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Cameron B. drank Keemun Aromatic Snail Black Tea by Teavivre

3986 tasting notes

Home – 11:30 AM

I was really feeling like a straight black tea, so I allowed myself to select one from my pile of unopened samples. What a charming name – I’m picturing a cute little snail wearing cologne and dressed in tiny formalwear… XD

I’ve followed the parameters for this tea from Teavivre’s website. I will say that this is less tea than I would generally use for a pot, and the temperature is extremely low (185°F for a black tea). But I want to try it the recommended way at least once!

Next time I would definitely use more tea, and possibly also increase the temperature just a bit. I thought I remembered Keemun being a strong black tea with a malty and earthy taste, sort of like the Chinese answer to Assam. This is definitely not like that. This actually reminds me more of a Yunnan black tea, or even a Taiwanese black tea.

The color is quite light. There’s a lovely baked bread flavor, and the malty sweet potato that is characteristic of Yunnan. I taste a bit of caraway here as well, which always makes me think of Fujian black teas. They weren’t kidding when they called this one aromatic. It has some lovely light and sweet floral notes – I’m thinking honeysuckle. And at the end of the sip, there’s just a touch of cinnamon honey, reminding me a bit of a Taiwanese black tea.

This is an interesting one. It’s light but flavorful and has components that remind me of many different Chinese and Taiwanese black teas. I’m not sure I would choose this to stock in my cupboard though, as really it’s a bit too light for me, and I think I would rather stock a characteristic example of each variety of Chinese black tea.

I bet this would be really well-suited to gongfu preparation as well!

Flavors: Bread, Cinnamon, Floral, Honey, Honeysuckle, Malt, Smooth, Sweet, Sweet Potatoes

Preparation

185 °F / 85 °C 4 min, 0 sec 3 g 16 OZ / 473 ML

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Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron! I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, KBeauty, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January Sipdowns: 6
- Total 2024 Sipdowns: 6

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I’ll also often use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however. I also enjoy maté, rooibos, and honeybush. I love matcha and drink it often! Fruit tisanes are not a favorite, but I’m always willing to try them.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially passionfruit, mango, and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura, chamomile, and elderflower. Osmanthus is also a favorite of mine. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing