a vegetal note. It's not something I would drink routinely, but it's better than my first impression.

2 helpful votes

The tea leaves do look like little dragons! Nice mild green. Like many similar green teas, I taste a saltiness. I wonder if salt is added to help dry out and/or preserve the leaves, or if it’s just a result of the environment it grows in?

11 helpful votes

Be warned! Sleeping dragons must be gently woken! When startled awake they become cranky and bitter!
I’m not a fan of greens, but I continue to explore and try. I heated the dragon’s bath carefully to 180° and dipped the little sleeping devils into the water for three minute stay. They awoke, stretched their wings and hissed fitfully. The resulting brew was a bit bitter and grassy. Apparently my dragons need a bit more care! Second steeping, still at 180°, but I only let them bathe for 2 1/2 minutes as they were fully awake now. This resulted in a much milder tasting brew, although still too green for my enjoyment. The grassy oily flavor was gone though, just a light green flavor left. I’ll leave dragon waking for my more experienced CommuniTEA friends!

17 helpful votes

Not typically a tea that I would gravitate to but was so intrigued to try and it didn't disappoint. The smoky finish made it much more interesting than your typical green tea.

I followed the steeping instructions on the CommuniTEA packet but I think it was too hot and/or steeped too long, as it turned out quite bitter. The tea smells buttery and vegetal, and I do get a nice smoky flavor underlying the bitterness. I think this tea has potential to be good when brewed properly, so I would probably buy more to experiment with steeping methods to try to get the natural sweetness to come out. If you don't like very grassy green teas this may be a good one for you to try.

8 helpful votes

Delicious green tea! Naturally sweet and it holds up for multiple brews. Very clean flavor without being 'grassy.'

6 helpful votes

I think I steeped it too long/hot on my first steep because it was very bitter, but the second go around it was a much smoother, mellow green tea that I definitely enjoyed.
Also, it was fun watching the sleeping dragon's leaves awaken!

5 helpful votes

This is for sure a favourite of mine. Delicious and slightly Smokey. Steep just under 3 min.

4 helpful votes

This has a very prominent flavor that I find some other types of green teas lacking in. It pairs really well with a sweet breakfast pastry!

As far as green teas go, this one is fairly standard; I don't mind it, but I don't tend to like green tea unless it's accompanied by dessert to offset the grassiness!

I was excited to try this tea. Sometimes green tea reminds me of green beans (bad cup of green tea in China) so I'm always hesitant on the 1st sip, I could relate to a post by Julie. This tea is strong, I think next time I would only use 1/2 a bag and not seep as long. It would not be my 1st green choice and maybe next time would blend with Jasmine. But it is a very smooth non bitter tea. It was fun to watch unfurl as it stretched its leaves this cold morning in Michigan.

I love how the tea leaves open up and that's about it. It's a little too grassy for me. In comparison to other green teas it has less of a veggie flavor.

1 helpful votes

Tiny dark green curled-up dragons were found sleeping in my communiTEA packet this morning. They were really cute, but would soon be awakened! I proceeded with caution.

I wanted to awaken my little dragons slowly, so I pulled my steep at two minutes and 30 seconds when I noticed that they were stretching-out and had fallen to the bottom of my steeper. I wanted them to save their energy for subsequent steeps. They were awake and starting to snort with excitement!

When hot, green vegetal flavors were smoky and mild. These tastes were very clean and lite. I decided not to spoil my dragons by adding sugar.

When warm, above tastes were moderate. A pleasantly mild, but acceptable amount of vegetal astringency was noted.

This green tea was a very refreshing morning sip. This would be a great choice for those folks who do not like grassy greens. After a second steep, my little tea dragons were grown up and had even more flavorful tastes than were noted above. You can get at least three steeps from this tea. Good little dragons! (1st steep: 2 min 30 secs/Subsequent steeps: 2 mins @ 175ºF, no additives used)

51 helpful votes

As someone who doesn’t care for green tea on its own, this was still too”green” tasting for me.

2 helpful votes

Of Adagio's plain green teas I've tried, this has the strongest flavoring and well deserves the name of Dragon. Brewed at 180 degrees, I did find it vegetal, more like cabbage than grass, but not bitter or astringent. It was deep, perhaps earthy, with a nuance of jasmine. It was fun watching the leaves unfurl. I brewed this over and over - by the 3rd brew I tasted more honey notes and by the 4th brew it was light and nutty with a rounded, buttery mouthfeel. Vegetal taste remained throughout, but lessened with lower steeping temperatures. I liked it best brewed at 165C. It's not the most unique flavor profile, and definitely not as profound as an oolong, but for someone looking for a low-complexity green tea, this should do the trick.

21 helpful votes

Sleeping dragon is one of my favorite green teas.

3 helpful votes

The green Dragon roars; It's wings unfurl to take flight; So green and lovely! (Haiku review)

37 helpful votes