Joseph Wesley Black Tea

Took a whiff of this at the NYC Coffee and Tea festival this past March and had to bring some home with me.

I’m not generally a lapsang souchong fan. At all. Says so right there on my profile. But this one. The usual Joseph Wesley excellence.

First sip was a revelation. A lapsang exists that I like!! This does not taste like I just licked an ashtray. It is full and complex with my favorite malty note at the front. There is cocoa midsip with a deep fruit, plums? toward the back. All the way back is the roasty barley bit that I love, all with an underlying but subtle tobacco bite that makes this really interesting.
More on my blog: http://mizzprissy.wordpress.com/2014/05/25/lapsang-souchong-joseph-wesley-black-tea/

And here is its song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeyL1yVY_6Q&feature=kp

Queued post, written April 20th 2014

I think Husband is broken. I’ve been giving him the choice between the JW samples three times now, and he still hasn’t chosen the lapsang souchong. Is this the act of Cornflakes-man, I ask you? This is very disturbing. Do you think it might be bodysnatchers? O.O

Now, this one I would, had circumstances (ie shipping fees and my bank account) been different, have got a full tin of without even blinking. But, there were other choices that I also wanted a full tin of, both of which were new to me and with infinite potential for being Interesting, so I had to make do with a sample. Okay. I can live with that.

This is one of those kinds of tea where I know for certain sure that I’ll like it without having to have to sample it first. The very name of it alone is worth the first 80 points on the Steepster scale. It’s not a type which has to prove itself to me first, like an Assam or a Ceylon does.

There is a creamy sort of quality to the aroma of this one. I haven’t added anything to the cup, I never do, but it smells like there might have been a drop of cream in there somewhere. Apart from that it’s got that grain-y note that I love, but I’m not picking up too much in the way of cocoa notes.

Once upon a time I had a Bai Lin. The first one I ever had, and it tasted like mandarins. Therefore this is a note I always look for, but have never found again. Well, that’s not true, it may have been there in others, but never to the same extent. For this reason my ideal BL tastes like mandarins.

This one is grainy and cocoa-y and it has a sort of springy freshness to it. It’s a bit giddy, a bit bouncy. JW calls it elegant and sophisticated, but for me there’s a childish glee in it that doesn’t really equate ‘elegant and sophisticated’ at all.

It does not, however, deliver on the mandarins. Oh well. Perhaps I’m chasing shadows. It’s very enjoyable all the same.

Queued post, written April 18th 2014

Okay, I’m going to do a quick morning post of this and after that I’m going to aim for the ABTS (Apply Bottom To Seat) approach to my Camp NaNoWriMo writing. I’ve got behind while we had Husband’s parents staying, but that’s not really the biggest problem. The real problem is that I’m in re-writing phase now and this has turned out to be an awful lot more difficult than I imagined it would be. I would murder my internet for the duration, but that’s not as easy as it sounds and involves reaching into tiny corners and places where I can’t see what I’m doing, so I’m just going to have excert will-power.

HAH! As if anybody believes that. I’m already struggling with convincing myself to NOT have cake for breakfast. I am such a grown-up.

Anyway, I gave Husband the choice of tea this morning from among my three untasted JW samples, and for the second time, very surprisingly him being Cornflakes-Man and all, did not choose the LS. He picked this one, of which we used all the leaf for a large pot. And then spilled some, but there should still be enough in the pot that we can get a decent resteep.

This has a very malty aroma and it also reminds a little of honey. I’m not getting any cocoa from it, but there is something that I can’t quite put my finger on and it’s sort of in the same family as cocoa, smell-wise. (No, it’s not chocolate) It’s quite faint though, so I’m not deeming it super-important to decipher it at this point. Underneath all this there is a lot of grain and wood, so it smells like a good strong tea here. At first glance a good choice for the first tea of the morning.

Oooh, it may not smell entirely like cocoa, but it definitely has cocoa notes in the flavour. Not a lot of it, but just at the very beginning of the very first sip, there it was. It was followed with something that struck me as ever so slightly tart, ever so slightly wine-y. Interesting! That’s not a flavour I’m used to finding in tea at all.

