Featured & New Tasting Notes

I’m starting to pull out all the good stuff from storage, and this was on the list. I’m going to be getting a little more of this, so I decided to try this, so I know what I’ll be getting. The leaves are massive, dark, and I can spot some lengthy stems. They carry a dry wood and some spicy aroma. I warmed up my jianshui and placed them inside. I gave the pot a shake and took in this unique aroma. The scent was very light and subtle. I was picking up some slight fruit mixed with tobacco. The background scents were of decayed wood and some peat moss. The aromas were so subtle that I had to sit for a bit and try to pick them up. I washed the leaves once and prepared for brewing. The steeped leaves gave off some much more prominent notes of tobacco, leather, fruit, and some cherry wood. The first taste was intense, yet it was also incredibly light bodied. The initial sip was syrupy sweet and juicy with some underlying oak tone. The brew gave a gummy feeling in the mouth. The brew develops to a maple candy succulency (east coast people and Canadians might know about these candies). The aftertaste consists of a brown sugar sweetness. I detected no astringency in the brew, and I only tasted a very slight bitterness. I pushed the brew after a little bit to try and extract some more intense flavors. The brew was a nice bright orange, and I was getting more leather tastes in the later steeping sessions. The sweet tones faded for most of the session and were replaced by maple wood and leather. The taste also drift towards the pleasant sour side. However, in the final steeping session, the brew came back with a sugarcane sweetness mixed with the maple wood. The huigan is very delayed, but is extremely thick. The back of my throat had nice maple syrup taste that followed after the session was finished. The leaves are mostly intact and massive. The qi is not all that powerful, but it is intensely warming. I had to change out of my sweater in the middle of session, for I began to feel like a furnace. This is a very nice tea, but isn’t my favorite offering from YGH. I think this needs a little more storage, but it’s still really tasty.

https://www.instagram.com/p/-ojCjWzGQf/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel

This is the kind of review that I write once every two months or so and I really don’t like them.
I always try to add positive notes about a tea I have drank along with the crowd that would enjoy it. Unfortunately, sometimes there are products that don’t get recommended such as fish at McDonalds.

This cake can be broken with the pressed of one finger and I’m not exaggerated. I can send a video to demonstrate if you’d like, though that isn’t an issue for me because I’m after taste and feel from a tea.
I pulled out four cups to try different timing with this tea at 100c which is what I always use for ripe. Every single cup to the 8th steep (where I stopped) had a grainy texture to the taste with a little musk. The fermentation flavor is here for sure, but has a lot of friends that I do not like. This mouth feel after is a medium dryness which I can’t get over. It’s about the same as drinking 16ounces of roasted green tea, but all of that into 2 ounces of liquid.

Honestly, the 2015 Green Miracle is a cake everyone should buy because it is absolutely amazing for being such a young little guy but this Hui Run isn’t something I can imagine drinking a year from now… though it will be next year when I open it back up to try again.

If anyone has any previous year to swap I would love to see if this is the same qualities of the other ones and maybe realize some people enjoy these tasting notes.

Enjoying the last cup of this, finally, so that’s another sipdown. Wouldn’t buy more since the base can easily go bitter, but if you get it right, it’s sweet, creamy, and slightly nutty.

Under 70 teas now! Yes! It makes me feel better about going semi-crazy on BF sales today. I haven’t made any online tea orders since the spring so I’d like to think my actions are justified. And hey, yes BF makes people spend more money, but in a way, I’d like to think it’s helping me save money since I made orders to places that I put off ordering since the spring anyway. So there.

The cake is a tightly compressed mass of dark green, with strands of silver, beige, khaki and white interspersed throughout. The dry leaf smells smoky and slightly fruity — pretty typical for a younger sheng.

I broke off 5.85 grams of dry leaf and gave the tea a quick rinse in 90°C water in my medium-sized gaiwan (about 130 mL). After the rinse, the smell of the leaf transformed from slightly smoky and fruity to intensely fermented — it was sour and reminded me of yogurt. I don’t mind this smell, but it was a surprise.

The first steep was very clear and had an amber tint to it like beer. The taste was refreshing: clear, smooth, with no sharpness or astringency. I noticed a slight bitter aftertaste.

The second steep was bitter and some smoke started to creep in. It’s possible I oversteeped this one, though, as I was slow to pour the liquid out of the gaiwan. Because of this, I noticed some astringency along with the bitterness. I took care during the third steep and was rewarded with liquid that was lighter in both colour and flavour – the bitterness hadn’t disappeared, but the fruitiness of the leaf came out to play. Despite the presence of fruit, though, the tea was still relatively herbal in flavour, with a bitter aftertaste.

