526 Tasting Notes

83

The dry leaves are very dark with green and white spotting. Being aged, it has lost most of color and calmed out. I am brewing with my sheng yixing pot at 212 degrees and 100ml. The liquor is a pale opaque amber. It has a light eerie glow. The steeped leaves expand to full and stemmed leaves w/ bud. They smell of tobacco, smoke, pine and a sharp green essence. They hint undertones of sweet rum and cured leather. I always enjoy Fengquing sheng and Teavivre never disappoints. The brew begins sharp and dusted. It quickly calms and becomes floral. It tastes of grassy wildflowers. Each brew still packs a punch but soothes with a sugary nectar. I believe with aged sheng the Qi does not die down but becomes slow acting. With this brew it slowly awakens during drinking. It is slow acting but still very prominent.

Flavors: Dandelion, Pine, Raisins, Smoke

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 15 sec 6 g 3 OZ / 100 ML

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35

Decided for Valentines Day to go sweet for a moment, so I picked this brew. I used a generous amount in my tea press. I let steep for at least 6 minutes, for I wanted a strong dessert taste. My tea room filled with a sweet delicious aroma. I could hint almonds, frosting, vanilla, sweet fruit, syrup, chocolate. It was just delicious so I grabbed some cookies and poured. It tasted like nothing. It was a heady masala chai like liquor. It had a heavy body but absolutely no taste. After sipping I could faintly hint some cinnamon and papaya. Otherwise it was just a bland soup. I ended up pouring the rest out. I’ve never cared much for Teavana products, only because I am not a flavored tea drinker. I scooped this up at a very nice price, I think I know why now.

Flavors: Almond, Cheesecake, Chocolate, Taro Root, Vanilla, Yogurt

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 8 min or more 2 tsp 10 OZ / 295 ML
Anlina

Ugh, the awesome smell, total flavour let down is such a problem for me with Teavana fruit blends. Except that some of them are amazing, so I don’t want to write the company off either.

Haveteawilltravel

Yeah, it is a disappointment. Most of their teas I enjoy, especially their blends. I cold brew them in the summer. The only thing that shys me away from them is their price hah.

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90

This is a very interesting tea! I purchased it on market street while in Boston for my birthday. What sold me was the initial aroma of the dry leaves. An essence of dark wood, muscaret and with a slight tang of sugar! Upon brewing it reminds me of a green Darjeeling, first flush, with its body and astringency. I brewed in my gaiwan, of course, and had some adverse tastes. What began as a flat sweet green taste became much more. By the sixth steep it had more depth and a mouth embodying sweetness. The liquor is a golden citrine. The fibers in the tea refract the light causing a magnificent effect for viewing. Upon unfurling it makes for a heavy brew and with full leaves and buds ratio. This is one of my favorite greens and I will definitely continue carrying it.

Flavors: Apricot, Astringent, Maple, Muscatel, Nectar, Oak, Sugarcane, White Grapes

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 0 min, 15 sec 7 g 4 OZ / 110 ML

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87
drank Yellow Gem by DAVIDsTEA
526 tasting notes

This tea has a very delicate brew. Its almost exactly alike Bai Hao Yin Zhen (Silver needle) except for the after taste. It leaves a sweet caramel sap linger in your mouth. I enjoy the aroma of Orchid, hay and nectar as it fills my tea room. I was only able to get a few intense steeps out of this brew with my gaiwan. Being a franchise sold tea it is still good quality. The brew is a golden iridescent color which I enjoy. I love the way the light dances around my cup and bowl. Altogether it is a very nice lazy morning brew :)

Flavors: Caramel, Chestnut, Dust, Hay, Honey, Honey Dew, Honeysuckle, Hops, Mango, Nectar, Orchid

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 3 OZ / 100 ML

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77

You can tell this is an Arbor tree by its bold and muddled flavor. Its not as bold and deep as an ancient tree or old tree but still it has a very distinct flavor. It starts with a dark underbrush taste and continues as mellow and fungal. The aroma is one of newt and wet granite. Its almost as a walk through the forest after a rainstorm. The liquor brews into a dirty red liquor, which is a fantastic Shou. The wet leaves let out an encompassing aroma of moss and stone. Arbor tree tea usually has a very consistent taste profile and keeps a very stable brew. I’m sure to get steeps well into the night with these leaves.

Flavors: Wet Moss, Wet Wood

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 15 sec 6 g 100 OZ / 2957 ML

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85

Thank you Teavivre for these beautiful samples. This Sheng is relatively dark brown with little bits of silver and gold buds. The aroma was intoxicating. I let it rest out for a small amount of time and the scent became stronger. I noted that it hadn’t been aged completely properly but that was not a problem. Upon brewing it was a golden pale stew. The liquor was sweet smelling with a hint of smoke. I was able to steep 12 times before I had to leave my home. I know it would have been able to be steeped more and more. I am always a Sheng fan and Teavivre will help me to continue being one.

Flavors: Leather, Menthol, Plum, Tobacco

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 15 sec 6 g 4 OZ / 110 ML

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Bio

Young and experienced Tea consumer. I’m continuously learning and developing knowledge about tea. If I have learned anything at all from the world of tea it is that I do not know anything about the world of tea. I enjoy good tea, and I try to acquire the best of the best. I usually brew gongfu but I’ve been known from time to time to resort back to western brewing.

I have an Instagram (haveteawilltravel), and I am proud of my photographs. I use my pictures in my reviews,and I hope that they aid in portraying the beauty of tea and teaware.

https://www.instagram.com/haveteawilltravel/?hl=en

Tea Rating System:
I rate my teas based on the category they fall into (Puer, Red, Oolong, Darjeeing, Flushes, Yancha… etc.)
This means that I will rate a Oolong based on how it stands up as a quality Oolong. I try not to compare teas, rather I work to evaluate them on their craftsmanship, harvest, processing, and qi.

I am most strict with Shou and Sheng Puerh, only because of the vast expanse of various experiences, such as; region, vintage, production, processing, etc.

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Middle of nowhere, New York

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