Martin Bednář Send Message

A tea from Leafhopper — Thank you!
Took tihs one, weighted — 6.7 grams = 1 session worth. Was the pouch more full and I took some for western steeping before? I have no idea. Anyway, now it’s gone.

Wet leaf aromas brought me to the orchard with red apples on some rock hill; as it was sweet as red apples but somehow wet rocks and mineral in the same time. A little woody as well, well those are trunks and branches of the trees in the imagined orchard I suppose. Some more tropical notes as the leaves absorbed a bit more of the humidity in closed gaiwan.

From my experience I prepare dancongs with rapid first steeps, with prolonged ones later in the session.

1st steep — 10 seconds
It’s much higher in the minerality than I thought, distinctive “wet rocks” and wood, some little sweet notes of red fruits and mostly its skins. Partially “pleasantly sour”.

2nd steep — 20 seconds
Previous notes, but stronger. A lot stronger. Viscous and oily, as Togo mentions.

3rd steep — 10 seconds
Still quite mineral but fruit notes are more present noticeable. Sadly, it’s the skins of the apples, not the fruit itself yet. Aroma is lovely though, somehow woody and floral. Spring fruit trees.

4th steep — 20 seconds
Unripe apple flavour with still high minerality. It’s like biting the apple and then licking the stone. Aroma is very same to previous steep. Long mineral mouthfeel.

5th steep — 30 seconds
Finally, fruity notes are here! The minaral aftertaste remains, but sips are pleasant and fine. Also I have noticed some floral notes in this steep in flavour as well.

6st steep — 45 seconds
Drank lukewarm, still full of flavour and very similar to previous steep too. The minerality isn’t that strong anymore and thus it is much milder for stomach as well.

7th steep — 1 minute
Definitely more light wood notes are here, minerality seems to be gone; smooth and mild flavours. Sadly, also apple notes are gone.

8th steep — 2 minutes
Mellow and somehow sweet? Sweet woody taste. Weird, but that’s what I am finding out in this steep. Some astringency in the background.

9th and last — 5 minutes
I ran out of water in my thermos and tea sounds a bit finished based on the previous steep flavours, so I call it done. I don’t recall when I had 9 steeps tea last time; moreover still with flavours!
This steep was again very similar to previous one. A more astringent though, but 5 minutes steep is loooong one.

Butter biscuits were great food pairing. Rating probably is impacted by that I am not really fan of dancongs. They tend to be so mineral or too floral to me. This is no exception.

Derk well, actually I forgot about this tea and requesting getting a sample! Thank you that you saved a bit for me, worth two sessions!

This note is about gongfu steeping — 3g/125ml/90°C. Steepings as vendor suggests — 25 seconds and 5 seconds increments.
Preheated gaiwan and leaves in. No rinse. Vanilla wafers indeed are here, a little of the chocolate as well, some rose floral notes.

1st steep
Aroma of wet leaves leave me impressed with notes of vanilla wafers, citrusy notes, some florals (again the rose), some hay and meadow notes. Flavours are somehow sweet-floral, citrusy (a bit pomelo-like), meadow and hay. Expected stronger notes though, considering quite long first steep. Wafers are in flavour as a backbone for the other notes. They’re noticeable if you keep the tea in the mouth for a little while and on the tip of tongue only.

2nd steep
Requested flavour profile (yes, the wafers) is more distinctive in this steep, along with stronger meadow/floral notes. It’s quite distinctly rose-y for me, but without the peppery note. Also the vanilla filling of wafers moved towards (milk) chocolate a little bit. Long mouthfeel with some creeping astringency. End of the cup was pleasantly sweet.

3rd steep
Nice and sweet steep. Somewhere between chocolate filled wafers and meadow scent in hot summer day. As it cools down, it’s more of the florals here and some chrysanthemum flowers are here.

4th steep
It goeds into floral spectrum → noticed chrysanthemum and rose, with long mouthfeel, thick feeling and little astringency.