The flavour stayed pretty consistent from here until the seventh steep. One thing I noticed about this tea is that its bitterness has a quality I feel on the middle and sides of my tongue, rather than the back of it. The mouthfeel and the flavour are both thin — this tea washes over my mouth smoothly, coats my tongue, and recedes quickly, leaving no trace. The colour lightened over time as well, becoming a pale gold rather than the amber it was at the beginning.

C’mon guys, read the full review. It’s got cat photos! http://booksandtea.ca/2015/11/white2tea-november-2015-subscription-box-2015-pin-raw-puerh/

Sad day. Finished the last of this one up today minus the little bit that is in a blend i’m experimenting with. this is one of my favourite vanilla teas from MF, though maybe not THE most favourite…but i’d be hard pressed to decide between the couple that i love.

I last had this tea about a year ago, and it’s amazing how much a year of difference makes when you start to learn more about puerh. I know by now that I definitely prefer the fruitier, grassier, apricottier ones. However, this one still has quite a bit of depth and nuance. Before I noticed tobacco notes. Now, to me, they’re still smoky, but have more of a “forest floor” tinge to them.

Drinking this at work, bastardized gongfu style. Decent. I’m glad to have a chance to finish this one off.

I had this one the other day and it was still tasty. Sort of an apple/lime delicious goodness. I don’t think i need to pick this one up again, but i do enjoy this when i have a cup.

Sipdown (121)!

First to review? I can’t believe no one else was drawn in my Cranberry Almond Scone! Back when I was picking my first three samples, this is one I was very close to asking for but instead I went for the Sangria.

I cold brewed this sample; the dry aroma was just so much more cranberry than almond and I really quite like drinking cranberry teas cold over hot normally so I thought this suited my tastes better. If the aroma had been more of an almond than cranberry I would have made it hot though. Steeped, the liquor was very, very cloudy/foggy but it was also this lovely kind of silver/moonlight colour too so while normally such a cloudy liquor would have aesthetically been a turn off I didn’t mind it here. It was honestly a little pretty.

Taste wise, the best word to describe the overall experience would be ‘intense’. It’s a good mix of sweeter almond notes and juicy, tangy cranberries. The cherry/marzipan like flavours from the almond really balance out the otherwise tart tendencies of the cranberry. I will say, it was kind of artificial tasting. I know the blend definitely had actual almonds in it (probably why the liquor was so foggy) but I was getting an artificial almond extract kind of taste as well. Artificial doesn’t necessarily mean bad/chemical but it did lessen the experience a bit for me.

The other problem I encountered was that there wasn’t really a whole lot here to nail the “scone” aspect of the tea. Had there been notes of butter, cream, or baked bread I think that could have tied it in but mostly this was just cranberry and almond. Maybe if I’d brewed this hot the balance of flavours would’ve been different and the white tea itself could have contributed some of those notes I was looking for, but this way didn’t do that for me.

Overall, I still really enjoyed this blend! It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting or looking for but I think if I was drinking it again knowing this is what it’d taste like I’d be much more satisfied ’cause the flavours that are here are quite yummy.

Clean, creamy and sweet are the operating terms here. This one, in addition to the Huang Shan, reminds me of Mengku terroir, with its cool frosting-like bite and pungent floral profile. There is bitterness here, but it comes on only as the briefest of afterthoughts once the sweet creamyness peaks. The soup feels heavy and spicey , in fact its brewing orange, but maybe I’m just pushing it too hard… The leaves do look pretty dark though. This one might be a good example of a young sheng thats actually good in cold weather. There’s plenty of huigan and kuwei…. at 52 dollars, the cake seems like a really good value. If you’re building a collection, I’d advise you to sample it.

A spicy chocolate tea! I love hot food and this tea has firey bite at the end. The flavor is chocolate with cinnamon over a light malty roasty base. The spice peaks at the end for a nice chili finish. It’s a medium hot tea, a good one for heat lovers or people who want more kick to their chai. If I had more I would of made it as a latte, I think this tea would of been even better!

Full review on Oolong Owl http://oolongowl.com/spumoni-green-tea-and-mexican-hot-chocolate-from-a-quarter-to-tea-tea-review/

With all the crazy sipdowns lately, I thought it would be appropriate to start something new.

I don’t feel like writing much on this tea because I feel like I’ve had this over and over again from them. Both Carol and Rose Royal have the same strawberry candy flavouring in it, and although the latter at least had an interesting additional grape note, they all seem repetitive.

