What-Cha

April 2021 harvest.

By this point, I’ve determined that of all the green teas I’ve had, lighter Chinese green teas are my jam. The ones that are clean and spring water sweet with nuances of flowers, vegetables and nuttiness. Hints of citrus and spice (in this case, green peppercorn) are always welcome. Those with minimal bitterness, astringency, grassiness and beaniness. This one follows the trend of being delicate and I find it delicious and good for my body.

Whether it’s a Lu Shan Yun Wu or, like this, a Huang Shan Yun Wu, I would consider this style of green tea among my favorites.

Thank you for the freebie, What-Cha :)

Excellent tea, it reminds me a lot of the taste/smell of smoked cherry wood. I regret not buying more and hoarding it

Oh, this is crazy. I love it. This might sound weird, but this is reminiscent of drinking Acetyl Pyrazine. I used to mix candy flavors (for reasons), and Acetyl Pyrazine was my favorite flavor note, ever. It imparts like this perfect buttery popcorn element, the more you use, the more popcorn territory you get. I was impatient, had an appointment and about five minutes so I just tossed some in a strainer into my Yeti rambler, so this is more dirty first impressions.

Oolong component feels green with a really big sense of very other. My first first impression was very much a broad “Umami”, then a confused “genmaicha?”, “dolsot jasmine rice?” followed by “is this butter?” I struggled to pinpoint the exact flavor, but then Acetyl Pyrazine struck me, this is absolutely 100% those buttery/bread/nutty/popcorn notes. With a hint of a stevia component, like the leafy not-mint part of mint. VERY subdued, it’s definitely not a “this is sweetened with stevia” moment, more the vegetal/herbal component.

If you’d ask me how I’d like some Acetyl Pyrazine steeped with unsweet stevia I’d probably give you a look. In reality, this is very different and enjoyable. Incredibly smooth, rich, an absolute mood. No astringency/tannin vibes. I am incredibly pleased.

Another tea from Shae, I’ve gotten way behind on my tasting notes, it’s been a busy summer!
This is yummy, yeasty, chocolate malt, and very smooth. The first steep had a bready, caramel aftertaste. The second steep brought in a dark chocolate note. The third steep is weaker, but the malty, chocolate taste is still there. I certainly don’t need any more tea this year, but I’ll keep this in mind for a next order. Thanks for sharing, Shae!

Aroma-driven tea that speaks at the front of the mouth and has a bold wintergreen finish that I expect of #18 cultivar Assamica teas. Viscous with clean notes of honeyed bing cherry and leather, lacking the heaviness or prominent base notes of other black teas. The combination of the wintergreen aroma and the well-integrated briskness clears my mind and my sinuses. This lovely invigorator served many morning cups lately as I’ve been adjusting my being to a new schedule, a new job role and two evening classes. This one doesn’t have the more biting attitude I’ve experienced in other #18s; it has a pretty well balanced and rounded flavor profile.

I’m sure there’s much more complexity to this tea than I have to offer here, but I drank through it so fast that I never had a sit-down with it.

This is one type of tea that I’d always like to have around. I feel that the May 2020 harvest is a great example of both the smooth-tasting, fruity Taiwanese black tea character and the quirky wintergreen note of this cultivar.

I broke into a new tea I have stored for a year or so… as it was ordered to my address by White Antlers, but I had other oolongs to drink and opened. Ass the packages are non-resealable, I was finishing opened ones first.

It seems I got pretty much same package as derk have. May 2020 harvest.

Prepared western today, which is kind of heresy for oolong, but whatever.

It has got a very nice aromas, I noticed mostly woody cinnamon, roasted pears, roasted generally. I liked it and just for aroma it is a winner. However…

taste was nice. But something was lacking, maybe some depth. It was really subtle in flavours, though it was complex. I have noticed again some woodiness, lightly fruity, autumn leaves (thanks derk, I know the flavour, but couldn’t point on it) and some sweet, like maple syrup aftertaste.

I treated myself to this one since I am a sucker for regions that don’t commonly produce tea. Brewing it up, western as instructed, it turned out nice. I did some slurps after about a minute, and it was a light yellow with intense fragrance and flavor. This tea is extremely versatile making me think I might gong fu it, or definitely grandpa it. It’s lasted five rich yet balanced brews, and the body is overall lighter, but thick with fruity notes. I personally got some plum at the beginning, stonefruit mid body, berries towards the finish and lingering honey afterwards. The tea is a lot like a Taiwanese black, and it’s got the lighter body of a Georgian black. I like both of those kinds of teas immensely, so I’m extremely happy with this sample. I think anyone would easily love this tea, it’s on the pricier end, yet I personally don’t mind some extra expense as a gift and to support tea businesses.

I amped up the leafs a lot filling a third to a fourth of my gaiwan. I also improvised the heck out of the brewing and let the leaves soak until I got a honey color. The sweetness and body amped up. It’s still lacking in any astringency, bitterness, and it’s super light on the malt. The honey note actually came up this time in like heathered honey. There’s more honeydew melon in the texture, but it’s there. Oddly, the sweetness this time lingered into corn territory in the first brews, and then heavy brown sugar in the later brews. I’m holding back on rating it yet, but I enjoyed it more this time with the generous amount of leaves. Like I said in the last review, not boring.

Just came back from visiting Saint Augustine, and when I thought I was just going to save up for my trip, I decided YOLO and got some tea samples that waited for me when I got back home.

This tea is probably one of the more expensive ones I’ve gotten from What-Cha, but I was really curious about it because One: I’m going through a Jin Jun Mei phase, and Two: Alistair described this one having honeydew notes, which is extremely unusual for a Fujian Black Tea. The single review also raved about it gong fu, and I figured this one would probably disappear.

Brewing it up western in my kyusu with 2 teaspoons and 195 F water, I pour a testing sip to see what I taste. Honeysuckle, milky texture and hot water. This tea is probably one of the most subtle blacks I’ve ever had, and the profile was identical to a Yin Zhin white. Interesting. I decided to let it sit for two more minutes, and the tea had a little bit more to it. It’s not flavor forward at all so far, but it’s not boring. The texture is heavily viscous, and the bitterness and astringency are nonexistent. There’s slight malt, but it’s barely there. The honeydew is there a little bit more dominating mouthfeel and texture rather than flavor. Honeysuckle is the main flavor through and through, bordering on being kinda like a chamomile. Sometimes, I got weird hints like incense or cardamom.

Not satisfied with that session, I decided to be heavily more generous with the leaves gong fu, and got more of the honey flavor and a denser after taste. Honeysuckle is still dominant with the flavor having more trademark black tea qualities like sweet potato. The thing that’s unusual is that those qualities are a lot more subdued, and again, the tea resembles a white tea more than what I think of a black one in flavor.

While I’m being pretty critical about the flavor, the tea definitely is not one dimensional. It resembles the Snow Tips a lot in its overall profile, whereas that one was more rosy, and this one is more “yellow” i n the florals and soft. It’s also extremely calming, which is a nice change of pace for a black.

I’m not fully decided on this one yet. There are cool things about the tea I really enjoy, though it’s too subtle for me so far. Out of all the teas I’ve reviewed, this one is what I’d personally rank as an expert’s tea because of it’s subdued nature and nuance. I know professional sommelier’s look for something that they can slirp without astringency or bitterness, and I can see this tea hitting high marks because of how dense in texture and lacking in abrasion it is. A newer drinker would think it tastes like hot water, and I intermediate drinkers who like blacks would be pickier. I do see white tea drinkers liking this one a lot though if they are exploring Fujian Blacks.

I hope my review didn’t disappoint you, Alistair. I’m going to try this one out again soon and am very happy I have it. I do have a descent sommelier book, and I am going to read it to see if I get any more insights. I am looking forward to a very leaf intense gong fu session!

