61 Tasting Notes

55
drank Hope Wood by Soleil Tea
61 tasting notes

Um…

An applewood smoked tea. Surely this is a one-of-a-kind tea. Soleil has gone rogue.

It sounds pretty good in theory. I like toasty notes. I find firewood flavors tasty and savory. But applewood smoke scent is so closely associated in my mind with barbecue, I couldn’t enjoy the other things going on. Strangely the citrus oils play nicely with the tang of applewood smoke, so there is nothing off-putting per se. Just a little strange.

Flavors: Fireplace, Smoke, Smoked

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Actually a Big Red Robe oolong, oops.

I was seeking a good amount of roasty Big Red Robe and found this option from Zen Tea Life via Amazon. It had all of the characteristics I was looking for: a smoky aroma and flavor, quality leaves, a smooth oolong mouthfeel, and comforting nutty notes. Easily an everyday drinker. It lacked the complexity or cherry tobacco notes of the more expensive Verdant variety I had tried before, but that’s to be expected.

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86

So, so good. A highly perfumed and delicate oolong with a scent that lingers a foot away. As others have noted: butter, honeysuckle, jasmine. The brew was subtle but durable and held up to multiple steepings without getting bitter. A really lovely tea.

Flavors: Floral, Honeysuckle

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A bit stronger marine flavor than I have had before. Jade green color, probably culinary quality. Still good and potent and makes a good matcha latte to taste. I appreciate the price and that it is not a sweetened blend.

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I was looking for a true Peshwari or Kashmiri style chai with a green tea base, green cardamom, almonds and saffron. Very difficult to find among a lot of other cinnamon and clove black chais.

It was difficult to brew this to taste. At first I brewed too strong and burnt the leaves at 200 F. It was extremely bitter and astringent. Then I decreased my ratio of leaves and temp to 176 F, and it was too weak and still astringent. The cardamom was quite pungent and prominent; although I love cardamom, it overpowered any other flavor.

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drank Lishan Oolong by Tea Ave
61 tasting notes

A good oolong but a bit forgettable. I am coming off an oolong I loved which was extremely floral and in comparison this was more marine. But they shared a thick and pleasant mouthfeel.

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drank Magnolia Oolong by Tea Ave
61 tasting notes

Received a sample and overwatered it so I’m afraid I missed some flavor.

A delicate, floral oolong as expected. Faint whiff of oatmeal and silky honey. Very comforting and would like to try it with more leaf and something like hemp milk.

Preparation
6 g 10 OZ / 295 ML

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86

Yay, my first sheng pu’erh or young pu’erh. A beginner tea for a beginner. After “waking up” the very sleepy leaves with the recommended 3 steeps, I got a wonderful floral (jasmine, as described) aroma off of the cup. I then burned my lip trying to taste it too soon. All in the line of duty.

Flavors: Delicately sweet fresh green pea, soybean, jasmine, wildflower honey, caramel…

Taking a break to smell it again. Ack! Smells so good.

Ok, more flavors: Daisies, white grapes, hibiscus … I don’t even know. I’m making it up now based on things that are also this delicious.

Flavors: Floral, Jasmine, Peas

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 15 sec 6 g 6 OZ / 177 ML

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77

Food pairing: chicken nuggets (kid wouldn’t finish hers)

I strained in a tea basket and it’s fun to watch the residue the thick, early steeps leave in the lid/coaster. It’s quite viscous and slides around leaving behind a LOT of color. This is a dark and long-lasting tea, almost opaque. Despite that the taste is gentle. I get the rice note and also a powdery storage note, as someone said, like dough. The sensation of the liquid is like honey or very good whiskey. I don’t get a lot of sweet smells but just the impression of sweetness from how smooth the liquor is. Maybe there is a slight scent of corn husk or something kind of vegetal-sweet like potato.

Continuing on my pu’erh journey with the rest of Sample Set A…

Flavors: Corn Husk, Creamy, Rice

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 15 sec 6 g 6 OZ / 177 ML

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75

The “mildest” shou I have had, which is great because I’m a novice, and was about to give up on cooked pu’erh. It doesn’t help that I keep running out of the room to tend to poopy baby boy and my tea keeps going cold. Also, adds to perception of compost smell. :)

Medium infusions had a pretty peach tone. So, visually very nice in my white porcelain cup. It took two 15-sec infusions to get the deepest color.

No bitterness, mineral earthy taste, silky texture.

Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Clay, Mushrooms

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 30 sec 7 g 8 OZ / 236 ML

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