TheTea

Huge thanks to Martin Bednář for sharing some of this with me! This is a great tea for transitional fall weather, when it’s getting a bit chilly but not freezing cold out. My impression of this tea was that it has a fairly light roast and is sweeter than most roasted oolongs I’ve had. I didn’t realize why that is until I came here to write a tasting note, though – it literally is those things. The roast is definitely noticeable, but it tends to land with some minerality at the front of the sip and fade pretty quickly into a crisp sweetness. I’m going to steep the last of this overnight and that’ll be a sipdown!

A thick and smooth mouthfeel, as well as strong minerality give a great backbone to this tea. It has an aroma of cookies and forest, and flavours of wood, shellfish, chicory, almonds and tree sap.

Nuts, cocoa, caramel, dry peppery wood, vanilla leaning on old books, subtle touch of beetroot. Active mouthfeel, leaves a short sweet aftertaste.
A very clean and pleasant liu bao with some complexity and good aftertaste. The material is clearly higher quality than most liu bao I’ve had before and it lacks the musty storage funk of older liu bao. Would be a great introduction to Liu Bao for fans of ripe pu-erh.

This tea has a thick mouthfeel and a very pleasant taste. The range of flavours covers fruits (nectarine, berries), burnt food, malt, alcohol, tree bark, cinnamon, and others.

A really solid and smooth black tea. There’s certainly more to be extracted from it than I managed today. Nevertheless, I liked its profile mixing honey, wood, and berries a lot.

A very pleasant tea that delivers what I would like, but doesn’t exceed expectations.

Its mouthfeel is thick and watery. The sweet aroma takes me to a garden full of fresh vegetables and flowers. The sweet, vegetal taste, on the other hand transports me to the rainforest. There are flavours of mint, custard, edamame, tropical fruits.

Distinctly herbal, vegetable broth, a little spicy, some lime, some oolongish florality. I’m not usually a big fan of non-Japanese green teas, but this one is excellent. Very distinctive, very unlike any mainland Bi Luo Chun I’ve had, that vivid raw herbal edge is something else. I recommend grandpa-style or pushed hard, it really benefits from strong long brews.

One could say that this tea is more aromatic than flavourful, but really it is of hig hquality overall.

Dry leaves smell very pungent with notes of malt, sawdust, eucalyptus, and tomato vine. During the session, I can additionally detect a smell like chicken meat.

The mouthfeel is smooth and oily and a little astringent. Taste is bitter with flavours of citrus fruits, tree bark, and nectarines.

This tea is very savoury vegetal and smell a bit like sencha. There is no bitterness or astringency, and also very little sweetness or florals. The main note I get is fenugreek.

This is a superb black tea that is very well balanced and complex. The taste is positioned between bitter, woody, leathery notes and more fruity, sweet, and sour ones. The mouthfeel is thick and buttery with a numbing touch and a decent astringency. Aromas remind me of eucalyptus and strawberries when dry, and of gnocchi and cherries when wet.

Rou gui, and yancha in general, is just not my favourite flavour profile. This tea is no exception. Nevertheless, I would still like to drink it on particular occassions.

It is a strong tea that’s very mineral as expected. Aroma is calming and tender, mostly sweet and woody. The tea also taste like that, coupled with metallic bitterness, and savoury notes of almonds and seafood. The aftertaste is particularly strong and long-lasting. It gives a warming spicy note of cinnamon, which this cultival is famous for. The cha qi is a bit jittery and disorienting, but not unpleasant in the end.

Pretty cool tea. It is quite a savoury one with strong umami and flavours of green vegetables and fern. The aroma also reminds me of matcha, mint, spinach, leek. There are also floral and woody notes of fresh tree branches.

One of the earliest teas from this year is this fabulous Taiwanese green tea. It wonderfully blends the profiles of green Baozhong oolongs and Laoshan green teas.

The dry leaf aroma is crisp with hints of grass, dry soil, and apples. Later, it gets very vegetal and a little floral. In the gaiwan, I can smell peas, burdock, and fern.

