Cole

One of my favorites — every time I drink this tea, I can’t believe I’m drinking a japanese green. I’ve only had these flavors in tightly rolled, high mountain Taiwanese oolongs.

I save this one for special occasions. A true treat!

Holy COW this is good!

Apparently after a few years, the “fragrance” becomes one with the brick. This is such a sweet, delicious brew that both smells and tastes like raisins, citrus, and plums; with a slightly peachy aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel. Nice, dark honey color. Long lasting aftertaste. Yum, yum, yum!

Bought this to age, but I’ll definitely be drinking more of this brick. I figured all that “award winning” talk was just conjecture, but it really is a top-notch brick.

After such a long hiatus from Steepster, I just had to pop back in and say that this is one of the best teas I have on hand in my cupboard. An “83” does not do it justice — the liquor is brews is incredibly floral and sweet, and tastes like a delicate mixture of buttery green tea, honey, and Dong Ding.

This one never disappointing. If you’re placing an order from TeaMasters and would like a sweet, flavorful everyday oolong, this is an incredible deal for the amount of high quality tea you’re getting. Will definitely buy more of a similar cultivar once I run out

What a visually appealing cake! I could tell by the pictures on PuerhShop’s site that this sheng puerh would be full of large leaves and buds, but seeing it in person really makes you realize how nice the source materials are. I had no problem picking off 6g of large leaves and buds for use in my 100ml yixing pot. Accurately describing this tea, however, was another matter entirely.
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Rinse: Yum. Golden sweetness.

First cup (10s): Soft and sweet. Not even bitter after it cools. Wow. I notice a little fruit-y aftertaste and a cooling sensation that’s left behind on my tongue. Immediately, I notice an increased sense of perception that tells me this young cake certainly has qi.

Second cup (15s): A good puerh makes you stop everything and focus on the tea, whether you like it or not. That is exactly what is happening to me. This cup feels smoother sliding down my throat, but leaves the front of my tongue dry. It still tastes sweet to me and smells wonderful. Cooled, there’s a bit of bitterness comes to the front, but it’s so well balanced I welcome it with open arms. Very nice.

Third Cup (20s): A pleasant aroma. Pleasant taste. Yeesh, I’m running out of words here. Should probably take a break, but I don’t particularly want to. Throat is dry; mind is clear. Peach-y notes are starting to come back in the aftertaste. Wow. Tastes like what I think a sheng should taste like, but particularly smooth and refined.
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The rest of my notes on this tea are scattered and short. I was able to get about 5 more infusions out of this puerh before I eventually decided to toss the leaves in some boiling water and leave it going for a couple hours. Even then, it still had a very pleasing sheng taste that I enjoyed; with a delicious aftertaste that left my tongue slightly silky. I didn’t particularly want to toss out the leaves, but there comes a time when you have to move onto the next tea.
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I purchased this cake as a higher-end option for everyday consumption, and I have to say it fits the bill wonderfully. It doesn’t have the smooth mouthfeel in the early infusions that I really enjoy in certain young sheng puerhs (that comes later on), nor does it have a lot of overwhelming, novel flavors that jumped out at me when I was drinking it. Instead, it has a nice, persistent qi and a great balance of all the nuances I like in a cup of puerh without the (sometimes) overwhelming bitterness.

Very pleased with this cake.

First tea of the day, and one of my favorite “go-to” oolongs to drink casually in a cup. Today, I switched things up a little bit and properly weighed out 4.5g of tea for my 100ml gaiwan in order to test a hypothesis: I’ve been doing it wrong.

See, I’ve always found this tea to be a little on the “lighter” side, with soft, floral notes and elements of stonefruit and honey. But, as previously mentioned, I normally throw caution to the wind and just “wing it” with a sprinkling of leaves in my cup that I refill as the water gets low. This time, I used stricter brewing parameters in order to see if I could get a richer, more buttery flavor.

Results? A moderate success. The first infusion was a little “thicker” and sweeter, with a green edge that I particularly like in this tea. I did notice the second infusion was much “richer” than usual, but I seemed to have missed a little of that delicate floral touch that I love about this tea. After letting the third and fourth infusions sit for a little longer with boiling water, I noticed a more astringent edge to it developing that I usually pick up after the fourth or fifth infusion.

In the end, I was able to coax those flavors out of the leaf, but I’m not sure if it was my favorite method of brewing this tea. The aroma is so strong and wonderful, I really missed it brewing in my cup. If I’m looking for buttery and sweet, I think I’ll stick with my Si Ji Chun oolong (KILLER bang for the buck).

