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Recent Tasting Notes

90

2nd flush, June 2022

Classy and elegant yet strong and rich with a dense aroma. Big hands with scratchy palms, firm squeeze, soft touch. Teak and tobacco, malt and prune. Such a classic black tea.

Assam teas don’t often find their way into my cupboard, usually because they’re too abrasive and without much nuance. This one, on the other hand, I’d be happy to buy again when the Assam itch needs scratched.

Flavors: Astringent, Balanced, Berries, Black Pepper, Blackberry, Cherry, Chocolate, Coconut Husk, Cream, Dark Wood, Dried Fruit, Fruity, Gooseberry, Green Bell Peppers, Leather, Malt, Malty, Mineral, Molasses, Oregano, Pine, Prune, Red Wine, Rich, Smooth, Soft, Tangy, Tea, Tobacco, Tomato, Woody

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 g 10 OZ / 300 ML
gmathis

Do those big hands do chair massages on shoulders that haven’t done manual labor all winter? ;)

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85

A very creamy oolong with the perfect amount of jasmine for me. Not really sweet but still manages to vibe like a cream puff or a jasmine-infused scone with clotted cream. There is this Korean purple rice and yogurt-based drink chain that does something with osmanthus jelly and rice wine (you can also add jasmine jelly). This tea reminds me of that as well: floral, creamy, rice-like, and faintly but pleasantly sour and bitter – in the way of yogurt and certain floral profiles.

Surprisingly, this isn’t really a grassy oolong (I get a hint on the finish in the second steep; it comes out more in subsequent steeps). It does have a vegetal quality but it’s on the milder lettuce & cucumber side of things.

I picked up 25g of this, figuring that it, in combination with 50g of Green Jasmine Dragon Pearls, would last me a while. Sadly, this is not proving to be the case.

Steep Count: 4

Flavors: Banana, Creamy, Cucumber, Floral, Grass, Jasmine, Lettuce, Milk, Mineral, Orchid, Osmanthus, Smooth, Toasted Rice, Vanilla, Vegetal

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 1 min, 45 sec

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90

2023 Spring Harvest

While I’m trying (and failing) to avoid buying or accumulating new teas right now, it’s been years since I had one my absolute favourite types of tea: Jasmine Pearls (also Dragon Well). And, so, a short while ago I caved suddenly and all at once – buying both.

Green Jasmine Pearls always remind me of late winter turning into early spring. It’s probably the combination of clean and warm notes of grass, honeysuckle, melon, squash, stonefruit, and fresh evergreen. Jasmine is also pleasantly banana-ish to my brain – creamy, vanilla bean-like, and sugar-rum sweet. It’s such a decadent floral flavour.

I can’t get enough of it, although I’m not super picky about where I get it (What-Cha is a reliable go to when I’m craving it though… or Teavivre; I’m surprised I’ve never written up a note for this or the other varieties What-Cha carries! Oh, well). This is also one of my mom’s favourite teas so I should try and do a better job at keeping some around (such a hardship given how much I love this tea :P)

Steep Count: 4 (first steep @ 2min; last steep @ 5min)

Flavors: Banana, Creamy, Evergreen, Floral, Grass, Honeysuckle, Jasmine, Melon, Nectar, Pine, Rum, Smooth, Squash, Stonefruit, Sugarcane, Sweet, Vanilla

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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92

I went through all of this tea I had in one gongfu session. Thank you derk for this wonderful tea.

Harvest April 2020. Almost 4 years old. I have it… who knows how long?
7 g/boiling/125 ml gaiwan, steeped all through my thermos, not sure about the volume?

When heated and after short rinse, fruit notes are here with some spices, nutmeg or/and cinnamon, warming and pleasant.

I made approx. 6 or 7 steeps, starting with 10/20/10 seconds nad rest were up to one minute; last one was loooong, but not measured. Approx 3 minutes I assume.

Whoa, this tea have lots of to offer. Lovely fruit notes of pears and raisins, somehow followed with forest dark honey, through sweet and exciting flavours of vanilla crescents with creamy mouthfeel.
I would not thought it is a GABA, as it doesn’t had that note I noticed in other GABA oolong in the morning — the note of umami, vegetals and powder.

Actually I couldn’t pick up any vegetal note, and it wasn’t really the darkest oolong in my experience. That’s surprising.

Definitely a nice harvest and nice tea… with high probability buying one day.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 7 g 4 OZ / 125 ML

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85

I’m learning the Korean greens are different again from the Chinese and Japanese greens, in another distinctive way. This will take some experimentation to brew right, but so far it responds to brewing cooler and weaker than I’d do a Chinese green.

Flavors: Butter, Floral, Salty, Spinach, Sweet, Umami

Preparation
170 °F / 76 °C 0 min, 15 sec 1 g 3 OZ / 90 ML

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Sipdown prompt: Your oldest tea
Well, actually I am not sure if this is the oldest tea in my books; but rough look in my black tea box says it is at least from blacks. And I also decided to finish those last single session teas worth amounts; so those 3 grams from derk and White Antlers definitely passes that one too.

This tea I was afraid to prepare. Don’t ask me why… but definitely I have been storing it for longer time than it needs. Definitely old one and I had it for longer time as well. Maybe it was 176 F, or 30-45 sec. on the label? Well… I just set the temperature on the kettle for requested temperature. It’s not that strange temperature at all!

Steeped for 45 sec and it was indeed a bit too short as derk notices so, I did right after the 2-3 minute one (included the first one) and I got nice, cocoa notes, but sadly, in the flavour it is rather woody. I guess it’s because the age.

