Bitterleaf Teas

Gongfu Sipdown (2532)!

I’m keeping this tea session pretty casual with stacked infusions in one of my larger yunomi-like cups. About three steeps at a time. It’s a rather sweet tasting sheng with a lot of fruitiness and a slick syrupy mouthfeel, especially when the steeps are grouped like this. Very stonefruit forward with a slightly bittersweet pithy citrus note. I’d describe it as a mix of candied lemon peel and floral, ripe white peaches; and I’m not just saying that because of the gaiwan. All very mellow though, with a gradual incline further into that fruity sweet territory. A little more apricot and peach forward. I feel like I can see where the namesake comes from!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C3v1Lh-uhpV/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep-JL92CiTk

Grandpa Style!

I’ve found myself increasingly interested in Lincang region sheng and it’s teas like this one that really exemplify why! The liquor is thick with a gentle astringency, though I find the taste to be quite gentle with an airy cotton candy type sweetness and a lot of fruitier elements. The finish is almost citrusy in a sweet yet bitter kind of way; like candied orange peels that still have some of their pith. Definitely really comforting on this first day back from holiday break – one of those teas you want to resteep over and over and over!

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm7Jq-Nu7nN/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ9v-eHmfvA

Not a bad huangpian. I got this tea from my BLT order a while back, and it isn’t amazing but definitely not terrible. Nice leaves that were easy to pry and a rich wet leaf aroma plus a clean and clear yellow-orange liquor to pair. The flavour is decent, not the most nuanced but packed a unique nutty-bitter combination to it. The texture is very decent, smooth, oily and juicy all in one. Character is average, not a lot of steep variability while the finish & aftertaste was good, slightly lingering on both fronts. Cha-qi is almost unnoticeable and steep longevity is mediocre to average, topping out at steep 9-10.

There are definitely better huangpians out there, but objectively speaking this is a low 7/10 for me.

Gongfu!

With advents over I’ve been eager to begin exploring some of the tea orders that were placed shortly before and during Black Friday, which began trickling in just as advent season was ramping up. I’m still getting over an unfortunate case of strep throat, so much of the exploration has been on pause – but I was feeling just well enough today to begin dabbling. I think much of the flavour nuance of this shou is still lost on me, but the thick oily liquor is like a soothing salve to my raw throat and the brothy taste that hangs at the back of my mouth after each steep is something to be treasured and enjoyed for all long as it manages to linger. Hopefully better sessions will come as we close out the year!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cmr1_6DuqP5/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAg3lsrI7ZA

Decent-ish dancong. I got this tea from my BLT order some time back, and it is decent but not amazing. Beautiful leaves with a rich dry and wet leaf aroma and a decently clear but slightly pale liquor. The flavour is decent, nice floral complexity to it with a decent texture to pair. Character is also surprisingly good with a nice dusting of “shan yun” throat rhyme to the back of the flavour profile and the finish & aftertaste was decent as well with good juiciness and lingering florality. Cha-qi is almost non-existent and steep longevity is average to mediocre, topping out around steep 8-10.

Gongfu!

Enjoyed a session of this (thanks to a gentle nudge from my friend theoolongdrunk) while playing Pokémon this past weekend! The YOT sheng and black tea this year were so good that it’s almost unfair to expect this tea to compete, but it does a pretty good job giving them a run for their money. What strikes me most is how surprisingly milky and floral this white tea is – really the only thing that comes to mind is this idea of richly pink whole rosebuds dipped in fresh cream. It’s a solid vibe.

I spent most of the weekend drinking tea and playing Pokemon Violet – after a few hours of grinding I finally have my final team for the rest of my play through. Anyone else playing??

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/ClgpACgOe2h/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xEGQNkVpV8

Gongfu!

Early morning session. The liquor was slick, oily and very warming with a cozy and woody tasting brothiness and notes of miso paste, brown rice, and gently toasted cashews. Very starchy finish, as well. I loved how heavy and dense the liquor was and though there was a slight bitterness to the savory and umami profile it was not as intense and abrasive as the night might lead you to believe!!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C12oTAnuQRZ/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me_GhqiQjbA

Grandpa Style!

This pu’erh is super pleasantly thick and smooth, with both a brothy quality and more of a nutty and starchy quality – it makes me think a little bit of congee. I’ve been steeping it Grandpa Style all day while I try to ignore what feels like an assault of Black Friday sale offers. Though, of coarse, I’m not totally immune to the capitalism of it all – I actually ended up placing four orders in total over the coarse of the week, including another tea monster mugs to keep this one company!

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/ClZUB67OtRl/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU7-CBzmoUM

Sipdown! (39 | 286)

The last pouch remaining from a Bitterleaf sampler I ordered at some point.

I don’t have much experience with sheng puerh, but this reminded me of a sort of combination of an aged white tea and a shou puerh. It has the smooth and earthy, yet slightly creamy hay and straw notes of the white tea, but then there’s a somewhat funky barnyard note to it that makes me think of shou. A touch of fuzzy apricot skin at the end of the sip brings in thoughts of Chinese green teas as well.

