Dragon Tea House

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Recent Tasting Notes

90

I thought I drank this all up and was sooo happy to discover that I still have a fair bit when I sorted my tea cupboard the other day. It’s still a delicious cup of chocolate raisins. So amazing.

Flavors: Chocolate, Raisins

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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90

Yesterday’s morning cup. I love how reliable and delicious this is. Pure raisin and milk chocolate. Smooth and sweet. Just perfect.

Flavors: Chocolate, Raisins

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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90

Drinking this again – I had to share some with my sweetie. They literally yelled and scared the crap out of me on their first sip. It was a good yell of surprise, at how much this tea tastes exactly like liquid Glossette Raisins. Sweet, milk chocolate and raisin flavours. So gooood.

Flavors: Chocolate, Raisins, Sweet

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 30 sec 4 tsp 51 OZ / 1500 ML
TheLastDodo

hahaha. I do that to my partner all the time!

ohfancythat

sounds amazing!

ohfancythat

Where can this be purchased??

donkeyteaarrrraugh

…..aaauuugghh! and I don’t own it! Drats…..I love the flavors in their Bohea tea, so this is not a good sign for someone trying not to spend any more money on tea for awhile!

Anlina

donkeytiara, if you like I can send you some :)

donkeyteaarrrraugh

OOOOOOhhhhhhh! Anlina that would be great! check my cupboard and see if there’s anything you’d be interested in and PM me. :)

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90

Oh this is goooooooood. I will need to taste it again in the future and pay more attention but right now I’m just loving that it tastes and smells like chocolate covered raisins. This is the most raisiny tea I’ve ever had.

Flavors: Chocolate, Raisins

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 30 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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70

Has this as a latte yesterday. It’s got a lot of the flavours that I love in Chinese black teas, but they’re a bit muddied and earthiness is forefront. Still tasty and an interesting variation on black tea.

Flavors: Earth

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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72

So far I am not too crazy about this tea, especially not for the price I paid for it. Maybe I am partial to Mi Lan Xiangs, but I found this to be a slight bit on the boring side. I don’t think this tea is scented with osmanthus.

I steeped it up in the yixing this afternoon. It has a light, roasted flavor and a gentle floral aroma, which accounts for the osmanthus name, I guess. I tried it with some various steeping times, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, 60 seconds, and around 190F water.

I got some light fruit and floral notes but this isn’t anything special in my opinion. I know dan congs can be fussy, so I will keep trying to see if I can do something that makes it wonderful. With my next batch I will use boiling water only, a bit more tea and very short steeps to see if that makes a difference.

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 0 min, 30 sec
Ubacat

Another fussy Dan Cong! I can’t seem to get best out of them. I plan on getting some bamboo charcoal from Yunnan Sourcing on my next order (might not be for a few months) to see if that helps improve the taste. I wonder if just using a Brita filter would do it? There’s charcoal in there….

TeaBrat

hmm, let me know if it works. Yeah dan congs can be fussy for sure but I think in this case maybe the tea is just boring, lol

TeaBrat

This is a useful website: https://www.peonyts.com/brewing-phoenix-dancong-with-a-gaiwan/

Also I just read that some dan congs are not suitable for clay pots so I will try a gaiwan too. :)

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This is a tasty cup of roast cocoa yum! The re-steep was also delicious, & took on a creamy mouth :)
Thank you Sil, for sharing this one with me.

Sil

i have 3 or 4 more from dragon tea house to share with you but i haven’t opened them yet because i have so many others to get through first. this was the smal sample they sent with my order.

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88

I’m drinking the afternoon tea now. Sample I got from Dragon Tea house. :)

I don’t know what a cassia twig is supposed to smell like, but from the descriptions I have seen on the ’net I guess it is something like cinnamon bark?

I steeped this up in the yixing and it is certainly enjoyable. This is the 2nd Haiwan shu I’ve had recently that has been really nice. It is definitely mellow and earthy with a slight creaminess in the flavor. If you let it steep a bit longer it has a definite coffee type of flavor. Overall I am digging this. A nice shu without much fermentation flavor in my opinion…

Preparation
Boiling 1 min, 0 sec

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65

Dry leaf: High compression; dark and smoky.
Wet leaf: Thick smoke; fruity; concentrated herbyness. Small leaves – possible plantation material.
Notes: This tea was removed from Dragon Tea House shortly after I ordered it.

The rinse was darker than usual. I could smell smoke when rinsing the leaves.

