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Recent Tasting Notes

88

I’m near the end of the bag and ready to tack onto the last review. This is proving to be a very flavorful and not very complex tea that makes a great clean and roasty cup any time of day, especially with cooler weather finally appearing.

I’ve been brewing this houjicha western style with a little under 2 teaspoons to 8oz of 185F water for 2 steeps of 60 and 90 seconds. I like that this tea is a fast brew since I often leave cups forgotten that require longer brew times. Once I get through 2 steeps, I simmer the leaves to get another full, dark cup which tastes remarkably like chicken and dumplings. It’s a little drying with the simmer but the savory soup is worth it. I’d definitely pick up more of this.

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 1 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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88

First hojicha? Dropping an initial tasting note as a reference because I’m not sure yet what to make of this tea. I will probably do an update as I move through the pouch.

This one is June 2017 harvest. Prepared western style with 2tsp, 185F, 8oz, first steep of 1.5m followed by the steep that time forgot. Dry leaf is wonderfully fragrant with sweet, strong roasted grain and a hint of pickle. Light-bodied, nutty, roasted grain, lightly caramel, sour, clean. That pickle scent in the dry leaf really comes forward in the liquor aroma.

I think I like it but time will tell with this one.

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 1 min, 30 sec 2 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
Leafhopper

“The steep that time forgot!” I did this with a dan cong yesterday and it wasn’t pretty. :)

Mastress Alita

Oh, I love houjicha! I have a big bag of this stuff that I had sent to me from Japan via Yunomi. I’ve tried their Amber roast before too. My BFF is even more crazy for houjicha than me, he introduced me to it, heh.

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91

These silver needles are just amazing and seem to be aging well too! It is now clearly more in the floral and sweet domain, but it retains its complexity. Even though the sweetness is all-encompassing, the aftertaste is still dynamic with a lot of vegetal and tart qualities. The floral side is very flowery with hints of pollen and honeysuckle among others. Some other new notes from today include orange peel, white grapes, apples, and honey.

Flavors: Apple, Dry Grass, Floral, Flowers, Honey, Honeysuckle, Nuts, Orange Blossom, Orange Zest, Sweet, Tart, Vegetal, White Grapes

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 0 min, 30 sec 5 g 4 OZ / 110 ML
derk

I imagine this tea is 2-3 years old by now. Have you tried any silver needles with more age?

Togo

I haven’t actually, I think I just have one cake of Yunnan silver needle from 2017 iirc. Have you?

derk

I can’t recall any. I do have some silver needle dragon balls from Yunnan Sourcing I’m trying to forget about for the purpose of aging. They’re several years old at this point.

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91

I am continuing in my exploration of the samples derk sent me and this is another good one. I have already tried the purple needles from the same producer, which I really liked. There are similarities between the two teas but they stand on their own for sure and provide a nice comparison.

I have to say that this tea proved to be quite challenging and sophisticated. Many of its characteristics I couldn’t easily separate and identify, which made the session all the more interesting, but also made me want to have more of the tea to play around with it.

The dry leaf smell in particular I couldn’t really place, but some of its aspects did remind me of pumpkin pie and lavender. After the rinse, the bouquet becomes very unique and complex, yet subtle. It has an arid feel to it, with notes of fresh pumpkin, sunflower seeds/oil and nuts. Later on throughout the session, it becomes a bit more fruity displaying aromas of peach, fruit tree flowers and saurkraut/pickles (not pickled cucumber). One interesting association I get is a dark, but clean cobblestone alley on a rainy night.

Body is medium to light and the liquor is quite velvety. Taste-wise, I found the tea to be quite herbaceous and nutty overall. A bit less prevalent are the sour, vegetal and floral notes like lemon zest or courgette flowers. In mid to late infusions, the tart fruity aspects get amplified, mostly I could taste passion fruit and granadilla. There are some grassy undertones too. Even when I pushed the temperatures and steeping times, I never got much astringency, which is pretty remarkable.

The aftertaste is generally fairly protracted. Like derk I also noticed white peach and the light waxy/phyllo like feeling in the mouth. The sensation is mostly cooling and clenching in the throat, expansive in the mouth and body warming.

I greatly enjoyed this silver needle with its hard-to-describe-sophistication and impressive longetivity (I got about 1.2l from the 5g).