The more I sip, the more the wine-y note seems to stand out. It’s in the realm of a slightly spicy wine here, perhaps even a tiny little bit mulled? I’m not getting too much of the grain and wood body I noticed in the aroma, although there those were fairly strong notes. I enjoy a good deal of grain in my Chinese black, so I’m missing it a little, but not to the point where it really bothers me.

This tea is very different from the Chinese black teas I’ve usually had, even the Yunnan teas I’ve usually had. It has a really interesting flavour and it’s very much worth a visit. Had I not been under certain ordering constraints (in general, but in particular with this brand) I think I could easily drink a tin of this.

It reminds me a little of the very first time I had the fabled Tan Yang Te Ji from TeaSpring. I honestly didn’t know what to make of it. I wasn’t even certain whether or not I liked it. And then gradually I discovered that I did like it. I really did. I really really did! It has remained my favourite ever black in the world since then and although a few teas have come close, none have yet managed to push it off that pedestal. With enough exposure to it, this Dian Hong has the potential of growing on me in the same way. Perhaps not quite to the epic pinnacles of the TYTJ, but close.

Queued post, written April 16th 2014

Part of my Bad Dog! order, the primary tin of which is still unopened. ETA May 17th, of course it has been opened at this point. It was the Keemun congfu in case anybody’s curious. I have finally set a date for opening it, though. Monday, because it’s my birthday and it seems a good time to have coveted tea for the first time.

This one is one I got a sample of, and the dry leaf has a lot of that raisin aroma that I always appreciate in an Assam. I can greatly enjoy a non-raisin-y one, but I do prefer them to be raisin-y, so that’s a good sign right there. After steeping it’s still mildly raisin-y, and even the flavour has an alround raisin-y touch to it.

YAY!

The peculiar thing is that on their own I don’t actually care much for raisins. In musli or in baking or what have you, they’re good, but I would never eat a handful of raisins just for the raisins. So it’s a bit of a mystery to me why they make me so happy in Assams.

Anyway, apart from the raisins, it’s rather a strong tea but it’s not too astringent. It’s a really thick and slightly sticky flavour with a fairly long aftertaste and very suitable for this morning. It has even eased my ‘I-slept-too-long-this-morning-headache’ a bit. Husband commented that he thought it was good as well, and it always says quite a lot when he does that, because it means he’s paid some attention to what he was drinking. He doesn’t usually if I haven’t told him I’ll be asking his opinion, so if a tea can grab his attention on its own it’s either really good or really weird. :p

Shame it was so difficult to procure.

It’s Day 9 of little terri’s Ultimate Sipdown Extravaganza!
I stayed up til 2am, playing harp, paying bills, setting goals, & reading Sherlock Holmes. I’m getting close to the end of the collection, & it’s been fun, but I hope to move on after this weekend.
I’m having a nice morning. I slept in until 9:30 (I love being self-employed), then I woke up with Bach’s invention #8 in my head, so I sat at the piano & played a slow rendition of it. It’s been years since I played the inventions! I grew up on the piano, but I don’t really play it much, & I need to create time for it, because I still love THAT instrument too. If only there were more hours in each day!

I’ve visited Joseph Wesley’s website a few times, but never ordered. It seemed a little high brow for me, a little too polished/designer/sterile. Plus, I’d think naming a tea company after yourself would be kind of risky, like getting your girlfriend’s name tattooed on your arm, LOL. Of course, Joe is really probably a really cool guy who just loves tea!

I’d like to thank boychik for sending me this generous sample. I divided it, placing 5 grams in my 4oz pot for a gongfu session of 15/30/45sec/1min/2min/3min, & a nice Tb in my 8oz cup for 3/5 minute steeps. I drank the gongfu brews first, & although it was nice, the flavor profile remained pretty much the same throughout. It was a lovely wheat toast, made from a darker molasses sweetened bread.
The 8oz cup X 3min was my preferred steeping, with a nice dense chewy kind of thick mouth, Boston Brown Bread with a touch of rye & dark molasses, lightly sweet & savory, & even a little tart, as if some citrus peel were added. It is also mildly astringent, & the resteep @ 5min tends towards a slightly bitter ‘hops’ quality. Not a bad tea, & a sipdown.
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The scent of this tea is relatively mild compared to similar teas out there. I can definitely smell a light sweetness & something that resembles bread, but there isn’t anything all that specific for my nose to pick out at the moment. Some teas slap you with a strong scent, but this one is so gentle!