The liquor has a smooth, creamy mouthfel and a pungent, green and buttery taste at first. There is also a decent umami and flavours of asparagus and peas, as well as some sweet wood, almost licorice, in the aftertaste. Later steeps get more, nutty, bitter and sour, which is a nice evolution to observe.

An excellent robust black tea. Intense notes of cocoa, brown sugar and roasted grain. It leaves a great aftertaste of brown sugar, rum and maybe something like roasted coconut?

Finally, I have tried this gongfu; and I have just enough for one more session.

4 grams / 125 ml / 90°C

My steeping times were mostly around 30 seconds, give or take 15 seconds. This seemed to extract the most flavor without the tea becoming exhausted too quickly or the steeps being too weak.

It’s difficult to pinpoint the absolute best steep, as they were all exceptionally pleasant, warming, smooth, and creamy. The complexity of flavors, aromas, and aftertaste is remarkable, making it hard to capture everything.

However, I’ll do my best:

The flavors were delightful, with light roast, buttery tastes, and sweet honey, mixed with flower notes. There was no smoke this time. A bit of a powdery feel showed up in the later cups.

Aromas… whoa. Spring flowers — lilacs, lily of the valley, daffodils — all the notes I detected in my previous western-style steeps were present. It’s a perfect spring tea. Hints of honey were also present, along with the subtle woody and incense notes mentioned by the vendor. The incense became more prominent in the final steeps.

Aftertaste is very long. Somehow reminds me milky oolongs, which is something I would not expect in Dong Ding, especially when charcoal roasted. Refreshing and mild, mouthcoating. The final steeps tasted slightly vegetal, like cabbage and lettuce.

It was an expensive tea back then, when I was buying it. However, after this gongfu session, I can confidently say it was worth every penny.

When I came home from first working day I was in a mood for something strong, robust, roasted, warming, etc.
Decided to brew it western (heresy! for oolongs), but I definitely didn’t had mood to gongfu. It’s about +5°C (feels like +2°C), but it rains, strong cold wind gusts and puddles everywhere. Absolutely no snow and because wet tarmac, all cars are louder than usual. I hate so much this weather.

But the tea. I picked this one up on tea festival back in June. It’s from 2022, so, yep, not the freshest tea in my stash, but I thought it is exactly what I am looking for.

Seems like it was great fit — and definitely well done tea. 5 grams / 300 ml, 95°C water… unknown steeping time, roughly 3-5 minutes, maybe a bit more…

This tea, is made by Mr. Chen as well as the other one I have from TheTea: http://steepster.com/teas/thetea/103968
But this one is roasted for longer time, it’s dong ding and not Shan Lin Xi; and definitely it’s not bugbitten.

But it is unique. When I sipped it hot, the warm notes indeed appeared, roasted; even a bit smoky, sweet honey, fruits (vendor suggests peaches, I wasn’t focused enough), with long mouthfeel and interesting aftertaste. It was creamy, almost like a milky oolong, smooth and not harsh or rough at all.
As it was cooling down, those notes were still there. But the aftertaste turned more into green oolong territory, with, already mentioned, creamy, milky oolong flavours, florals in aroma — lilacs, lilies of the valley, maybe hints of narcissus, very spring-like aromas. Again, I have to say, it was smooth and distinctive, and honestly I had no idea, how this tea could be so dark… with not so oxidized oolong flavours. Definitely going to try this tea as well in gongfu style and I hope I won’t be disappointed.

The tea features a mouth-watering aroma of honey and fruit, the combination smells like some sort of candy.
It tastes of peaches, forest fruit, floral honey and gingerbread or biscuits. The body is light and the tea leaves a strong candy-like sweetness that seems almost artificial, as if from corn syrup or sweeteners.
An excellent and unique black tea.

I told you I have a mood for gongfu!

So, picked up this oolong which I picked up during tea festival in June. It was sitting there mostly because I was a bit afraid I will ruin a perfect tea somehow.

