84
drank Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong by Yezi Tea
314 tasting notes

The website lists this tea as “I can’t believe it’s not Scotch.” Intriguing to some one who’s been drinking Scotch for nearly 40 years. I had to try it.

First things first: it doesn’t smell like Scotch. More like a Yunnan, though there is quite a bit of smoke in the aroma. (OK, the tea is Fujian, and I’m not expert enough to tell them apart) Also, perhaps a bit of cocoa and spice. It is complex, but not as subtle as a good Scotch.

As to the taste, it is good, with wood smoke and a bit of loamy flavor. Not my favorite style, but quite well done. Fairly big and chewy. Long finish with less wood but no bitterness.

Overall a nice solid tea. I enjoyed it, and might be tempted to re-order. But forget the Scotch business; it isn’t even close.

Thanks to Yezi tea for the Sample.

This re-steeped nicely. The second steep lost some of the earthiness and power, but retained the smoke and complexity. The third steep was rather simple and lost most of the aroma, but tasted OK.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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Retired engineer/physicist.
My ratings will usually be based on multiple tastings. Oolong teas are generally 3 grams of tea in 6 oz water for 1 minute. Black teas are 1.5 grams of tea in 6 oz water for 3-4 minutes. Pu-erh is 3 grams in 2.5 oz, generally 10, 10, 20, 30, 60 sec. Since I use less tea, 6 sessions is equivalent to twice that many for people who use 7 grams of tea.

My numerical ratings are all based on how much enjoyment I took from the tea. Since I prefer blacks and oolongs, they will receive higher scores. I also give a couple of extra points to decafs, just because I can drink them in the evening without staying up half the night. I don’t dislike flavored teas, but find that they lack the complexity of finer teas.

90-100 = superior, worth a high price
80-89 = Excellent. Will buy again
70-79 = Good tea, but probably won’t buy
60-69 = Nothing really wrong, but…
Below 60 = Wouldn’t drink again. Probably didn’t finish

I am having computer problems and my password is lost. If my computer dies, I won’t be able to access my account, so will need to start a new account as Dr_Jim. This statement vouches for my new identity.

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