Side note: this tea is well over a year old and purchased “on clearance.” The new batch was noticeably more flavorful in shop.

Received a sample of this tea, and LOVED the mouthfeel and marshmallow-y sweetness that lasted for the first four infusions. Nice, dense, and thick brew — very impressed with how far a small sample went in my 100ml gaiwan.

For those who like to let their shu soak for 30 mins to get a deep, rich brew, this might be a good way to save a little bit of money. I’ve only tried 6 or 7 shu cakes, so I’m no expert, but I feel like 10-15 second steeps tasted more like 2/3 minute steeps of my newer cakes.

Yum!

I finally got around to trying this brick a couple weeks ago, and it’s a killer bang for the buck. After gently opening the paper packaging (another great use for that tiny Tuocha pick!), I was impressed by the relatively large leaves that comprised the outside of the brick. It’s not super-dense (like a particular 250g Douji “rock” that I ordered), but it’s firm enough that you’ll want a good picking utensil if you don’t want to mangle it completely.

Once I put the ~3g in my tiny, warmed Yixing pot, I combined my 10sec. wash and a 15sec. first steep into my faircup. I was very impressed by the slightly sweet/slightly astringent first cup, but I LOVED the silky mouthfeel and warming energy that popped up in the later infusions. Usually I’ll make a cup and get distracted by something else, but this one kept me coming back to see how the next cup progressed. I don’t know if I wasn’t using enough leaves (or if I timed my pours just right), but it never quite developed that bitter edge that I’ve come to associate with some young shengs.

I’ve had a couple other cakes and samples that fell flat or didn’t change too much after that first cup, and I’m excited to see how this one ages over time. For something I got on a whim, I’d certainly recommend this to beginners or pu-drinkers on a budget. I’m both of those things, and it worked out great for me.

First things first: You MUST have a puerh pick for this brick (or be ready to steam it). I made the mistake of bringing this brick (sans pick) to a friends house since the pictures make it look like you can just pick off a couple leaves to try this tea. But after both of us took our turns chopping, prying, and stabbing this brick to no avail, we had to abort. So, I decided to do something new: steam and dry this brick!

Using a smaller, taller saucepan (with lid) and a mesh ladle, I was finally able to jam my pick in there after about 3-5 minutes of steaming. After scraping, poking, and breaking the brick apart, I was able to turn this rock into 100g of leaves, stems, and buds with relatively little dust. This method works great! I allowed the leaves to dry on a couple foil sheets overnight, and tossed it into a glazed stoneware jar to (hopefully) breathe and age nicely afterwards.

I figured I had to sample this one at the outset to see how it tastes, and was very pleasantly surprised to find a tea with tons of smokiness and very little bitter edge. The first couple infusions were more astringent and felt dryer on the back of my throat, while the later ones felt softer on my tongue with a sweeter aftertaste. Neat! I’m not sure if the steaming made it taste smokier (to me), but I’ll report back once this tea has a little time to breathe.

Personally, I like the smoky, umami notes this tea has; and look forward to seeing how it ages now that it’s all broken up. This $5 “tuition brick” was a great pick!

The very first impressions I have of this cake are of large, whole leaves. It looks just as nice as the picture on the site, but what you can’t see is how the leaves inside the cake are sizable as well. It’s pretty loosely compressed around the edges, and I’m able to pick off a lot of leaves just by rubbing my puerh pick along the edge. Dry, it has that characteristic smell of hay/alfalfa, in a “fresh” sort of way. Not overwhelmingly “compost-y” or bland.

For this particular session, I used about 4.5g of leaves in my tiny Yixing pot (which holds about ~80ml at max).

The rinse tastes very light, brisk, and refreshing; while the first real steeping has hints of its characteristic “sharp” edge with a surprisingly smooth finish. I quickly notice a bit of warmth coursing through my extremities, and my head feels a little lighter. The color is a deep caramel, and leaves a pleasantly sweet aftertaste. When it cools, the bitterness is more pronounced.

The next steeping feels “stronger” in every way; including bitterness, mouthfeel, and slightly smoky/sweet aftertaste. Even though it’s might be a little sharp at first, it doesn’t make me pucker or wince since the bitterness transitions quickly to a soft, sweet, almost floral aftertaste that lingers on my tongue for over 5 minutes afterwards. Yum!

I let the third steeping go a little longer than I wanted to (about a minute or so), but it didn’t become overwhelmingly bitter. Now, the astringency is starting to cut into the mix; but I’m still left with a soft tongue afterwards. I love this about good green teas and sheng puerhs!

