New Tasting Notes

The second half of 2024 and moving into 2025 has been tough. I lost my sense of self, my sense of humor, hobbies, interest in tea. Everything has been off-center but my boyfriend helped me from shifting too far into the gnarled grip of depression.

It took me six months to finally sign up for the 6-week course at the lumber yard-converted-to-studio-space, but on Wednesday, I had my first introduction to pottery outside of making one lonely and lumpy pinch pot tea cup in an Environmental Lit class in high school (I didn’t realize until years later how much that class effected the trajectory of my life). Starting off with another lonely and lumpy pinch pot, I felt the slow release of all the stress and struggle that was trapped in my body. I felt true calm and freedom for the first time in months. I can’t wait to go back next Wednesday.

This tea, like the process of molding clay with the hands, aids in shifting the self into a centered state. So grateful to be able to experience its unwavering character with each bowl.

Sipdown

This is one of the many teas given to me in December by my daughter in my advents. I am surprised to see that I haven’t reviewed it yet and here we are at the Sipdown.

This is exactly as advertised. Cinnamon first, chocolate second. The black tea base and the color of the steeped tea and medium light and let the flavors show off. Since brownies and chocolate are hard for me to separate, I will say that I don’t know if I taste brownie or if I am tasting chocolate that clearly isn’t intended to imitate a bar of chocolate, so either way I would have to say it is spot on to its name.

There’s something in here that I don’t love. It doesn’t taste quite like celery, but celery adjacent. I also taste some light fruitiness. Plain, this was really too boring. With milk, this was pretty drinkable. I could taste a bit of fruit, but it was mild.

This tea is actually really solid when enjoyed with a very short steep.

First steep – 125 mL boiling water, 20 second steep
Second steep – 125 mL hot water, 45 second steep

Both steeps were actually really tasty on such a cold January morning. The sour and tart notes are minimized by the short steep. The sweetness of the cinnamon was nice with the chamomile flavour.

Sipdown

“2021 Gushu Baicha”

I cannot remember for the life of me where or when I required this sample. It may have been from one of my farmer sources on IG or from a swap. I failed to make a note who sent the tea. My notes on the slip of paper attached read, “Unsweetened grapes, pencil shavings, malt, & wood chips. 55/100.”

Sipdown

It’s great to sip a green tea that’s moderately fresh (at least not sitting for 2-3 years in the stash) in the winter! Sweet Dew was refreshing, grassy, and crisp while the weather outside was biting, cold, and bitter.

Backlog

“A bitter cup of smoke and charcoal.” – January 3, 2025

Sipdown

I had topped this off on the New Year, but noted that it didn’t remind me much of Apple Pie, as much as it had lemongrass with chai spices added. I hadn’t loved the cuppa.

Backlog

I hadn’t spent too much time taking notes with this session. I had sipped this one in the moment, and after the flavor started to pop (about the 3rd infusion), I noted sweet florals/honey. The qi headiness was the main attraction. I marked on the back, “6 infusions & giddy from the tea.” Too bad one can’t get this on their website. It seems that a lot of tea peeps got this in their Black Friday boxes, too.

Winter has decided to creep in over the week. I drank this on Monday to ease into the cold and the tea had done the job. Thankfully, we were approved to work from home, and so flow of tea was endless!

Notes: Woody, not too much body/texture, and smooth. Not the typical heavy earthy nor cocoa notes with this one.

Another to try from Cameron B — thanks very much! Woowwee, I think I used the directed half teaspoon but this was super sweet. One of the sweetest cups I have ever had. The grape here is a little like mashing up an entire bottle of grape vitamins, adding some water. Not complimentary to this poor matcha, I know. I have had worse teas, but this was A LOT.

A sipdown! (M: 3 Y: 3)
I assume this was one of the teas that ignited my love for Georgian teas. I decided to buy this, with no or very limited experience with Georgian teas, especially different ones than black.

And well this tea delivered!
Today I prepared last 6 grams that I had in sealed wrapper for long time and apparently the best before day was the last day of 2022, so… yep, old! Especially for white tea! Vendor have still some available, but there is no harvest year mentioned.

Those 6 grams I have used in my teapot, used 90°C water and steeped for 2-3 minutes.
Naturally, it used to have much more flavour; but nevertheless there are notes of meadow flowers with flax notes.

Also the texture used to be more thick. But on the other hand it was light-feeling tea; good for evening, easy to drink even for not so experienced tea-drinkers as my family members.

Happy to have it finished, but sad to call it sipdown. Should I buy another 37.5 grams? Maybe one day… or other white from this region. Afterall, I still have some from the group buy that I organised!