Sipping… This is such a smooth tea which makes it very enjoyable to sip! It’s not creamy or silky, but smooth and mild. The main flavor that I’m picking up is sourdough bread. I also detect a mild caramel note, but my tastebuds have to look for it. This tea has a beautiful flavor, but it’s very much a whisper. You have to take time to look for the subtle flavors and I think that’s what makes this tea special. This is certainly a lovely, calm (perhaps needy) cup of tea that is begs for one’s full attention!

*A note about my second steep of this tea: I do detect some lemon notes (which could very well be the result of the “sour” character from the sourdough bread) mixed with the bready ones.. so I’m getting a something like an unfrosted, more rustic lemon loaf which is quite lovely!

i picked this tea at NYC Coffee and Tea Festival. I still have nice memories abt festival and meeting Joseph Wesley. he recognized my accent asking if i’m from Russia and also shared that he spent several months there.
i had this tea several times but didnt recorded for some unknown reason. Today i prepared it western style 1tsp 200F 8oz 2 min
This tea is rich,malty,chocolaty sweet with some nut notes. as it cooled all the flavors became more pronounced and meld into each other. i decided to increase the temp to 205F for resteep for 3min. Wow, 2nd steep is bolder, richer and flavorful. now I’m wondering if it would be a good idea to rinse it to open up leaves. I’m sure i can get one or two resteeps more.
I’m happy that i picked this tea and planning to restock once I run out of it.

Sipdown #2!

I went to bed really late last night, and my body is paying for it right now. Despite the influx of caffeine from this tea, I’ve got a bit of a headache and really think I need a nap.

This is good, though – rich, but not harsh or astringent. Quite smooth. I’m still not a black tea connoisseur, but I wouldn’t say no if offered more of this.

Thanks to indigobloom for the sample.

This is one of the oldest teas in my stash that I haven’t tried, so here we go.

Yesterday I had Sloane’s Golden Assam and was really taken aback by its strong taste. I think I’ve learned from that, and as a result I leafed this brew a little less generously today: 1 tsp for 8 oz instead of 6 oz. I also used a slightly lower temperature.

As a result, this is an incredibly smooth black tea. I don’t think I’m sensing the same level of maltiness and complexity that others have noticed, but it’s not astringent at all, and it’s rather soothing. Still not much of a black tea person, but this one isn’t slapping me silly, which is nice.

EDIT: Thanks to Indigobloom for the sample!

First tea of the morning. The smooth sweet caramel is just what I need this morning to ease me awake gently. There is a bit of breadiness, a little bit of malt but the caramel is especially prominent for me this morning. Like all of the other Joseph Wesley teas I have, this is just a classy tea.

Breakfast tea. I’ve already reviewed this and this is the last of my sample and a sip down. I’m sad to see it go and will likely buy more of it. So good.

This is the second tea from Joseph Wesley I’ve tried and it does not disappoint. Beautiful golden and brown/black dry leaf with a medium reddish-amber liquor. Bai Lin is usually a very happy place for me and this one is no exception. Sweet and refined. I will order more.

Further review on my blog: http://mizzprissy.wordpress.com/

It makes me hear Mavis Staples – a nice smooth way to start the morning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etITOxv9x4w

I did NOT want to be the first to review this tea…mostly because my notes are short and to the point, without a lot of descriptors. This will probably be the same…my apologies to Joseph Wesley…"cos this deserves more than I can/will give.

I will start off this note by stating I am not a Darjeeling sipper. This sample that I received from Joseph Wesley may just change that! I haven’t thoroughly explored the realm of darjeeling’s because I thought I didn’t like them…that muscatel thing. Of the very few I’ve tried it had this fruit note that just did not please my palate.

