KiwiDelight Send Message

Thanks to Angel from Teavivre for the sample!

I COMPLETELY forgot I already drank this. Ah well, two months ago. Different experience now.

Gongfu with gaiwan. 10 second rinse. Steeping times (16): 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 10, 10, 10, 10, 20, 20, 30, 30, 60, 120.

The dry aroma reminds me of an an evergreen forest, ground coated with layers of needles. The wet aroma smells more like wood, which changes to bread as the infusions increase. The broth is burnt orange, then black coffee. A texture so smooth that’s suave and soothing. Full-bodied.

The ball really starts to roll at the fourth infusion. A bold leather note. Light smoke underneath. Sweet. Slightly peppery aftertaste that sticks to the back of the throat. At the fifth, I feel tea drunk! Even though I had food. This shou can sure be heavy – that’s what I get for dumping all 10 grams into the gaiwan. At the tenth infusion and beyond, the heaviness in the feel of the broth declines. Tastes woody. No spice. Overall, milder or gentler. A bit sweeter, hard candy-like.

Last one from the Lewis and Clark TTB and of the Jin Jun Mei’s Cameron B included for me.

Prepared in a test tube steeper. Steeping times: 30, 15, 30, 60, 120.

The dry aroma consists of only chocolate. Meanwhile, the wet aroma changes as the leaves after being steeped the first time – cool: malt —> fudge —> grains. Thereafter, the aroma smells of just chocolate.

The liquor is golden brown, honey-like in color; and there are so many fuzzies that it looks cloudy from a foot away. Fuzzies in every infusion, holy cow! Full-bodied. Thin texture.

I think I overestimated, hence botched, the first infusion. It is incredibly malty and a little bitter. But it’s definitely roasty, reminding me of roasted nuts and toasted rice. This teaches me that not all Jin Jun Mei should be prepared the same way. (Others I’ve had to steep longer in the first infusion because the leaf needs time to wake up.) The latter infusions are considerably less malty, allowing the cocoa notes to stand out. The roasted quality is muted, too, but eventually returns in the last infusion.

This is an interesting Jin Jun Mei. Even with my mistake I still think it’s enjoyable.

Brewed Western-style. 15 second rinse. Steeping times: 30, 45, 60, 90, 120.

Leather dominates the dry aroma. The leather is intensified in the wet aroma, and notes of tobacco and a scent of moist forest soil also appear. After the second infusion, these disappear, replaced by chocolate.

The liquor has the color and consistency of coffee. A thick, creamy texture. Full-bodied. The first and second infusions taste like milk chocolate and cocoa. Leather returns in the later infusions. Old leather-bound books comes to mind. Fire smoke lifts from the liquid and rises to the roof of my mouth. The flavors also shift further away from the sweetness and become bitter, a light bitterness present in good quality black coffee.

This rich shou is incredibly comforting, even when the weather’s warm and a little humid (cold, no, come back, it’s autumn now). I felt like I /became/ the pu’erh. I was really looking forward to trying a Phatty Cake. It obviously lives up to its reputation. I wanted each cup to never end.

Thank you, Angel, for providing me a sample!

Brewed Western-style.

Never thought that a white tea could be pressed into a cake. I studied the chunk of cake included in my packet. An aesthetic pleasure. Varying shapes and sizes of the leaves, short twigs, earth tones mixed with silver – an instant of the big picture vs the small picture, how both are beautiful individually and as a whole. I bet the cake is something else to behold.

The dry aroma is one of those you can’t stop smelling. Rich, yet gentle. First, honey, then grapes, and, lastly, a pile of autumn leaves. Hay and cucumber dominate the wet aroma.

The liquor is the color of raw honey. Clear. Thick- and full-bodied. I taste notes of cinnamon, apples, maple syrup, honey, and influential challah bread (’tis the season for New Year). Juicy – the sweetness sticks to the roof of my mouth. Refreshing feel. This tea implores you to “stop in your tracks” and to really sense it.

I wouldn’t have thought to buy this tea on my own, thinking that it’s not “my cup of tea”. I am sure glad of these kinds of surprises. Truly enjoyable! It’s the first of its kind for me, so no rating. It’d be in the low 90s.

