the_skua

This is a great example of what the Da-Yieh cultivar can express as a green tea. There’s lots of honey, raw nuts, and orchid florals. Not as pungent as similar oolongs, but still very expressive and juicy. I wonder if this tea is basket-fired, because it has a distinct, but fleeting, charcoal character in the back of the throat. While this is a delicious tea, in the end, it may be a bit pricey for the overall experience.

This tea is surprisingly light flavored, in my book. I’ve brewed it over a range of suggested times, amounts, and temperatures now and have generally produced very ethereal and flighty tea. It’s got some extremely delicate juicy notes, but never gets particularly rich. The buds look intensely fresh, green and high quality. Bud-only teas from Imperial Court appear to be of the highest quality and freshness. I just wished they’d throw off a slightly more flavorful tea. This tea also seems to give out a touch early. Light on the aroma.

Brewing this tea reminded me that I need to hone my pu-erh skills. The first 5s steep was very juicy, with hints of straw and strong on the pale tobaccos. The 10s, 15s, 20s steeps picked up very brisk dryness across the palate. Not bitter astringency, just parching dryness (I guess a form of astringency). The tobacco held strong. The soup was very orange. I think I need to do a better job of breaking up the cake, letting the boil rest for a breath, and using a bit less tea in my small gaiwan. More steeps over the next two days.

I’ve brewed this two times now, using two of the different suggested methods. Both produced nice tea. This is a briny gyokuro, for sure. I love the sea-fresh oyster-liquor aroma and first taste that hits hard. Really salty. The umami picks up but is immediately counterbalanced by a spinach-like, chlorophyll-heavy sweetness. It’s really balanced and really delicious. The first brew of this tea is insanely viscous. It’s like sweet kelp candy coating the tongue. Later infusions develop a grassy astringency that plays nicely with the glutamate-infused sweetness. In the very end, a whisper of tangerine rind. Stunningly complex tea.

This has got to be the lightest tea I’ve ever drunk. The first time I brewed it, following the guidelines for the tea, I could hardly believe I was drinking tea. I get very little floral quality and just a nip of pungent grassy character. Turning up the heat and increasing the time added depth, but it also added astringency. I’m not sure I’ll be pursuing too many more yellow teas. The post-steeping buds were very beautiful and fresh-looking.

This was a decent tea, with a real juicy pale fruit and floral character. I was surprised, upon inspecting the leaves, that it was such an interesting mix of very broken pieces along with intact, beautiful and fuzzy budsets. Anyway, a nice slightly above average green.

Still a solid, super-floral, lilac-heavy delight.

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A complex buttery cup. There’s overtones of chestnut, warm spinach, and some edamame. A kelpier cup than I’m used to with Chinese greens, but still very pleasant. Has an incredible, smooth velvety mouthfeel that holds.

This twisted leaf lightly oxidized oolong is decent, but not quite the lilac-blossom I expected from teas that have Jade in their name, or that are from Taiwan. It’s a solid, daily drinking tea, but it doesn’t have quite the floral punch I would like. Juicy. Otherwise, pleasant.

My first tea for La Societe. This is a solid green, with extra layers of complexity. The standard grassy, hay-like profile deepens and develops mulberry, distinct red currant tartness, and a lingering of almonds and hops. Excellent!

Last of my most recent batch. A solid, everyday drinking wuyi.

A very light, slightly vegetal cup. Refreshing, though, with lots of melon, peach, and rose blossom.

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This tastes like fruit loops and does a fantastic job of covering up the b-grade Long Jing they used as a base. If that’s what you’re looking for, hit it up.

This is a really solid, well-rounded rich black tea. I love the big leaf twist. Balanced. A perfumed woody character plays of the slight bitterness and gives a honeydew sweetness. A basic, morning black that’s very clean and delicious.

Steeped 3.9 grams in 6oz for 3:30. This is a solid cup, if a little mellow and quiet. There’s a gentle malt character and bit of fruit, but it’s somewhat generic in terms of overall expression. Otherwise, it’s really fresh, bright, and crisp, just not as complex as I had hoped. For the price, it’s a solid deal on an Organic Nilgiri. I was pleasantly surprised to find it held up for a second steep at 4:30.

On the second steep at 30s. This tea goes surprisingly green fast. It’s rather young. The Banzhang shows itself as some curt bitterness quickly. However, there’s a nice run of cedar-inflected sauna notes and a good “woodsy” character that’s fresh and migrates towards a lingonberry character.

Had a pot a Saint’s Cafe in State College, PA. A solid EG, if a little light on the bergamot for my tastes.

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This is getting brash and does not respond well to a Gaiwan style steeping.