Well, I have to say, I think I get now why people love darjeelings. This is not like any Darjeeling I have tasted (so few that my comparison is laughable). The prominent note was spice, followed up by floral (very mild) and finally fruit (can’t pinpoint) but not like the usual muscatel that you find in Darjeeling. Mouthfeel was fairly light making it an excellent choice for an afternoon tea. I didn’t brew it in my usual glass mug, but I recall the liquor being clear coppery reddish.

This Darjeeling really changed my mind…I think that spicy note got me! Thank you Mr. Wesley for introducing me to quality Darjeeling…I wouldn’t have tried it otherwise, but next time I order, I would definitely put this in the cart.

I’m skipping the queue with this one because THE TIME HAS COME! I have opened the tin. I have sniffled it. Happy birthday to me! (I thought that would be an auspicious day to try it, don’t you?)

I should make some preliminary introductions to this one and tell why it’s so extremely special to me that I had to have it, shipping fees be damned. This tin right here was the very thing that made me order from JW at all. Everything else that I got to taste from the company was purely coincidental and taking advantage of the fact that I would be paying shipping charges anyway. I’ve been looking at the unopened tin of it for weeks now, simply just enjoying that fact that I had it. Petting it now and then and enjoying looking forward to it while waiting for the right time to taste it for the first time.

As you all know (or ought to know at this point!) I’m partial to a Chinese black, and if it comes from Fujian, it simply cannot go wrong. Fujian is my most favouritest tea growing area in the world and has been for a number of years now. My very very favourite tea is Tan Yang. It is the benchmark of fabulousness to which all other black teas must measure up. Another favourite type is Keemun, usually grown in Anhui. Life-giving and delivering a solid cup of tea every single time.

What we now have here in this tin is both a Keemun and a Tan Yang, and it is not a blend. It was grown near the Tan Yang village in Fujian, but the bushes are the Keemun variety transplanted there from Anhui. The very idea of this awesome on an epic scale!

The leaf smells both Keemun-y and Fujian-y. It has the Fujian cocoa note and the Keemun-y grain. Mind you Fujian usually also has a lot of grain in it, but I tend to find it more prominent in Keemuns. There’s something else in here that reminds me vaguely of some kind of tart berry or something. Perhaps one which has been dried. Like dried cranberry, I think, but not nearly as sweet as those are. If I take a little leaf in my hand and breathe on it before sniffing, I get a strong note that reminds me of when Husband makes beer, just at the point where he puts the hops in.

Okay that it, I can’t wait for Husband to start cooking breakfast (full English, yay!). I need to make a pot of this NOW!

After steeping it doesn’t smell so beer-y, but rather more like freshly baked rye bread. Courtney understands this note fully. I suspect Marzipan does as well. It’s grain-y and dark and also somewhat sweet. There is some of the Fujian cocoa notes there as well, but they are under the grain and so I have to really look for them.

I’ve started sipping way too soon. It’s far too hot still and I can barely taste anything. I did, however, pick up the fact that it’s a strong tea we’ve got here. It even seems to have a rather smoky note to it, which ♥♥♥♥♥

I can sip a bit more now. It’s quite cocoa-y with grainy notes underneath and a fairly large amount of smoke and then finally quite sweet on the swallow. I can definitely see the characteristics of both types in this. It’s like the best qualities of one combined with the best qualities of the other. It’s hard for me to even come up with anything to write at this point.

Oh yes.

Mind = blown.

kisses tin

I believe this is the last sample I have yet to try from the Joseph Wesley samples I got.

This might be my favorite of the bunch as it smells very aromatic after steeping, sort of like freshly baked bread or a cake of some sorts. I lost track of time while I was steeping this and don’t know exactly how long it was. Anyway this is extremely smooooth, very elegant tea. Tastes lightly of malt and chocolate with that nice baked bread aroma. This is definitely an elegant tea. I wish I had more to say about it right now, but it is delicious.

This is my first Joseph Wesley tea. I ordered several samples and Joe thoughtfully included an additional Lapsang sample all of which I will be commenting on later. I ordered two, was going to say tins, but they aren’t tins really, so I will say I got two thingies of this because it’s hard to make me unhappy with a nice black Chinese tea. I’m glad that I did. This is a really nice cup of tea. There is a little bit of smoke but just a little. It is a nice full bodied cup with little astringency, even though I steeped it longer than the 3 minute recommendation. There is a touch of malt and a touch of grain, but overall a round, nicely complex black that gives me a nice morning not too aggressive tea buzz. This is what I would think of as “Sunday morning” tea, where I get to laze around in bed with the NYT and this tea and be very, very content. I also love the aesthetics and attention to detail of this company. It is obvious that Joe loves tea.