Flavors: Butternut Squash, Earth, Floral, Fruit Tree Flowers, Fruity, Herbaceous, Lavender, Lemon Zest, Mineral, Nutty, Passion Fruit, Pastries, Peach, Pleasantly Sour, Pumpkin, Squash Blossom, Vegetal, Wet Rocks, Zucchini

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 0 min, 30 sec 5 g 3 OZ / 100 ML
derk

It is a unique silver needle. I enjoy reading your reviews to see how somebody from a different region and thus somebody with a differing palate experiences the teas I sent. Thanks for sharing :)

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72

I recently came across several of these What-Cha Zhangping Shui Xian mini cakes while organizing my tea hoard and realized that I should probably get a move on and drink them while they were still good. I had at least two of both the Light Roasted Shui Xian “Fruit” Cake and the Light Roasted Shui Xian “Premium Floral” Cake, but only one of this one, so I went ahead and drank it earlier in the day. Depending on how I feel later, I may have one of the others. Though I have little experience with Zhangping Shui Xian, I have never been huge on it, thus I am trying to get through these things as quickly as possible so I can move on to something else. This tea was pleasant, but it was also very subtle and not as overtly floral as I was hoping it would be.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After the rinse, I steeped the entire mini cake (according to my scale, it was about 7 grams) in 5 ounces of 203 F water for 10 seconds. This infusion was followed by 15 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes, and 10 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea cake emitted aromas of cream, butter, custard, and gardenia. After the rinse, I noted new aromas of vanilla and steamed milk backed by a subtle scent of grass. The first infusion introduced very subtle orchid, almond, and cherry aromas. In the mouth, the tea liquor offered delicate notes of cream, butter, and grass that were chased by hints of custard, vanilla, almond, and gardenia. Subsequent infusions introduced a stronger almond aroma as well as cinnamon and ginger scents. Slightly stronger vanilla, almond, and gardenia notes appeared in the mouth along with subtle cherry, orchid, and steamed milk notes. New impressions of sugarcane, minerals, orange, ginger, cinnamon, banana leaf, and honey emerged along with some fleeting hints of coconut. The final few infusions were very heavy on mineral notes, though I also found impressions of cream, vanilla, sugarcane, and grass as well as subtle almond, honey, steamed milk, cinnamon, and ginger accents.

The vast majority of my experience with Shui Xian has come in the form of the more common and celebrated Wuyi oolongs, so this was a real change of pace for me. The way this tea was processed brought out aroma and flavor components that I usually associate with Taiwanese baozhong, various Dancong oolongs, and some of the lighter roasted Anxi oolongs. Honestly, I would describe this tea as having much more in common with any of those types of tea than any of the traditional Wuyi takes on Shui Xian. Its uniqueness aside, I am afraid that I cannot give this tea a spectacularly high rating. Though pleasant, it was a very subtle tea, consistently emphasizing its sharp, mineral-heavy texture over its aromas and flavors, and as I have mentioned in the past, I tend to favor strongly aromatic and flavorful teas over subtler, more texture-heavy teas. This tea firmly fell in the latter group for me. Another gripe I had with it, and one that I kind of hit on earlier in this review, was that for a tea that was designed to showcase floral aromas and flavors, it was often not all that floral. Very frequently its floral components were subtle. They often took a backseat to the tea’s savory, sweet, vegetal, and spicy qualities. Still, all gripes aside, I would imagine that people who tend to favor highly textured teas that require patience and consistent focus to appreciate would be into this one. Unfortunately, if the other Zhangping Shui Xian mini cakes I have end up being very similar to this one, I think I will probably stick with Wuyi Shui Xian and some of the Dancong Shui Xian oolongs going forward.

Flavors: Almond, Butter, Cherry, Cinnamon, Coconut, Cream, Custard, Gardenias, Ginger, Grass, Honey, Milk, Mineral, Orange, Orchid, Sugarcane, Vanilla, Vegetal

Preparation
7 g 5 OZ / 147 ML

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76

And here’s another sample from derk ♥
This one is very light, smooth and fairly thick (for a green tea). I didn’t pick much in the smell, but that could very well be due to the fact that it’s from 2017 Autumn pick. The taste is a mix of savoury and sour, the notes like olive and lime mentioned in the description are present for sure. Like derk, I also find it hard to describe. My favourite aspect of the tea is probably the drying and vegetal aftertaste, which is very pleasant. Overall, I think it’s an ok tea that I wouldn’t mind getting at some point. However, I feel like it’s a little pricy for what it offers, I suppose as a result of being from Darjeeling.

Flavors: Dry Grass, Drying, Lime, Olives, Pleasantly Sour, Tart, Thick, Vegetal

Preparation
170 °F / 76 °C 0 min, 45 sec 3 g 3 OZ / 100 ML

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91

I am finishing a day of samples from derk with this Baozhong. The expectations are high!