I have used 6 grams for my 125 ml gaiwan that I won’t fill completely. No rinse. Preheated gaiwan as well as the bowl I am drinking it from.

First steep was 30 seconds long. Wet leaves smell after honey, nuts and wild (and fruit tree) flowers, sometimes some roasty notes prevail, but they are nice.
The flavour notes are slightly mineral, sweet and creamy, but absolutely no astringency, instead very long smooth mouthfeel, throat coated with honey feeling

Second steep, as suggested, was shorter by 10 seconds.
Wet leaves are smelling even stronger after honey and flowers, there aren’t any nuts this time, neither the roasty notes.
Mouthfeel is very same, but longer and stronger, amazing sweetness and creaminess, stronger floral notes instead of mineral; like drinking meadow when I took bigger sip. Can’t describe it in other words, heh.

Third steep, again 30 seconds, again as suggested by vendor.
It went slightly into “oolong” flavours, very floral, not so sweet when sipping but in the aftertaste, very same with creaminess, honey-ish, bug-bitten notes, definitely. No signs of roasted/charcoal notes, maybe even almost soapy and a bit drying. In aftertaste there is something with refreshing notes though.

Fourth, 40 seconds.
Smooth, honey-ish, floral, bug-bitten flavours, refreshing aftertaste, again less sweet, more towards herbal-vegetal notes.

Fifth, 50 seconds.
Yummy bug-bitten oolong. Exactly as expected. A bit vegetal, that translates fast into herbaceous notes. Long mouthfeel is the key characteristics of this tea. Long and smooth.

6th, 60 seconds.
I won’t repeat myself, okay? A treat!

Following steeps:
90 seconds, 120 seconds, 150 seconds.

This tea deserves one’s attention for its stellar aroma if nothing else. There is so much to uncover there. Dry leaves smell of dried fruit, port wine, and earth. During the session, it becomes much more fruity and flowery.

On the other hand, I found the texture to be a bit boring for the most part. Nevertheless, the mouthfeel does have a pleasant numbing and tingling sensation. Also, after swallowing I detect a curious mixture of throat-warming and mouth-cooling sensation.

The taste is brothy and mineral at first. It has a touch of sourness that makes me think of coffee, but also a good umami. It can get quite bitter when brewed too long. The aftertaste is generally pretty strong and lasting. It is a bit abrasive and biting, and bring flavours of baked lemons and cherries.

This was a gift from my dear derk.

I love oolongs but I have had some disappointments choosing them myself, especially with some TGY that gave me high hopes, and then were just…okay. But every now and then I have a tea that makes me wonder why I ever drink anything but oolongs. This is one of those.

This is a bug-bitten oolong, and as smooth as the day is long in midsummer. A swirl of layered aromas arrested my attention when I poured this up. Baby powder! One of my favorite tea scents – prominent in my fave Wen Shan Bao Zhong and a few other teas, and I suppose it is more accurate to call it magnolia and light jasmine. That was the first scent that rose up and I was able to tease out and identify. A little mineral, and just brisk enough to have with food where the briskness is undetectable but simply clears the palate for the tea, but after snacking is done, there it is, the tingle on the tongue. Not astringent, not sour or bitter. Perhaps this is the grapefruit and pomelo the seller mentions, but it isn’t as bitter as some grapefruit can be and I have never had a pomelo.

There are some floral notes that I would liken to incense, and I was unsure if it was the tea or was indeed my incense or oils, because I was cleaning today and have had lavender, sandalwood, and jasmine scents out and about. The scents in the tea are more of the bitter-floral that I love, such as you find in neroli, but far, far more gentle and subtle.

This is brilliant, and if I wasn’t full to busting I would have more right now, but since I can’t, I am saving these leaves on a plate to dry and enjoy again tomorrow.

Here’s a complex Dan Cong with a superb cha qi, it is heady and quite meditative. Apart from that, I also love its bitterness leyers and the funky mouthfeel.