Cameron B was awesomesauce to send some my way to give me a chance at Take 2. This time, as per Cheri’s advice, I added some sugar, a little less than a teaspoon. The marshmallow disappears, and the sugar makes the tea sweeter and taste a little of vanilla frosting. I’ve increased the rating only a little bit – this one’s alright. And I think I’d prefer it without sugar.

From the Lewis and Clark TTB and Cameron B!

Brewed with test tube steeper. Steeping times: 30 sec, 15, 30, 60, 120.

The dry leaf is very pretty: most little curled dark leaves and few golden leaves. The dry aroma is flowery and sweet (not sure if this is the orchid – never smelled orchid) and cake-like. The wet aroma is malty and chocolate, and smells delightfully of fudge after the second infusion.

The liquor takes on a rusty color. Fuzzies float around. Medium-bodied, clear. Creamy in the fourth and fifth infusions. This doesn’t taste like a typical Jin Jun Mei, although the chocolate sometimes appears in the aftertaste. Instead, in the first couple infusions, there are malty and floral notes, and later there is only smoke. To me, this kind of smoke is unappealing – different from Lapsang Souchong, which I do like.

This Jin Jun Mei is not for me. While I did enjoy the appearance of the leaf and wet leaf aroma, I didn’t like the taste very much. But it’s not so unpleasant that I absolutely can’t bear and have to throw out. Still, it was something else to try and compare to other Jin Jun Mei’s.

Thanks to Cameron B for including this in the swap!

Obligatory tea #2.

The dry and wet leaf do smell of kiwi, but it’s weak and easily artificial. And the kiwi flavoring isn’t any stronger in the liquor because of the fact that the base tea is a black tea, which tastes too malty, bordering bitterness. (Green rooibos or green tea would be a more appropriate base.) Overall, not enjoyable.

From the Lewis and Clark TTB.

Brewed gongfu-style with gaiwan. 5 second rinse. Steeping times: 5, 5, 5, 5, 10, 10, 10, 10, 30, 60.

The wet leaf offers a buttery and floral aroma. The liquor is pale yellow, clear, thin in texture, and medium-bodied. Not a complex flavor profile. The main note is flowers in most of the infusions – it seemed like I was drinking their fragrances. Towards the end of the session, the texture is a little creamier, and I taste a little less floral and more mineral, with a peach and apricot aftertaste.

From the Lewis and Clark TTB, put in specially for me from Cameron B.

Brewed in a glass test tube steeper. Steeping times: 15 sec, 15, 30, 60, 120.

The leaves different from other Jin Jun Mei’s I have seen. Instead a mix of shades of brown, these are all golden. They look like little dream caterpillars. Strangely, the leaves immediately sink to the bottom of the test tube steeper when I pour the water.

The dry aroma has honey and fudge. After the leaf is first steeped, an aroma of malt, chocolate, and some toast rises from the steeper. And after the later infusions, the aroma becomes decadent and mouthwatering – I can smell fudge brownie cake (the microwavable kind in a mug).

The liquor is golden brown. Fuzzies freely float around or up and down in the glass tumbler, like the goo in a lava lamp. Medium-bodied. The second and third infusions are the best, when the leaves a re fully awakened but not quite beginning to weaken. The notes are prominently malt, honey, and chocolate. The overall flavor profile is light, bordering gentle – not very strong, but could have been to better suite my tastes. Since it is not intense, this Jin Jun Mei is perfect for an early autumn day, when the sun is out and the temperature is not too low.

Thank you, Teavivre, for providing me a free sample!

Brewed grandpa-style in a glass tumbler.

Lovely leaves, before and after being steeped. White downy hairs, then very green as they float vertically. The dry leaf aroma is oatmeal-like. Then there are cucumbers and honeydew slices. A pale green aroma – first time I imagine a color in my mind as I smell a tea. As the leaves steep, the water magnifies the honeydew aroma, nearly tricking my senses into thinking that the fruit is in front of me instead of tea. The liquor is light-bodied, thick, and clear (surprisingly because of the fuzzies). Again, honeydew, and also dried grass. Juice-like. Because of an airy quality, this tea has a calming, floating effect.

No rating because of my inexperience with white tea. But I like and would recommend this one.