I am not going to dwell too much on the particular flavours and aromas. However, I do get some grilled sweetcorn on top of the sugar snap pea, which wasn’t mentioned before. Overall, the taste is very well balanced between vegetal & floral. It verges on the sweet side, but there is some tartiness too. The milky flavour is definitely noticeable although not too pronounced, which I appreciate.

The most memorable aspect of the tea for me is probably the mouthfeel, I adore it! First two infusions were more milky/creamy, but then the liquor became much more oily/buttery, thick and super smooth. Throughout the session it is really mouth-watering and slightly bubbly. There is almost no astringency to be found.

On the other hand, where I found the tea to be lacking a bit is the aftertaste. It’s not bad per se, but doesn’t present anything exceptional.

Nevertheless, this one is definitely among the best green oolongs I’ve tried so far and possibly the best one from Taiwan.

Flavors: Butter, Corn Husk, Floral, Green Apple, Milk, Peas, Sweet, Sweet, Warm Grass, Tart, Thick, Vegetal

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 0 min, 30 sec 5 g 4 OZ / 120 ML

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84

Another one of the samples I received from derk :)

Initially, the dry leaves have a light fruity aroma. When wet, the smell actually reminds me of some Yunnan black teas – there is definitely a strong malt note there, as well as some cocoa/chocolate. However, it is more complex with extra layers of rose and roasted like aromas.

The taste is quite herbaceous and somewhat earthy, but the finish is more on the fruity & tangy side. I also still get the malt and rose notes. The aftertaste, apart from being slightly drying and fruity, also displays noticable medicinal, spicy and nutty aspects. Overall, it is a very complex and tannic tea that I have no chance of getting to know by one session alone. I will definitely try to get more though.

Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Bitter, Chocolate, Cocoa, Fruity, Herbaceous, Malt, Medicinal, Nutty, Roasted, Rose, Tangy, Tannic

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 7 OZ / 220 ML

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80

Home – 8:00 PM

From my swap with AJRimmer.

It’s been a while since I’ve had an unflavored sencha. I actually have quite a pile of samples from my Yunomi subscription, just waiting to be tasted. But since I’ve been trying to get through rating all of the flavored teas in my cupboard, I haven’t been drinking many straight teas.

This is an interesting one. It reminds me of a combination of both Chinese and Japanese green teas. There’s the intense spinach character and umami that I expect from Japanese greens, and also a lighter, sweeter vegetal note and aftertaste of apricot that I often get from Chinese green teas. A hint of bitterness at the end of the sip, but no astringency.

It’s tasty! I really should drink more straight green teas, as I have small piles of both Chinese and Japanese samples just waiting to be opened…

Flavors: Apricot, Bitter, Grass, Mineral, Spinach, Sweet, Umami, Vegetal

Preparation
160 °F / 71 °C 1 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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90

Alright, here comes the final review of the day. I finished a sample pouch of this tea earlier in the month, probably around the end of the first week or the start of last week. I think I may have built this one up in my head a little too much prior to trying it because it was not what I expected it to be, and as a result, I was disappointed with it at first. I think I was expecting an oolong that would revival an authentic Taiwanese baozhong, but what I got was something that fell between a lightly roasted baozhong, and surprisingly enough, a dancong oolong. In the end, I came around on this tea, but I still doubt I would regularly reach for it over a Taiwanese baozhong or any higher end Guangdong oolong.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a brief rinse, I steeped 6 grams of loose tea leaves in 4 ounces of 194 F water for 7 seconds. This infusion was followed by 14 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, and 5 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves emitted aromas of cream, butter, custard, orchid, and orange blossom. After the rinse, I noted aromas of orange zest and pomegranate. The first infusion brought out a subtle nectarine scent. In the mouth, the tea liquor presented notes of cream, butter, roasted almond, orchid, vanilla, and orange zest that were chased by hints of grass. The subsequent infusions introduced aromas of roasted almond, pineapple, grass, seaweed, vanilla, and lotus as well as a significantly stronger pomegranate aroma. Custard, pomegranate, and orange blossom notes came out in the mouth alongside stronger impressions of grass and subtle nectarine hints. New mineral, macadamia, watercress, spinach, seaweed, pineapple, honey, and lotus impressions emerged as well. By the end of the session, I was still picking up mineral, roasted almond, cream, and butter notes that were chased by hints of grass, orange zest, and pomegranate.

