493 Tasting Notes
Free sample with the order – thank you Yunnan Sourcing
5g 100ml gaiwan 195F
Rinse/3/3/3/5/5/10/10 sec to be cont
With my later steeps I increased the temp to 200F
I’m pleasantly surprised that I didn’t detect any harsh bitterness or astringency . It’s smooth tea with nice sweet aftertaste lingering in my mouth. Some warmth inside of me. I don’t feel super energetic or sluggish. Very nice feeling overall. I may pick up this sheng in a future.
This is a sample from Stephanie – thank you.
1tsp 8 oz. 205F 3min
Very dark rich tea. It has smoke but different fr Lapsang Souchong. Cup is pleasant, some pine notes coming thru. I divided cup in half. The other half had some tiny amount of Maple syrup (thank you Terri and Sil for suggestion of adding it to smoky teas). I prefer the sweetened cup, ms round out all the flavors. It’s pretty good. I can see myself drinking it from time to time. I didn’t have enough Keemun tea experience to rate this tea. On a scale of enjoyment it’s 8/10
Thank you Stephanie for this tea and learning curve. I got some Keemun samples fr Upton some time ago. Should start my journey.
Preparation
I was pleasantly surprised at what just a teeny tiny touch of real maple syrup does to a smoky tea. Wonderful!
It’s was a surprising transformation
Haha! So funny, I just posted a note on Keemun and also mentioned Sil’s maple syrup :-)
What a coincidence , we drank Keemun at the same time, thought of Sil and added Maple Syrup.
I look forward to reading about your Upton Keemun samples.
Generous sample from Teatiff – thank you.
i have Premium Taiwanese Assam and I love it. this tea I always wanted to try. it has PTA base which shines thru vanilla caramel toffee flavoring. Nothing overdone, just right. perfection in a cup. No sugar for me, but i can see that some could really accent and round the flavors. As cools i picked some dried cherry and bread notes which are probably come thru Assam. Zero astringency or bitterness. Goes on my shopping list.
Resteep was very good, PTA minus vanilla caramel
Flavors: Bread, Caramel, Cherry, Toffee, Vanilla
Preparation
Steeped for 2 days. Started with 195F just to be safe. I’m just trying shengs and really dont like excessive bitterness. This one is very mellow and smooth. Smells of roasted green peppers. i think i should increase the temp to see how it will turn out. Ready(i think)
Preparation
This is a sample which came to me from Terri HarpLady – thank you
Gongfu style
4g 150ml gaiwan 205F
rinse 1/3/3/5/5/10/15/15/15/20sec etc
I like this tea a lot. it starts like pale and floral. Later steeps introduce Lychee, grape, nuts and some floral in the background. its sweet and malty but delicate. even kinda Darjeeling type with some slight citrus. im not done, lots of life left in this tea. some steeps i combined in one cup, but tried them first. very nice and light. i think its easy to drink in Summer, its not heavy with honey and malt ( could be too much in hot weather).
Thank you so much Terri for letting me enjoy this wonderful tea. Sadly, Verdant doesn’t have in stock but i can totally see myself buying it
Preparation
Yay! Another Win! I’ll be glad when my sipdown extravaganza is over, because I haven’t drank this one, or so many of my other teas, for awhile!
All the teas you sent me are fabulous. I need sipdown extravaganza. I should stop hoarding.
I have to get some sort of gaiwan or something someday so I can really try tea gongfu style.
I just tend to not want to drink the same thing so many times in a row!
You can combine steeps in one cup as I did. But did taste each time. It’s just different. I tried teas western and gong flu methods. 99% gong flu wins. I do it only with Chinese and Taiwanese teas. In other words, more leaves less time is not equal to less leaves more time
Gong flu ;) autocorrect
Good to know! I will have to look into getting something. Is a gaiwan the best option?
Hehe gong flu
I think glass gongfu pot is the best
http://www.dragonteahouse.biz/chinese-clear-glass-tea-pot-200ml-b-204.html
It’s the best price free ship . DTH is very good company and I got it under10 days
I have several and use it everyday. SS spring filter is the best removable and easy to clean.
2 nd option is easy gaiwan
http://m.ebay.com/itm/350927580204?nav=SEARCH
I have the same. Daily use. Good seller.
You don’t need a set of tiny cups. Useless.
Lastly, you need strainer. I absolutely hate dregs
I really like this earthen Gaiwan too. I have it in green & in brown, LOL
http://butikiteas.com/Teawares.html
Boychik, both of those links you shared are really nice too!
Gaiwans…pretties!!!
Ohhhh that little glass teapot has a filter?! I might need to buy one of those!
Terri, I love that gaiwan fr Butiki. I probably will get it with my next order on Stacy’s Bday.
Generous sample Stacy included with my surprise package from TeaTiff – thank you.
190F 8oz 3:30 min ( according to Stacy)
I love it. It tastes like a blend of Assam, Darjeeling and Fujian, but in reality it single origin tea. Malty, some florals, some slight citrus and bready chocolate. Amazing that one tea could combine all those flavors and be a little bit of all. If you a fan of Assam/Darjeeling teas I highly recommend you to try this great tea
Preparation
This is my cup of tea. Bold strong malty but no bitterness or astringency. No milk or sugar for me. probably if you steep it longer it may need some additions. Some wine notes. this is so good, i gulped the cup less than a minute.
1tsp 205F 3min
Thank you so much Terri HarpLady for sending me such fine teas
Preparation
This generous sample came to me from Terri Harp lady – thank you!
Gongfu method
5g 150ml gaiwan 205F
rinse/10/15/20/25/30/45sec etc
This tea has similar profile as “High Mountain Red” Ai Lao Mountain Black Tea by Yunnan Sourcing. Some peach, plum, grape, by 6 steeping there is strong grapefruit note. this tea is very good quality tea. I’m not rating this tea because I’m not experienced in Taiwanese black teas.
Thank you so much Terri, I’m grateful for the opportunity to taste such a wonderful and unique tea.
Preparation
Morning cup. Sample came from Terri HarpLady – thank you.
This tea is very fine and smooth, feminine. I think it would be great as afternoon tea. Not robust, gentle kick of caffeine. No sugar for me. But I remember drinking tea with sugar cubes when I lived in Russia. The sugar has to be like rock, that it wouldn’t dissolve quickly but give just slight sweetness. It’s a peasant way of drinking, they didn’t have any desserts.
Thank you so much Terri for introducing me to such fine teas, I enjoy them a lot
Preparation
It sounds outstanding.
I’m pleased you have experienced that way of sugaring your tea. I must admit I had a slight obsession about that for a while, hence this tea. I also made a samovar out of an old kettle and an urn and this tea works really well using it. Glad you are enjoying all of our teas. (PS when we deleted Two Tigers, this one was on the chopping block as well, but a campaign by some tea bloggers and also some people on this site convinced us to keep it.)
This shou is incredibly smooth. I like it. Creamy and fruity, some wood notes. The brew is dark reddish-brown color and clear. I had a nice session of multiple steepings
5g 100ml gaiwan 212F
rinse/pause/ 10/10/15/15/20/25/30/45 sec etc
Perfect for beginner or lover of Puerh.
I need to place an order there. I almost did today, but deus ex machina: the promo code did not work!
I must say that I was impressed by the offerings—even at regular price… but now I’ll make myself wait until the next sale so that I can finish my personal challenge of reviewing every tea in my house! ;-)