New Tasting Notes

95

This is one hell of a tea. No wonder it’s TeaVivre’s highest rated so far.

I’ve received a free sample of this tea, thank you TeaVivre.

I’m pretty much into black teas, 60-70% of the time, it’s black. That’s why I ordered all three grades of Keemun and I’m going to order this one as well. It’s packed in foil, 5 gr each, which is great.

Leaves are longer than average, with a decent amount of buds. Upon opening one pack I used a half of it with 150 ml water on 85 C and brewed it three times, starting with 2 minutes and increasing by one for the rest.

First sip was amazing – lingering caramel and smooth touch, made me remember of my first sip of Dian Hong and Jin Jun Mei. It’s somewhere between those two.
While drinking second infusion I got a really hot feeling in my stomach, like Qi in Dantian… superb!

I’m definitely sparing my rest three packs for special occasions, until I order some.

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C

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drank Jumpy Monkey by DAVIDsTEA
48 tasting notes

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100

I have to thank Teavivre for this very generous sample! I asked for this tea specifically and I’m so glad I did! The dry leaves are beautiful and fragrant. Today I’ve been mostly sleeping as I guess I am coming down with something; so I’m pretty lucky to even be awake for this!
The liquor is so fresh! It does have that kind of Botan candy flavor, some vegetal sides, some fruit (easily peachy) and just is wonderful. This was my first experience with milk oolong and I think it has risen to the #1 spot! :) I’m very impressed by this tea’s ability with flavor. It really stands out and is not weak at all.
I could easily see myself recommending this to oolong lovers and new commers to more traditional teas alike; excellent!
edit I’m now on my 3rd infusion of this tea. The flavor on this is very long lasting. I did this infusion at boiling/2min and it’s still very robust and I am going to keep going! I’m noticing that this tea is especially fruity alongside the milky-ness. This adds a lot to the flavor profile. love
final opinion: after 5 infusions (semi Western style here) at 2-3min/boiling/extra leaf 7oz ceramic teapot
Very solid, almost sweet, peachy, milky awesomeness! This also has HUGE leaves!

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drank Jardin Sauvage by Lupicia
985 tasting notes

Tea of the evening…..

And tea #6 out of my 2012 Lucky Bag……. This is nice and fruity. I seem to really like Lupicia’s fruit flavored teas. This one has tropical fruit notes on a light green rooibos base. I definitely like green rooibos better than red, and I think this will make a lovely iced tea in the summer. Oh, the summer….how far away you seem today! Probably not a tea I would have ordered, and I am not likely to reorder, but I will enjoy it.

Usual mug method with an 8 minute steep.

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more
TeaBrat

It does make a great iced tea!

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75
drank Ripe Mango Oolong by Lupicia
2816 tasting notes

This one I have had for too long and it really needs to go, so I brewed some up in my handy little Lupicia cooler. I’m having some hot now and the rest is going into the fridge so I’ll have an iced tea tomorrow!

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100
drank Goji Pop by DAVIDsTEA
237 tasting notes

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100
drank Goji Pop by DAVIDsTEA
237 tasting notes

The most wonderfully refreshing sweet tea.No overwhelming sweetness or tartness.Crisp and light and yet utterly fulfilling for my perpetual sweet tooth.Perfect hot or cold.Completely addictive.

Preparation
7 min, 0 sec

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90
drank Ume Vert by Lupicia
2816 tasting notes

hmm. I am a little confused by the description on Lupicia’s website as I got a tea called Ume Vert from their store that claims it is a white and green tea blend that is flavored with apricots and the website says it is flavored with plums so obviously I am going to review the tea that I have.

I really like this one, it just sounded so light and delicious from the description on the bag. They claim you can use boiling water but I was a bit skeptical so I steeped this for around 3 minutes @ approx 175 F.

this is a flavored tea but the apricot flavor is very subtle and the white tea flavor really comes through. Oddly I am getting more white tea flavor than green. This will be a great tea for the springtime and would also be very good as an iced tea.

Verdict: yum!

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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85

Thank you to TeaEqualsBliss for sending me some of this Matcha.

I’ve had better, and I’ve had worse, but for the price it’s a really good Matcha. Not a lot of froth but it manages to stay mixed and doesn’t settle to the bottom of the chawan, which is nice. It also doesn’t have that chalky texture or taste even in the aftertaste. This is also a bit sweeter than some Matcha I’ve tasted, with less of the bittersweet element that I sometimes detect. Overall, a very good Matcha, I enjoyed it. (That’s the thing with Matcha, it disappears way too fast!)

ScottTeaMan

Liber…….how much water to matcha do you use? I’ve probably used too much water in the past and not gotten the bright green froth. Most vids Ive watched seem to say two full bamboo scoops for 4-6 oz of water. Even though I used more H2O, and didn’t get the froth, It was still bitter & chalky. ‘Whisk briskly and try not to let the whisk brush the bottom of the bowl!’…….so “they” say. :))

ScottTeaMan

What matcha do you recommend??