A fascinating and at times elusive Southeast Asian oolong, I ended up enjoying this tea quite a bit, finding it to be an excellent product. Again, it did not remind me all that much of a traditional Taiwanese baozhong, especially in terms of mouthfeel and the way its aroma and flavor components expressed themselves. In the latter two respects, it reminded me more of a dancong oolong, and this connection was only strengthened by the presence of pomegranate, nectarine, roasted almond, and pungent floral notes as I tend to frequently find those notes in such teas. Overall, however, this was a very enjoyable oolong. It made for a pleasant break from the more traditional teas I tend to regularly drink.

Flavors: Almond, Butter, Cream, Custard, Floral, Fruity, Grass, Honey, Mineral, Nutty, Orange Blossom, Orange Zest, Orchid, Pineapple, Roasted, Seaweed, Spinach, Stonefruit, Vanilla, Vegetal

Preparation
6 g 4 OZ / 118 ML
Daylon R Thomas

That was one of my favorites from What-Cha because it was so unique. I could have sworn you’ve written about it before.

eastkyteaguy

Daylon, I just checked through my notes, and I’m pretty certain this is the only time I have written about this tea. I have, however, noticed that Steepster sometimes eats reviews, so it certainly is a possibility that I wrote about it before, something like that happened, and then I forgot about it or never noticed in the first place.

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90

This is the last of the September reviews. As I have mentioned several times previously, the backlog really is shrinking at a steady rate. I should be all caught up in no time. Anyway, the low numerical scores previously assigned to this tea surprised me. I found it to be a more or less excellent Vietnamese oolong.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a quick rinse, I steeped 6 grams of rolled tea leaves in 4 ounces of 203 F water for 10 seconds. This infusion was followed by 16 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes, 10 minutes, and 15 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves produced aromas of raisin and prune that were underscored by hints of cinnamon. After the rinse, I noted new aromas of baked bread, cream, malt, and brown sugar. The first infusion introduced aromas of roasted almond and honey along with a suddenly amplified raisin aroma. In the mouth, the tea liquor offered notes of raisin, prune, honey, and cream that were chased by hints of baked bread and roasted almond. Subsequent infusions saw butter, pear, rose, nectarine, and tangerine zest aromas emerge. Malt, brown sugar, and cinnamon notes belatedly emerged in the mouth alongside stronger baked bread and roasted almond impressions as well as mineral, tangerine zest, butter, oat, apple, vanilla, nectarine, and rose notes. The final few infusions offered mineral, pear, tangerine zest, rose, and roasted almond notes that were backed by cream, butter, and baked bread hints.

This was an incredibly nice Southeast Asian GABA oolong that thankfully did not suffer in comparison to its Taiwanese peers. I still do not get the lowish numerical scores this tea has garnered in the past. Though I am clearly the outlier here, I found this to be a very worthwhile tea.

Flavors: Almond, Apple, Bread, Brown Sugar, Butter, Cinnamon, Citrus, Cream, Dried Fruit, Honey, Malt, Mineral, Oats, Pear, Raisins, Rose, Stonefruit, Vanilla

Preparation
6 g 4 OZ / 118 ML
Sqt

I liked it enough to re-order and this has become a regular when I feel like a GABA oolong.

Kawaii433

Trying this now for the first time and am enjoying your great review (again^^). It smells like apple pie! :D

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75

Black but refreshing. Not bitter. Good with cake not a bacon butty.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 200 OZ / 5914 ML

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84

This was the last tea I drank in September as I finished my sample pouch on the last day of the month. It was also a tea that I did not really know how to evaluate, and to be totally honest, I am still not certain that I do. In terms of taste and aroma, it had more in common with some of Kangaita’s premium white teas than any orthodox black tea I have tried. Overall, it was a unique, memorable, and incredibly likable tea, but it was also so unique that I could never see myself craving it or consuming it regularly.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a quick rinse, I steeped 6 grams of loose tea buds in 4 ounces of 194 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was followed by 16 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, and 7 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry leaf buds emitted aromas of cinnamon, cedar, malt, honey, black pepper, and eucalyptus. After the rinse, I noted new aromas of cream, baked bread, molasses, and sweet potato. The first infusion then introduced scents of orange zest and pine. In the mouth, the tea liquor presented notes of cream, baked bread, orange zest, black pepper, eucalyptus, and cedar that were underscored by hints of pine, honey, cinnamon, roasted almond, and butter. The subsequent infusions introduced scents of lemon zest, cantaloupe, butter, and roasted almond to go with a considerably stronger orange zest aroma. Malt notes belatedly emerged in the mouth alongside more prominent roasted almond and butter notes and slightly stronger cinnamon impressions. Hints of molasses and sweet potato appeared too, but they were fleeting. New mineral, sugarcane, and brown sugar notes emerged along with subtle impressions of cantaloupe and honeydew. Surprisingly, the tea retained its delightful herbal, spicy, and fruity aromas through the very end of the session. By the time I got to the final two or three infusions, I could also still pick out lingering cream, butter, orange zest, black pepper, baked bread, and roasted almond notes that were accented by delicate mineral, cinnamon, brown sugar, lemon zest, and eucalyptus impressions.

