189 Tasting Notes
Loose
Appearance: red-brownish black slight crinkle in leaf, bright yellow petals noticeable
Aroma when Dry: tart, fruity floral
After water is first poured: fruity, syrupy
At end of first steep: sticky syrupy, grenadine most noticeable
Tea liquor:
At end of first steep: brownish red
Staple? No
Time of day preferred: unsure, first tasting
Taste:
At first: tart, slight tang of the grenadine notes, vanilla closes
As it cools? notes open, layer, tea sours
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? yes, with a sour and vanilla cloying tanf
Preparation
Loose
Appearance: dusty matcha green, rice looks unpopped, good sizer med bancha leaf
Aroma when Dry: roasty matcha, sweet (eastern)
After water is first poured: roasty genmai notes jump out, followed by the sweetness (eastern) of matcha
At end of first steep: nutty, roasty matcha
Tea liquor:
At beginning of first steep: dusty green
At end of first steep: murky matcha green
Staple? No
Time of day preferred: Any
Taste:
At first: warm nutty, roasty matcha, more distinct genmai notes close
As it cools? notes all open up, start to compete, tea gets “busy”
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? Yes, with definite matcha sweetness (eastern) and roasty notes matcha leaves a bit of a fuzzy, drying note
Second steep (5 min)
Tea liquor: pale green
Aroma: nutty, roasty gen mai
Taste: weak genmai nutty, roastyness
Preparation
Loose
Appearance: large leaf black,slight curl noticeable fruit, bright cherries
Aroma when Dry: tart cherry, nutty
After water is first poured: bright, tart cherry, fruity
At end of first steep: mellowed tart cherry
Tea liquor:
At end of first steep: brownish green
Staple? possibly Seasonal
Time of day preferred: unsure, first tasting
Taste:
At first: sightly tart/tangy cherry, prominent grassy notes
As it cools? More cherry, deepening into layers, sweetening slightly, less grass
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? Yes, a sourness remains
Second steep (7 min):
milder cherry, lighened grassy notes
Need to revisit chilled
Preparation
Loose
Appearance: large leaf green, noticeable fruit
Aroma when Dry: citrus, hints of green
After water is first poured: ruby red(sish) grapefruit pops out
Tea liquor:
At end of first steep: clear
Staple? Seasonal perhaps
Time of day preferred: unsure, first tasting
Taste:
At first: sweetish grapefruit faint green notes
As it cools?Grapefuit notes mellow out, green notes surface
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? Yes, grapefruit notes with a bit of powdery-ness at close
Second steep (5 min 30 seconds)
Tea liquor: clear
Aroma: light grapefruit
Taste: balanced grapefruit and green
As it cools:a “zesty” as in fruit zest note starts to surface
third steep, slightly lighter then second, same notes
Might try chilled
Preparation
Loose
Appearance: large “kernel” oolong, two toned green, deep purpleish pink petals
Aroma when Dry: sticky sweet desert floral, almost gooey
After water is first poured: floral icing
At end of steep: subtle sweet fruity notes, powdery
Tea liquor:
At end of first steep: transparent light green
Staple? No
Time of day preferred: unsure, first tasting
Taste:
At first: jammy, sweet berry, slightly sticky
As it cools? plum syrupy notes start showing
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No.
Lingers? Yes, very sweet, cloying jammyness, violet notes show
Preparation
Flowering
Aroma when Dry: slightly bitter-sweet, floral, hints of nuttyness
After water is first poured:
At end of steep: sweet, nutty, floral
Tea liquor:
At end of steep: meadowy yellow
Staple? No
Time of day preferred: any
Taste:
At first: slight grass, creamy, nutty, hints of jasmine
As it cools? tea starts to get chewy
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? Yes, with full creamy nuttiness
Preparation
Flowering
Aroma when Dry: grassy, nutty, sour
At end of steep: slight bitter, floral, faint sweet notes
Tea liquor:
At beginning of first steep: very light yellow
At end of steep:
Staple? No
Time of day preferred: any
Taste:
At first: mildly bitter, closing with sweet grassy notes
As it cools? notes flatten, tea “drys” out
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Second steep
Tea liquor: light green
Aroma: slight fruity notes, almost berry, with grassy notes
Taste: grassy, “fuzzy”, sour
As it cools: gets less fuzzy and sour, more floral, stays grassy, sweetens (eastern) slightly
Preparation
Loose
Appearance: grey, green color, med curl to leaf
Aroma when Dry: citrus, powdery
After water is first poured: pungent grapefruit, floral,
At end of first steep: bitter, grassy, floral fruity
Tea liquor:
At end of steep: clear
Staple? unsure
Time of day preferred: any
Taste:
At first: chewy, floral, slight creaminess, brothy a bit flat
As it cools? notes open, citrus notes lessen layer a bit, tea gets deeper and meatier
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? Slightly, hints of grass through a creaminess
Second steep (8 min)
Tea liquor: clear
Aroma: very light citrus vegital
Taste: hints of floral, vegetal notes
As it cools: mellows into a creamy green texture
Preparation
Bagged, looking into loose leaf
Aroma when Dry: Bright, tart, floral
After water is first poured: lemon
At end of steep: very lemony, hints of hibiscus
Tea liquor:
At end of steep: dusty yellow
Staple? No
Time of day preferred: any, but day primarily
Taste:
At first: lemon, almost blackberry leaf notes, rosehips very faint hibiscus
As it cools? notes taste like unsweetened lemony syrup
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? Yes, the rosehips and lemon mostly
Want to try chilled
Preparation
Appearance med brown, slight crinkle in the leaf
Aroma when Dry: mild, slight malt, floral
After water is first poured: floral, faint fruity, layered
At end of steep: floral, slight leather notes
Tea liquor:
At end of steep: light, layered grey
Staple? Likely
Time of day preferred: unsure, first tasting
Taste:
At first: slight bitter note, crisp, maltyish, very little tang, bitters on the closing notes
As it cools? gets less bitter, astringent, floral notes get milder
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? Yes, with simple single note bitter astringency.