LiberTEAS

This one won’t have the bright green froth, because it isn’t a really bright green color. I don’t really measure, I use my chashaku and scoop out 4 scoops (sometimes five … I kind of eyeball it) and sift it through my sifter. Then I keep adding little bits of hot water while whisking until it looks right. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help there.

As far as the best Matcha I’ve tasted, that would be Aiya’s Ceremonial Grade Matcha.

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100

When I originally bought this tea I got 4 ounces. I froze 2 ounces to keep it fresh. I used up the first 2 ounces so it was time to remove the other 2 from the freezer. I left the bag outside to slowly adjust the tea to room temperature. But not before I wanted to cold brew the frozen tea leaves. After 24 hours in the fridge, the result is nothing short of sublime. It tastes so fresh and delicious. You know the flavor profile by now, it seems amplified. Nirvana….

Spoonvonstup

Yum! I am jealous. I only have four little 7 gram packets left of spring 2011.

Charles Thomas Draper

Something told me to buy a nice amount….

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91

TeaVivre provided me with a free sample of this tea. Thank you.

I’ve drank this few days ago, but forgot to write a note. I wanted my impressions settled, but if you look the other way, I just might be lazy at the moment. Anyways, let’s get started.

I received the package early-early to mid January that I ordered in mid December, and since it was my first time (to order from TeaVivre) I was so excited when I got a cardboard box. I got my four teas that I ordered (three grades of Keemun and 50 gr. of Organic Bai MuDan), plus three free samples. All teas were double packed, except this one. When I opened the sachet and stuck my nose into it and inhaled deeply (hey, don’t get the wrong idea) – it was amazing, earthy, dried plum-like, mellow scent awarded my months’ wait.

I waited for an opportunity to drink it with my girlfriend that has a knack to pinpoint an aroma. She doesn’t drink tea often, but when she does she can Identify numerous tastes and aromas.
So she came over for the weekend and I popped one Pu Erh ‘cookie’ (that’s how I call them) of my tea board, and she was like – does that smell like fish too? (We drank some Pu Erh not long ago and it had a smell of fish market) She was OK with it so I washed the tea and brewed 1st infusion…

1st infusion – 100 C – 150 ml – 10 s

First infusion was clear with violet-ish hue, had a mellow and light taste and seemed quite natural. Since it wasn’t as earthy as I used to I thought that water didn’t penetrate enough, so I added 10 seconds more…

2nd infusion – 100 C – 150 ml – 20s

And that’s how you get an espresso-like Pu Erh infusion, that was significantly darker, far from dark red hue that was expected. We drank it, it was quite delicious but a bit strong for my taste, buy I made a mistake, so blame it on me.
Some new notes came up, nutty, but my girlfriend pinpointed it to the sensation when you eat too much walnuts (how does she do that??). It was a bit bitter, but the good kind and we emptied our cups.

3rd infusion – 100 C – 150 ml – 15 s

This infusion yielded a more pleasing taste for my palate, if not the best for the session. It had all characteristics of previous infusion, only tuned to my enjoyment area. After we drank this one my girlfriend called it a night, and I went on brewing some more.

4th infusion – 100 C – 150 ml – 20 s

I enjoyed that one too, but I noticed that taste is starting to fade – which made me to think that I lost a good deal of it in 2nd infusion. After that one I made it to 7 or 8 in total, increasing for 15s, 20s … up to 2 minutes.

In conclusion, this is the best mini Tuo Cha I had a chance to sip.

(The awkward, funny part)
Tomorrow morning girlfriend said that I scared the hell out of her when I woke up in the middle of night and jumped, talking something about this tea. I guess I felt regrets for that 2nd infusion that it made up to my subconsciousness :)

Preparation
Boiling

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93

Just moved back into my dorm, and I’m in need of some caffeine. I accidentally oversteeped the first infusion while getting my laptop set up again, but everything turned out alright. I was using relatively cold water (65 degrees centigrade), so it didn’t turn out too astringent. The aroma reminds me of freshly cut grass and asparagus. The taste of the tea was also superb, with delightfully sweet grass and vegetables being very prominent.

The second infusion was done as a flash steeping, which has previously resulted in very good tea. This was no exception, as the tea had a delightful light green color and a sweet, yet subdued, grassy aroma. The Tea was a bit milder in that the grassy flavor has become subdued, yet the sweet vegetable flavors still remain.

The third infusion was steeped for 45 seconds to try and get some more flavor out of it. The resulting tea was the same color as the previous infusion, but the aroma had faded further. The taste of the tea was very mild, bordering on generic. Sure, it retained its sweetness, but the vegetable flavors were starting to become indistinct. It’s still a very good tea, and is well above average as far as senchas go, but I think that I will only get one more infusion out of these leaves.

Preparation
150 °F / 65 °C 4 min, 0 sec
TeaBrat

This sounds great!

Joshua Smith

It’s a lot better than some of my asamushi senchas. The only problem I’ve had was that it got held up in customs for a week, so it didn’t arrive in time for Christmas.

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90

My early evening tea: If you can remember I forgot about this one the other day and I steeped it for a half-hour and it was still nice. Tonight I paid attention. Lovely fragrance and a soft delicious liquor. I am tasting honey and caramel. I never time anything so I am assuming it was around 4 minutes. I used the remainder of the sample bag which probably a bit over a teaspoon. This is not your typical black tea. I am actually getting very relaxed. Not a bad thing after this mornings Sheng. This is something I would definitely buy….

Preparation
4 min, 0 sec
TeaBrat

Interesting – I was curious about this one!

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88

I gotta cut back on caffeine later in the day – doctor’s orders! So I grabbed a couple of these from my mom. This is a decent find – for a bagged variety. I taste a spicy vanilla flavor. It’s smooth and bold, but not as peppy – which is good. I wouldn’t recommend first thing in the AM when you need your heart pumping but as a mid-afternoon wind-down, opt for this one.

TeaBrat

Ah – I know the feeling!

gmathis

Bigelow has long been my go-to for a decent bagged tea. Don’t think I’ve ever had anything (taking personal flavor dislikes into account) that wasn’t good.

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drank Long Life Oolong by DAVIDsTEA
144 tasting notes

I know nothing about oolongs. There was much guesswork done here. It was not a total failure!

1st steep – 2 minutes: It smells very peachy and a little nutty. It actually smells basically just like the dry leaves. The taste is a little weak, I think next time I’m going to do a longer steep or add more tea (this time I used 1.5tsp/12oz). It’s a little mouth drying but tastes peachy and nice and smooth.

2nd steep – 3 minutes 30 seconds: I think this would be a good studying tea. Still quite peachy but I would like it to be more full-bodied. Much less drying this time.

3rd steep – 5 minutes: Weeeaaak! Definitely using more tea next time.

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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94
drank Yunnan Noir by Adagio Teas
226 tasting notes

Hmmm… I seem to have had this tea before. Very chocolatey, hints of cream way down in the flavor, full-bodied… but I couldn’t put my finger on it until my fiancé smelled it. He took one or two whiffs and then said, “Be right back.” He came back with his tin of Teavana’s Copper Knot Hongcha… and we both agreed that they must be either the exact same tea or extremely similar.

So, folks, if you, like my fiancé and I, LOVE Teavana’s Copper Knot Hongcha, you will love this tea. :) It is good for up to about five steeps, and the leaves just keep getting bigger and bigger and bigger. I love how relaxing it is, and I love how there’s not a drop of astringency, even in the first steep. An AWESOME morning tea!

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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73
drank Date Nut Muffin Rooibos by 52teas
226 tasting notes

So I decided to give this one a second try, but this time I blended it with Teavana’s Rooibos Peach Bloom. I figured that the peach cobbler-y-ness of Teavana’s tea would go well with the muffin-y-ness of this tea. I mixed them in equal parts, 1 tsp. each.

Well… hmm. How do I say this? Between the smell and the taste, I really didn’t get much of the Rooibos Peach Bloom, so I wouldn’t call it a successful blend… but somehow, the result was all right nonetheless. I’ll be tinkering with these two teas in the future, because I did like the overall outcome.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 15 sec

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20
drank Cookie by Lupicia
154 tasting notes

I recently tried “Cookie” and hated it. The acidity got to me–not something to drink on an empty stomach. The package did say that it’s “great for milk tea”, so I guess that’s what it was meant for.

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34
drank Paradise Green by Lupicia
154 tasting notes

I tried “Paradise” and I wasn’t a fan. I need strong, non-floral flavors in my tea. I’m a fan of oolongs and chais mostly, though I have found some green teas that I enjoy.

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91
drank Earl Green by Empire Tea Services
1719 tasting notes

I normally love this. It is still a great tea, I am just finding it a bit too flowery today. I needed a break from black tea. This has been open awhile. Still very fresh but doesn’t seem to be what I wanted. Think I was craving an unflavored green. Maybe after three or four cups I will change my mind… Yep, it worked.

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90

Backlogging from yesterday – I seem to be making a habit of this tea. Pretty cool for a tea that I almost didn’t take a second sip of. It has got me wondering, if I use cooler temps and shorter steeps, like I use on this, on blacks from other suppliers – how would I like the results. Hmmm.

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34
drank Wedding Tea by Stash Tea
154 tasting notes

I tried my Wedding Tea, since it sounded so good on the packet. It’s green tea with honeydew melon and some yerba mate. It was just okay. There wasn’t a strong enough flavor, maybe I need to double to dose?

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20
drank Rose Marzipan Delight by Teavana
154 tasting notes

Tea for today was the (now discontinued) Roze Marzipan. 1tsp tea, few kernels sugar. The tea smelled absolutely delicious, but the rose was overpowering. I could smell the marzipan, but couldn’t taste it at all. The person that sold me the tea said her favorite part of the tea was the candied lavender pieces, and that she would spend all day in the store just picking out the lavender and eating them. She gave my friend and I each a piece and took one for herself. No wonder I didn’t get any lavender in my bag! I think the candied lavender would have really helped the flavor of the tea. I’m going to try to brew this for only a few minutes (as opposed to keeping it in the tumbler), add a little more sugar (I was told the lavender would naturally sweeten the tea, but seeing as how I didn’t get any…), and decant into a regular cup. Let’s see how that works.

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