A very refined, delicate, and complex tea with tremendous depth, this would normally be the sort of black tea I would be scoring very highly. With this one, however, I just felt that it was difficult enough and subtle enough that I would have to be in the mood for it. Some of the tea’s aromas and flavors (and the way it expressed itself overall) were very similar to both the Kangaita Rhino and Silver Needle white teas also offered by What-Cha, though it also displayed some of the aromas and flavors I tend to associate with many Yunnanese, Indian, Kenyan, and Vietnamese black teas. While it was a very fine tea, it ultimately fell into a gray area for me, and I kind of see it as a tea caught somewhere between two worlds. It was the sort of black tea that had enough in common with white teas to not appeal to me when I’m looking for a good black tea while simultaneously having just enough in common with other black teas to not appeal to me when I’m considering reaching for a white tea. Ultimately, I think this tea may best serve as a gateway black tea for regular white tea drinkers, or it might be the thing to reach for in those rare instances when something truly out of the ordinary is required. All in all, I really liked this tea, but I suppose it just isn’t the sort of thing that is fully geared toward someone like me. Still, I would not caution others to avoid it.

Flavors: Almond, Black Pepper, Bread, Brown Sugar, Butter, Cantaloupe, Cedar, Cinnamon, Cream, Eucalyptus, Honey, Honeydew, Lemon Zest, Malt, Mineral, Molasses, Orange Zest, Pine, Sugarcane, Sweet Potatoes

Preparation
6 g 4 OZ / 118 ML

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91

I am not really surprised by the mixed reception of this tea, but personally I like it a lot. It is subtle and complex in both smell and taste, it has a long and evolving aftertaste and great mouthfeel. What’s more, it also increases my awareness without any caffeine rush. I am really in love with the purple varietals.

Throughout the session the leaves turn from brown with a purple hue to a mix of brown and dark green. They seem like a good quality and firm leaves.

I didn’t really pay close attention to the aromas and flavours, maybe I will add a more complete account of those from another session. The flavours that I did notice include butter and a surprising coriander (seed) bitterness in the finish. Early infusions were more floral, while the latter ones rather nutty and somewhat sheng-like. The aftertaste was slightly sour, spicy and warming with a strong fragrance.

The mouthfeel of initial infusions was mouth-watering, creamy and developed into a little astringent in the mouth. In later infusions, from about the fourth one, the mouthfeel became thick and oily, further deepening the resemblance of raw pu-erh.

Flavors: Butter, Coriander Seed, Floral, Nutty, Spices, Tea

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 30 sec 5 g 3 OZ / 100 ML

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74

As others have mentioned, this is an astringent tea. I can imagine myself choosing to go for a tea like this from time to time, but probably not too often. The smell is dominated by toffee and tomato vine aromas. The taste is quite citrusy with a good balance of sweetness and bitterness. Surprisingly, the bitterness really comes to the fore in the aftertaste. I wouldn’t say it’s unpleasant necessarily, but it took me a bit by surprise. The body is good, but not spectacular I’d say. Overall, I didn’t find too much about this tea that would make me want to revisit it.

Flavors: Astringent, Citrus Zest, Orange, Toffee

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 1 min, 30 sec 5 g 7 OZ / 200 ML

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93

This was my first sipdown of the month as I finished a mini-sample of this tea on the very first day of the month. I received the sample as a freebie with a more recent What-Cha order. As those of you who read my reviews are well aware, I am a huge, huge fan of Wuyi black teas. If I have one complaint about this specific style of tea (lapsang souchong/Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong), however, it is that teas of this type can often get a bit astringent. I did not have that complaint with this particular tea.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a quick rinse, I steeped 6 grams of loose tea leaves in 4 ounces of 203 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was chased by 15 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, and 5 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves emitted aromas of honey, cinnamon, roasted almond, mandarin orange, and peach. After the rinse, I found hints of baked bread, roasted peanut, and straw on the nose. The first infusion introduced floral scents reminiscent of rose and violet. In the mouth, the tea liquor presented notes of mandarin orange, baked bread, honey, roasted almond, and roasted peanut that were underscored by hints of straw. The subsequent infusions saw aromas of cream, lemon, malt, chocolate, brown sugar, and sweet potato emerge. Impressions of rose and violet appeared in the mouth along with subtle hints of cinnamon and peach. New notes of minerals, chocolate, brown sugar, cream, butter, malt, sweet potato, pine, and lemon also emerged. The final few infusions offered lingering mineral, malt, cream, and roasted almond notes that were balanced by hints of lemon, mandarin orange, sweet potato, and brown sugar.

