1557 Tasting Notes

drank Genmaicha by Rishi Tea
1557 tasting notes

Last note I mentioned something about this smelling like paint. A little exposure to air has done the trick. Best genmaicha around even though it has too much roasted rice for my liking. Remedy? Crunch crunch crunch :)

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drank Random Steepings by Various Artists
1557 tasting notes

Mulberry Tea from Istanbul, 2022. I sent some of this to Cameron B. a while back. She had more to say than I do (not because I don’t like it but I’m simply short for words):
https://steepster.com/CameronB/posts/435683

Instant ‘tea’ powder dissolves easily in hot water, then I add a touch of cold to get it to chugging temperature. Sweet-tart and mulberry. Candy! Turkish Kool-Aid. I don’t think this is flavored but made with actual mulberry powder, citric acid and sugar.

Flavors: Candy, Mulberry, Sweet, Tart

ashmanra

That sounds neat!

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drank Random Steepings by Various Artists
1557 tasting notes

Saffron Tea from Istanbul, 2022. Loose chopped black tea and fannings mixed with loads of saffron and a rose petal or three. Claim written on the vacuum-sealed clear plastic bag: “Cancer Alzheimer’s Dementia”.

It has a bright and almost citrusy, peppery but not pungent scent. The musk of sun-warmed skin, floral, supple leather, fields of hay. Reds and golds and earthen tones.

The black tea is rich, dark and smooth, a touch coppery. Is it Turkish? Dark wood, tobacco, hay, a hint of honey-raisin sweetness. All that gorgeous, leathery saffron. A friend of the forgetful mind and heavy hand. Not comforting but Invigorating. All of this makes for an excellent morning cup that’s not too high in caffeine. Can be brewed light for a refresher.

Feeling: majestic, revitalizing, invigorating, restorative, calming, grounding, connected to earth and sun

A 100 for me. I can’t be anything but happy when drinking this tea.

Flavors: Bright, Citrusy, Dark Wood, Earthy, Floral, Honey, Hot Hay, Leather, Musk, Pepper, Raisins, Rich, Saffron, Savory, Smooth, Tobacco

Courtney

How intriguing with the saffron!

beerandbeancurd

Can’t argue with saffron. Mm, sounds a treat.

tea-sipper

a 100 rating! You’ve been in China for about a month, derk, hope everything is going well!

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drank Yu Ya Jade Buds by Rishi Tea
1557 tasting notes

I’m pretty excited to be traveling to Hubei province (albeit a different county), where this green tea is produced. It’s made from one of the same cultivars I’ll be working with, E Cha, at the co-operative tea farming village that One River Tea is a part of. Saturday night I fly out! This has been a pretty stressful process and that feeling might not ease until I meet the folks of One River Tea at the airport, who will also have a SIM card for my phone. I will be traveling to a completely foreign country for the first time ever alone. Even if things go awry, I can figure out where and how to catch the 5-hour train ride from Wuhan to Enshi. But once in Enshi, getting to the village is another feat that will require a 1.5-hour? taxi ride. So much is out of my hands. It’ll all work out, though, even if plans get bumpy. Right? RIGHT? Haha. Of course it will as long as I stay cool :)

Speaking of cool, not only is the purpose of this note to release some stress, but it is also to share what a delicious cold brew these tiny leaves make! It’s got some of that dark, mossy energy that a hot brew does, but with my parameters of 7g:1L for 24 hours, this has a bright, fruity taste to it that’s not present in western or gongfu steeps. Good stuff. And the leaves instantly sink to the bottom of any brewing vessel. Why do I value such a thing in tea?

Leafhopper

It sounds like this will be quite an adventure! You’ll have to keep us updated on your trip if you have Internet access.

Skysamurai

That sounds soooooooo awesome!!! I definitely have tea adventure on my bucket list. Please bring a journal with you and give us details! Safe travels!

beerandbeancurd

I have taken to reminding myself that as long as I’m alive and experiencing something on the planet, things are working out. Take snacks.

gmathis

You adventurer, you! Praying for safe travels.

tea-sipper

Wishing you all the travel luck!

Courtney

This sounds amazing! Enjoy your travels! :)

ashmanra

Praying for safe travels and lots of memories that make you smile for the rest of your life!