I’ve only had a couple 7542 blends (none of which were older than 2008), and this one tastes very familiar to me. I don’t break this one out everyday, but I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how it ages. Since it’s not too dense of a cake, I’d imagine it would age nicely in proper conditions. In my dry cupboard in California, I’m not expecting too much out of this already tasty cake.

Ah, one of my favorites!

The Fukamushi Sencha Yame from Den’s has been one of my favorites since I first discovered “real” Japanese green tea. It can occasionally be bit tempermental if brewed a bit too hot from the outset (or [in this instance] brewed a little too thin), but I know I can always count on it for a quality cuppa green.

I thought I was almost out of this tea, but I dumped the remainder of my tin onto the scale this morning and saw “18G.” Alright! With ~3 good pots left, I decided to skim off 6G and toss it in my ~350ml kyusu for a big pot of morning tea.

After brewing the first up (165*/ 90 secs), I realized that I should have added a couple more grams to the pot — I love the full-bodied, slightly thick nature of this tea when it’s closer to a 1:1 ratio. Still, I very much enjoyed the mild, kelp-y sweetness that I can squeeze out of this tea when I brew it at a lower temperature from the start.

Once I finished my second cup, I noticed that my tongue still feels soft and smooth, with lingering fruit-y notes that stuck around for afterwards. Mmm! I don’t notice any bitterness or astringency until my 3rd and 4th steepings (both over 185*), but you can easily remedy that by starting about 10-15* hotter in the beginning.

No notes yet.

After hearing such wonderful things about the hand-selected oolongs available at the Tea Masters blog, I decided to take the plunge and order a puerh sampler and a handful of oolongs to see what they were all about. The owner/ humble tea master Stéphane helped me select a few different teas, but I ultimately decided to go with the Si Ji Chun and Gao Shan Luanze oolongs to get a feel for the differences in price, quality, and altitude.

I started my journey with the extremely affordable Si Ji Chun oolong, for it allows me to get a feel for the “lower end” of the Tea Master’s spectrum. The leaves are beautifully rolled and unfurl to long, bright green leaves complete with their stems and even a couple buds. If I look closely I can see where the edges have been oxidized, but it’s VERY light.

To me, this tea tastes fresh, sweet, and grows increasingly “green” as my steeping times increase. It reminds me more of a pan-fired Chinese tea more so than a kelp-y Japanese green, but it’s got a certain vegetal aftertaste that I just can’t get out of my head! While I’m accustomed to Taiwanese oolongs being far less roasted and malty tasting (in comparison to Chinese teas), this one really surprised me with its bright flavors and floral notes and honey-like sweetness that shine early on at high temperatures.

In summation: I’m very impressed with the flavors and drinkability of this inexpensive ($5 for 25g) oolong. When I was on vacation, I tossed a handful of these oolong “pearls” into a ceramic cup and poured boiling water over them — the tea turned out great! My only suggestion would be to use about a 1-1.25:1 ratio in your gaiwan or pot (4-5g for 100ml of water); as a little extra leaf seems to really enhance the bouquet of sweetness. Would definitely order again!

Every time that I’ve peeked into my tea cabinet this year, Peets’ Ancient Trees Pu-erh has stared right back at me. I purchased a tin way back in January with a christmas gift card, and have been saving it for a special occasion; assuming that there were two 50g tuo chas inside. As it turns out, there’s somewhere around 20 single-pot tuo chas inside! I had no excuse to avoid this tea any longer.

I popped one of the ~4g tuo cha in my 100ml gaiwan and started with a lower temperature (180*) rinse for 20s to help clean and open the leaves. Afterwards, I used ~195* water for 30 seconds, and strained it into my litlte gong-fu pitcher. Here’s where the fun really began.

This shu (I’m assuming?) pu’er comes from “organic, ancient trees,” and for a small tuo cha, it does have a fair amount of distinguishable leaves by the third or fourth infusion. It does, however, make for a perfect introduction to the flavors found in the thick, robust world of pu’er.

From the outset, I can’t help but notice the slightly floral flavor of rose hips that slowly gives way to the classic smoky earthiness of ripened pu’er. As I increase each steep by 15 seconds or so, the color shifts from a light pink, to chocolate brown, to an opaque black brew that’s almost indistinguishable from a good cup of coffee. After 6 solid steeps, it began to slowly fade away for another 4-5 infusions or so; never really straying far from its initial flavor.