I finally cracked how to brew Sencha right, so I thought it was time to try Gyokuro. I like it, but it’s as different from Chinese greens as you can get. Good though, really good.

The last time I tried a Sencha it was nasty, but seeing other love them I decided it was my brewing. This time I looked up some YT vids on brewing. The secret for me was low and slow. Cool water probably around 70c and a first steep of more than a minute, all with minimal fussing the leaves.

I was rewarded with the delicious brothiness everyone talks about. Fantastic. Not quite one I’d seek out again, but it has made me look anew at Japanese green.

Had a free sample long ago and don’t recall writing a note. This was again another free sample provided with my latest order, so thank you!

April 2021 harvest. Dry leaf has a floral roasted honey note. Steeped western, the tea is fairly smooth and sweet. It tastes like floral honey-mixed fruity-brown sugar with a bright almost citrusy (verging orange and lemongrass) ‘black tea’ tone. The floral aspect is roselike; very light cinnamon, brown sugar, cream and wood notes. It’s actually more complex than that, but I’m not in the mood to go hunting. Becomes woodier with a mild tannic edge and a buttery finish in the second steep.

Easy drinker, flavorful but not overpowering.

Addendum: 2g in 300mL brewed for howeverlong produced a thick and juicy, somewhat tannic cup. Lots of flavor, fruitier banana-yam now, stronger cinnamon. Apricot finish, young grass aftertaste that’s short, brown sugar returning sweetness. Do I like it better this way with less leaf and longer steep?

Very glad I managed to get my hands on some of this tea before it went out of stock. I was absolutely enamored with What-Cha’s green Qing Xin and had high expectations for the white version.
I was surprised by how massive the pouch was when it arrived – the leaves are very large, light, and delicate, something like dried bay leaves in appearance!
Just as delicate as the leaves themselves are the aromas and flavors that burst out of them and the balance between them, the smooth tactility of sipping the liquor, and the light feeling it leaves you with on a sweltering summer day. Highly recommended.

Baked green apples and poached pears – need I say more?
In all seriousness, this is a solid and interesting GABA oolong. Sweet pome fruits dominate at the beginning and on the lingering finish, while in between they give way to a tartness (somewhere between citrus and pomegranate?). The sweet potato mentioned in the description definitely shows up in later infusions.

Damn, getting back on here is difficult. It’s been awhile, huh? I have no clue how to start this thing. Anyway, in case anyone who used to pay attention to the reviews I posted here on Steepster hadn’t noticed, I have been away and generally unreachable for a few months now. Some things happened. Let’s just leave it at that. Prior to today, I had no intention of ever making any further contributions to this platform as a reviewer, but before I call it a day for good, I want to take one more crack at this and just see what happens. I’m starting this new test run off with a tea I drank last year and never reviewed here.

I prepared this tea in what I imagine to be fairly typical Western fashion. I rinsed and then steeped 3 grams of loose leaf material in approximately 8 ounces of 194 F water. I did not attempt any further infusions.

Prior to rinsing, the dry tea leaves presented aromas of hay, straw, grass, almond, and chili leaf. After rinsing, I noted new aromas of dandelion, violet, and lemon zest accompanied by subtler scents of fresh spinach and wintergreen. The 5 minute infusion brought out aromas of cream, muscatel, peanut, and baked bread. In the mouth, the tea liquor expressed smooth, satisfying notes of cream, almond, malt, violet, dandelion, grass, hay, straw, dandelion greens, lemon zest, chili leaf, green wood, orange zest, baked bread, peanut, and muscatel that were underscored by subtle touches of fresh spinach, wintergreen, butter, grapefruit, and green apple. The finish was nutty and smooth, displaying a pleasant balance of almond, peanut, cream, malt, lemon zest, and orange zest notes and mild-to-moderate astringency.

This was basically a typical higher end first flush Nepalese black tea, but it was a very likable and drinkable one. The tea liquor was very aromatic and displayed excellent depth and complexity in the mouth. There was nothing out of place or unpleasant about it. The way Jun Chiyabari just cranks out great tea after great tea never ceases to amaze me. This was yet another winner in their portfolio.

