72

Sipdown! (15 | 15)

My last Zhi tea! Though some have made their way to the rehoming box, but those don’t count. :P

This is probably the best one out of what I ordered, though it’s not amazing. The sencha base is very dry grassy with some slightly fishy seaweed notes, but not much depth or really any vegetal notes at all. I do like the grapefruit flavor, it’s restrained but not too subtle and it does taste like a real grapefruit. And since it’s a citrus it goes fairly well with the more savory base, when some sweeter flavors would be a weird combination.

Anyway, it’s not bad. Lupicia’s version is much better, because the base is much better. Maybe I’ll steep up some of that tea next… Zhi in general was very disappointing to me, especially since it’s a local brand. There were a few teas that were decent, but none that were great or worth reordering IMO. Oh well.

Flavors: Citrus, Citrus Zest, Dry Grass, Fishy, Grapefruit, Seaweed, Umami

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 2 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
Dustin

I’d say the bulk of what I’ve tried from Zhi I haven’t liked, but the few I did like are near permanent staples for me. I think if I liked straight teas better I’d dig more of what they have.

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Comments

Dustin

I’d say the bulk of what I’ve tried from Zhi I haven’t liked, but the few I did like are near permanent staples for me. I think if I liked straight teas better I’d dig more of what they have.

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Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- October sipdowns: 3
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 132

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing

Location

Austin, Texas

Website

https://www.instagram.com/tea...

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