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Gongfu! Starting the weekend off right with a session of 2022 Modern Witch. Approx 6g of leaf. 10s rinse.
1st steep (10s) – very savoury, perhaps even a touch saline. Raw dough. Hints of pine sap.
2nd steep (15s) – bittersweet dark chocolate, cacao, earthiness developing. Raw dough, but stepped back. Slightly astringent.
3rd steep (20s) – smoother, but still some astringency. Dark chocolate and molasses. Cherry wood. Earth. Hints of leather.
4th steep (25s) – smooth, becoming (slightly) sweeter. Thick, warming, and rich. Dark chocolate. Underlying heavy wet forest floor.
5th steep (30s) – ditto.
6th steep (40s) – flavour starting to fade. Salinity returning. Earthy forest floor.
7th steep (60s) – increased the steep time to try and push this one a little harder. Saline, forest floor, and returning raw dough, but definitely fading fast now.
8th steep (90s) – quite watery, but still saline/brothy. Light earth. Time to call it quits!
Overall, loved this. One of the more unique ripes I’ve tried from White2Tea recently, and absolutely perfectly suited to cold autumn/winter days. Seriously considering caking this one when I place my next order.
Date: 26 January 2026
A friend recently sent me a small care package with a few samples of tea that she wanted me to try. As much as it was unexpected, it was much appreciated and a welcoming surprise on my doorstep! There were a few coins from W2T in the box and considering I forwent grabbing anything from W2T in 2025, this was a welcome surprise.
The tea didn’t take too long to open. I tasted notes of tobacco, spinach, & ripe tomatoes throughout the session. The tea lasted for 11 infusions until I was at the point of throwing boiling water and steeping the leaves for 5+ minutes.
Flavor (100): 80
Texture (100): 70
Aroma (100): 70
Rating: 73/100
I haven’t been trying many new-to-me teas recently since I’ve had a cold since the beginning of January that I just can’t seem to shift. I’m feeling marginally better today and was in the mood for a deeper, darker shou so I decided to throw caution to the wind and give Camphornought a try. I have another mini that I’ll save for when I’m properly better, so nothing lost today if it turns out my taste buds are still on strike. For reference I’m drinking this grandpa style from a thermos.
I won’t say I get camphor from this particularly, but it is very much the flavour of a dense forest in the rain at midnight. It’s deeply earthy, with wet, damp, and petrichor flavours, and lots of raw wood. Some of the wood is charred and maybe still smoking just a bit; perhaps one of these trees has been hit by lightning. The mouthfeel is smooth, slick, and oily. I found it to be quite a “heavy” shou but surprisingly easy to drink. Definitely one of the more intriguing offerings from W2T, and one I’m looking forward to trying again once I’m back to full health.
Grandpa Style!
This is a very thick and creamy tea, in both taste and mouthfeel. Though anchored by a balance of earthy and woodsy forest-like flavours, this incredibly bold and full-bodied tea leads with sweetness. Dense, bordering or caramelized and very molasses-rich with hints of fig cookies. W2T describes it as being more of a “workhorse,” and I couldn’t agree more. It was very pleasant, approachable, and flavourful enough while not needing attentiveness to be the PERFECT tea choice for a busier day. I’m very happy with the value of this one!!
Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DUGSFD8jbO5/
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okA1z0SmxYo
Drinking this one grandpa style from my thermos today. This has become my go-to brewing method for workdays at the moment, just from a perspective of sheer practicality. Most shou pu’erh seems to react reasonably to being treated this way, but I was initially a little trepidatious about Lumberslut, especially oversteeped. I needn’t have been; it’s still a very smooth, rich, oily pu’erh with a distinctive (but not overpowering) raw wood note and just a hint of camphor in the aftertaste. I will have to try this one gongfu at some point, but I’m more than happy with today’s experience regardless. An absolute gem for the price as well.
Grandpa Style!
Yesterday I sipped on this throughout the afternoon; it’s the perfect rich and comforting tea to keep cozy with on an afternoon spent indoors in post-tattoo rest & relaxation mode. The top notes are a bit brighter and more fruity-leaning, reminiscent of the densely sweet and tangy taste of tamarind but crossed with the most brown and caramelized notes of dates. The undertones are really earthy and grounding, with mineral-rich notes of wet potting soil and the savory, malty taste of Okinawa sugar which (if you’ve never tried it) isn’t actually all that sweet. More biscuit-like than anything, with a sort of smoky aniseed note. It’s actually very complex, especially for such a young ripe pu’erh…
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DToOvr9kvcx/
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmZD-TU96q4
Sip Down
Date: 16 January 2026
I found this randomly in my sip down box, toward the bottom of my stash. This was a tea from W2T’s Club (circa 2024). I’m flabbergasted that 2024 was already TWO years ago…Time sure has a way of slipping past us!