Martin Bednář

It is kind of adventure! I would taking part in something similar too. I hope everything goes well and smoothly to you!

LuckyMe

Sounds like a fun adventure. Safe travels!

derk

Thanks y’all and drink good tea!

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drank Huang Mudan by Song Tea & Ceramics
1557 tasting notes

Can be brewed with a variety of parameters to produce such varied experiences, from sweet and light yet rich, to something substantially driven by an umami with a deeper, grassy vibe. Somewhere along that continuum, you can strike pure gold. Interesting ‘fatty’ feel that’s not quite like the usual butteriness of green teas but something more like pure animal fat, though it doesn’t taste or smell anything like that feeling. Glassy, viscous liquor; little hairs catch the sun like flecks of glitter. It’s so crystal clear.

I didn’t give this stunning tea the attention it deserves. Fancy stuff. Recommended for experimenters with a love for the finer things.

Flavors: Brisk, Broth, Buffalo Grass, Burlap, Caramelized Sugar, Ginger, Herbaceous, Marigold, Mineral, Pineapple, Rice, Rich, Spicy, Sweet, Umami, Viscous, White Pepper

derk

Got a freebie with my last order so tried it out a few times grandpa style in a mason jar. Bright and sharp with a light broccoli? character. Not quite a green tea taste which makes sense given the stunning golden color of the wet leaf. Better in ceramic than in glass. Much preferred steeped in a basket infuser.

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80

Possibly a first acquaintance with sea buckthorn? Thanks to Martin’s generosity <3

Tart and fruity in a jammy no-sugar-added, cooked-down way, citrusy. It tastes like it looks, orange with a brown tint. There’s some earthiness to this brew that brings the pucker down from hibiscus heights. It’s simply not the same kind of tart! A whisper of lavender is nice here. A little bit of sweetness on the backend aling with elderflower. Salty-citrus zest (kumquat?) aftertingle.

Something about this sis o familiar. It reminds me of late fall in northeastern Ohio… But why?

Best 2 bags per 300mL! Don’t want that flavor watered down.

Flavors: Citrusy, Earthy, Elderflower, Fruity, Jam, Kumquat, Lavender, Salt, Tart

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 8 min or more 10 OZ / 300 ML
Martin Bednář

You are welcome! Why it reminds you Ohio, I have no idea. Sea buckthorn is an interesting flavour though and I certainly need to get some again. But getting nice tea with flavour of it is is kind of hard.

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drank Random Steepings by Various Artists
1557 tasting notes

From my aunt’s trip to Istanbul in 2022.

Another herbal mélange with ambiguous script. Kinda looks like “WiYhtee”. I figure it’s a riff on this “Winter Tea” https://www.grandturkishbazaar.com/product/turkish-winter-tea-mix/

Contains 1 cinnamon stick, 1 long finger each of hard-as-a-rock ginger root and turmeric, a few hibiscus flowers, lots of rosehips and pink rosebuds, chamomile, sage and I think these other tiny buds are jasmine.

I don’t like it one bit. Sour, some earthiness, some cinnamon and buckets of soapy perfume. Ugh. Hibiscus and chamomile do not play well together in my mouth, and that rose is like an overbearing yet stiff-upper-lipped grandmother. I’m refrigerating the rest. Hopefully it proves a refreshing and sense-awakening brew in the morning.

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92

Going back in the time machine. Lately, even 1 week feels like an eternity though not in a bad way. I’ve had so much going on between preparing for my trip and getting food poisoning this week that my brain has been Swiss-cheesed.

Subtle, delicate and fluid aromas and flavors. Something like white grape, lychee and mango, hay and cucumber. Viscous and sweet spring water, salty; hint of cream in aftertaste.

When prepared in a steeper basket, the most lovely aroma of cocoa butter wafts from the cup.

Excellent silver needle! Easy to drink and appreciate. Probably best for fans of subtlety.

Thank you again, beerandbeancurd.

