Seven Cups

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_{Backlogging and based entirely on memory.
I’m trying a different format for my reviews with this one, in the hopes of making it easier to read. I am open to any feedback about this format (or my standard one).}

Experience buying from Seven Cups http://steepster.com/places/2824-seven-cups-online-tucson-arizona

I bought 100 grams of this tea in April of 2011 and finished drinking it by the end of that year. I used standard times and temperatures for my Chinese greens steeping this wonderful tea in a glass Bodum pot with metal the infuser/plunger; stevia was always added.

The leaf looked similar to Teavana’s Three Kingdoms Mao Feng (T-TKMF), but I believe it was lighter in color: light and dark green, medium-sized curly leaves and buds, with a somewhat fresher aroma than T-TKMF. I remember that this tea was comprised mostly of whole leaves, buds and bud-sets, and that it looked fresher than the T-TKMF. The flavor was standard for a quality green tea, being vegetal and sweet (tasted slightly better than the T-TKMF). Teavana’s T-TKMF produced a somewhat cloudy liquor, while this teas liquor was clear. This tea blended well with T-TKMF. Since it was well beyond it’s harvest date, this tea went for 70% OFF of its original price (at something like $5 / OZ), and I remember it came to about $1.50 / OZ (I just found the discounted price: $5.43/100g).

Overall, I was very happy with everything about this tea. T-TKMF was my second quality, loose-leaf green Tea, and this was my third (a dragon well from a local Asian store was my first). This tea was better than T-TKMF in every respect, which amazed me, as I wouldn’t think T-TKMF was from an earlier harvest date than this one (I bought the T-TKMF during Teavana’s year-end-sale just months before at the end of 2010, so I would think it was probably from the 2009 harvest at the earliest). Since I was enjoying the flavor of this tea about four years after it’s harvest date (I just checked to verify it was indeed 2007, and not, say, 2009), I learned that not all green teas are created equal. This is also a reason why I have much respect for Seven Cups. I would probably buy this at full price if they offered it again, but I have yet to see them offer it from a new harvest (even at $5 /OZ it would be one of Seven Cup’s least expensive teas, as many of their green teas are over $10 / OZ).

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This is a very light and delicate green tea, almost too delicate for my liking. I get almost no flavor from brewing it Western-style. When I brew it in a gaiwan (3-4g in 150mL of 180 degree water), I get a fragrant, nutty brew that that endures three flavorful steepings. Maybe it’s just this year’s harvest (2011), because I have tried previous years, and they are much more flavorful.

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So one morning, I think,“Hmmm…” I don’t know what to try! Green tea doesn’t sound good, and I’m not in the mood to pull out my gongfu ware for a rock oolong. What, oh what, should I have this morning?"

I go to my tea shelf and sort through all my teas. My eyes see this Golden Peacock black, and I think to myself, “Yes, that’s the ticket!” So I get my 16oz kyusu pot (large, I know) and, while waiting for the water to boil, put a generous dose of two tablespoons into the pot. A couple minutes later, I add the water, cover the pot, and…… well….. I completely forget about it. Heaven forbid that that this should happen with such an expensive tea ($12 for 50g, considering I used 2 generous tablespoons, really adds up)!

Three hours later, I’m sitting at the kitchen table with my roommate when I realize my mistake. I utter a few choice four-letter words, explain my mistake to the roommie, and rush to pour out the brew, praying to the guanyin that it is not totally ruined. From behind me, I hear my roommate say, “I’ll try a sip of that.” So, I pour myself a cup, and then I pour a spot for my roommie to try, warily handing the cup to him. I watch him take a sip. To my surprise, he says, “This is really good tea!” I take a sip for myself. I am totally astounded! Yes, the flavor is strong. No, there is no hint of bitterness. My mouth is bombarded with flavors of malt, rye bread, umami mushrooms, and even roasted peaches. Praise the guanyin (or rather, praise the masterful producers who grew and processed these leaves), the tea is delicious!

So after I finish this delightful brew, do I throw out the leaves, thinking that they have given their all? Heavens, no! I fill up my water kettle, let it boil, and pray for another flavorful brew. I give this steep a good ten minutes, pour out the brew, and take a sip, expecting nothing special. What do you know, there’s actually flavor!!! And not just flavor: sweet fried yams with caramelized sugar, vanilla, and a hint of cinnamon. Good Lord, talk about a durable tea!

The next day, I have another brew. Fifteen minutes this time. I am blessed with yet another cup full of peaches, honey, and malty chocolate. I decide to save the leaves for one more brew(three hours again), which I am enjoying right now. As I write this, I am in a true state of tea-vana, enjoying the fourth steeping of this amazingly resilient and flavorful tea, amazed that people have the power to create such an amazing work of art and pleasure.

Should I go for one more steeping?

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This is a wonderful everyday green tea. The leaves are handpicked, and they have retained their wholeness until they reach the cup. It is not every day that we find a tea this cheap, and still be able to appreciate mostly whole leaves at the bottom of the gaiwan. The aroma is complex, the flavor is nutty and vegetal, and you can get at least five steepings out of this cheap cheap tea! I highly recommend this to any Chinese tea drinker.