This was an excellent Wuyi black tea, one that should satisfy even the most demanding fans of such teas. As mentioned earlier, I especially appreciated the fact that this tea never turned astringent. If you are looking for a quality unsmoked Wuyi black tea, be sure to check out this one.

Flavors: Almond, Bread, Brown Sugar, Butter, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Cream, Honey, Lemon, Malt, Mineral, Orange, Peach, Peanut, Pine, Rose, Straw, Sweet Potatoes, Violet

Preparation
6 g 4 OZ / 118 ML

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76

I wasn’t expecting this to taste and smell exactly like sticky rice but it does. It’s got a delicious smell and taste. It almost doesn’t taste like tea. It makes me hungry, in fact.

Flavors: Toasted Rice

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90

This was another of my white tea sipdowns from earlier in the month. This was also one of the more impressive Bai Mu Dans I have tried. Three teas in and I have to say that the What-Cha Guizhou offerings have been impressive.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a quick rinse, I steeped 6 grams of the loose leaf and bud mix in 4 ounces of 194 F water for 6 seconds. This infusion was followed by 16 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes, and 10 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry leaf and bud material produced aromas of hay, straw, peanut, and wood. After the rinse, I detected new aromas of almond, chestnut, and lemon. The first infusion introduced a very faint scent of orange zest. In the mouth, the tea liquor offered notes of hay, straw, wood, peanut, almond, and lemon that were underscored by a subtle maltiness. Subsequent infusions saw cinnamon, apricot, peony, and peach emerge on the nose. Stronger malt impressions appeared alongside notes of chestnut and subtle hints of orange zest in the mouth. New impressions of minerals, peony, cinnamon, apricot, peach, cucumber, wheat toast, green bell pepper, and fennel were also evident. I detected some hints of butter and oatmeal as well. The final few infusions offered notes of minerals, hay, fennel, and straw that were framed by lingering wood, cucumber, lemon, chestnut, peanut, butter, and green bell pepper notes.

This tea struck me as displaying more complex vegetal characteristics and stronger citrusy aromas and flavors compared to the Yunnan and Fujian Bai Mudans with which I am more familiar. It did not offer as much smoothness as those teas typically do, but it produced a liquor with tremendous body, texture, and presence. Honestly, this was a very charming white tea. I feel it would compare favorably to many of the other teas of this type that are currently on the market.

Flavors: Almond, Apricot, Butter, Chestnut, Cinnamon, Cucumber, Fennel, Floral, Green Bell Peppers, Hay, Lemon, Malt, Mineral, Oats, Orange Zest, Peach, Peanut, Straw, Toast, Wheat, Wood

Preparation
6 g 4 OZ / 118 ML

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88

For the second review of the evening, I will be offering my thoughts on another tea I drank recently. I finished my sample pouch of this tea around the middle of last week. I found it to be a very nice roasted oolong, though I must admit I have tried way too many roasted Jin Xuan oolongs recently.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a quick rinse, I steeped 6 grams of rolled tea leaves in 4 ounces of 203 F water for 8 seconds. This infusion was chased by 15 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 10 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, and 7 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves emitted aromas of cedar, vanilla, raisin, and honey. After the rinse, I detected new aromas of cocoa, char, toast, and black cherry along with a stronger vanilla aroma. The first infusion introduced subtle scents of butter and roasted almond. In the mouth, the tea liquor offered notes of cocoa, cedar, cream, and raisin that chased by impressions of toast, roasted almond, char, vanilla, and honey. Subsequent infusions saw dominant vanilla and cream aromas emerge on the nose along with hints of plum, straw, and caramel. There were stronger vanilla, roasted almond, and toast notes in the mouth, though I also noted the belated emergence of butter and black cherry flavors along with new grass, daylily shoot, mineral, straw, caramel, and plum impressions. The final infusions offered notes of minerals, cream, butter, and cocoa that were balanced by subtler straw, vanilla, cedar, and raisin notes.