5th steep
Chrysanthemum notes with astringency, sadly nothing much else. Also, weirdly short mouthfeel and watery feeling compared to previous steep.

6th steep
I am afraid this tea is finished as it is just plain and astringent somehow.

Derk definitely this tea is very interesting, but sadly the unique and interesting flavours doesn’t last long. I am happy that I could try it though and who knows, once I get some tea from this area that would last longer. The remaining amount I will keep for western steeping.

I took half of the leaves I have from derk; touched them, had them in my hand… somehow fuzzy, nice looking, interesting leaves. And crushed them. It has been roughly 2-3 grams. Lots of their resinous aroma appeared along with something that resembles me juniper a little bit.

It was a bit heart-breaking as those leaves are really interesting and so nice… but probably crushing them is needed to release the flavour, aroma and good properities.

No, I am not drinking this for medicine reasons (but welcomed, as I am… again sick, I have an appointment tomorrow and we will see if I will return to the work or stay at home).

When I was drinking it, it brought me memories of Yerba Santa that derk sent me a while ago; but weaker. Somehow strong medicinal, sap, resinous, aroma with similar flavour profile. But also very thick tasting liquid, again very resinous in mouth.

Steeped for 5 minutes; and even that was… when cold, somehow bitter of tannins. Those weren’t that much present in warm cup which is interesting as the steeping was already done.

In conclusion, derk again, I have to thank you for this tea — it’s definitely something I wouldn’t try otherwise; and I somehow like to explore blends and herbs not available over here. That’s part of me, as a curious person, and I get rarely disappointed, never been poisoned, so, I am afraid that one day I get something that horrible…

If you are reading this note and want to share with me any blend… just make sure it doesn’t contain any St. John’s wort. Thank you!

A sipdown! (M: 4, Y: 24) Note #1800
A big thank you for this tea Leafhopper! It is an amazing tea and I happy I had two sessions of this tea (while I have no memory of the first one).

I preheated the gaiwan and added dry leaf — I got strong whiff of cacao, sweet notes of caramel and dark malts.
I let it absorb a bit of humidity — quick rinse with little water; and sweet notes are even more pronounced. Caramel was probably the strongest, but maybe I would rather say toffee as it is a bit creamy as well. Or it has been a chocolate syrup? I would love to native speaker to tell me.

1st steep, 15 seconds
Chocolate notes with oolong sweetness, brown sugar, baked goodies. Not so long mouthfeel, but it was short steep nevertheless.

2nd steep, 30 seconds
Stronger chocolate notes with brown sugar and baked goodies flavour. Long mouthfeel with hints of florals and barley.

3rd steep, 30 seconds
More of the brown sugar and baked goodies, in aftertaste distinctive floral notes and barley body. Long mouthfeel.

4th steep, 45 seconds
Chocolate syrup for sure in this steep with brown sugar aftertaste, sadly the baked goodies disappeared; some barley in the body and aftertaste too. Medium mouthfeel.

5th steep, 1 minute
Smooth and creamy chocolate, with brown sugar aftertaste, barley body and aftertaste. Mouthfeel again a bit shorter.

6th steep, 90 seconds
Now it’s weak in chocolate and brown sugar, rather a bit malty and woody; weak body and aftertaste — short mouthfeel as well.

Definitely it’s a wonderful tea and somehow good when you’re craving sweets. In those times it’s perfect to pick up tea, which havve requested flavour-profile, but you don’t get any calories form it! Moreover, it hydrates you. Is there something more to wish for?!

A sipdown! (M: 3, Y: 23)
It seems I have too lots of sachets and tea bags; as I was craving flavoured black today morning and I have found lots of different EGs, a load of blackcurrant + mint tea, but some tea with fruits? It seems this is only one I have there in the box.

Actually it was really fine and I am surprised I have rated it only 61. Juicy grape flavour with fullbodied black tea and some floral — rose aftertaste. Fine, to keep in cupboard when craving fruity tea. Raising rating to 70.