5s – Light brown liquor. Smells a bit smoky. The smoke is strong, but it is in the background. This isn’t particularly smooth as the flavour drops of early; the smoke lingers.
10s – Light brown liquor. Strong with tobacco smoke.
15s – Darker brown liquor. Tobacco on the sip. There is a surprisingly bright sweetness that gives light to the smoke.
20s –Medium brown liquor. Smoke is still there. There is a nice action with bitterness and the sweet finish. Liquor is thin.
25s – The bitterness is sparkling on the darker base with tobacco smoke in the background.
30s – Ligher brown. Base sheng taste – end of the session.

My 50 gram sample is composed of two small chunks and the rest, the other 80% is dust/tiny pieces of the cake. This suggests to me Dragon Tea House do not take this cake seriously. I found the tea quite boring and do not recommend it. According to the website this tea is no longer available!

Flavors: Fruity, Herbaceous, Smoke

Preparation
4 g 3 OZ / 100 ML

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77

Well, I was right about cold brewing this tea. It is interesting that way.

the cold brewing seems to have brought out more of the roasted flavor to the point where it’s reminding me of a hojicha. But it is also slightly buttery and floral. The bitterness is also a bit more present in the cold brew. I would say overall I prefer it hot with the short steeps because that brings out more of the delicate floral and light fruit notes.

Preparation
Iced 8 min or more

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77

When I first got this tea I was troubled by it, as it didn’t seem to have the notes that Dragon Tea House had described. This afternoon I decided to steep it in the gaiwan at around 190f.

I did a quick rinse and then put the hot water over the tea for the shortest time possible, about 10 seconds, before pouring it into the cup. It definitely has an orchid aroma; very floral. The flavor of the tea itself is nice. It is slightly woody and slightly almondy. I am getting the tropical fruit notes in the finish which are nice. The finish ends on a definite sweet note and reminds me of a light pineapple/mango. In that vein, it has a similar flavor to a few ff darjeelings I’ve had over the years.

I wouldn’t say I’m a dancong oolong expert by any means. But, I think I prefer the honey orchid dancong because of the sweeter flavor. This is a little lighter on the sweetness and is more delicate.

I got a bit more brave after steeps & 3 and 4 to steep it for 20 seconds. Now I am picking up a bit more of the roasted and honey-ish notes, though they are subtle.

After steep 6, the flavor is still going strong but I gave up on it. I wouldn’t say this tea is above average, but this is also my first snow orchid tea, so it’s difficult to know. I am going to try giving this the cold brew treatment as something tells me it would make a super yummy cold brew.

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 0 min, 30 sec
Crowkettle

I think every Dancong I’ve had has come from Verdant. That’s sobering. :/

TeaBrat

I had one of theirs I didn’t care for… I can’t remember which one.

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93

I’ve been trying to stick with a consistent theme for my tea ware – minimalist, plain and in stainless steel, glass or white porcelain. In my unsuccessful hunt for a tea tray that met these criteria, I came across this tea boat, and ordered it.

It’s made from thin, durable porcelain, with a creamy white glaze. The centre portion is attached with glue (there are very small traces visible at the join) which worried me initially, but there as been no weakening of the connection over several months of use.

The platform nicely holds my gaiwan or cha hai, and when not in use, my little 1oz teacups fit perfectly in the bowl part.

I don’t use it as often as I’d like, but it was a solid purchase that I’m very happy with. The packaging when it shipped was also excellent.

OMGsrsly

Oh, I was looking at that! Thanks for the note. :)

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80

3g in Gaiwan.

This tea does have a fishy odour in the dry leaf, which re-assures me that this properly made shu pu-erh. This has a good range of flavours, from sweet to very dark. It has a creamy, sweetness on the sip and it has excellent form and body. It is dearer than the Menghai Tianyu Ancient Puer Tea Cake 2006 357g Ripe, but it is worth the extra in my opinion for the extra depth of flavour, robustness and more stimulating drink.

Preparation
3 g 3 OZ / 100 ML
TeaBrat

I hear fishy smell means the tea is not properly made?

tea123

That may be true I’m not really knowledgeable enough to say. What I have heard, however, is that the Menghai tea factory invented the cooked pu-erh process and according to teadb are the masters. I believe the fishy smell comes naturally with the quickened fermentation process and that airing the tea out is the only way to lessen and remove it.

mrmopar

Yep airing out is the trick. Menghai “holds” new shou for at least 6 months to air out before placing it on the market. This lessens the odour but I think about 6 or 7 years before it dissipates completely.

TeaBrat

okay thank you for the info :)

mrmopar

Yeah they can put you off if not aired properly.

looseTman

It’s been 2 years since this review. I wonder why there hasn’t been more interest in this Menghai shu? It sounds like it might be a good choice for breakfast.

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87

I am really glad that Steepster seems to have the cupboard feature all sorted out, so I could easily sort on the teas I just added… yay!