Overall, it’s a nice tea and definitely a change of pace for me. I would like to explore sheng a bit, it definitely appeals to me more than shou does. Maybe next year I’ll look into ordering a few samples to try.

Grandpa style!

We had our first snowfall of the winter earlier in the week, and it was less a snowfall and more of a snowstorm. I spent most of the day just keeping warm and cozy with grandpa brewed sheng. Wasn’t sure what to expect from this one but it’s surprisingly smooth with lighter notes of fresh and floral blueberries and peach skins – way more fruity than I would have assumed!

We recently got a new seating plan for our open office at work, and I actually have a desk in the main office now in addition to the one I’ve worked at in the our tea lab for the last couple years. I’ve been trying to split my time between the two spots. One of my new deskmates in our little pod of four is the designer for our hardgoods, and I’ve been really enjoying getting to share new teas with him since he doesn’t really know a lot of tea outside what we carry. I shared one of these coins with him – it was his first ever straight sheng. He didn’t like the first steep very much (he brewed it Western, but resteeped over the day) but a few steeps in really loved it – found it very peachy!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/ClCVkQNOeAH/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkf26aHaybc

Gongfu!

Had a bit of a “two in one” with the session as I used it to break in some new BLT teaware and it was my first time tasting this tea. Firstly, I am OBSESSED with this charmingly weird Chinese mythology inspired teacup. It perfectly fits in with my slowly growing assortment of strange tea accessories.

Secondly, this oolong was so toasty and delicious. When it comes to the “Dancong vs Yancha” conversation I tend to be firmly in the yancha camp, but this felt very much like the best of both worlds. Not quite as heavily roasted and mineral as your conventional Rougui but also not lacking those notes either. Cinnamon (duh), ginseng, tree bark, mace, and a hint of floral all complimented the more delicate notes of wet rocks and cocoa butter.

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CkwVOxDumiG/

(Peep the cup in the second pic)

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvyY4Ys4rmw

Gongfu!

True to name, this full bodied black tea does evoke memories of rich, indulgent breakfasts: stacks of pancakes just slightly burnt at the edges just saturated in very dark maple syrup. It also tastes brisk and malty with notes of baked sweet potatoes, burnt marshmallows, raisins, and a hint of allspice – not unlike rich and cozy Autumnal Sweet Potato Pie!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx826X2u_2S/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJwAoXr-KnI

Gongfu!

My order from BLT’s anniversary sale arrived yesterday and I was too impatient to wait to try something, so this new black tea was first pick! It’s sweet, syrupy and delicious with strong malty notes of baked goods, dark honey, and a finish that reminds me of maple syrup and pancake batter – though, the name of this tea may have something to do with why those specific tasting notes popped into my mind. I found this a really enjoyable session, and great value for the cost of the cake. BLT has really been knocking it out of the park this year with their black tea selections; I’m stoked to see how this changes as it settles and ages!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CktxKuEuemZ/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuK3b69BTmc

Nice puerh! I got this tea from my BLT order, and it is a juice bomb. Beautiful leaves, with a rich savoury aroma and a vibrant yellow liquor full of trichomes, the flavour of this tea is quite decent, rich and savoury. The texture is a wonderful juice-bomb that salivates the mouth, the character is average to decent, the finish & aftertaste is decent, definitely helped by the texture of this tea, the cha-qi is underrated as it isn’t so in your face but it actually affects more of the stomach, so don’t drink this tea on an empty stomach. The steep longevity is decent to good, lasting 11-12+ steeps. Overall, a really nice tea that just breaks the 80+ for me.

Gongfu!

This sheng has a pleasantly light astringency throughout the session with an overarching soft sweetness to the taste. Though it’s hard to pinpoint specific tasting notes with this almost ethereal seeming tea, I do taste elements of sugar cane, corn silk, and honeysuckles with a very mild but generic “green note” to ever so slightly anchor the session. Because the flavour is so approachable in its delicate deliciousness, it was easy to drink a lot of this sheng very quickly, and now I’m sort of basking in the warm glow of cha qi and caffeine that snuck up on me just as quickly!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CsjJOVLO08t/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRtVFIsYPLI

Gongfu!

The comparison to Yiwu material is what made me pull out this sample on Sunday, and sipping on the tea I definitely see similarities. The liquor is quite soft and silky in mouthfeel, with delicate notes of hot summer hay and honeysuckle throughout. A pleasant sugar cane note greets you at the end of the sip, with a lush coating sweetness that fills the mouth and throat! With a name like Kingpin I probably would have expected a more bitter and surly session, with abrasive texture and flavour; but this was a pleasant divergence from that expectation.

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CkEV85luGpj/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_y0AzxAXlw

Gongfu!

The dry leaf of this Dancong black tea processed from Milan Xiang cultivar is almost surreal in how sweet and plummy it smells, and steeped up this tea is even better! It’s practically dripping in syrupy florals and notes of over ripe plums, with a coating liquor and honey finish. Very aromatic and arguably almost too rich to start the day with. Almost being the key word! BLT has been blowing it out of the water with their black teas lately, but this one is just sublime!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj-q6nmuBa2/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1kH6iCsyWw

Sipdown (2347)!