So I’m left with a classic Lupicia slightly astringent black base with melted strawberry hard candy in my mug. It’s nothing to write home about, unfortunately. Maybe it’ll fare better as a cold brew.

So, it was Lala’s review of this tea that made me take notice of it, and my interest in this tea in particular was the tipping point for my placing that last sample order…

Originally, when I was looking at Lauren’s blends I skipped over this one preciously because it was an Earl Grey and I hadn’t realized what was “special” about it. I don’t personally drink a lot of Earl Grey so I’m at a point where, unless there’s something unique to an EG, I’m not interested in trying it. But currants!? I had to try that. Especially since Lala hadn’t described it as tasting medicinal, which is my biggest fear when it comes to currant blends. I still cringe when I think of DT’s Currant Affairs rooibos blend. That is one of the worst teas I’ve ever had.

This was so delightful though! I thought it was pleasantly light, fresh, sweet, and fruity but not in a way where the flavours came off as delicate. I tasted enough bergamot to know I was tasting bergamot and enough red currant to know I was tasting currant. The rosehip flavour was very light to me, any stronger and I think I would have disliked it but in this dosage I thought it provided the perfect amount of perky, sweet fruit flavour to the jammy currants. The whisp of vanilla was a lovely sweet note as well that blended the citrusy bergamot and jammy currants really smoothly. In fact, the whole cup was smooth: no bitterness or astringency throughout. Assam was a lovely base choice, as well.

Overall this is kind of the perfect breakfast EG in my opinion. Pair it was a scone with a little butter? I’d probably just melt. The flavours would be so good. This is definitely in my “Top Three” from A Quarter to Tea. Not totally sure if I like it more than Cherry Chocolate Latte Oolong. The two are just so different. But both are my favourites, so far, that’s for sure! If I find another two or three I like as much I’ll probably buy more of this one. Next year though…

When I’m off haitus.

I have not left the planet. The last few weeks have simply not been very conducive to tea drinking beyond grabbing RTD bottles from the fridge. Last night on the way to bed I grabbed a cup and a bag of sugar cookie sleigh ride. I love this one anyway, but when you have been tea time deprived this becomes heaven in a cup.

i’ve been drinking this a bunch since omgsrsly was kind enough to restock me. I’m down to the last of it, as i’ve been having this frequently over the past few days since it has ginger in it. this is still nothing like the first version – now it’s got more of a sweetness to it that i don’t like as much. I miss the spiciness of the first version. Still though….was nice to visit with an old friend. :)

I’m sitting here sipping my tea, a little melancholy today.
The blog site I frequent, and have been on for many years lost a blogger today. Someone I’ve come to regard as a living angel, and a dear friend. He died last night, complications from surgery/cancer. I’ve never met the man in person, but know people who have.

Then there is what’s going on in my “real” life… Mum is in surgery right now, nothing major… just kidney stones that lodged somewhere they couldn’t blast with an ultrasound. Still, they’re cutting her up and poking around some major organs/arteries. I’m a bit lot worried.

And I can’t stop wondering, as absolutely ridiculous as it is, if my friend down in Oregon passed so that she could live. And then I think to myself what an awful person I am for even contemplating that… how do I come up with these things? and why can’t I just put the idea aside. I’ve tried distracting myself with all sorts of things but nothing has worked yet. Except for maybe writing this “review”.
Sorry for the emodump. I couldn’t really post this in my regular blog place.

Anyhow. This tea was a much needed cup of selfcare. Emotional drinking? you bet.
With just 1/3 tsp of sugar, the pancake and syrup notes pop a bit. Of course I added a dollop of milk as well. It really adds that extra oomph needed for pancake texture.

Well, that’s all I got. RIP my dear sweet PM. Meanwhile my fingernails are shredded waiting for word on Mum.

I’ve already reviewed this tea and noted its clean, sweet profile but I just figured out why I’m so enamored of this tea: the wu liang is as dissimilar from green tea as a sheng is likely to get, and not being a big fan of green teas, this is a great characteristic. Very consistent, no bitterness, sweet but with a little bit of fruity bite, this is more like an oolong than most shengs. An excellent tea to drink right now.

Oh Lordy this tea is good. Sweet , sweet corn taste. I didn’t get much hay notes like other white teas. It was very juicy , sweet & fresh. I would consider getting more of this tea.

Sipdown for the third or fourth time. I’ll probably pick up some more someday. Always makes a tasty latte. That coconut. Awesome.

