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I have probably only tried this tea once since I first ordered it. It’s been so long I can’t even remember. Here lately I’ve been revisiting old teas with a fresh perspective, hoping to find something I couldn’t see before…

For this tea I used 3tsp of leaf to 10oz of water, just under boiling. A 10-second rinse brought out heady scents of peach, honey, and lychee! I used my nose to decide when to end the first steep. It was right at two minutes, which fits my normal brewing parameters for black teas.

The initial flavor was peach accompanied by a tart, full juiciness. The sip then turned to cream…sweetness…dark honey. An intoxicating brew. Malt and caramel followed soon after. I noticed that as it cooled, it became more vegetal and grapey like a Darjeeling. It was still honey-sweet but it seemed to sit more lightly on the tongue.

The second steep was 3min 30. I got peaches and cream with a hint of floral background. The finish was slightly drying. Rich caramel-chocolate flavors stayed long after each sip. Despite the dark, heavy flavors at the end the tea was actually very mellow. It’s something I would save for an after-dinner cup.

Hmm…It’s interesting how much my tastes have changed just over the past year. I wasn’t picking up on all of the subtleties before. I’m glad I came back to this tea! And I still have a decent amount left to enjoy, too. (:

This tea is the embodiment of springtime to me. The tea liquor is pale yellow-gold. So pale as to be almost clear. It starts with a vibrant green, floral flavor, then gains the sweetness and softness of honeysuckle flowers. The finish is buttery, smooth, and marshmallow sweet. It leaves a very soft pillowy feeling behind. Absolutely lovely. It has been a while since I’ve had this tea, and it’s much sweeter and softer than I remembered.

Parameters:
2tsp / 10oz water
pre-boil
15 second rinse
1st steep – 40sec
2nd steep – 1min 10

Needed a shu to get me going this morning! I haven’t been drinking much puerh since the winter/early spring. It’s something I typically reserve for cooler weather, when I need something to warm my bones…And it usually does the trick. (: Interesting to revisit an old favorite after so long. I used 2tsp of leaf to about 10oz of boiling water, rinsing for 15 seconds first. Steep times were 35sec, 40sec, and 1min 15. Every steep was creamy, nutty, and mushroom-earthy. Each flavor had varying intensities but for the most part each steep was very similar. Notes of baked bread gained strength with every infusion.

Overall I would say Bu Lang Gong Ting makes a bold cup with light sweetness, pastry/bread notes, some fruit/berry undertones, and a strong earthiness about it. Lowering the rating a tad because it’s not very complex—it’s comfortably consistent and reliable. Not very fussy either. Nonetheless, it’s still one of my favorite shu’s.

Got this as a sample in my last Teavivre order. A fifteen second rinse made the leaves open up and release a heady, dark chocolatey fragrance. I used 4 pearls with about 10 oz of water just under boiling for 2 minutes. “Slight” flavor of chocolate…ha! The predominant flavor to me is chocolate/cocoa. It’s rich, malty and juicy, with a thick lingering sweetness. It’s not a heavy tea by any means. It’s very light on the tongue, but the flavors that stay after sipping are full and rich. Delicious…not overly complex, but very satisfying to me. I could use it as a comfort tea. I’m sad that I only have a sample of this left. (: I’d like to spend more time with this, maybe gong fu brew it over a day.

Received in a swap with BrewTEAlly Sweet forever ago!