An interesting and complex roasted Jin Xuan oolong with a bit of an edge, this was a very satisfying tea overall. That being said, I have tried a couple other roasted Jin Xuan oolongs that were more unique and that struck me as offering a bit more depth and complexity compared to this one. Still, this was a very good tea, and I would not caution anyone interested in Southeast Asian oolongs to avoid it.

Flavors: Almond, Butter, Caramel, Cedar, Char, Cherry, Cocoa, Cream, Grass, Honey, Mineral, Plum, Raisins, Roasted, Straw, Toast, Vanilla, Vegetal

Preparation
6 g 4 OZ / 118 ML
derk

Sounds like I’ll have to give this one a whirl gongfu :)

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76

This was another recent sipdown of mine. I think I finished my 10g sample pouch of this tea around the start of the second week of the month. Prior to trying this one, I had only tried one other purple varietal green tea, and quite frankly, it did not do a ton for me. Of the two, I found this one to be significantly better, though I continue to doubt that teas like this will ever be up my alley.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a brief rinse, I steeped 6 grams of loose tea leaves in 4 ounces of 176 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was chased by 16 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, and 7 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, I detected aromas of plum, sorghum molasses, and hay coming from the dry tea leaves. After the rinse, I detected new aromas of malt, corn husk, grass, and sugarcane. The first infusion introduced aromas of spinach, blueberry, and cherry. In the mouth, the tea liquor offered plum, sorghum, hay, malt, grass, and corn husk notes that were backed by hints of sugarcane, spinach, cherry, and blueberry. Subsequent infusions saw more pungent fruit aromas (blackberry and pomegranate) emerge alongside subtle roasted nut, smoke, and seaweed scents. New impressions of smoke, minerals, seaweed, roasted almond, roasted chestnut, lemon, blackberry, pomegranate, and honey appeared in the mouth. A wonderfully thick, sweet honey note remained in the mouth after the swallow. The later infusions offered notes of minerals, hay, malt, grass, and lemon that were backed by a similar, though slightly more subtle, swell of honey on the finish.

Honestly, this was a pretty solid tea. Even though it was something for which I would have to be in the mood, I respected its longevity (which was pretty ridiculous for a green tea) and loved that gorgeous honey impression that emerged in the middle infusions and lingered in the mouth after each swallow. I know I have seen several people knock this tea and others like it, yet I cannot help feeling that they did not give it a proper chance as it really was far from bad. I would recommend it to adventurous drinkers looking for a unique green tea experience.

Flavors: Almond, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Chestnut, Corn Husk, Fruity, Grass, Hay, Honey, Lemon, Malt, Mineral, Molasses, Plum, Seaweed, Smoke, Spinach, Sugarcane

Preparation
6 g 4 OZ / 118 ML

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Loved the 2017 harvest, so some time ago I bought a 50g bag of the 2018. It took me a while to open it, but once I did, it was gone in a flash. I western steeped pretty much all of the bag besides the last 5g today, which I prepared gongfu just to see how the tea would respond, which was surprisingly well!

Comparing the 2017 harvest to 2018, most of the notes found before were still there in complexity . This time around it seemed autumn leaf, wood, malt and tangy citrus dominant with a bit more (enjoyable) bitterness and a heftier tannic bite. I didn’t pick up on cocoa nor muscatel with this harvest but I did notice maybe some burnt sugar as well as persimmon, like in those highly oxidized Taiwanese red oolong. Dynamic mid- and background notes that seemed to be in constant flux on my tongue.

My black teas are getting dangerously low again; I hope the 2019 harvest is around when I get the itch to fill my black tea fix from What-Cha.

Flavors: Almond, Autumn Leaf Pile, Bitter, Brown Toast, Burnt Sugar, Cherry, Citrusy, Fruity, Herbs, Lemon Zest, Malt, Orange Blossom, Peach, Raisins, Rose, Spices, Tangy, Tannic, Wood

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 g 3 OZ / 100 ML
Togo

What-Cha has 20% off Darjeelings now btw

derk

Thanks! I’m going to be wiser with my money this time since my disposable income is low at the moment. Cat Cave black tea is 30% off and more budget friendly.

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Received this a freebie with one of my many What-Cha orders over the summer. Thank you.