I got 7g sample with my recent order.
I havent had many aged sheng due to it usually very expensive. So glad i got a chance to try.
Let me just say i enjoyed it a lot. Dark burgundy soup, no funky smell, tastes clean,almost like shou but not quite. still slight bitterness on a background showing true raw nature.
It is sweet, has notes of good quality leather and dried persimmons. some beet root but not overpowering.
i expect to brew it at least 3 days. this kind of tea usually is very durable. will see.
If i ever win a lottery ticket i know exactly what im going to buy after giving some portion to a charity of course ;D

https://instagram.com/p/-bn98uhwl3/

https://instagram.com/p/-bpyzDhwph/

https://instagram.com/p/-bp9hABwp4/

Day3. Still strong

https://instagram.com/p/-hihYMhwsv/

Thanks for this one, Stephanie! In a lovely pink tin and all. :D I’m always looking for a nice peachy flavored tea. I didn’t see too many peach pieces actually in the blend, but it tastes like peach anyway. I do wish it would taste like peach slightly more, but I’m glad that it doesn’t taste like that fakey peach. I’ve had some pretty gross peach teas though, so that bar might be impossibly low. There is also a savory element with the thyme and it’s making it taste a little like pine to me, but in an interesting way. The black tea itself is tasty enough and pairs with the flavors. I like it with two teaspoons! I bet this would be awesome iced.
Steep #1 // 2 teaspoons for a full mug// 7 minutes after boiling // 3 minute steep
Steep #2 // couple minutes after boiling // 3-4 minute steep

Smells SOOOOO good!

I saw a talk about oolong teas by Jenny Lo yesterday, and had to pick up a couple teas to try. They had some 10g sample sizes, which made me really happy… although I possibly should have bought more of this one. It smells SO GOOD!

I’m steeping in my ~120-ish ml kyusu (of course), and used about 1/3 of the packet. The rest of it will be going to a friend.

I’m just steeping till it “looks right”, so the first was about 30 seconds or so.

My frog army is enjoying the taste as well. ;) https://www.instagram.com/p/-ZRPqyx5Cs/

This tea is delicious. It’s not quite as sweet or honey like as I was expecting, but it is a really solid tea. At 30 seconds you get some sweetness, the maltiness, a touch of astringency. Yum.

The only cure for a tea hangover is more tea.

i really like this tea. I think i’ve figured out which tea i’ll be picking up with my free 50g. I figure that will be about as much as i need before i’ll get tired of it :)

This is the first tea that I drank from the Aged Oolong sampler I put together and it was such a joy to finally drink something I’ve been working on for awhile.

I meant to pick out a cheaper tea to have the other look weak when I get to them, but this is not doing that. The leaf may be small and a bit beaten up, yet when you look at it you can tell that it hasn’t been abused in regards to roasting because you can see its green color to it.
I ended up only using 3grams with a few ounces of water at a time at 187c (or so) for 30 seconds to a minute. Each steep was absolutely amazing. Don’t tell anyone…. I drank 4 steeps back to back within three minutes. The taste changes depending on the steep time. If you steep it for 30 seconds its possible to get the buttery texture because the light roast doesn’t settle in as much. Steeping at a minute gives it a defined taste like a roasted bancha from Japan which is strange to compare to. This was a fun tea to play with because I was able to get a buttered texture and a slightly roasted texture. The taste lingers for a long time which is great. There are nutty remarks and sweet undertones to the tea as well. All together, this is just fabulous.
What’s better? This is the same tea that What Cha has which means that I can compare two different styles of storage :)

https://www.instagram.com/p/-XAiGpRYAU/
p.s. though I don’t want to pull in price here, THIS IS ONLY $4’ISH PER OUNCE!

Being alone in the middle of nowhere on my birthday is a little sad, but at the same time, it has given me the opportunity to finally enjoy this. Being home alone all day + oolong = a chance for multiple steeping.

And boy, did this not disappoint. First steep had the heaviest salted caramel flavouring, unsurprisingly, and the base wasn’t too loud or vegetal. Just right. The steeped tea smells like caramel sauce? I think? Or the centre of a Skor or Almond Roca? Whatever! All I know is it smells like caramel heaven.

Second steep was still very heavy on the caramel. It floated atop the base. It’s like what I’d imagine making caramel in a pot, then diluting it with water would taste like. Or rather, like a diluted version of Bananas Foster…err, without the banana.

Lastly, the third steep was light in flavour on all accounts, whether it be the caramel or the base, but blindfolded, you’d still know that you were drinking this tea.

So glad I waited until now to try it. I needed some excitement today.