1758 Tasting Notes
I have a hard time getting in to charcoal roast teas. That being said this one isn’t too bad. The roast profile was not too strong. A strong roast profile to me is just meh. This one was only moderately strong. I’d say it was noticeable for about four or five steeps. I won’t say this tea turned into something really sweet because Wuyi oolongs in my experience are not like that. It did improve over the eight steeps I gave it. I think that people who really like Wuyi oolongs might find this phenomenal. To me it was just ok, not great.
I steeped this tea eight times in a 150ml gaiwan with 6.1g leaf and 190 degree water. I gave it a 10 second rinse. I steeped it for 5 sec, 5 sec, 7 sec, 10 sec, 15 sec, 20 sec, 25 sec, and 30 sec. I could have gotten a few more steeps out of the leaves if I wanted to.
Flavors: Roasted
Preparation
This is probably better than I expected. It was on sale for 75% off or I would never have bought it. It’s more sweet than spicy with a definite note of apples.
I brewed this one time in a 16oz Teavana Glass Perfect Tea Maker/Gravity Steeper with 3 tsp leaf and boiling water for 5 minutes.
Flavors: Apple
Preparation
This was a very good tea. From a certain perspective I guess you could say this had notes of honey. It certainly had a prominent sweet note. I liked this tea and I don’t remember the price being too high.
I steeped this twelve times in a 150ml gaiwan with 7.1g leaf and 190 degree water. I gave it a 10 second rinse. I steeped it for 5 sec, 5 sec, 7 sec, 10 sec, 15 sec, 20 sec, 25 sec, 30 sec, 45 sec, 1 min, 1.5 min, and 2 min.
Preparation
Bought this tea a couple of weeks ago and am just now getting around to drinking it. It has some malt, some chocolate flavor and what tastes like a roast flavor to it. This is interesting as I don’t think it was roasted. It is overall a good tea.
I steeped this one time in a Teavana Glass Perfect Tea Maker/Gravity Steeper with 3 tsp leaf and 200 degree water for 3 minutes.
Flavors: Chocolate, Malt, Roasted
Preparation
Today I drank a sample from a good tea friend. It was sheng and labeled only 1998 Cave Storage. It was certainly an interesting tea. I’m still deciding if I like or dislike it. It had one main note that I would have to describe as bitter, astringent, and fruity all in one note mind you. It had none of the traditional storage flavors you would expect. No wet wood, no tobacco, no leather. I have no idea where my friend got this tea or how much it cost and I am on the fence if I would buy it anyway. That one powerful note didn’t lessen over the eight steeps I gave the tea. I might go back for a few more steeps.
I steeped this eight times in a 150ml gaiwan with 7.7g leaf and boiling water. I gave it a 10 second rinse. I steeped it for 5 sec, 5 sec, 7 sec, 10 sec, 15 sec, 20 sec, 25 sec, and 30 sec. The tea started out with a dark brown color and was red by the eighth steep.
Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Fruity
Preparation
This tea is pretty good. It is a well rounded mix of bitterness, astringency, sweetness and has an umami taste to it. This is not as good as the gyokuro by Tablinshop but was good. Not sure if I would buy this again. So far all of Tablinshop’s teas have seemed to be high quality tea.
I brewed this three times in a 200ml Kyusu with 7.7g leaf and 175 degree water. I steeped it for 1 min, 1.5 min, and 2 min.
Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Sweet, Umami
Preparation
This tea was included with the June Global Tea Hut and is a very good tea. It was quite probably the smoothest semi aged sheng I have tried. It had what I would describe as a sweet note throughout all twelve steeps I gave it. Not the apricots of a young sheng mind you but more of a woodsy note, maybe mushrooms or something like that. The tea liquid was a little thin from age but it’s color was a dark reddish color. I wish this one was available for sale. There were no wet storage notes, no tobacco or leather notes developed from age either. If this had a little more body to it I would give it a 100%. It was very, very good. I didn’t feel much qi but maybe a little.
I steeped this tea twelve times in a 150ml gaiwan with 7.2g leaf and boiling water. I gave it a 10 second rinse. I steeped it for 5 sec, 5 sec, 7 sec, 10 sec, 15 sec, 20 sec, 25 sec, 30 sec, 45 sec, 1 min, 1.5 min, and 2 min.
Flavors: Mushrooms, Smooth, Sweet
Preparation
Cold brewed this tea. I let it sit too long so it’s overbrewed. Still I think I like this one better cold. The notes are a little muted. Not sure what to call them. It is relatively good even though I let the leaves sit too long.
Cold brewed this one in the fridge for around 24 hours with 4 tsp leaf and in a 32oz Lupica Handy Cooler.
Preparation
This is a fairly nice ripe tea with a lot a fermentation flavor. That flavor was not of the really unpleasant sort. There was little bitterness. Started out with a sweet note once the fermentation flavor had cleared. It got much better over the course of twelve steeps. It seemed to have good quality very fine leaves. Not a low quality brick for sure.
I steeped this twelve times in a 150ml gaiwan with 10.9g leaf and boiling water. I gave it a 10 second rinse. I steeped it for 5 sec, 5 sec, 7 sec, 10 sec, 15 sec, 20 sec, 25 sec, 30 sec, 45 sec, 1 min, 1.5 min, and 2 min.
Flavors: Earth, Sweet
Preparation
This is a tasty, mild tasting, slightly astringent white tea. I guess the dominant would be the peach but it’s not real strong. Nice tea though.
I brewed one tea ball in a 12oz mug with 175 degree water for 4 min.
If you’ve got some roasty oolongs you don’t want, I’d be interested in buying or trading for them.
@Rich, I don’t actually know what I’ve got but I haven’t bought a lot of Wuyi oolongs and actually finding what I have may be difficult but I will consider the idea.
I just don’t get into them too much either. I like a light roast but definitely not the dark.