Peet’s “Ancient Trees” Pu’er might not be all that exciting for knowledgeable pu’er fans, but it’s a very nice introduction to the smoky, spicy flavors found in the world of pu’er. If you don’t care for it at first, give it a couple months to mellow out and come back to it later on. I think I might take it out of the tin and pop it into a little cotton bag I have to give it a little room to breathe.

No notes yet.

Boy, am I glad I gave this tea another chance!

I received a generous sample of O-Cha’s Otsuusan from my fellow Green Tea enthusiast Shiobicha, and brewed it up according to my normal parameters a couple weeks back (2 tbsp/155*/1.5mins, first steeping). It came out overwhelmingly sweet and soapy through all three steepings, and I couldn’t even bring myself to finish my iced; diluted final steeping.

Today I was thinking of cracking open something new, but remembered I had samples to work through first. I added two level tbsp to my 10oz kyusu and let my 165* water steep for a little over two minutes. Much to my surprise, the “soapy” taste was almost nowhere to be found in this rich, forest green cup of tea.

The next two steepings (~180 for 2.5 minutes, and boiled thereafter) were rich and tasty — I used a full 10oz for my final steeping, and was still able to get a nice vegetal sweetness that never overwhelmed me in the way my first experience did. Not sure if I’d necessarily buy it, but it’s a fun blend if you don’t mind working to get it right!

What an awesome and interesting green!

I’m not too familiar with Chinese greens aside from the bagged and the basic (bi lo chun, dragonwell, gunpowder), but this tea was so curious I had to log it. I got a small sample from Far Leaves the last time I stopped in for some oolongs, and finally got around to giving it a try this afternoon. I think it may have just changed my whole outlook on chinese greens!

As the description suggests, this tea starts off surprisingly “kelpy” and vegetal; but with a surprising buttery sweetness that caught be completely off guard. The first few sips were so smooth and soft on the tongue, I thought someone had sprinkled some karigane in my cup!

After the first few buttery infusions, the tea slowly shifts into a darker-colored (yet light and grassy tasting) brew that tastes more like the Chinese greens that I’m used to. It’s a curious little tea — I just might have to give it a try again!

No notes yet.

Made my first trip out to the Far Leaves Tea store the other day, and I immediately fell in love with the simple surroundings and all the delicious teas that I tried. After enjoying an awesome pot of Bi Lo Chun at my table, I asked to sample some Taiwanese oolongs in hopes of getting a better idea of what I like in an oolong. The owner, Donna, asked me if I’d like to try one of her all-time favorites that she had just hand-selected and flown over from Taiwan. How could I refuse? After two sips, I was completely sold on the Dong Ding — she packed me an (overflowing) tin, and I’ve been enjoying it ever since.

I don’t possess the palate (nor the adjective set!) to accurately describe the intricacies of 7+ tiny cups of tea, but what I can tell you from my various cups over the last two days is that this particular Dong Ding has an INCREDIBLE floral aroma that I simply cannot get out of my head. Every sip and sniff of this tea just explodes with the sweet scent of blossoming Gardenias, while the flavor slowly transitions from sweet and soft; to astringent and “full.” It takes about three infusions for the leaves to fully open up, but it’s fun watching and tasting the tea as it deepens in color and flavor over the next ~4 infusions.

I’ve been using the directed amount of rolled leaf in a “normal-sized” gaiwan (about 1tsp/~70ml of slightly cooled water), but I haven’t been very precise with my timings or temperatures — I’m still new to gaiwans and gong-fu, so I’m taking it a cup at a time. I do have to admit that I have been enjoying a break from all the fuss I normally make preparing greens.. :)

I’m off to bed now, but I have a feeling I’ll be thinking about this tea until my next cup.

I’ve been enjoying my Kiri no Mori matcha for the last couple months iced, hot, and mixed together with powdered sencha (not bad!), but after receiving my first chawan as a birthday gift from my wonderful fiancée, I finally had an excuse to get a chasen and do things right. I rushed out and picked up a cheap 80-prong whisk to practice with, and I can finally say it’s worth every penny.

I’m just “OK” at mixing up my matcha, but my fiancée is amazing at getting a delicious, thick froth with the Kiri no Mori. I add two sifted scoops of matcha and about 2-4oz of water to my preheated chawan, and she uses her magic touch to feverishly whisk up a tasty froth. I’m a little paranoid of scratching up the bottom of my chawan (even though I soak my chasen beforehand), but she has no problem saying just above the bottom of the bowl to get the perfect foam. It’s similar to the brew I previously concocted with a milk frother/whisk, but MUCH creamier and more uniform — there’s just something special about sipping on seafoam!