Anyway, now that that’s out of the way, I guess I never really drank this tea until this week, so I made the effort on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday to get it sipped down. This has been a great tea for the last push of the workday. I have been hitting a slump at 4:00 P.M. every day, where I need a little extra help. Not only does the caffeine help, but the process of gongfu’ing makes it all less monotonous.
So, during the past eleven years drinking tea consistently, I have learned that not all Lapsang’s are smoked, and I like the smoked ones on occasion. When I stumble upon ones that aren’t smoked, I’m surprised because I rarely get one that’re unsmoked. And it’s nice to change the flavor profile up a bit – from smoky– to dried unsweetened plums, pomelo, and a tad bit of a roasted oolong vibes (mineral richness, so slightly earthy it’s almost not there). I dig this one; too bad it’ll be the last time to drink this tea specifically.
Gongfu Sipdown (3124)!
This was not a favourite of mine when it was first released, but with a few years to settle into itself and, let’s be honest, some palate preference changes on my end I’m finding it to be a whole lot more enjoyable. The top notes are citrusy with a pleasant, springy-feeling pithy zestiness that reminds me of candied tangerine peels. Meanwhile, the body is more unctuous and brothy, like sipping on a good miso. There’s still some green snap, but it’s much less harshly bitter and astringent than my recollections of past sessions. Finally, the finish is a beautiful expression of sweet, floral osmanthus interwoven with the lingering sweetness of anise. Much, much more to my tastes, which makes this sipdown all the more bittersweet.
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DTMA5J3iRd6/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL3ZKZp03dk
I wasn’t sure how drinking a budget 2025 young shu would go, but given I had purchased an entire tong of it, and corresponding minis appear in the shulloween loot bag, I figured it would be worth a try. It wasn’t funky or fishy or anything, but definitely underwhelming and weak. I guess I should have expected it given the price point. Not much else to say. With that said, there are hardly any earthy notes, something that would definitely appeal to those who are very turned off by the more eccentric qualities of some shus.
I’ll definitely revisit this tea at later dates and see if it matures, and perhaps do a little bit of experimentation with it.
Flavors: Bread, Milk, Yeasty
As usual, it took forever to receive my last W2T shipment, purchased back in November when I decided I was going to take a hiatus on purchasing tea. Fortunately, it arrived today, in the midst of a very large storm system passing through California. This shipment was tiny, three dancongs totaling around $50, to be expected for this tea type which is definitely on the pricier side.
I limited myself to three offerings, and chose my three favorite cultivars. W2T’s dancong offering is extensive and it’s easy to get overwhelmed by it; I decided to take a tea from three different pricepoints: daily drinker (mi lan), the median (ya shi), and luxury (huang zhi), just to get an idea as to what this puerh focused vendor can do in terms of oolongs.
Ya Shi, or ‘duck shit’ is my favorite dancong cultivar. I gave Mei Leaf’s offering of it a rare 100/100 rating on here, and at around $32 it commanded the lofty price point. W2T’s offering is much cheaper, coming in at $18.50, with a cheaper daily drinker option available that I didn’t choose. And honestly, off the bat it feels like an excellent deal – there’s that vintage buttery sweetness that characterizes this cultivar, and everything I loved from my Mei Leaf sessions was definitely there. There’s no mistaking that this is an authentic representative of this tea type.
The only thing missing on W2T’s ya shi is the body; Mei Leaf offers a very rich soup that really brings out the savory aspect of the tea which sets it apart from other dancongs. This isn’t to say that the W2T offering isn’t bad, in fact it exceeded my expectations, and at the price point I would consider it to be a reasonable deal, and definitely worth a try.
Flavors: Butter, Honeysuckle, Lime
This was from Cameron B — thanks very much! This MIGHT be my first sheng from white2tea? I like that I just have one serving, as I will only very occasionally steep up sheng. On the first steep, the mini did not unravel at ALL, so mostly the cup tasted like sweet mineral water… but I keep resteeping and resteeping this thing. It might be one of my favorite shengs (not that I have had many of them.) Usually they get really harsh for me, really fast. Maybe I am usually impatient with sheng when I should have learned by now. But the flavor took quite a while to get even a little harsh… The mini unraveled mostly at steep three. As usual, hard to describe the flavor…. and then there was a little bit of a stingy to the mouth quality in later steeps… this one was actually even more delicious when the cup cooled, on some of the steeps anyway. I LIKE it, but it also seems a little lost on my tastebuds, which means someone else might appreciate this more.
Steep #1 // 1 mini for a full mug // 30 minutes after boiling // 1 minute steep
Steep #2 // 30 minutes after boiling // 35 second steep
Steep #3 // 36 minutes after boiling // 35 second steep
Steep #4 // 22 minutes after boiling // 40 second steep
Steep #5 // 27 minutes after boiling // 40 second steep
Grandpa Style!
I really, really enjoyed the sweet, rich and creamy notes of the 2023 version of this ripe pu’erh tea, so trying the 2025 pressing was a must for me. I find this year’s to be a bit darker and thicker, with slightly bitter and woodsy notes to go alongside the velvety smooth notes of slightly caramelized sweetened condensed milk. Definitely rich, but with enough burliness to still feel grounded.
One thing about this awkward post-Christmas but pre-New Year’s break is that my sleep schedule is even more messed up than usual, which has resulted in some pretty late night tea. The plus side is that I get pretty photos like this one, with the warm glow of the lights on my apartment’s Christmas tree! Seems like a fair enough trade-off…
Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DS0i9H6krGZ/
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpXyVBkaIAo
Gongfu!
This is such a thick and velvety smooth tea, with an interesting profile that straddles the line between more sweet and savory. At different points in the session I got flavours of unctuous, fatty broth with woody, oak-like undertones and lingering, umami notes of bouillon or fried chicken skins. However, there were also elements of rich, sticky dates and candied figs. That unique, almost caramelized “sweet brown” fruity flavour that is shared between the two. Maybe some carob and molasses, connecting the two sides of this pleasantly complex shou pu’erh. It steeped for quite a long time, and really handled long, drawn out infusions quite well. I could see it making a pretty excellent tea for grandpa-style brewing, or even something like milk tea…
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DSvDh_xCXm8/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ-vwA3CTjk
Gongfu!
Out of the gate, I was pleasantly surprised with the sweetness and syrupy mouthfeel of this tea. The infusions were aromatic but saturated and full-bodied, as if many different layers of different fruits and florals had been layered on top of each other to create one big, bold black tea. Of the complex tasting notes, the standouts were red plums, mulberries, black cherry, raisins, and a daaaarrrrkkk maple syrup. Kind of brandied in nature, honestly. I thought it was delicious, and it gave me the feeling it would be equally so were I to brew it Western-style instead like I do most breakfast blends.
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DSLYdadkoQo/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG8WEN3SKVk
Gongfu!
Though there’s just a hint of a more smooth and bittersweet dark chocolate note, like melted chocolate, this is mostly a pretty savory tasting shou pu’erh with a lot of more unctuous and brothy notes and quite a bit of salinity to the finish. Very slick and oily in terms of mouthfeel. It makes me think of bouillon or the stock in a good, hearty chicken noodle soup. The kind of thing that, as a child, a parent would make you when you’re sick or, as an adult, that a partner might make to cozy up and keep warm with on a particularly cold and stormy day. It’s hard to say why W2T names their teas the way they do, but I’d like to guess that just maybe this is the reason given the strong “made with love” umami flavour of this tea…
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DSGTfkSEiFI/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8TuUuEXPNI
Tea Thoughts Winter Countdown 2025 – Day 8
Day 6 was a cute teapot/snowglobe sticker and day 7 was another pu’erh. I’ve decided to just stop subjecting myself to pu’erhs for the rest of this calendar. I’ll put them aside for the next TTB or a swap. Let someone whose palate can actually enjoy and appreciate them get a try.
I brewed this up gong fu, losing track of exactly how many steeps I got but I think it was six or seven? This feels like a classic sort of Chinese black tea – spicy, sweet, malty, and full-bodied. The description describes this as having a “candied yam sweetness” and I can totally see that.
Two black teas and no stomach aches today, yay!
Grandpa Style!
Based on name alone, my assumption would have been that this ripe would have a darker, more woodsy profile and that turns out to be pretty spot on. It’s very thick and full-bodied with a strong punch of camphor and forest undergrowth. It reminds me a lot of Lumber Slut and Camphornaught, two other W2T shou pu’erhs with a similar earthy, woody and camphor-heavy profile. This one has a little bit of molasses and raisin sweetness in the finish, and perhaps more of a clove-like spice notes in the undertones. I like all of those elements. A lot. It’s definitely something that feels like it would be a good daily drinker, if that kind of dense and foresty profile is your jam.
Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DR75sP2klIf/
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WASUYeMWln8
Gongfu!
I believe I first recieved a dragonball of this pressing with last year’s Black Friday order, so I was amused to see it pop up again in this year’s Black Friday order as well. I probably should have been more on top of my steep times, as I found this fairly sharp and astringent for my own tastes. That said, there an overarching green but floral quality to the tea that’s curious and captivating. The best way I can out it into words is that it tastes like what I imagine a rose (or other flower) would be like when it’s started to bloom but hasn’t fully opened up yet. A flower’s equivalent, I suppose, to a just under ripe fruit where there’s still that snap of green.
I really wish I could brew this again to see how keeping the steep times shorter and more controlled would impact the taste and mouthfeel. I guess we’ll have to wait and see if it makes an appearance in next year’s Black Friday order…
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DR-xrxMifbV/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQuG16KojQo
Tea Thoughts Winter Countdown 2025 – Day 5
Wow, it seems like this one can resteep endlessly. I’ve been drinking it gong fu all day and it’s still giving me flavorful steeps! Smooth and round mouthfeel, with a honey-like sweetness, that savory hay note white teas always seem to have for me, no astringency, and just a bit of dryness at the end of the sip. Great paired with Reese’s Pieces, or on its own.
2025 Steepster Advent Swap: Day 6
Today’s advent pull from Michelle definitely makes up for the lackluster B&B oolong from this morning!
I accidentally oversteeped the first cup, but got it right on the second. This is so good, and I can see how it could become a daily drinker! It’s just a little bit malty and bready, with hints of molasses and brown sugar. Almost no astringency here.
Smooth, tasty, and eminently drinkable… what a winner!
Flavors: Bread, Brown Sugar, Malt, Molasses, Smooth, Sugarcane
Gongfu! Morning tea session with a 2025 Red Loon mini from the Shulloween bag. I’ve been excited to try this one for a while! Leaves prepared with a 10s rinse, as usual, and then taken through steeps of 10s, 15s, 20s, 25s, 30s, 35s, 40s, and 50s.
This one has a fairly linear progression, but still impresses me as a clean, accessible, daily drinker. There’s nothing funky to taste at all, just delicately sweet, creamy, smooth shou, minimally earthy with subtle later notes of fig and dried date. The mouthfeel is slick and oily, and the liquor a beautiful red-garnet. I’m definitely going to try this one grandpa-style next, as I think it’ll work really well like that. Overall, delicious. Really pleased with this one.
Afternoon tea session with 2023 Prosbloom from @white2tea, a free sample mini that came with my recent order. I prepared the leaves with a 10s rinse.
1st steep (10s) – pale orange liquor, almost roasty/charred flavour with a slight hint of sun-warmed earth in the tail of the sip
2nd steep (15s) – darker orange-brown liquor, increasing woody-earthiness, delicately sweet. Hints of black liquorice
3rd steep (20s) – liquor now red-brown, very pronounced woody-earthiness (not wet earth), roasty.
4th steep (25s) – still lots of woody earth/roast, but also a developing creaminess. Becoming sweeter.
5th steep (30s) – balanced earthy/creamy interplay
6th steep (35s) – ditto
7th steep (40s) – ditto
8th steep (45s) – ditto, but starting to fade. Very smooth.
9th steep (50s) – very smooth, sweet, creamy, only very mild underlying woody-earthiness.
On the whole I found this one a bit nondescript, just a typical low-budget shou sort of affair. Which is fine, because that’s what it is, but there are many others like it. The roastiness sets it apart a little, and it occurred to me whilst drinking that this would go really well with something like roast beef. I’m pleased to have tried it of course, and it’s a likeable, easy-drinking shou, but not one I would actively seek out again as there are others I greatly prefer at a similar price point.