So this is an interesting tea… normally Xiaguans are smoky and fairly potent. But I do know that Yiwu shengs tend to be more on the mild side, and so is the case with this one. I don’t detect any smoke at all in this. The flavor is very woody with apricot notes. After sipping, you are hit pretty hard with a lemony bitterness that gradually transforms into a sweeter, mellow more honey like flavor. This is a mildly energizing brew that gives a nice, glowing feeling….

I found that when I lowered the water temp. from about 200 F to 190 F, most of the bitterness is gone.

I tend to like smoky shengs myself, but this is a nice change of pace for when I want something on the lighter side. Will be interesting to see how this ages if I don’t drink it all before it ages. :)

Flavors: Apricot, Bitter, Honey, Wood

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 0 min, 30 sec

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Not terribly impressed with this one for some reason, though I normally like puerh’s that come from Dayi.

It says “mellow taste” but I am finding the taste kind of boring and flat. There are a few fruity notes but it seems bland and chalky. I wonder if I am just in a weird tea mood after that horrible caramel nougat earlier so I will try this again another day. For now my verdict is “meh”

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 30 sec
Kirkoneill1988

maybe that’s why it tastes like that the mellow part

TeaBrat

you could be right!

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This is a sample I ordered from Dragon Tea House. I’ve heard some of the Tibetan flame teas can be really strong… I have a Flame tuo from 2007 that is really smoky.

The traditional way to make this tea is by boiling it and serving with yak butter and milk. I won’t be doing that but it’s actually really good plain. I am doing short steeps of it in my yixing and it’s nice and mellow. Maybe Xiaguans need to age 10 years before they are properly aged? I wonder…

It isn’t very smoky at all, I would describe the flavor as woodsy with some fruit notes like apricot. I detect a tiny bit of smoke but nothing like the tea I had the other day. Also there is no almost no bitterness whatsoever, even after steeping it for 45 – 60 seconds, pretty amazing. Mostly it is woodsy and sweet. Does anyone know if the teas made for the Tibetan market are different than other Xiaguan recipes? Because this sure seems different from the other ones I have tried.

I am adding this to my wishlist. I bet it will be even more tasty in another 10 years and the whole brick is only $19.99. I am not rating it for now but it is good.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 45 sec
Sil

how does this compare to the one from mandala you reviewed the other day?

TeaBrat

It is a lot different. The other tea was very smoky and still had some bitterness in the finish. This is sweeter and mellow.

ohfancythat

I gotta get me some yak butter

JC

LOL! I think Roughage might able to help you pin point a good approximation. I think he experimented with butter tea before.

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78

Not feeling so great today for some reason. Just woke up from a nap and it is raining, so I thought some puerh would be nice. These are mini coins about the size of a silver dollar and they have a divider down the middle, which makes them easy to split apart. I used 1/2 a coin in the yixing.

The original packaging looks like it comes in a bamboo tube, which is nice. I should have looked more carefully at the website as the 50g sample is $4.99 but the whole tube of 22 discs is only $7.99! A much better value.

I feel this is a pretty good shu for the price. It is chocolate-y and smooth and I am picking up some camphor notes. The only downside is what I feel is a slight musty smell, which isn’t readily apparent. I wonder if this is due to the bamboo? Overall it’s smooth and fairly tasty. Not the best shu I have had by a ling shot but a good every day type of tea.

I need to do something with my puerh samples soon since they are over running my kitchen!

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 45 sec 1 tsp 4 OZ / 118 ML

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Here’s a sheng I picked up with my latest Dragon Tea House order.

When I first sipped it, I thought it was a very light tea without a lot of bitterness but I was wrong! The bitterness definitely sneaks up on you so that by the time you’re finished with one cup it’s really strong. Very sour, makes your mouth pucker!

It doesn’t have many sweet, honey like notes to counteract the bitterness. I would say it has some lighter haylike flavors in the first couple of steeps. I am not detecting any smoke in this tea.

3/4 steeps – the tea is still so strong that I had to add some hot water to dilute it. When it’s diluted it’s a lot less strong and I am detecting some sweeter notes coming forth. This is a very potent tea however. Always the risk with young shengs.

5/6 steeps – I am getting the same result. The tea needs to be diluted to make it drinkable. Maybe by around 20 steeps this will start to mellow out more. It’s definitely a potent tea… needs to be aged for about 10 years probably. Not sure how to rate this one for now.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 0 min, 15 sec
boychik

i can take bitter tea as long as sweet aftertaste is following. i also like sheng that is “juicy”, producing more saliva . Put it away. its too young to judge

TeaBrat

yep, it’s only a sample so I can put it in my tea storage warehouse, aka the closet ;)

mrmopar

2 years from now and it will be different. I have one stored we could do pics on Instagram to compare.

Indigobloom

Wow that sounds like a young one for sure. How much did you buy?

