215 Tasting Notes
This refers to the bagged version of this tea, my first tasting of kukicha. I went with quite cool water, about 165F. A one minute steep gave pale amber liquor and a truly rich nutty roasted flavor. It tastes more like a dark oolong than a green tea, but the package says “roasted green tea.” I like it, and I can tell that the bag is good for a resteep!
This Pu-erh makes a full-bodied red-brown liquor with an aroma like garden soil. The flavor is rich and almost sweet. There’s a slight sour note which tells me that yes, it was aged and fermented in a solid cake. I suppose that both the oddness and the complexity of flavor is largely derived from this type of aging, unique to pu-erh teas. For the 2nd steep I added some chrysanthemum buds, and a tiny floral note chimed in from those. The aged pu-erh earthiness continues to follow through to the finish. I’m a novice when it comes to pu-erh, so the assertive ‘ripeness’ of this tea continues to startle me a bit, and I can’t say yet whether I like it.
This sencha is ‘clean and green’ in flavor. I moistened it with cool water before steeping, as a buffer against my predictable lack of care in regard to water temp. I poured hot water and decanted after 30 seconds, yielding a pale green liquor which was only slightly bitter, with enough flavor to be worthwhile. I like spinach, which is fortunate when it comes to green tea. The resteep was also 30 sec, with almost no bitterness and more asparagus. Still, this is more exercise than enjoyment for me, as I continue my attempt to appreciate these fussy steepers. I kept wishing it were a white instead. I may never be big on greens, but this one has made it into my ‘okay’ category. It helps if I’m in a monkish, less self-indulgent mood and remind myself of it’s healthfulness.
1.5 tsp in 10 oz at 200F for 7 min. I might have finished this yerba mate blend ‘black’ but I added milk and sugar. The spices, carob and cocoa add quite a bit to the brew, which is actually a dark brown liquor, probably because of the roasted ingredients. Flavor is as full and rich as any chai black tea I’ve had. It looks like murky coffee and feels like the caffeine in a stout cup o’ joe. Monday has been launched!
I seem to be developing quite a penchant for white tea. Its flavors are subtle and delicate, but can be exquisite, now that I’ve begun to distinguish them. Many white teas have a good resteep in them, IF the first pass is appropriately short (a long 1st steep will get bitter, anyway). For this first steep, I moistened the bag and its contents with a splash of cool water and let it sit a minute before pouring in the hot. This seems to protect delicate teas from getting bitter and astringent. (I credit the Guarani people of Uruguay for this idea, which they traditionally use for their yerba mate.)
Stash Fusion Honey and Ginseng is a brilliant white tea blend with a complex aroma and ample sweetness, just as-is. The light amber liquid is nutritious and delicious — it must be said. The honeybush flavor is akin to rooibos but less tart. For once, the ginseng comes along without creating a fuss. As a bonus, this plucky little bag took a 7 min resteep and produced a righteous 2nd cup!
After multiple infusions, considering this light oolong for frequent drinking. I didn’t pick up floral notes as often as I’d done with my other favorite, Ali Shan. But I sensed fresh notes of moss and, indeed, the smooth body and fruity finish mentioned in the seller’s description. An enthusiastic thumbs up!
What is Ali Shan?
‘Shan’ means mountain, and Ali Shan is oolong from Mount Ali in Taiwan. It is usually quite lightly oxidized, which produces an oolong with more fruit and flower tastes and aromas. In contrast, the darker, heavily oxidized oolongs have a more toasty, woody flavor profile.
Dry tea has peach pieces, a so-so aroma, and yes — a goodly number of buds. Steeped 1.5 tsp in 8 oz at 180F for 1:15 min. I tasted it at 1 min — any longer and it would have been too bitter. Yikes! Really blah flavor; dumped first cup. Resteep went 5 min without bitterness, but there was obvious staleness in both aroma and flavor, I have to say. No more tea swaps in mid-Summer, I guess. This tea shipped to me in weather so hot that the truck probably exceeds 130F for hours on end. It’s a doggone chicken-fried shame!
Dry tea is dark green half-balls, less than 1/4" dia. with some tan stems visible. Short rinse first in tepid water to awaken leaves. Steep 3 min at 195F. Unfurl to mid-size leaves of a lighter but more intense green with red-brown edges — a very promising sight! Light green clear liquor, slight floral aroma, rich wood and moss.
