4185 Tasting Notes
SOOOO I busted my buy-ban already in January. I needed something on Amazon and needed something else to tag along for free shipping purposes and noticed there was a good price for these… I had already had the thought to buy more (many many times I had this thought..), so I just did it. sigh. Sadly, even though I bought my first Perfect and Glorious batch of these tuochas in 2022, it looks like they have already been changed because the new batch is considerably smaller sized. oh no!!! I thought they were perfect just the way they were, for this particular deep dark shou fan. And steeping this one up, it does taste considerably different. To me, there is like a stale cardboard flavor that is the most noticeable. Yes, the leaves seem the same and the tuocha is still the faster little unraveler, but I think just because there is less leaf in the tuocha, the flavor just isn’t the same for me. Before, there would be four very strong steeps. Now the second steep is lighter, and the third lighter still. The fourth steep is ridiculously weak… I wouldn’t bother going for a fourth steep in the future. In fact, I’m regretting buying these again at all. I am still using the parameters I had been using for the Teavivre samples, so I’m sure I’m steeping it differently than I have in the past, but really the flavor shouldn’t be this noticeably different. I was about to weigh the tuochas to see the size differences, but found out my scale has broken. I COULD try breaking apart a tuocha and using 1 1/2 tuochas per session, but that seems inconvenient and two tuochas at once seems like way too much. sigh. I will probably try 1 1/2 at least once, to see how it goes… Contacting Tealyra, they said the manufacturer must be processing the tuochas differently, since they are smaller, but told me they should be the same. To me they are not the same. They were perfect before. I’m so sad about it! I don’t know why I’m surprised. Even with food, if I really like a certain something it will quickly be discontinued, so I should be surprised they still have these tuochas available at all. (also, sidenote, the pouch the tuochas came in had holes in the bottom, somehow… I highly doubt it happened in transit, and trying to contact Amazon is ridiculous. But what if holes in the bottom of the pouch could have changed the quality/flavor? Amazon might not think of this, but as a tea fan, I certainly do. So I also informed Tealyra about the holes, as something happening at Amazon shouldn’t be representing Tealyra. I’m hoping all of their pouches aren’t doing that over at Amazon…)
Original price was $7.90 for 15 tuochas.
On Amazon, I paid $29.99 for 75 tuochas.
Even more hilarious…. I bought these right before I figured out that I’m a much bigger fan of Fengqing shou, more than any other type of shou. And then I go and stock up on a ton of Menghai… so maybe I have no idea what I’m talking about and good shou is just good shou. Just as long as it is processed to the strength I like?
Steep #1 // 1 tuocha for medium sized mug // 20 minutes after boiling // 7 second rinse // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 11 minutes after boiling // 3 min
Steep #3 // just boiled // 3 min
Steep #4 // just boiled // 10 min
Tldr: the new batch is smaller than the batch from 2022, changing the flavor. I regret buying this new batch of 75 tuochas.
Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – February 2024 Tea #6- A tea that energizes you
I thought of this one for this prompt. It’s supposed to have natural caffeine added making it “3x the caffeine of a regular tea”, whatever that means, so in theory, it should energize me… not sure if it does. Before steeping, I do notice on the leaf in the pyramid tea bag, that there is like a matte coating to some of the leaves… that must be the added caffeine. The flavor is decent enough, yet unique for an earl, most reminds me of grapefruit with a hint of cream. Next time is a sipdown, not quite yet!
I was also thinking of this tea because I was looking for Angry Tea Room’s Caramel Popcorn Movie Night blend and it looked like Tea Guys used to have it. Tea Guys have since closed and apparently had legal issues? And Zest Tea was previously involved with Tea Guys which brought them to court? And I thought “hey, I have some of Zest tea around here.” A shame Tea Guys didn’t make it. But it’s also a shame I won’t be able to find Caramel Popcorn Movie Night again…
I’ll post a note as I was questioning if the dashboard was currently stalled… It isn’t! (Unless this note will stall it….)
This was kindly shared by Cameron B, thank you! I had always wanted to try this one. I’m not sure why, as I’m not the hugest fan of chocolate teas from Harney. But there is supposed to be other flavors here. Sadly, chocolate kind of takes over. Then maybe a generic sort of nuttiness. (Makes sense, as the description mentions almond, hazelnut and peanut.) But there is no apricot here to be found. The second steep was actually deeper than the first steep, but more of the exact same flavor notes. The chocolate + nutty notes are reminding me of a Harney tea I had long ago….forget the name now. Not my favorite from Harney, but the few teabags left in the tin shouldn’t be TOO hard for me to finish. :D It looks like Harney doesn’t carry this one anymore…
Steep #1 // 1 teabag for medium sized mug // 20 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 3 min
Flavors: Chocolate, Nuts
Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – February 2024 Tea #5 – A tea that makes you feel extra cozy
It was time to finish this oldie, and it sure fits for this prompt. The roast lends to some cozy! While it still has some other flavors that aren’t just “roast” like I seem to find roasted oolongs have. This isn’t One Note like an oolong.