I haven’t tried this tea since 2010, when the Seven Cups store in Denver was still open. It has a wonderfully, complex, malty flavor. My dad was drinking it, so I only had a taste, but it left a lasting mark upon my memory. Unfortunately, Seven Cups no longer sells this tea, so I’ll have to go with the next best thing. I miss it greatly.

This is definitely one of the best green teas that I have ever tried. The prominent flavor is a sweetness from the unusually high concentration of amino acids. Below this are hints of rose petals, cantaloupe, and button mushroom. It yields a full flavor in a gaiwan for at least three steepings. I am currently finishing my 2011 stock, a gift from my dad, and I am avidly awaiting the 2012 crop, which should be in the next week (April 15 or so).

A truly outstanding green tea. If it wasn’t for the price, I would be drinking it every day!

This tea never gets bitter. A sign of a good quality white scented tea. What I do: I simply put the pearls in a cup and drink, blowing away any leaves on the surface. It is not quite as good as their other jasmine teas, especially the silver dragon pearls and snow drop jasmine, but it has a stronger flavor than both of these, which satisfies my taste. The jasmine aroma is not overpowering, and the flavor of the tea comes through nicely, even after five steepings. For the price, I have to give this scented tea a good rating.

This is by far my favorite green tea, other than Seven Cups’ Shi Feng Long Jing, which is a bit out of my price range to have on a daily basis. Da Fo Long Jing has evenly shaped dry tea leaves, indicating the masterful processing that it went through. The wet leaves reveal very few broken leaves with a picking standard of one bud to two young tender leaves. I have let the first steeping sit for as long as ten minutes, and it did not even get bitter! I could drink this tea straight out of the glass with the leaves steeping right in there and not have a problem. The flavor is intensely nutty and sweet, and the leaves yield at least five good steepings. This tea is truly the work of a master

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I have recently tried the 2011 crop of this tea, and it is simply amazing. I have never tried a better rock wulong. The first steeping at boiling for thirty seconds yields a dark auburn brew that simply GLOWS. The aroma is reminiscent of dark chocolate and roasted hazelnuts or almonds. The flavor of the first steeping was very strong, almost bitter, but that is to be expected from a truly good rock oolong that has gone through several stages of roasting to get its unique flavor. The fourth steeping was the best, giving me the best balance between the roasty and fruity notes.

Oh my goodness. At this price, I never would have thought that this tea would be as good at is it really is. The brew never goes bitter, a true testament to its quality. It lasts for at least five steepings of full flavor. Yet another testament. It does not have the delicate nuances of the finer green teas. But that cannot be expected from an everyday green tea. Bravo, Seven Cups for finding and promoting this wonderful, cheap tea!

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dry leaf aroma is pleasant, alot like a dan cong oolong. first infusion aroma is strong roasted on the front end and slight hints of choclate and also floral on the backend..

first few infusions have a honey like aroma , slight buttery texture, smooth slightly sweet taste with a note of mineral " rock" like taste. refreshing clean feeling mouthfeel.
this tea experience reminds me of a high mountain stream.. water rushed over moss covered rocks with a hint of sweetness if that makes any sense : ).

later infusions-
mineral rocky taste mellows out and it becomes more of a clean watery, slightly floral taste..

all in all a unique and refreshing tea!

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I know it’s poor form to have one’s initial taste of a pricey, long-awaited leaf alongside a bowl of smelly, peppery tuna salad, but the steaming cup imparted a glorious incense to my fishy repast. It was alchemical bliss to the palate, and besides, I was hungry.

The only other bohea I’ve experienced was about a year ago, from Teas Etc. This marvel, I think, surpasses that. The dry tea consists of tiny, even-sized black twists. Be careful with the leaf amount. It is denser than you might think. I used a scant 1.5 tsp in a 12oz mug to get two steeps. If you have the right mug, the large size teeli/bodum mesh-and-plastic steeping basket will reach all the way from the bottom to the top edge, giving the leaf lots of room to boogie … and good leaves deserve this.

The liquor possesses more flavor than is announced by its pale amber hue. The smoke merely accents its depth and complexity. It has an herbal freshness like lightly roasted roots rather than a green flush. While lapsang souchong can shove some extremely distracting smoke up your nose, this bohea wraps its toasty wood mist gently around the notes of the excellent tea. No wonder the bohea is more costly.

Afterward, I put the wet leaf on a little white porcelain saucer and dripped water on it until it was suspended in liquid. This is the best way I’ve found for getting a really good look at steeped leaf. Lo and behold, this leaf has been chopped or broken into quite evenly-sized bits. Was this machine-harvested or was it broken during finishing? I cannot tell. In any case, the fineness of this bohea does not depend on preserving the whole leaf. Rather, it is the quality of growth, the selectiveness of picking, and the skill of processing which makes such a good thing.

4 min, 6min at 205F.