Oh my goodness, this tea was unexpectedly delicious. I’ve never had a yabao and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I used pre-boil water and steeped for just under 2 1/2 minutes. The tea liquor is very, very pale—almost clear. The aroma is like spice and wood. A sharp smell, but very woodsy. I’m sipping right now…it’s cedar and wood on the front end with a spicy undertone. It’s fresh and clean, like air in the forest, or on a mountainside. There’s a hint of fruitiness that’s like peach or honeydew. At the end of each sip it develops a very sweet, marshmallow flavor. It coats your mouth with syrupy sweetness and it’s SO refreshing. It really packs a wallop for such a pale, modest-looking tea. It looks like it will be going strong for a while, too…if what everyone says is correct! I’m excited. I’ll definitely be sipping on this one for the rest of the day. It’s great. (:

Received as a sample in a Mandala order several months ago. It’s definitely…unique. I’m having trouble coming up with the right words. There’s a honey-like taste to it and a syrupy sweetness. A grape or muscatel flavor, as well. It tastes more like a roasted, well-oxidized oolong to me than a black tea. There are fruit notes that are difficult for me to describe…they’re similar to peach or apricot, but not quite the same. It calls to mind crunchy, sweet green fruits and vegetables. Pear? Is that it? I can’t tell. Celery? No, not quite. It’s slightly vegetal and floral. There’s an aftertaste like honey-drizzled, buttery bread. Light and spongey and sweet. It’s smooth and roasty too. I like it more than I expected to. I wish I could better explain its indescribable taste!

(From the UTTB.)

Backlog from a few days ago! Jotted down notes but never posted them. I need to stop doing that. I’ve been on Steepster for almost a year and I’ve only written 50 tasting notes, what’s up with that? I want to get to at least 100 before end of summer! I’m getting there, slowly and surely…but I digress. (:

First sip of this tea was fruity, then it morphed into something thick and malty and chocolatey sweet! Exactly like the way it smelled. It was like chocolate graham crackers. And it was very distinctly NUTTY and RICEY for me. I’ve seen very few other people comment on those flavors, so maybe I’m crazy?! It reminded me of Verdant’s LBCG so MUCH. It tasted like it had puffed rice in it. All of the sudden it had me thinking of Cocoa Pebbles and Cocoa Krispies cereal, transporting me right back into my childhood.

The second steep was smoother with less astringency, not that there was really any to begin with. A caramel-vanilla sweetness peeked in. Less fruitiness and a thinner texture. It doesn’t coat the mouth as much. The predominant flavors for me were rich chocolate and toasted rice. It was an absolutely decadent cup. Like dessert, but not. BETTER! I was going to add this one to my next WP order and trying it beforehand only affirmed it for me.

I don’t really see anything special about this tea. I’ve tried it several different ways, using water from 200F to boiling, steeping anywhere from 1-5 minutes without getting a cup I thought was really spectacular. It’s a straightforward breakfast-y tea. A little astringent, some fruitiness, some really light cocoa notes and a winey quality about it. There’s a sweetness to the aftertaste that builds slowly. I can tell that these hints of flavor are there, but it always falls flat to me. I know there are plenty of people who like it more than I do…Maybe someone else will be willing to swap or just take it off my hands?

Backlog. Received in a swap with KiwiDelight!

It’s been a little while since I had this one, so I’ve only got my notes to go by.
This was my first Jin Jun Mei. It was light, woodsy, and a little drying on the tongue. Floral and grape-y like a Darjeeling. There was a malty feeling left in my mouth after swallowing. Hints of olive oil…and a little sweetness. A very pleasant, quiet and mellow tea! Enjoyable but not something I’ll likely be reaching for in the future. (: Still good.

(From the UTTB.)

I don’t have any experience with Keemuns so I don’t have a point of reference for this one. It’s assertive on the front end, on the lighter side of malty, and it has a slight earthy quality about it. Light/medium bodied and smooth. There are some fruity floral undertones that are subtle, affecting the way the tea reads as a color to me. Bright reddish orange maybe? Much like the color of the tea liquid. It’s drying in a pleasant way that makes my mouth water. A touch of smoke and wood. There’s a thick, caramel sweet potato aftertaste that balances the other flavors nicely. The flavor is thick but the texture is not. It still maintains a bright cheerfulness. It’s quite nice.

New goal: find the perfect Keemun for me!
Gosh I need more breakfast teas. My cupboard is severely lacking. ;)