1484 Tasting Notes
Loved the idea of this tea so I picked up a small pouch.
Brisk and coppery-earthy black tea meets slightly creamy root beer and sweet spices. The overall experience is sharp and hits mostly high and bright thanks to the raspberry which mixes with the coolness of wintergreen; a light fluff of marshmallowy vanilla-malt plays underneath.
While I’m not a fan of this kind of black tea, the composition works well. Sometimes it reminds me of medicine but overall it’s such a unique interplay of flavors that I find it strangely satisfying. Best as an afternoon tea.
Flavors: Bright, Brisk, Clove, Copper, Earthy, Malt, Marshmallow, Medicinal, Raspberry, Root Beer, Spicy, Star Anise, Tart, Vanilla, Wintergreen
Preparation
So much to say, so little to desire to write. I have been burned out from work.
Yesterday, a customer I’ve developed a work-related friendship with called out to me as I rushed past him. I apprehensively turned around and walked back to him. He told me a story.
‘There was an American man who traveled to Japan during war. The Japanese consulate denied him a new visa so he went to sit in a park. He drank tea and wrote a poem, then went back to the consulate to present it. After reading the poem, the consulate granted him a new visa.’
My customer inhaled sharply to stifle his tears.
’The poem read:
Drinking a bowl of
green tea
I stop the war.’
We parted ways.
He is a teacher.
Fresh and flavorful with a minty edge and a lightly sweet aftertaste. Liquid sunshine in a glass pot. All chrysanthemum I’ve had pale in comparison, except snow chrysanthemum buds which are in a class of their own. I can steep these flowers any time of day and they give me what I need in the moment — my personal adaptogen.
I really hope these will be a regular seasonal offering at Mountain Stream Teas. These tiny flowers are so complementary to my system that they sometimes make me not even want to drink caffeinated tea.
Feeling: calm, content, clear headed, cooling, respiratory system cleansing
Flavors: Bright, Chrysanthemum, Herbs, Mint, Nutty, Tangy
That sounds so amazing!
It does! My past experience (no doubt with much lesser quality varieties) ended up tasting like the wrappings on a chrysanthe-mummy.
I don’t think I have ever had chrysanthemum but I have a sample of one in the kitchen waiting to be tested…pretty old now but maybe it will give a hint of the flavor!
I’ve never had chrysanthemum either. It looks like this one is out of stock, or at least I can’t find it on the website.
Received as a freebie with my last order — thank you!
This tastes just like persimmons to me complete with cinnamon and vanilla undertones. Syrupy liquor with typical sheng astringency that’s somewhat drying; bitterness is at a good level. Easy to drink.
It is good now. How would time treat this leaf?
Flavors: Apple, Astringent, Cinnamon, Dry Grass, Honey, Honeysuckle, Meadow, Mint, Osmanthus, Peach, Perfume, Persimmon, Sugar, Sweet, Syrupy, Vanilla
Preparation
Tea Habitat says tap water is prohibited for their teas, haha. I’m lucky to have decent tap water so that’s what I use for all my home brews.
2022 harvest
Body is viscous and silky in early brews before the dancong oolong bitterness and grassy astringency come in, both of which are never harsh. Quiet, sweet aroma. Taste develops naturally as the aromatics bloom off the tongue. Floral in a fruity way. Plenty of delicate yet rich honeyed buttery melon, persimmon, butterscotch-dates, a hint of osmanthus. White peach aftertaste drapes like a sheer curtain and rises into sinuses. Gently cooling. Lovely. Looking forward to sitting more with this tea.
Flavors: Butterscotch, Caramel, Dates, Fruit Tree Flowers, Fruity, Grass, Honey, Melon, Osmanthus, Peach, Persimmon, Silky, Soft, Sweet, Viscous, Wood
November 2023 Sipdown Challenge – a smokey tea #2
2022 harvest
Compared to the 2021 harvest, this is both more muted and rougher around the edges. It’s strong and can get rather bitter when oversteeped. Nonetheless, it was enjoyable and complemented some of the hotter, drier days we had at the end of dry season.
Overall feeling: campfire-smoked sweet-scented tropical flowers (champaca?), sharp herbal spicy incense, dry leaves, earthy rainforest petrichor
Flavors: Campfire, Dates, Dry Leaves, Earthy, Flowers, Herbal, Incense, Petrichor, Rainforest, Spicy
November 2023 Sipdown Challenge – Nov 21 – National Gingerbread Cookie Day
A tea with a ginger note rather than a gingerbread tea.
No sipdown yet but I’m plugging away at the last of the 100g bag I bought a few years ago. This is more of a medium-spicy ginger-lime (awesome slightly tart lime flavor!) green tea now compared to it being balanced with passionfruit when fresh. The green tea is on its way out but still holding up flavor-wise and gives a nice body. It stands up to very hot water which is a plus. Glad I’m drinking this down before it’s too late!
from mrmopar several years ago
Two rinses with long rests. Good tea. Very clear, flavorful, smooth, mellow, alkaline turning slightly acidic. Wet pile fish broth on the nose but not in taste. Getting some aged TCM peppery notes to go with the tobacco, dark wood, bread dough, wet autumn leaves and root beer; hints of camphor and eggplant. So compressed I’ll probably be nursing the pot for 3 days.
Neutralizing feeling in the body. Not particularly warming or cooling or caffeinated. Balanced.
Flavors: Alkaline, Autumn Leaf Pile, Bread Dough, Camphor, Clear, Dark Wood, Eggplant, Fish Broth, Geosmin, Root Beer, Smooth, Tobacco, Traditional Chinese Medicine, White Pepper