Finished this off as a bit of a hybrid gongfu/grandpa style infusion at my desk today. Though I still have a couple of the other tea type versions of this tea left, the shou pu’erh ones have really been a favourite of mine. The heavy, earthy notes of the pu’erh is so beautifully contrasted against the bright, sweet flavour of the citrus. Ever so slightly medicinal, but in the good kinda way that sticks with you in the back of your throat and feels warm and soothing as you slurp back the thick liquor. Though I do break it up into pieces, I am for sure in the camp of tea drinkers that adds in the whole orange peel instead of removing it entirely or only using a fraction. Perhaps that’s why the notes of the orange are so explosively effervescent. All I know is that, grandpa style, one of these tea stuffed oranges can last the entire day – sometimes even longer. It’s fantastic value for something so dang delicious!!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxD5HESOX-K/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouyqexyf5eU

Gongfu!

Sore throat and sniffles call for chenpi; so earlier this week I steeped up a session of this shou stuffed Xinhui mandarin (back when I was just starting to feel sick). It’s somewhat bitter and earthy with a pithy citrus undertone, but also accented with a bright and zesty enough top note of mandarin orange that I think it could probably cut throat even the stuffiest of noses! In particular I love the huigan and medicinal coating feeling on my throat. In know I have a few of the other tea base versions of this tea left, but I’m actually not 100% sure if this is the last shou one in my tea stash – at a certain point it just gets kind of tricky to keep track. Thankfully, this tea is a total work horse and just brews and brews, so I’ll be able to enjoy it for the entire day. Haven’t checked in a while if these are still in stock, but if this is actually my last one I’ll have to see if I can add another handful of them to my next order!!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CpQg_lUuD_c/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_V2ccs_Urk

Gongfu!

It’s really starting to feel like Autumn so I’m digging into some of my shou pu’erh samples. The chenpi ones in particular. It’s equal parts sweet, bright & citrusy and dense, darkly earthy and brothy. Just a totally cozy and warming little flavour packed treat of a tea on a cool afternoon. It’s very hard to pick a favourite out of the white, black, and shou versions of this tea as they’ve all been sublime, but this one may just ever so slightly come out on top for me!

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/CjnlkbfuMxF/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFTLQM3yI-s

Not a great ripe. I got this tea from my BLT order, and it just didn’t do much for me during the session. A lot of broken leaves with poor aroma but a really beautiful rich liquor, flavour was average, texture was average, character mediocre. Finish & aftertaste was average, cha-qi non-existent, and steep longevity poor. Disappointing and the tea made it a chore to write this review.

Great tea for the price! I got this tea from my BLT order a while back, and it is quite a spice/mineral juice bomb. Decent leaves that surprisingly have a few buds despite being generally on the stemmier side, rich and nuanced aroma that permeates through the dry leaf, wet leaf and empty cup, vibrant liquor, decent flavour with a slight bit of nuance and potency but could definitely do a lot better in those regards, as the flavour doesn’t have a distinct complexity but rather feels like a bundle of nuance (as reflected by my flavour notes). Texture is juicy and not the most astringent, character is average to decent but the session was relatively easy going. Finish & aftertaste is quite present, not the most potent especially in terms of the finish but it’s there and it is quite decent for huangpian, buzzy cha-qi is mediocre to decent but there, and the steep longevity is average to decent.

Overall, a really good value for this tea that surprised me quite a lot through the session, and for around $0.10/g, definitely could grab a tong to see how this tea moves a long without much of a financial dent.

Gongfu!

I probably could have let this puerh rest a bit longer since this order only just arrived, but I just couldn’t resist trying at least oneeee of the new ripes! The liquor is thick and oily and coats the mouth, with a soothing medicinal bitterness to close out the extremely brothy and woody mid sip. What’s interesting is that, before getting into the meat of the infusions, the top notes are almost creamy like fresh churned butter. Though this is short lived as the oak and umami kick in. All of this rounds out with a pleasant sweet aftertaste. Quite interesting.

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CjgaXiaON58/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRyZdDNT8c0

Nice dancong! I got this tea from my BLT order, and it’s relatively decent. Beautiful leaves with a slight golden sheen, rich aroma that’s pervasive through the dry, wet leaf and empty cup. Decent liquor that is viscous but slightly dull. Nice flavour that is relatively rich and nuanced but fall short of exceptional, juicy texture that still brings an astringent aspect to the session. Average to decent “shan yun” in the character with the tea slightly shifting to a more mineral, body-centric flavour from the fragrant floral notes at the start. The finish is relatively okay, good level of astringency with a decent refreshness and a sweet yet juicy aftertaste. Cha-qi is a bit disappointing but the buzziness is still there, and the steep longevity is better than average, topping out at steep 11-12.

Decent tea overall but would need to be much more to reach an exceptional status.