November 2017 harvest. I prepared this sample western style, using 1.5 tsp to 6oz of 205F water, 2 steeps at 3 and 5 minutes. I regret not having the time to sit down with this tea because it is certainly worthy of contemplation. Its subtleties were beyond my abilities and time. I can say, though, that it was incredibly enjoyable. I remember tastes of malt, almond, brown toast, mace, muscatel, black raisin, black cherry, orange blossom, lemon oil and cocoa, but I couldn’t tell you which were the most prominent of point out the handful of other fleeting flavors that were present. The light- to medium-bodied liquor was refined and smooth, a little sweet with no astringency or bitterness. Warming with a slight spicy bite. It has a lot of similarities to the Gopaldhara 2nd Flush China Muscatel Gold I polished off recently, but I think the additions of black cherry and a clear, bright lemon oil to the flavor profile really nailed this one home for me.

I have a lot of black teas to work my way through over the coming months, but if this darjeeling is still available when I’m ready, I’ll definitely be purchasing a larger quantity to spend some time with.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 6 OZ / 177 ML

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87

This was another recent sipdown of mine. I finished the last of two sample pouches of this tea last night when I had difficulty settling down and going to sleep. I liked this one much more than I expected considering the black tea What-Cha sources from the same producer did not do much for me.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a brief rinse, I steeped 6 grams of loose tea leaves in 4 ounces of 167 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was chased by 15 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, and 5 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves emitted aromas of toasted corn, soybean, and grass that were underscored by fleeting hints of honey. After the rinse, I noted the emergence of a stronger toasted corn aroma alongside a more delicate roasted chestnut scent. The first infusion introduced aromas of sugarcane and zucchini. In the mouth, the tea liquor presented delicate notes of toasted corn, grass, roasted chestnut, zucchini, and soybean that were underscored by hints of sugarcane, seaweed, and spinach. Scents of seaweed, spinach, and peas emerged on the following infusions. Honey notes appeared in the mouth along with impressions of umami, minerals, toasted rice, butter, peas, cream, and green beans. The final few infusions offered delicate mineral, grass, spinach, and seaweed notes that were balanced by toasted rice, toasted corn, cream, and butter impressions.

This struck me as a very interesting tea. In terms of aroma and flavor, it reminded me of some of the Japanese and Korean green teas with which I have been experimenting. It, however, did retain the strong vegetable and soybean notes as well as the subtle sweetness I often associate with Laoshan green teas. I also must state that I was surprised and impressed by this tea’s longevity. Overall, I found this to be a high quality offering.

Flavors: Butter, Chestnut, Cream, Grass, Green Beans, Honey, Mineral, Peas, Seaweed, Soybean, Spinach, Sugarcane, Toasted, Toasted Rice, Umami, Zucchini

Preparation
6 g 4 OZ / 118 ML

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92

This was another of my recent white tea sipdowns. I think I finished this one around the start of last week. On a related note, I am finally getting into white teas. They do not seem to get a ton of love here on Steepster, so expect more white tea reviews from me in the future. Even though I have had Bai Mudans that have looked better, this one produced an absolutely fantastic gongfu session.

Clearly, I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a quick rinse, I steeped 6 grams of loose leaf and bud material in 4 ounces of 194 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was followed by 17 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes, and 10 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry leaf and bud blend produced aromas of cedar, pine, cinnamon, hay, and smoke. I also noted a very subtle honey presence. After the rinse, I noted new aromas of roasted peanut, malt, and straw. The first infusion brought out a hint of lemon on the nose. In the mouth, the tea liquor presented delicate flavors of cinnamon, hay, smoke, straw, lemon, honey, and malt that were underpinned by even subtler notes of pine, roasted peanut, and cedar. The following infusions saw a stronger lemon presence emerge on the nose alongside subtle scents of cucumber, zucchini, and lettuce. Stronger lemon and cedar notes made themselves known in the mouth alongside new mineral, zucchini, cream, butter, lettuce, and cucumber notes. There were also some fleeting hints of asparagus, pear, and vanilla that occasionally showed themselves. The final few infusions emphasized lingering notes of cream, lemon, malt and minerals that were backed by impressions of straw, hay, cucumber, zucchini, pear, and vanilla.

Quite honestly, this was one of the most aromatic and flavorful teas of this type I have ever tried. It also displayed wonderful body and texture in the mouth. Unlike many classic white teas, it came off as lively, playful, and engaging as opposed to restrained and fragile. If you are not sold on traditional Chinese white teas and do not feel they have much to offer, seek out this tea. It will very likely change your mind.

Flavors: Asparagus, Butter, Cedar, Cinnamon, Cream, Cucumber, Hay, Honey, Lemon, Lettuce, Malt, Mineral, Peanut, Pear, Pine, Smoke, Straw, Vanilla, Zucchini

Preparation
6 g 4 OZ / 118 ML

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