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derk drank Black Tea (Delight) by Stan Teahub

1548 tasting notes

Here’s another one from Togo :)

Gone western. 5g, 8oz, 212F, 3 steeps at 5/5/8m.

Dry leaf is roughly processed and voluminous with a mix of whole and broken leaf, stems and a few silvery buds. Range in color from various greens to browns with a lot of reddish-purple oxidation.

Wet leaf after the first steep smelled like orange, raspberry, herbaceous with a touch of florals. The liquor had an odd aroma of squash blossom and chlorine. The taste was undefined with an herbaceous quality and floral undertones. It was sour after the sip and medium- to full-bodied. It had a kind of tingly superficial astringency.

In the second steep, the tea came to life (yay!) with an aroma of orange blossom, almond, dry warm wood and unplaced herbs. The tastes fell in line with what I was expecting of this tea: almond, walnut, orange marmalade, apricot and orange blossom with a persistent mango-apricot aftertaste. The liquor thinned a bit and some bitterness came in with a little stronger astringency.

The third steep was surprisingly similar though with a little less depth, some added warming black pepper, the bitterness moving to the back and turning into sweetness, lots of salivation and a stronger astringency. Two steeps was plenty.

I’d play around with the temperature and steep times to see if that could bring out the desired aromas and flavors in the first brew. I’m also curious about the changes in the tea as it oxidizes more. For the price that Togo said he paid, I think this is a great tea for daily drinking.

Preparation

Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 5 g 8 OZ / 236 ML

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This place, like the rest of the internet, is dead and overrun with bots. And thus I step away.

Eventual tea farmer. If you are a tea grower, want to grow your own plants or are simply curious, please follow me so we can chat.

I most enjoy loose-leaf, unflavored teas and tisanes. Teabags have their place. Some of my favorite teas have a profound effect on mind and body rather than having a specific flavor profile. Terpene fiend.

Favorite teas generally come from China (all provinces), Taiwan, India (Nilgiri and Manipur). Frequently enjoyed though less sipped are teas from Georgia, Japan, Nepal and Darjeeling. While I’m not actively on the hunt, a goal of mine is to try tea from every country that makes it available to the North American market. This is to gain a vague understanding of how Camellia sinensis performs in different climates. I realize that borders are arbitrary and some countries are huge with many climates and tea-growing regions.

I’m convinced European countries make the best herbal teas.

Personal Rating Scale:

100-90: A tea I can lose myself into. Something about it makes me slow down and appreciate not only the tea but all of life or a moment in time. If it’s a bagged or herbal tea, it’s of standout quality in comparison to similar items.

89-80: Fits my profile well enough to buy again.

79-70: Not a preferred tea. I might buy more or try a different harvest. Would gladly have a cup if offered.

69-60: Not necessarily a bad tea but one that I won’t buy again. Would have a cup if offered.

59-1: Lacking several elements, strangely clunky, possess off flavors/aroma/texture or something about it makes me not want to finish.

Unrated: Haven’t made up my mind or some other reason. If it’s pu’er, I likely think it needs more age.

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