Flavors: Caramelized Sugar, Chocolate, Cream, Cucumber, Hay, Lychee, Mango, Mineral, Mushrooms, Potato, Salty, Smoke, Smooth, Spring Water, Viscous, Wet Wood, White Chocolate, White Grapes

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C
gmathis

Hope you’re getting your legs back under you!

derk

I have, thank you. Unlike my friend in the bottom center here: https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MjMzWDMwMA==/z/lsAAAOSwxH1UBtWH/$35.JPG?setid=2
I catch him taking blurry selfies on my phone and sometimes I get pics of him trying to drink my tea and eat my food. No idea how the little dude gets around so well without legs.

beerandbeancurd

Welcome. Here’s to de-cheesing. <3

Daylon R Thomas

I actually had over an oz of that I haven’t touched. I was not a fan of it when I tried it because of the subtle notes and the cooked grass taste. I guess I’ll have to try it again, or give the rest to you soon lol. I hope your recovery goes okay!

ashmanra

I can’t get the link to work, derk!

Martin Bednář

Sadly, neither do I ashmanra and I did some tweaks with link itself.

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drank Parand by Global Tea Hut
1557 tasting notes

Another tea form beerandbeancurd that commanded my appreciation of the moment. Taking notes for this one proved very difficult.

I’m not too much a fan of roasted Taiwanese oolong but this one was something special. Very flavorful with some fun redwood rasp; not obnoxiously roasted or sweet or nutty. As the florals, roast, dried fruits, blooming apricot aftertaste and throat cooing of the first third of the session transitioned into the second, I recall a prominent and quirky eucaluptus-citronella note coming to the fore. Last third of the session smoothed out into a really classic roasted oolong peachy and forest floor profile with some creaminess.

Thank you, tea friend, for my first taste of Global Tea Hut’s offerings.

Flavors: Alkaline, Apricot, Bark, Brandy, Brown Sugar, Cedar, Chocolate, Clean, Cream, Dried Fruit, Eucalyptus, Floral, Forest Floor, Fruity, Lemongrass, Lilac, Maraschino, Mulberry, Nutmeg, Peach, Pine, Plum, Resin, Roasty, Sweet

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 g 3 OZ / 90 ML
beerandbeancurd

Interesting place. Good tea.

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From beerandbeancurd, thank you!

Wonderful zijuan sheng pu’er with all those right red-wine-barrel-storage notes right off the bat to complement the personality of purple leaf.

Notes be damned. I would need another session or two to bury my nose deep in that pot and adequately wrap my tongue around these tastes.

Incredible energy — after peeling myself off the floor (seems to be a common theme) from the first 2 pots, I repotted all my outdoor and indoor root-bound plants. That’s where it’s at with me and tea. Does it make me feel good? Oh baby you, you got what I need.

Song pairing as I steep out the last bits of flavor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etviGf1uWlg

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 15 sec 7 g 4 OZ / 110 ML
beerandbeancurd

Ahhh haha — my barrel baby. <3

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Bio

This place, like the rest of the internet, is dead and overrun with bots. And thus I step away.

Eventual tea farmer. If you are a tea grower, want to grow your own plants or are simply curious, please follow me so we can chat.

I most enjoy loose-leaf, unflavored teas and tisanes. Teabags have their place. Some of my favorite teas have a profound effect on mind and body rather than having a specific flavor profile. Terpene fiend.

Favorite teas generally come from China (all provinces), Taiwan, India (Nilgiri and Manipur). Frequently enjoyed though less sipped are teas from Georgia, Japan, Nepal and Darjeeling. While I’m not actively on the hunt, a goal of mine is to try tea from every country that makes it available to the North American market. This is to gain a vague understanding of how Camellia sinensis performs in different climates. I realize that borders are arbitrary and some countries are huge with many climates and tea-growing regions.

I’m convinced European countries make the best herbal teas.

Personal Rating Scale:

100-90: A tea I can lose myself into. Something about it makes me slow down and appreciate not only the tea but all of life or a moment in time. If it’s a bagged or herbal tea, it’s of standout quality in comparison to similar items.

89-80: Fits my profile well enough to buy again.

79-70: Not a preferred tea. I might buy more or try a different harvest. Would gladly have a cup if offered.

69-60: Not necessarily a bad tea but one that I won’t buy again. Would have a cup if offered.

59-1: Lacking several elements, strangely clunky, possess off flavors/aroma/texture or something about it makes me not want to finish.

Unrated: Haven’t made up my mind or some other reason. If it’s pu’er, I likely think it needs more age.

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Location

California, USA

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