2024 sipdowns: 19
Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – February 2024 Tea #4 - February 14 – World Library Lovers’ Day
Second tea for this prompt! Another book that would definitely make my top ten: ’Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’! I had to break out this tea today. Still is an unlikely tasty mix of ingredients, surprises me every time. Just like every page of Douglas Adams is also a surprise. I also had to wear my Hitchhiker’s Guide socks today. Don’t panic!
Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – February 2024 Tea #4 - February 14 – World Library Lovers’ Day
WHUT. I had no idea that Feb 14 is library day! Fitting, as personally, I think most of my love has definitely gone to books since a very early age. I haven’t read it in quite a while, but I do believe ‘Jane Eyre’ would probably be on a list of my favorite books. So here we have this tea for this prompt! I also appreciate that it’s a blend named for all three sisters, rather than only one. I have read books by all three sisters, and they are all talented. I really want to read ‘Villette’ soon, but there are a billion other books in the line up.
This blend was good! More of a vague fruit blend… seemed like it was constantly wisping around to different fruit flavors, which is understandable as there are five fruit flavors here, not many of them really common tea flavors. But this has always been fitting for a fruit craving, especially as this blend is now a few years old. I would consider buying it again, though it isn’t exactly in my list of favorites from S&V (and that list of favorites might be in the dozens by now.) (This was the sample in the Author box.)
2024 sipdowns: 17
additional notes: I was quite sure that adagio carried most of Angry Tea Room’s blends. Not sure about this one? Please someone inform me if you find it! I do crave this one quite a bit, and enjoy it when I steep it up. Love that dusty, dusky chocolate swirl at the bottom of the mug.
Think I found Sue’s blend here? https://www.georgetownoliveoil.com/products/chocolate-ginger-bourbon
additional notes: Trying this one again after the six samples! Just from the dry leaf fragrance and steeped leaf fragrance, I remember why I love this one. Even with five grams (rather than the usual 10grams that I would use in the past), this is simply the richer, superior shou, with the flavors that I prefer over all the other Fengqing samples. Four extremely strong steeps. Just perfect flavor. Ah, how I will miss it!
So after trying all six shou samples, I think they were all great, all somehow unique, though none of them quite lived up to my very favorite: Teavivre’s Fengqing Golden Buds 2013. I think if I’m looking for that lovely bread quality, the best option is the Fengqing Ripened Anniversary Pu-erh Cake Tea 2014. But that is also the most pricey. I did love that a Menghai was in the mix of six, as it reminded me the flavor qualities that Menghai usually has, and reminded me why I like Fengqing even more. I do wish I was able to buy a cake of my favorite back in the day, but I’m also grateful to Teavivre for having so many options. Maybe it’s all about the “GOLDEN BUDS”, as none of the new offerings are described as “golden buds”. Final ratings, all very close!
Fengqing Ripened Anniversary Pu-erh Cake Tea 2014 – 90
Fengqing Man Ting Fang Ripened Pu-erh Cake Tea 2017 – 87
Fengqing Ripened Pu-erh Cake Tea 2015 – 85
Fengqing Ripened Tribute Pu-erh Cake Tea 2017- 86
Fengqing Ripened Pu-erh Cake Tea 2018- 84
Yun He Jia Mu Ripened Pu-erh Cake Tea 2010 – 83 (the Menghai)
Steep #1 // half sample (5grams) for medium sized mug // 20 minutes after boiling // 7 second rinse // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 11 minutes after boiling // 3 min
Steep #3 // just boiled // 3 min
Steep #4 // just boiled // 10 min
additional notes: Wanted to try this one with two teaspoons to see if any bacon appeared: Nope. It was a burst of blueberry though, with some sweetness, though not as much as the Maple Pancakes. Hint of smoke, no cinnamon and thankfully also no noticeable hibiscus. I don’t think I would use two teaspoons in the future… 1 or 1 1/2 is enough.
LEt us know if bacon does come through at some point. I have found that bacon-flavored things I can’t stand. I bought some bacon-flavored honey and it’s weird…
Nope, I never noticed any bacon flavor in their teas, even when they were fresh… maybe it’s hiding behind the lapsang and I’m just not ever sensitive to the bacon. Maybe you would notice it more?
75! Good thing aging is desirable for pu!
Well, before ordering the new batch, I thought it was a cupboard staple. :/