This tea has such a nice groove – a song for it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FevK4QQaoFs‎

Another fancypants JW tea from boychik, because she’s so generous like that. (:

I like this one more than the JW Dian Hong Congfu, which surprises me a little. It’s been a LONG time, like nearly a year long, since I drank Teavivre’s Bailin Gongfu, but I remember it being rich, hearty, deep, and very full of the caramelized sweet potato and oat profile of nice Chinese black teas. Perhaps a side-by-side comparison is in order for this weekend; boychik sent me enough I can do that (thanks!). This one was sweet too, and had that quality of gentleness but also depth that the nicer Chinese teas often boast. I quite enjoyed it. I don’t know that these sweet potato Chinese black teas will ever be my top favorites, but they have a craft you can taste to them—how they manage to be so sweet with zero bitterness or astringency, soft but also so full of flavor—I’d never deny.

Another special tea from boychik! Thank you. (:

I had this last night. boychik was super generous enough that I can try it both Western and gongfu; last night I did it Western but I’m definitely curious to see if gongfu suits it better. Western, it’s clean and smooth and malty, with that balancing act between the cleanness and a cocoa and caramel-y rich sweetness. You know, some of that caramelized sweet potato, but not as obviously so or boring as other sweet potato teas…it resteeps very well too. I get this itchy sense there’s probably a way to coax more out of it somehow if I fiddle with steeping paramaters…slightly cooler water? More or less time? Not sure. I can see why boychik wanted input from others.

I met Joseph Wesley at the recent NYC Coffee & Tea Festival. His packaging is amazing and he was great to talk to. He provided me with a sample of this tea and I brewed it for myself & my fiance while working from home today.

The tea is reminiscent of a meyer lemon tea I’ve tried from Zen Tara Tea, but it is very clean with a slight sweetness. It tastes almost similar to a dark oolong due to the astringency, but it is very balanced and refreshing. Upon smelling, I get a faint roasted, earthy smell which translated into a smooth taste. The middle of the taste is mineral and hints of roasted chocolate or caramel, with a slight end-of-a sip citrus hint.

Let’s get the “dirty” outta the way.

I’m kinda drunk as I write this..today?

I needed a tea capper for an evening well spent.

Joseph Wesley was where I paid my black rent.

TeaCuplets: http://lazyliteratus.tumblr.com/post/80849224791/teacuplets-joseph-wesley-tea-no-3-chinese-classic

sipdown of old version. i do have a brand new tin ;)
made gongfu. 5g 100ml. Rinse/ short steeps.
Delicious tea. i came to conclusion that chinese red teas have to be made gongfu. having long steeps turn them spicy bitter with earthy notes. for many people it is not appealing . I really enjoyed this tea. perfect breakfast tea. it is replaced by the same better quality better leaves. but they dont taste the same. im glad i still can have them both ;)

http://instagram.com/p/xmF_tKBwrt/

backlog fr yesterday
i got my new chawan and tin of new Classic Chinese recently. MzPriss inspired me to use the new chawan.
Its not only beautiful to look at but such a pleasure to hold in hand and sip tea. The thickness is just right.
I tried the new version before but its been a while. i had to refresh my memory.
the tea is delicious. Its not strong kick ass as original. in fact it tastes like a different tea. it is the same but different grade. Leaves are very thin like silk thread and delicate. i thought that 195F would be appropriate. usually i steep Chinese blacks at 205F.
its very smooth, not earthy, kinda nutty with slight tint of longan in the background. i think its perfect as afternoon tea.
brewed western 3g 5oz 2min
im sure that Taiwanese black teas lovers would like this tea. it has some taiwanese flair of fruits and nuttiness.

http://instagram.com/p/v1VCzVBwrg/

http://instagram.com/p/v1WXXQBwkE/