derk Send Message

For once, my palate seems to fall in line with Togo’s. No sense in typing up my impressions since I find his review markedly similar to my experience.

https://steepster.com/Togo/posts/391724

Of all the sheng I’ve tried so far from the extinct sampler pack I purchased, Jingmai LOVE strikes me as one of the most agreeable (along with Hidden Song) despite the strange combination of aromas and tastes. Lots of characteristics to play around in if you want but nothing is so complex you would walk away overwhelmed by any one facet. In other words, a nice, safe sheng for explorers.

For me, the dry meadow florality is one of those things that doesn’t agree with me. And the energy I associate with sheng of that floral nature is difficult for me to handle. It feels anxious.

Oh. That’s nice.

I can be pretty sensitive to perfumey teas. Really dry florals in a tea can give me headaches, whereas pungent, heavy florals like citrus blossoms and bulb flowers can be wonderfully intoxicating. Based on the reviews of Moon Princess, I wasn’t looking forward to trying it.

I did not find this tea to be perfumey in the slightest. Highly fragranced, yes, as autumn teas are said to be, with impressions of tobacco, lemon, honeyed plum and jasmine. The taste is weaker but still satisfying, kind of like dry grass with dark honey that comes in and out. Nothing dominates. The swallow leaves a citric, lemony aftertaste that lingers and even an appreciable cooling sensation. The medium body deposits a soft, oily bitterness that coats the tongue, eventually leaving a numbing sensation. Later, the bitterness reminds me of blueberry skins and lavender. At first, I wasn’t feeling much energy but I later notice it, calm and defocusing. Its delayed presentation is well accepted.

I’m so far enjoying my first session with Moon Princess. While the fragrance is stronger than the taste, the liquor overall has a good balance for a young sheng, lacking the penetrating bitterness and lashing astringency that might turn away more timid explorers. Nice oolong-style daily drinker that reminds me something along the lines of a lavender-infused dark honey lemonade with blueberries, jasmine and a hint of mint. I don’t think any sheng has ever given me such a detailed impression as this one.

I really enjoy a light roast applied to Taiwanese balled oolong.

April 2019 harvest. Freebie from an order last year.

Gongfu longer steeps starting at 30s:
Dense lilac and orchid aroma. Lubricating, viscous mouthfeel. Taste — getting a lot of milk and green cardamom in this one. Lilac, orchid, grass, green stems, sugar cookies, nectar, mineral, aluminum, dry grass, walnut, spinach. Cooling, complex. Fruity aftertaste I cannot place, something tropical-custardy? Excellent for 3 infusions. From the 4th on it becomes increasingly drying like walnut skin, bitter and more metallic.

Grandpa is so pectic thick!

Really nice tea for the price.

Cold-brewed. Smells like fruit punch, tastes like nothing but sour and in a thin way. Increasing brew time and number of bags doesn’t do much for the better.

Probably ok with sugar. Even then, it might taste like Kool-Aid.

A short round of gongfu steeps didn’t do a thing for me, so I threw the leaves in a jar for cold brew. It was refreshing, sweet and toasty.

The remaining 3.5g of the pillow went western. Very mineral with a smooth roast, chocolate, raspberry. Tangy mid-tone. What-Cha describes this a being reminiscent of a Da Hong Pao; I can definitely see that. Perhaps the minerality isn’t as deep as in rock oolong. I don’t know. This week was rough. (Haven’t they all been lately?) Regardless, this oolong drank hot outdoors hit the spot as I finished up planting some native shrubs while the wind picked up and the temperature dropped near sundown.

Saturdays, ugh. I needed my ‘1990s pilled polyester bald-headed eagle blanket’ today. My first ever western steeping of this shou puerh and chenpi combo was the comfort I desired but it doesn’t offer the kick needed to prepare for the crappiest work day of the week, Saturday. At least it’s my Friday.

This tea is fantastic steeped western and grandpa. Both methods offer the full flavor and thickness that gongfu steeping can’t attain due to the high compaction of the material. Simply a solid drinking shou with no off flavors even when I manage to let time slip by.

“A Low Self-Esteem Self-Portrait”

Unassuming and mute until you prod her.

Her hopes, dreams and fears are packed away tightly.

You wonder if lengthier conversations and a gentle touch will offer some degree of success.

She has potential. She seems sweet enough.

Even still, all efforts to get her to open up are met with a perfumed air of arrogance that permeates your space.

What lies beneath is the bitter pill of reality.

Perhaps she’s less substantial than you thought.

Song pairing: Soul Coughing — White Girl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WlXipLy6nI

[W2T freebie]

Coming back to Jinggu Bàng a year later, it has toned down a lot. No longer do I get green beans or creamy, custardy florals. Those have mellowed into a base of smokey straw and bitter kale tone with subdued dried yet damp meadow florals. Impression of mushrooms and bay leaf. It is savory-beany-vegetal, mineral, cooling in the mouth and body and bitter with very little sweetness. The bitterness might turn others away but I find it somehow refreshing. Astringency is short-lived for me. The aroma is savory and meadow floral with a hint of buttery apricot-osmanthus.

I’m actually quite enjoying the tea today. Nothing amazing but sometimes you don’t want sheng puerh to floor you.

I took a sip of it hot and intended to put the remaining tea in the fridge to have iced later today. I ended up letting it cool and instead swigged it away quickly.

When I think of an Hawaiian Breeze, the last taste my mind conjures is the strong coppery and clear malty taste of this tea. I had a teabag, composed of mostly what I think is Ceylon black tea fannings. It was a bit strong and didn’t merge too well with the passionfruit oil. Hibiscus, is it even there? The tea did taste better cooled to room temp. Strange flavor combination, though.

I want to grow passion fruits something fierce.

Good morning from the west coast.  

A gentle green tea that can be had upon waking without causing an upset stomach. I enjoyed the entire sample from tea-sipper over the course of last week as grandpa-style brews before eating breakfast.  Clean, sweet, beany-vegetal, nutty and toasty as long jing is known for.  Impressions of cream, grain and apricot. Never astringent.  It did, I think from the amount of loose trichomes, tear up my mouth a bit.  I remember having that issue with long jing in the past. The effect on my mouth cleared up after 2 days of sipping.  The calming aroma and flavor more than made up for that effect.

Thank you, tea-sipper :)

The garden is fully planted. Between the perennial growth and annual plantings, we have:

mandarin orange, lemon, loquats (too young to flower), pomegranate, pineapple guava, strawberries, blueberries, grapevines, honeydew, watermelon, avocado, native currant, quince, banana (it flowers but never fruits)
mints, parsley, thyme, oregano, bay tree, thai basil, cilantro, sage, borage, lemon balm, chamomile, lavender
chives, garlic, leeks, green onion, bulb onions, turmeric, ginger
arugula, chard, amaranth, bok choi, artichokes, fennel
yellow squash, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, eggplant, potatoes, pole beans, beans for drying
sunflowers, roses, jasmine, honeysuckle

And those are just the edibles with multiple varieties of many plants. I don’t even know the extent of our flowers and succulents. I do have 8 or 9 Bay Area native trees and shrubs I’ll be planting today.