At first, it smells of baked fruit, but after the rinse I find many other notes. It is a sweet, spicy aroma with hints of flowers, mochi, brick houses, incense and kohlrabi.

The first infusion is somewhat simple and particularly comforting. It has a strong mineral presence, a soft mouthfeel and an ever-changing aftertaste. Second steep further underscores the mineral and comforting character. It is more sweet and sour, with notes of rosemary, caramel, and rose water. The aftertaste is very cooling and floral with a hint of licorice.

Third steep is more pungent. It brings a numbing spicy mouthfeel reminiscent of sichuan pepper, as well as flavours of fish broth and tree bark. Next I find also an earthiness and especially bitterness of beetroots, but also sweeter notes of persimmon and sugar beet.

Towards the end of the session, the bitter-sweet character becomes more dominant. There are notes of baked apples, oats, and lilac among many others.

2021 harvest

A very approachable red tea with complex aroma and taste. Needs a longer first steep to awaken the leaf when made in a small teapot. Also good steeped western. Rich osmanthus in the nose; luscious tropical fruit flavors mixed with cacao-cocoa, malt and cedar; tenacious aftertaste. Energy flows throughout the body and pushes outward.

This tea has many similarities to my favorite Yunnan wild red tea https://steepster.com/teas/the-essence-of-tea/100896-2022-spring-da-xue-shan-wild-red-tea but it’s not as potent or pungent and is maybe a little flatter in taste. It does have that sweet and comforting cocoa and sweet potato presence of Fengqing red teas, though. Woodier than the Da Xue Shan.

2021 harvest

A Ruby 18 with heft. The mouthfeel of this tea sets it apart from other Ruby 18s I’ve had. Thick and fluffy with a big character of dark, varnished wood and some savory malted barley. Restrained tones complement the bold, woody flavor; black cherry rounds out the bottom and Ruby 18 wintergreen mintiness comes through in the top. Mild honeyed malt aftertaste. Tannins are prominent after swallowing, leaving the mouth very dry, but with that sensation comes a penetrating calm felt deep within my body that causes my eyelids to droop in warm intoxication.

This tea is quite the contrast to the cheekier and fruitier character of other Ruby 18 reds out there. Those are easier for me to appreciate with lighter body and bolder cherry and wintergreen character. But this is pleasant in its own way. The tea has power over me, rather than me having power over the tea. It feels nice to drink on a wet December morning, squishing around the backyard while taking care of my tea plants.

Above was gongfu preparation, with multiple short steeps (15 to 25 seconds) to mitigate the tannins. Would recommend this way over western.

If I make a purchase from a vendor that carries a Mi Xiang black tea, chances are good it’ll end up in my cart. It was an extra draw that this one is from Shan Lin Xi. I steeped 6 g of leaf in a 120 ml teapot at 195F for 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds.

The dry aroma is of honey, raisins, dates, pastry, malt, and wood. The first steep has notes of honey, raisins, dates, plums, pine, pastry, malt, and wood. As expected, the honey is the dominant presence, especially in the aftertaste. The next steep leans more toward plum and nectarine, and is quite sweet with a bit of a drying finish. Steeps three and four have hints of cinnamon, though that might be the honey, fruit, and pastry notes playing tricks on me. Steeps five and six introduce grass, cream, florals (orchid?), and more of that piny/sappy quality typical of SLX and bug-bitten teas. In the next two steeps, the fruit starts to fade and the malt, wood, and grass get stronger. There’s a touch of astringency in the finish, though this is still a very soft tea overall. The final steeps lean into tannins, raisins, malt, grass, and wood.

This is a nice Mi Xiang that is quite similar to others of its kind. I liked the stonefruit, though it could have lasted longer. The pine and florality indeed remind me of Shan Lin Xi. I would definitely consider buying more of this tea, though I’d be equally happy with the ones from Camellia Sinensis or Cha Yi, which are easier to find and possibly cheaper.