Really, really beautiful and fun to drink. I’ll get around to posting full tasting notes after the next session I have with it.

A mystery oolong pick from a joint buy with Leafhopper, May 2020 harvest.

Aroma in bag is fruity with dried cherries and has the Si Ji Chun cultivar-specific florality which I can’t describe. Dry in hand smells roasted. Warm brings chicory coffee, molasses and brown toast and the rinsed leaf displays a sour roast note with woodiness.

The aroma is of roasted pears, dried peaches, chicory and cinnamon. Happy and comforting. The taste is weak at first but does build. It starts slightly nutty and mineral with a background roast and floral character. Clean tulip and little bit sweet aftertaste. Next cups begin with a mellow burst of woody spice which transitions smoothly to an impression of a damp, overcast fall day — autumn leaf, muted petrichor, pine resin, a whisper of smoke, unripened peach still clinging to the branch, twiggy sweetness, all rather subtle. A touch of camphor lingers, like taking a cold breath. Later steeps are nutty sweet maybe with a bit of honey, roastier.

This tea could be perceived as flavorless; I’d say it has subtle depth. Even with a rinse, it does need a long first steep in a gaiwan, maybe 45 seconds, back off a little bit with the next and increase from there. I like the character of this tea. It’s comforting like a Chinese Wuyi shui xian oolong but much more unassuming, giving a clue to its Taiwanese origin.

I still have some and need to write a note on it. I was undecided for a while about it, but Togo nailed the complexities of it.

The tea is on the sweeter side and does not exhibit vegetal notes until later steeps western or gong fu, with a very prominent canteloup jackfruit note. I prefer it Gong fu, or with minimal leaves western because the tea is far from weak. It personally gets astringent in steep two and three, but out of all the experimental oolongs I’ve had, this is one of the ones closer to what I think of as an oolong. Going from the Lishan to a cup of this was nearly seamless, only this one is sweeter and has more texture gong fu. The later steeps are immensely yeasty and fruity. It’s also got a little bit of the mental cotton linen note I associate from Darjeelings, but this one has the same fruity and smooth floral profile of other oolongs.

It’s actually my favorite of the Indian Oolongs I’ve had, and while I’ve honestly neglected my What-Cha Indian teas, I’ve at least felt more compelled to come back to this one. I personally have been having some acid reflux/stomach aches that I get from Shengs with this one, which is also why I haven’t come back to it. Maybe I should make it a tea of the day?

Sipdown! Plopped all my remaining sample as a tea for two. I got honey, herbs, malt, chamomile in the flavor. Not as strong as it used to be, but I hope I didn’t waste a quality tea. I’m still not a huge fan, but I do think it’s excellent for quality. Maybe I’m being unfair to judge an old tea. I’m happy I was able to finish it.

Backlog placeholder.

I’ve only had this one twice, but I’m not sure about it yet. It’s definitely honeyed, but it’s got a very drying herby quality to it that I’m still figuring out bordering between pepper and lavender. It’s either to thin or too intense causing some indecision for me, especially on whether to raise or lower the leaf ratio.

I’ll come back to it. Interesting one, but not sure if I love it.

I love this oolong because I have always had different and high flavor notes each time. I’m gong fuing it properly or more properly by taking my time today, and I’m digging it. Strong aroma with 5 ish grams, and magnolia wafted off heavily in my kitchen. Tasting it, some heavy cassia, cherry, rhaspberry, and honey in the finish. Second steep was more subtle, but very sweet reminding me of ginger and something flowery. I also got a weird note like a white pepper. It’s not really spicy per se, but it’s got a kick.

There are very few aged teas and even fresh teas that has as much flavor and aroma as this aged tea. I’d almost rate it 100-big thing holding me back from going all the way to that rating is that it doesn’t quite have a lot of staying power. I still enjoy every session and don’t feel like I finish it prematurely.