TeaBrat

I just got a sample, 50g. It was super energizing too, almost to the point of giving me an anxiety attack!

Indigobloom

Yikes. Maybe you can blend it with a different one

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21

Putting my morning frankly: I woke up and packed a bag ready for the gym, prepared a litre of iced Sencha for hydration, did some exercise, almost black out because I pushed myself too hard, did some food shopping, won £1 on a scratch card and am now watching last nights UFC fight. Not a great day so far but I am hoping it gets better.

……………………………….

The raw leaves are a blend of dark brown, gold and red brown colours with some golden tips and sticks present. Scent is earthy, smoky and rather sour.

Steeping roughly 6g of cake
With 100c water
In a 200ml Yixing teapot

Rinse 1 – 10 seconds
Rinse 2 – 10 seconds

Steep 1 – 10 seconds
Once steeped the colour is orange/yellow in colour and bares a smoky and damp earth scent.
Flavour is fairly strong, astringent, smoky and rather dirty, musty. Stronger than anticipated and the astringency carried on in the after taste. Not a great steep.

Steep 2 – 5 seconds
Even stronger and more astringent. Heavily smoky and dry and rich, damp earth and must notes. I’m finding myself pulling a face when I sip.

Steep 3 – 5 seconds
I took a minute sip and screwed my face up. Far too strong and astringent, generally unpleasant and not something I wish to have more of.

I’m leaving it there, this tea was just horrible! Short steeping times didn’t even help with the harshness of this Puerh. Frankly, life is too short to drink bad tea.

Lala

Congrats on your determination to push yourself that hard at the gym :)

adagio breeze

…and through this tea :P

KittyLovesTea

It’s rare that I can’t finish a tea and would rather throw it away! Will probably just make jewellery with the rest of this Sheng. Then it will serve some purpose at least.

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98

All I have to say is YUM! this tea is super delicious. And thank goodness because I got 50g of it with my Dragon Tea House order.

I’ve had some yellow teas that seem bitter and fussy, but not this one. It is sweet and delicious, with notes of chestnuts and sweet corn. I would have to say it reminds me a bit of a long jing green tea but also has some of the same sweetness as a nice green oolong. The tea has a very mellow and soothing energy with a thickish mouthfeel that lingers. Heavenly! This is the only yellow tea I currently own and it’s definitely a good one.

Steeped in my big Lupicia cooler because I just wanted a lot of afternoon tea :D

http://instagram.com/p/yfh2ajoLdf

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 2 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
TheTeaFairy

Oh i need to remember this one, sounds awesome!

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88

Part of a beeng sample I got from Dragon tea house…

I happen to be quite fond of Xiaguan teas for raw puerh, though I don’t think they are for everyone. They can be quite smoky and bitter, but this tea is from 2006 so I was hoping it would not be too rough.

This has a wonderful exhilarating aroma that just reminds me of walking through a forest of pine trees. The tea liquor itself has a honey like sweetness with a definite bitter finish and lingering smoke flavor. I wonder what this would be like with another 15 years of aging! It is starting to mellow out nicely, but still kind of aggressive with a big energy kick. I do like these traditional shengs a lot but sometimes a more mellow tea is nice too, especially if bitter and smoky is not really your thing ;)

This rates pretty high on my personal enjoyment scale but after about the 6th steep i got sick of it.

At least I don’t have to worry about breaking the cake: http://instagram.com/p/yfTiEgoLWe

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 0 min, 15 sec
Yang-chu

I own the whole cake, along with the commemorative box. Very fancy.

TeaBrat

@Yang-chu I would think about purchasing this one but I have a lot of tea already :))

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80

This is the first tea I tried from my Dragon Tea House order. The smell of the dry leaves is exactly like fresh real butter. Steeped it still smells the same just with a touch of tea mixed in.
I enjoyed this tea quite a bit. At first I was breathing in through my nose as I sipped it, and it tasted very similar to green beans with butter. Then I tried hard not to inhale when I sipped at the tea was quite pleasant this way. Much more tea tasting with a creamy mouth feel.
Not sure if I will repurchase, but will certainly enjoy what I have.

Flavors: Butter, Green Beans

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 2 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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86

this was a sample included in my dragon tea house order and one that i would totally pick up again, though it’s VERY similar to other teas that i love for the same reasons…malty, cocoa-y, dark and delicious. So price would factor in..also the shipping…DH took over a month to get to me, which makes me a sad panda.

yyz

I’mfinding tjhast custos is holding Chinese packages for quite a while recently. They held teavivre for close to a week and one of my Ali purchases for close to three weeks. I wonder if they’re back logged or it’s a work to rule thing going on? Neither would surprise me.

Sil

that could be…esp with the holidays

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