So far, I’m incredibly pleased with the Kiri no Mori. Its taste and aroma are somewhat mild, but I love the way it retains its mellow sweetness in any preparation. It really is a wonderful beginner’s matcha.

No notes yet.

I reviewed this tea a month or so ago, but I’ve still been trying to get it to stand out past the third steeping. This time, I used a small (~100ml) banko houhin with a heaping tablespoon of leaf to help try and stretch it across 4 or 5 steepings.

First (140*/ 120 secs): What a rush of flavor! As I take the first sip, I’m smacked in the mouth with vegetal sweetness and a soft mouthfeel that sticks around while you’re waiting for the next cup to brew. Since it’s lightly steamed, the color is far more yellow than green. A fun, balanced cup.

Second (165*/ 90 secs): As the tea transitions from a greenish yellow to a more grassy green, the astringency starts to show. Sadly, that also means the flavor is starting to wane, but it still has that freshness and plum-y afternotes that seems to be typical of Shizuoka shincha this year. A little bitter towards the end, but that usually comes out more in the next infusions…

Third: (185/ 120 secs): A pale, bitter yellow brew. I get hints of spinach and plum, but on a whole, it tastes like all the “good stuff” has already been sucked out of this tea. I know that Banko pottery tends to mellow out stronger teas, but I’m hardly getting anything out of this infusion.

Fourth (Boiled): So it goes.

I had high expectations for this tea in my houhin, but it seems like I’ve still yet to nail the perfect brewing parameters. The first two cups are some of the best I’ve had, but it falls utterly flat afterwards — I’d have to give the nod to the Houryoku in my shincha taste tests!

O-Cha’s Chiran Sencha (which I’m drinking here in Shincha form) is a deep steamed Fukamushi tea that’s made of fresh leaves from the Yutaka Midori bush. It’s an easy brewer that tastes great extra-strong, but for this review I did a “proper” brew of 4g to 4oz water in my tiny Banko houhin.

First (155*/ 90 secs): Bold aroma — I just love how fragrant and flavorful this tea is from the get-go! I taste a tiny bit of bitterness up front, but it finishes so sweet and softly, it’s hardly even noticeable until the cup cools. Even better is it’s slightly fruity, mostly umami aftertaste that really comes out nicely at lower temperatures.

Second (175*/ 60 secs): What a beautiful cup! The second infusion of this sencha is a deep, enchanting jade that is a joy to behold. The taste holds up great, too — mellow, vegetal, and a more astringent than the first cup. Oddly enough, I taste less bitterness and more fruity notes this time around. Hmm!

Third (185*/ 90 secs): I used a little less water for this infusion, and the higher temperature/low water ratio seems to have brought the bitterness out. Still, even though it’s a thicker brew than the other cups, it still has good flavor for a third steeping. I love how much “good stuff” you can extract from a nice Fukamushi!

Fourth (Boiled/ Until I got thirsty): Surprisingly good! I went ahead and iced this one (as I usually do with my last infusion), and stayed very “green” despite being watered down. I think I’d really enjoy a liter of this iced.

In summation, O-Cha’s Chiran sencha is a killer tea for the price. Not only does it have a great balance of vegetal flavors, a building bitterness, and a hint of sweetness that comes out nicely at lower temperatures, but it holds up well to stronger brewing ratios (2:1) and multiple infusions. Would definitely buy again!

No notes yet.

I’ve been drinking Den’s Tencha-Kuki Houjicha before bed (or whenever I need to unwind) for the last couple weeks now, and I’ve grown incredibly fond of its subtle brew. Unlike Den’s traditional Kuki Houjicha — which has a darker, more robust roast — the Tencha Kuki Houjicha is lightly roasted and produces a more delicate, golden liquor.

Other reviewers on Steepster have mentioned the natural honey-like sweetness of these stems, and I have to agree. It still has that vegetal, “fresh green beans” taste that I remember from the green kukicha, but it’s much more “woodsy” thanks to the light roasting these stems undergo. Out of all the “green” teas I’ve tasted, this is probably the most “white.”

On the package for this tea, it comes with a single suggestion: “Brew casually.” After trying various states of boiling water and different leaf ratios, I have to agree. Throw a couple scoops of tea in your pot and add some boiling water — I’ve yet to mess this one up. It might not knock you off your feet at first, but there’s something immediately soothing about the Tencha-Kuki Houjicha