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Cameron B. drank Imperial Pure Bud Bi Luo Chun Yunnan White Tea * 2014 Spring by Yunnan Sourcing

3986 tasting notes

This is another sample from boychik. Sorry it’s taking me so long to try these! Visually, this tea strikes me as the white version of wee snaily yums, which makes sense since they’re both bi luo chun. The color is a lovely and very pale mint green with some silver and dark grey spots. The leaves have a very mild and soft hay scent. I have no idea whether I used the correct parameters for this particular tea, but I just went with my default white tea steep time and temperature.

Wow, the steeped tea actually smells quite smoky/savory! In fact, it reminds me of the black version of bi luo chun, which makes perfect sense. I just wasn’t expecting it! I can also smell hay and perhaps a slight hint of menthol or eucalyptus? Wow, this is an interesting one. I am happy to say that it didn’t come out bitter, so clearly my parameters weren’t too far off. The overall flavor is quite mild, and it’s mostly a mixture of savory smoked meat and green vegetables (spinach?). I can taste a little bit of that menthol quality, and honestly it’s numbing my mouth a little bit which is odd! I can taste a touch of floral and stonefruit at the end of the sip and in the aftertaste. It’s amazing how similar this is to black bi luo chun and yet how different at the same time! I’m not sure I would drink this, as the mouth-numbing is a little weird, but I do enjoy the flavor. :)

(I’m going to ignore the mouth-numbing quality for the rating.)

Flavors: Floral, Meat, Menthol, Smoked, Spinach, Stonefruit, Vegetables

Preparation

185 °F / 85 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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2 comments

boychik
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I like this mouth numbing /menthol thingy. So common in sheng

yyz
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I get it in sheng and some of the more biting green Oolong’s I adore. This tea actually reminded me a lot of floral green Oolong’s. It’s interesting to see what flavours come out in longer steep times:-).

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Comments

boychik
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I like this mouth numbing /menthol thingy. So common in sheng

yyz
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Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron! I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, KBeauty, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January Sipdowns: 6
- Total 2024 Sipdowns: 6

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I’ll also often use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however. I also enjoy maté, rooibos, and honeybush. I love matcha and drink it often! Fruit tisanes are not a favorite, but I’m always willing to try them.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially passionfruit, mango, and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura, chamomile, and elderflower. Osmanthus is also a favorite of mine. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing