1113 Tasting Notes
Thank you so much Terri HarpLady for a sample of this!
I have been drinking this all day. The leaves just keep going and going, huh? This is VERY nice shu. Rich and creamy with just enough earthiness and sweetness and no funk. I love that it is organic, too :)
This is a shu I would definitely reach for any time I have a puerh craving! Glad I got to try it.
Another beautiful tea from the generous Terri HarpLady :D
I love the look of the dry leaf on these fancy yunnans. So shiny and fuzzy and golden. I love tea I want to pet!
The taste is all malty and sweet. Bold and full bodied with a nice kick, too. Everything a good black tea should be :)
I can see why everyone is enamored with these Yunnans! I’m enjoying this very much. Thanks again, Terri!
I’m SOOO happy TerriHarplady sent me some of this in my box! Thank you Terri! :D
My absolute favorite green teas of all time are from the He family in Laoshan. I’ve never had the honor of trying some of their more special offerings like this one. It does not disappoint! Buttery, creamy, and vegetal like all good Laoshan greens but with a hint of roastiness/nuttiness and a bright freshness about it. Very very good nom nom nom!
I guess I should consider joining Verdant’s TOTM club, but honestly $30 a month is more than my ENTIRE tea budget and there are other things from other sellers I want sometimes, you know? I’m sure I would love it though :)
You sure you don’t want some of the Bilochun or Summer green? It’s not too late! I could pop them in the mail…
I have a package of summer green already, and I just finished a bilochun! Unless they are first pickings or otherwise fancy? You are awesome though thanks!
no…lol…they are from last summer…I need to drink them…
Finally tried this cold steeped overnight in milk, which was slightly better. I still strongly prefer the plain caramel matcha over this one, but overall neither one are my favorites. Both are drinkable but there are MUCH better flavors from Red Leaf! :)
I am drinking a green base version of this, from Marzipan! Thanks!!!
I can find nothing to complain about here. I like cherry and almond and vanilla together. It isn’t blowing me away though. I think I would reeeeeely like this one cold steeped as iced tea, and maybe with a little sugar added. I dig fruity greens that way! I shall try that with the rest of my sample :)
I had to try this one. Forgive me for forgetting which box it came from!
I love Japanese greens but I’ve never had a Japanese black! I was unsure on steeping temp so I went a little lower than I would for another unknown black, just to be safe.
Not sure if I underleafed or if this one is suffering from its age? I feel like there is a lot of potential here and I would really love it if it was just a tad stronger tasting. It is a mild, somewhat nutty definitely black tasting tea, with some vegetal/mineral/sea elements that I enjoy in my Japanese greens. This is definitely something I would like to explore further. Bring on the Japanese blacks!!
Maybe I missed this one. Sure would’ve liked to try it.
Must have been in box #1. I still have 1 serving left. I’ll send it to you next time we swap! Unless I have procured a better Japanese black by then ;)
I’ve had Japanese oolong before but never a straight black, interesting…
Oh that’s OK. I’m not so curious :)
Huh, sounds interesting. I’ll have to start looking into Japanese blacks!
Thank you Marzipan for the sample!
Hmm, I’m not sure about this one. The chocolate notes are not strong. It isn’t spicy either but there is another flavor floating around that MIGHT be something peppery. But honestly? This reminds me of flavored pipe tobacco! WEIRD!
Anyway, Della Terra’s offerings are hit or miss with me. I’ve only had a couple of them I’ve really loved. Always fun to try new teas though :)
Kenyan whites are really different! I like them. Malty and somewhat lemony. Savory yet sweet. Something about it reminds me of a mild darjeeling. Good stuff :)
Wow, that seems really unexpected for a white tea. Sounds interestingly delicious!
Butiki does sell a really good Kenyan White- White Rhino! it is really good
No funk is good!
I can totally see why, even sans the funk, that puerhs can be an acquired taste. I mean, it is a taste unlike anything else! If you aren’t sure what to expect I could see it being off-putting at first. Once you get used to it though it is totally craveable!
Well…. some funk is good! A fella’s gotta dance, after all :)
Good call Garret. Plus, some funks are good funks! Take “stinky” French cheeses for example! ;)
Amen, sister!
As far as acquired tastes with pu’er – i have been showcasing alot more of the raw pu’er teas these days here in the shop and in tea classes with great results. The raw pu’ers are completely different in flavor, color, aroma. And the energy (cha qi) one gets from raw pu’er is quite different than ripe. I love it.
I though Westerners would be more averse to raw pu’er, but I am finding out that was a false assumption.
But still, I’ve started every morning for the last 2 yrs with a large pot of the Noble Mark ripe. Great ripe tea is a fantastic way for me to start the day.
All my best,
Garret
I think raw puerhs are quickly becoming my favorite type of tea actually, and I attribute that to the cha qi I get from them! They’re so fascinating :)
Steph we need to make a road trip to MN for tea tastings.
yeah… I love raw pu’er. Investing a lot more in mao cha to have pressed into pu’er these days. Just sipped some of our Autumn Song pu’er here in the shop with two Teavana employees who had only ever had bad ripe pu’er before. Boy, oh boy, did they get turned on! It was fun to watch. They were so excited. Great to have Teavana employees buying some tea from us :) Good times.
Marzipan I would LOVE to visit Mandala’s tasting room some day! :)
Stop by & pick me up along the way, will ya?
I initially like shu better than Sheng, but that has changed. In part, due to the amazing energy, without a doubt.