1237 Tasting Notes
Back from Hawaii. Only got to two tea plantations. But it was still a wonderful time. Gorgeous Leaf. Lots of silver buds. Some lime green and evergreen mixing in with the slight browns and other hues of green. Aroma of dried leaves (anyone reading this who is not a tea drinker will roll their eyes at this but it does indeed remind me of dried leaves in fall), a bit of chocolate and cream. The taste is mainly farm. Wet hay. Dry hay. A mix of both. Nut milk.
Generally I tend to avoid tea bags but I just wanted a super simple cup this morning. And being that we are in a hotel they had a tea bag. I was glad to see Harney instead of the usual ugly choices they give. I quite enjoy Chinese Keemuns. Creaminess mixed with woodiness to top off thus first not raining, not super windy morning on the Big Island. But you just gotta go with the flow. Enjoy every moment. It’s even more enjoyable with a nice cup of tea
Having a collapsible travel kettle has been incredibly helpful. Wish I had discovered these sooner. The dry leaf is a nice mineral and floral. The infusing leaf has notes of wet rocks, The wet leaf leaves an interesting sweet note in your mouth. The leaf has unwound nicely. But still has a bit of way to go. On the third or fourth infusion now the flavor has remained fairly constant. Mineral and floral.
Aloha. Mac nut honey and poi toast for breakfast. Without knowing what I was drinking (this is a sample so there are few things on the package). Very visibly a dragonwell/longjing when I opened the packet. The dry aroma is oh so nice! A bit of vegetal notes here, some cream there, and stone fruits all around. Steamed peas. Adzuki beans A bit of astringey but nothing too mouth-numbing. The kids have awakened so it is time to go.
OH boy. There is that telltale pu erh fishiness. The dry aroma isn’t heavy or off-putting with it but just enough to have my hair stand a bit. Lots of different leaf in this sample. Single leaves, short leaves, really long leaves, silver hairy buds. Bud, first, and second pluck. Fascinating. After the rinse the wet leaves have lost the fishy altogether there was a bit of Big Island orange and star fruit and old beach wood. Flavor is resin to begin and remains that way with the first infusion. Pu erh, like many teas, really needs a deep dive to develop a palate for it. The aftertaste is very nice vanilla and tropical fruits, custard. The astringency is strong with this one is left unchecked. Whoa.
This is a great tea to start the morning. A bit of briskness and a nice touch of astringency, all come together nicely with this beautiful leaf. Long leaves tightly twisted with fuzzy golden buds. This leaf is just gorgeous. The wet leaf reminds me of dark chocolate and raisin bread. Maybe a mixture of both. The flavor is very similar to the aroma with cocoa and bitter chocolate notes also a bit of malt, and some lacquered wood. The mouthfeel, as I mentioned earlier is a bit astringent but mostly it is smooth. The astringency just helps to add some depth. My first brew was bitter with a slightly overwhelming astringency. I had my dad try it first and when I tried it I felt bad that the first experience was so off, luckily the second was better. He said he still prefers coffee though… I’ll keep trying.
Reason number 3 that it is important to inspect your tea leaves: Bugs. It is good to push around the leaf with your finger to discover all the secrets of the leaf. To find the small, the big, the few fuzzies, and whatever gifts come with. I can’t quite call this a gift, but at least he was nicely toasted.
Dry aroma: Coffee toffee, roasty, toasted pomelo, coffee husk.
Dry leaf appearance: twisted slightly, dark chocolate brown.
Flavor: Roasty, charcoal, toffee a bit burnt, slight plum/pomelo, minerality (more so with the following infusions)
Wet Leaf: Dried plum, Slight cherry-rubbed wood.
Wet, infusing leaf: Uh… latex paint? O_o Yeah. Definitely latex paint. That was the third infusion. I forgot to smell the previous.
So funny not funny story. I found out that I am one of those people who can’t stand to look at lotus seeds. Actually even saying the name kinda gives me an icky feeling. My randomness comes from the fact that it says lotus seed on the package so I was about to look up what the taste descriptors of that is but I really do not want to have that image stuck in my.
Dragonwell / Longjing are not as fussy as Japanese teas but they still require some research to bring out their best. I’m starting with water at 170 F. I know it can take higher than that but I’ve already burned my mouth a few times this week… What I really need is more patience.
Dry aroma is very vegetal. Split peas soup. Overcooked peas. Slight hay.
Hay, a bit of stone fruit (mango),
Flavor is a bit of stone fruit here, some hay there, tossed around with a pile of composting leaves, and cooked peas.
There is a bit of astringency when it is left to steep too long. Overall, this is a nice dragonwell. I have had better but I do also wonder if maybe this one has just had too long of a sit time.
The cardamom is strong with this one. I don’t hate it but I find it to be a flavor that reallly need to be balanced well. Like cilantro. Of course, cilantro also tastes like soap to me so… Ew cilantro tea…. gag. Anyway, this one is… okay. the rooibos is a bit subdued and I’m not really sure I like the addition of the cocoa nibs. But ultimately it’s the cardamom that keeps winding all the flavors back to it.
Ooo, that’s a nice aroma. Sweet and chai spicy. Also using this one for apple chips beyond what I am drinking.
Oh man, that licorice root is out to get you and it does. It’s a big can of whoopie. I really think they should either tone down the licorice root by at least half or take it out altogether. It is an interesting flavor addition but way too overpowering. It is soft on the palate with hints of spices and bits of black tea but that licorice root is just a bully.