It reminds me a Wooricha from Dobrá čajovna, but that’s definitely possible as it is a cousin of this tea. That one is also a Korean black tea, sadly, I just haven’t found any more information but it’s from Mr. Cho garden. This one is rather a co-op tea and that effort is good for me as well.

Kept without a rating as it’s old. If I get a fresh batch, I would gladly rate it.

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 2 min, 45 sec 3 g 10 OZ / 300 ML

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82

TTB tasting: This is my second steep with this tea. The first steep was mellow and almost creamy and smooth. This second steep have a more citrusy note as well as an astringency to it as well

Flavors: Citrus

Preparation
165 °F / 73 °C 1 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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82

TTB tasting: Having it in the afternoon after a sort of heavy meal. I steeped it at 165 F for 65 seconds. I like the smooth fresh green taste. It does leave a mouth a bit dry after drinking a couple of sips though. Its a nice mellow green tea.

Flavors: Fresh, Grassy, Smooth

Preparation
165 °F / 73 °C 1 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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I got a few humble samples from What-Cha. I thought about more, but I’m really happy to have gotten some unique blacks I wanted to try. I usually don’t like Ceylons, but this looked different enough as a eco-friendly tea without a teabag. I also like whole vanilla beans, so my basic self would like it.

Making it, it’s like a cigaretto, then it opens after hot water like a witches broom. I need a pick me up while I grade, so I put some in a kyusu and brewed it western for 5 minutes. Smooth vanilla smell, and smooth vanilla taste like a fine chocolate desert. The tea is naturally sweet with a little bit of plum, and a dark molasses-y character. It does approach chocolate territory, but that’s more from the sweeter maltier elements of the black tea combining with the vanilla. Essentially, a really good vanilla black tea….that has actually lasted more rebrews that are essentially grandpa brews of 4, 5, and 6 minutes. The flavor has slightly lightened on the vanilla, but it’s still there. I get more plum, malt, and tea in the later steeps. I’m going to brew some more up, hoping I get more.

I’m regretting not getting the 5 rods instead of the too. I really like this one. I’m impressed it has more dimension than some Ceylons I’ve had, and as per usual, Alistair and his company pick teas that tend to be less astringent and bitter. This one has just the right amount of bitterness. It might be able to take milk, but if you are a tea snob, it’s better straight because you might miss out on the cool plum and molasses notes in my opinion. I’m not ready to give it a numerical score, but 4 stars minmum out of 5 for me.

Flavors: Chocolate, Malt, Molasses, Plum, Silky, Smooth, Sweet, Tannin, Vanilla

Leafhopper

I got one of these rods myself because of the vanilla. Now I’m wishing I bought more. :)

Martin Bednář

I have seen there those and I wondered how to brew them and how they are like. But then I remembered it is UK shop and that means more troubles than happiness.

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80

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Flavors: Cream, Milk

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 2 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 5 OZ / 150 ML

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84

My new affordable daily drinker. Not the most complex but very drinkable. I like the woody flavor. Good with or without milk. Don’t think it would be very good iced.

Flavors: Floral, Fruity, Woody

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 3 min, 45 sec 1 tsp 7 OZ / 207 ML

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95

I must have neglected this tea for long, as label from derk says harvest May 2020; and we have here almost November 2023. Thank you derk!

Prepared all 3 grams I had, so not a sipdown in my books, but finished tea nevertheless.

I have preheated the gaiwan and right after I knew I prepared one unique tea. The aroma was so familiar, lovely, vivid, but what is it? Nothing exact cames to my mind.

Brewed with, close to boiling, water. Lovely flavours again… very vivid and lovely notes of raisins, sweet potatoes, grapes. Aromas come across with some rye and sweet potatoes and surprisingly menthol.

Steeped 10, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 60 seconds and in the middle the flavours have moved from that “dark” ones to more refreshing, almost oolong-like notes with another descriptor — floral, both in flavour and aromas. Never tannic, always smooth. And lovely complexity even for 3 and half years old tea.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 g 4 OZ / 125 ML
Martin Bednář

I see it available on Alistair website as well on Klasek Tea website… tempting :)
https://www.darjeeling.cz/en/black-tea/taiwan-yu-chi-red-jade-black-tea-t-18-563

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80

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Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 6 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 10 OZ / 300 ML

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75

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Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 g 10 OZ / 300 ML

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75

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90
drank Taiwan GABA Oolong Tea by What-Cha
33 tasting notes

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Flavors: Almond, Apple, Cinnamon, Honey, Peach, White Grapes

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80

Can brew English style or grandpa style, and still good even at room temp. Doesn’t need sugar but good with honey. Not at all vegetal, mostly a black tea. Almost no aftertaste at all. Not the most complex but just so easy to drink.

Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Honey, Malt, Plum, Raisins, Vanilla

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 8 min or more 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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73

Good but boring. Need to use a lot of tea to get flavor and have to steep a very short time or it’s very drying. Best unsweetened as any sweetener overwhelms the flavor.

Flavors: Drying, Floral, Peach, Rose

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 2 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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69

I am not much into green tea, and this oolong is very vegetal – even if cold-steeped, still tastes like spinach. However, sticky rice notes are very nice.

Is ok with honey.

Flavors: Butter, Grass, Hay, Popcorn, Spinach, Sticky Rice, Vegetal

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 1 min, 30 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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88

Mild and not at all astringent, chocolate-y. Can steep longer than instructed for fuller flavor.

Flavors: Chocolate, Creamy, Fruity, Malt, Milk, Thick

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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82

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Flavors: Brown Sugar, Malt, Peanut

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