I’ve only made it to steep three, and I never really get bored with it. It doesn’t always last passed four steeps often, and I’ve maybe pushed it back to 6, but I haven’t gone much further yet. I’ve also hoarded it for a few weeks in my stash with the same kind of reverence and neglect of a forgotten pharaoh’s tomb. I even have the statues of Anubis, Horus, and other gods and a nearly dilapidated book shelf to go with theme.

A part of me regrets not getting another 50 grams before it sold out, but I think I have just enough to last me. I also really want to get the Wild Jin Jun Mei maybe. I still have to go through the whopping 500 grams of black tea I’ve got, but I somehow finish the majority of oolong I have year by year. Hopefully, I will be able to hold myself off from this treasure so I can rebury, and then rediscover it over again.

Another kind of tea that Daylon is totally biased to. This tea was sooooo satisfying since What-Cha hasn’t had a Zhengyan Qilan in a while. This brings back the glories of the one I had horded in 2016. The roast is barely noticeable in flavor, but a little bit more present in the texture-the flavor is dominated by darker red berry notes like raspberry and really nice jasmine/magnolia notes. It’s not really long lasting, but I’ve been small with the leaves. There are other flavors that kinda remind me of chocolate a little bit….and I usually don’t use that to describe oolongs.

The flavor is just what I was hoping it would be! More notes to come!

Backlog, and thank you Alistair! I was wanting to try this one for a while.

So it’ a fun and very balanced light roast. I gong fu’d it in 150 ml, 185-190 F, time increments: 15, 45, 30, 55, 45, 60, 90, 2 min, 3 min, guess work….. you get the gist.

The charcoal was noticeable, but it’s not really distinct until the fourth steep. The roast is still present, and it combines with the florals in a cooked veggie/ buttery honey graham cracker note. The graham cracker profile continues until steep three with some florals, creamy texture, and almond nutty roastiness. Fourth steep is kinda like light roast coffee with some caramel in flavor/texture, and then some healthy amount of browning char. Later steeps are more like cooked vegetables and floral, mainly honeysuckles and grain accenting it.

I personally enjoyed trying this one. I would have really like this when I was first getting into tea, and it’s like a more balanced and creamy light roast Tie Guan Yin’s I’ve had, but better. I don’t think I’d reach for it due to my annoying snobby preference (the 2015 Qilan….soooooooo goooooood), but it’s a really nice light roast that is far from boring that I’d recommend for more intermediate drinkers.

I’ve been meaning to type this one up for a while and have just now gotten around to it.
I like this tea as a late afternoon daily drinker. Is it particularly complex or unusual? No. Does it get the job done? Absolutely. This was among the first Vietnamese teas I’ve tried, and I’m glad it was. It’s a solid hit of dried fruit and a great partner for some light meditation.
This is a nicely ball-rolled tea, though visibly less tight than most Taiwanese oolongs. Although I rinsed fairly thoroughly, I had some fannings come through in most steeps. The color of leaves is mostly a uniform date-brown, though the odd less-oxidized leaf is visible in the mix.
The aroma of the dry leaves is heavily dominated by a cocktail of dried fruit. In descending order of predominance, I picked up dates, apricots, bananas, and a hint of raisins. The honeyed sweetness and slight tartness are underpinned by the smell of date syrup.
The wet leaves preserve the base of dried fruit, mixing its individual components into a strong, candy-like fruit leather aroma. A very bright woodiness (perhaps akin to cork?) was also present in the scent of the wet leaves. From the third infusion on, I also detected a hint of pink peppercorns.
The leaves produce a clear, honey-light-brown liquor.
The flavor of the tea, like the aforementioned aromas, is dominated by a deep sweetness accompanied by a mild and enjoyable tartness, with dates and dried apricots at the forefront.
A particularly long final steep (#7, ~3 min) revealed an interesting digestive biscuit note.
This tea brings about a pleasant sensation in the mouth, with very mild astringency on the sides of the mouth quickly giving way to light juiciness and a sweet, clean finish.