A sipdown! (M: 2, Y: 22)
Gongfu, 7g/125 ml, 80°C.

Rinsed leaves have a wonderful creamy aroma, with meadow flowers and somehow weird note of tomato leaves or vines.

1st steep — 30 seconds
Smooth and mellow, creamy and meadow flowers in taste… sweet nectar, but honestly quite short aftertaste in my books, considered such long first steep! That aftertaste isn’t for everyone either, they say it is chalky and woody and with the first word — chalky I have to agree. It is kind of weird.

2nd steep — 40 seconds
Second steep with some extra time brought very similar results to first one, with one exception, tea was sweeter and more nectar-like.

3rd steep — 30 seconds
Chalky aftertaste gone and now full of nectar sweetiness. Yum.

4th steep — 45 seconds
Oh, what a fade away. Previous steep was lovely and swet and now I think it’s gone — not distinctive anything.

I went through all of this tea I had in one gongfu session. Thank you derk for this wonderful tea.

Harvest April 2020. Almost 4 years old. I have it… who knows how long?
7 g/boiling/125 ml gaiwan, steeped all through my thermos, not sure about the volume?

When heated and after short rinse, fruit notes are here with some spices, nutmeg or/and cinnamon, warming and pleasant.

I made approx. 6 or 7 steeps, starting with 10/20/10 seconds nad rest were up to one minute; last one was loooong, but not measured. Approx 3 minutes I assume.

Whoa, this tea have lots of to offer. Lovely fruit notes of pears and raisins, somehow followed with forest dark honey, through sweet and exciting flavours of vanilla crescents with creamy mouthfeel.
I would not thought it is a GABA, as it doesn’t had that note I noticed in other GABA oolong in the morning — the note of umami, vegetals and powder.

Actually I couldn’t pick up any vegetal note, and it wasn’t really the darkest oolong in my experience. That’s surprising.

Definitely a nice harvest and nice tea… with high probability buying one day.

Sipdown prompt: Your most unusual tea — though not sipped down yet. Maybe I have other tea that would fit this better.

I was actually waiting to review this, last Xian Cha tea tea. To see derk’s impressions first, as I wasn’t really sure what I was noticing in this oolong. It is an oolong mixed with actual gardenia flowers and that’s why I bought it as it was somehow uncommon for me.

When I read that note, I was in visible confusion. Pineapple flavour? Like what? Where? How so? It is supposed to be heavy in florals.

I have prepared it today, western, as on their bag. That’s 3 steeps with 95°C water with following steeping times: 2, 3 and 3 minutes. I have tried it with boiling water before and it seems it kills the nuances of flavours.

I get the pinapple today, definitely and very real, juicy almost.
And it goes so well with the floral, narcotic aroma of the gardenias. It goes so well together. And that word indeed fits this tea well.

Long mouthfeel, tropical fruits with hints of green oolong notes — vegetal a bit (but definitely not too much), floral (obviously gardenia), creamy (they write it’s a milk oolong), smooth, energizing and long aftertaste here as well. Distinctive, but not in a bad way. Considering another pouch once this one finished.

I have uploaded 4 photos of their stand to my Flickr: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBdtsM

Hmm, I have been searching anything about Noni and found almost nothing related to fruit; like how it should taste or something. Plum, on the other hand is well-known fruit for me; and this tea is… very ripe plum forward; very fruity and hibiscus is quite tamed when steeped short.
But actually, this blend was a bit of dismal for me. It was somehow plum-like, maybe a bit more of raw flavour would be a bit better than ripe; as it just together with hibiscus it blends into one single “fruit tea” profile.

This tea is actually quite real to part of its name. It is true to wine flavour, fresh, floral, refreshing, some muscatel; but definitely it’s not strawberry forward (but some fruitiness is there) and sadly, not efferescent or sparkling note.

I like it for its price tag.