Payton

Very buttery with a full mouthfeel that the Panan Supreme (which is also fantastic) just doesn’t have. The aroma is a heavenly combination of stone fruits. First and second infusions were great, but it went downhill quickly after that. It’s possible that the third infusion just needed hotter water or a much longer time; I’ll experiment in the future.

I know why they call this “milk tea”. It has a creamy texture that I usually associate with a high-quality Korean green or Anji Baicha, but with the fruity taste of a first-class rolled spring Oolong. Nice and sweet with very little dryness. The wet leaves have a more robust aroma than the liqueur: more like a deeply aromatic plum.

Toasty first infusion. Not as dry on the tongue as the darkness of the leaves would have me expect. In fact, I detect some sweetness much like the underlying taste of Feng Huang Dan Cong, but it’s a little rounder and smoother. The second infusion increases the sweetness and refreshing quality of the tea.

The taste of sweet pine. An indescribable nuttiness. A one-minute infusion is enough, but I’ve tried up to ten minutes (!!) and the flavor is still there, sweet and not astringent at all. Stronger, of course, but you can easily get 3-6 infusions from these wild leaves.

A really amazing tea. I can’t like it enough.

First infusion (85 degrees C/1 minute):
I sensed definite asparagus and artichoke notes with a light celery flavor. Very pure tasting without any hidden flavor to detect, but not blunt or boring at all. Aroma of freshly cut asparagus. The word that comes to mind is very “green”.

Second Infusion (85 degrees C/1 minute):
The sweet mouth taste of celery, with a creaminess and the aroma of brown sugar-roasted veggies. The flavor was really buttery with almost a salty butter flavor.

Third Infusion (88 degrees C/2 minutes):
This was more subtle, but still rich and actually more creamy with the vegetal asparagus taste pervading more.

Fourth Infusion(88 degrees C/2 minutes):
Lighter, but more like a 2nd infusion of most Chinese greens I’ve had, with nearly the same sweetness as the first infusion. Less vegetal for certain.

Fifth Infusion (88 degrees/2.5 minutes):
Very light, but still holding on with more of a Meng Ding vegetal top and the body of a Yin Zhen.

Somewhat brisk and drying for a green, the liqueur has a notable sweet undertone likely from wok-firing. Not a long taste and without a lot of unique character. I’ve tried infusing this in many ways, and the best I’ve been able to find is a quick infusion with moderate temperature water.

It’s such an experience drinking a tea that’s so old. The aroma of the wet leaves was like a delicious piece of fresh toast. The first infusion was somewhat flowery and fruity, but a little light; I think that it just needed a longer time as I had only infused it for 1.5 minutes. The second cup, though, (at 2 minutes) was outstanding: floral and sweet, but with deep roasted tones. It reminded me of a full-bodied peach. The sweetness did not linger, but was replaced by a not-unpleasant chalky texture on the front of the tongue that lasted for some time. The third infusion had a little more sweetness and a little less body, and the roasted undertone became more subdued. By the fourth, the interesting chalky texture had gone and the flavor really began to remind me of a pleasant unroasted Tung Ting or a Tie Guan Yin. A fascinating tea.

Liqueur is sweet with a light but smooth body. A flavor of steamed broccoli and lightly grilled sweet leeks or Brussels sprouts. Aftertaste is a little creamy with a hint of cashew nut. Wet leaves have the aroma of spring rain on grass and asparagus. Wet leaves after second infusion smell of candy and sweet peaches. The liqueur, in contrast, becomes more rounded and asparagus-like. The third infusion departs from the sweet and leaves a simpler light vegetal flavor with a hint of dryness in the aftertaste.

Buttery and somewhat flowery liqueur with a nutty aroma reminiscent of freshly shelled walnuts. A little blunt in the mouth but the high notes are worth it if you stop to appreciate them.

Probably my favorite Earl Grey, the St. Dalfour has a fruity, flowery taste that I find incredibly comforting. Those jam-makers know how to flavor a black tea. It’s much lighter than other Earls, and not as harsh on the palette. The bergamot is a summer breeze in the cup: not nearly as strong as I usually prefer my bergamot flavor, but somehow just as pleasant. Note that the subtle nuances of this tea seem to dissipate quickly in storage. Best to consume quickly.

No notes yet.

Just the right tea for a quiet foggy morning. Light enough not to disrupt the calm or fill your mouth with flavors like Bai Mu Dan might, Yin Zhen’s calming influence comes more from the aroma in the mouth than from the flavor on the tongue.

The most amazing smoky aroma, but what has never ceased to amaze me is the smooth and actually not smoky taste. This is really good for settling the stomach after a big meal. My friends often brew this stronger, but I like an almost gong-fu style infusion for its lightness.

Creamy and light, in a very comforting and calming way. I really sense fresh strawberries in the taste.

A comforting infusion with a characteristic taste of freshly steamed asparagus. The wet leaves really strongly represent this aroma, while the infusion itself contains it as a light touch. Also a little creamy, this cup will enliven the senses like a Japanese green, but with a very different vegetal taste.

Lightly sweet, with a comforting fruity finish and a soft, but not creamy, mouth feel. The flavor is like sweet corn. This year’s pick is starting to lose some of its staying power; the second infusion (at least at my time and temp) is drier than I would prefer and the floral aroma is mostly gone.

A very light, almost green, oolong; which is probably what makes it one of my favorites. Still, care must be taken when infusing this tea. There are many ways to make a good cup; I prefer 85-90 degrees for a minute fifteen after quickly washing the leaves first. Sweet and a little flowery in taste, the golden infusion makes a good session oolong. Not as heady as Tung Ting or as grounding as the roasted oolongs, nor as creamy as a true green, Bao Zhong (or Pao Chung) is more of a weekly tea for me.

Sipping this tea is like walking in to a comforting old library. It has a very slightly salty taste with mushroom notes. We were accidentally given cooler water for the first few infusions and I think it gave a better flavor than the usual boiling water.

A buttery sweet taste with a simple flowery aroma that lingers in the mouth and nose. Brewed in a zhong, I managed 4 great infusions before I had to leave the teahouse, so it’s also a tea that has a lasting quality. The flavor reminded me of a wonderful infusion of Nok Cha.

The tightly curled, dark green leaves produce the most amazing first infusion of this tea. Its aroma is of honey, molasses, or milk chocolate. The texture is creamy and soft as silk. I even picked up the milk chocolate flavor in the flavor, despite it being a light green tea. Two infusions pretty much take all this leaf has to offer, but I can’t get enough of it.

If you’re craving a sweet tea-flavored beverage but not in the frame of mind for a bowl of Matcha, this is definitely what you should drink. The steaming mug full of a creamy rich green soy milk is, I feel, kin to one of those chai tea lattes you might find in coffee shops around the country, although certainly with a Japanese twist. Great for a cold day when you need more than hot water to warm your body.

I’ve tried a lot of Earl Greys and this one is a reasonable pick. Just the right black tea astringency and an uplifting flavor with just a little bit of sweetener and (for my taste) no milk. I’m a big fan of bergamot and so a shorter infusion allows the citrus flavors to remain apparent over the black tea. If you’re ordering this tea prepared, you may want to request a shorter infusion unless you’re more of a fan of drinking Earl Grey as a dark brew with milk and sugar.

Makes a wonderfully floral and comforting first and second infusion. The aroma of the dry and wet leaf really is like fresh flowers. Much closer to a green tea in terms of oxidation than most Oolongs and therefore will be better appreciated by those who favor greens or who are looking to move into the territory of green tea from blacks and oolongs.