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When I was preparing my gongfu tea — see my previous note of White Peony by Teawala; I was asked if I could prepare in a teapot.

Because it would be rude to say no, I decided to make this one, which is almost sipped down. I think I have last session left in the tin.

Sadly, tea in the tin is now much worse than the rest of the tin. There are only a little of buds now, and more of the bigger leaves, but sadly a bit crushed.

I prepared it in the pot, as I wrote before, and I used 5 grams. It’s recommended to use 70°C water, I did 80°C and it doesn’t seem it was a bad idea.

This one, compared to the second white tea is much more hay-like, though still very fresh hay. But I assume it is because it is much longer opened and stored in the tin (more than a year), but still very refreshing and flavourful. The aroma reminded me a hot summer day in the meadows with haybales around.
Definitely a good tea for hot days; but as usual, the tin quantity was a little too much for me. I would buy it again, but in pouch.

I just checked out and the pouch is same qty as in tin. Whoops. I guess I need to drink those 55 grams faster ;)

Note: I received Tielka teas, included in this (and following) tasting notes, free of charge in exchange for a tasting note. I will do my best to remain unbiased, but of course, I am very grateful for this opportunity.

I do have a White Peony sampler thanks to Kaylee who kindly swapped this one with me. I didn’t wanted to make a new listing for that.

Some background info from the pouch:
Picked: March 2021
Origin: Zhenghe, Fujian, China

I used 3 grams from 8 grams pouch — I wanted to use all 8 grams, but decided to follow a bit the instructions written — 3 g, 150 ml, 85°C…

My gaiwan is only 125 ml; but I was too lazy in hot days to calculate how much tea I should use.

But nevertheless, I have a wonderful tea, that invited me with aromas of muscat, white grapes and flowery aroma, while just in pouch. It was sealed very well apparently, considering it is 4 years old white tea!

And then, brewing; I have started with 10 seconds and did 10 seconds increments and sometimes just 5.
It was so flavourful, smooth and refreshing, with cucumber and muscat being the dominant flavours. As I know, that white tea, even hot can be nicely refreshing in hot days… this was like cooling me down like a little shower.

Also the visual of the tea was very nice; very fuzzy buds and one leaf; very bright green and almost silver in color.

To sum up, I am surprised this one was so flavourful despite its age, and so refreshing. It will be a shame to finish this one soon, so I guess I have to look after some good whites soon-ish.

A sipdown! (M: 4 Y: 78) — prompt: A tea you have bought multiple times

I believe I bought this box at least twice.

I really liked the flavour! Base is a bit light, but present in flavour; genuine blackcurrant flavour without chalk note I noticed with other tea flvoured with this berry; and mint is nice and refreshing, not earthy, musty and stale as my pure peppermint teabags from GoBio.

Yes, it will be missed. But definitely a tea I can return to. I think it will happen quite soon, my flavoured black tea list is getting too short. I think this is actually last but one (not counting chais).

My label of, probably, this tea, says “2015”; but I just think that derk has sent me this and it is just a written typo. Thank you anyway!

And it is another tea finished in single session; I used all 7 grams at once.

No rinse, boiling water; my only one gaiwan with volume 125 ml.

First steep was roughly 20 seconds long and honestly, I just remember I liked it, but I gulped it so fast and I haven’t wrote any impressions. Sheng-y goodiness is what I recall. The wet leaves after this steep are quite funky in the aroma, somehow herbaceous, but also mentioned in earlier reviews notes like egg shells and BBQ.

Second steep I cut the steeping time to 10 seconds only and it brings sweet notes with vegetables, as it cooled down the more sheng sweetness appear, but there is no astringency or bitterness; it is very mellow and smooth. I don’t notice any smokiness as others.

Third steep was 15 seconds long, producing a beautiful color of the liquor with a smoky aroma that I missed in previous steeps. I agree with Togo that it smells a bit like grilled vegetables a bit, moss and Finnish damp forest.
As of flavours, it seems it hits their peak, there are too much of them to describe… somehow similar to the aroma — grilled vegetables; but of course as I haven’t tasted moss nor Finnish forest not these notes. But it was slightly woody, a bit smoky and a little of astringency is here.

4th steep, 25 seconds
Minerality has appeared and complements well with the astringency… and bitterness. Not my favourite profile, but there are still lovely vegetable notes in the cup; especially when it has cooled down a bit.
A slight woody note is still there as well as the smoke, but overall it is a calming tea, and glad I took it today after yesterday stressful day at work.
I am suprirsed it is so flavourful after those steeps, as often the flavours hit their peaks and then they disappear very quickly, sometimes in very next steep (like a steam above pot — that’s a Czech saying).

5th steep, 30 seconds
It is still very flavourful, and here I noticed still the grilled vegetable note with some vegetal astringency. Gets a little salty, as Togo has mentioned. I wasn’t too focused to this steep, though.

6th steep, 45 seconds
Right away I made this steep, I had to go away from keyboard and cup; and when I returned I had just right lukewarm tea with lovely flavours, though a bit heavy for my stomach. Dominant notes were astringency and saltiness, with vegetal aftertaste.

7th steep, 50 seconds
About 90 minutes later… as I went for a lunch, then did some grocery shopping and just returned to the tea.
The water was in thermos, so nothing wrong with this and tea was covered with gaiwan lid.. nothing that could happen here as well.
It still have lots of flavour, I notice more of the moss instead of vegetables.

A few next steeps were made, and this tea apparently lasts long… afterall, it was mentioned by other reviewer as well. It is a great tea, especiall considering it is, probably, 20 years old, I am pretty sure it has aged beautifully. I can’t believe that this tea was pressed when I was 10, and now I am drinking it almost 30 years old. It has to change… like I did.

A sipdown! (M: 3 Y: 77) — prompt: A tea you can buy in your town or city

I consider myself lucky that I have a small corner shop in my town with a vast variety of Basilur teas.
This is one of the sampler I bought last year; and I think it’s great one… lots of good fruit infusions that you can almost pick any according to your current desire.

I will repeat myself from my last note… both fruits are present here, genuine and not artificial tasting; but unlike that note, I haven’t noticed too strong hibiscus — it’s not tart today. Thanks to that I am raising the rating.

I am a little sad that I haven’t tried this cold or iced; but ces’t la vie and I will try that method with other teas in my stash. And this one may return one day.

A sipdown! (M: 2 Y: 76) — prompt: The tea with the most ingredients

10. 10 ingredients to be exact in this last tea bag.

Juicy orange with warming cinnamon blend, pleasant in the cold and rainy afternoon. It is very pleasant to drink; and as well as very easy to drink.

Some would like a little more of earthy turmeric, but not me.

This was an absolutely unplanned sipdown with a prompt. I just thought that I should finish this little amount left and I just did. And while I wrote last time that it would be western; I decided for gongfu again.

I wasn’t too focused to the tea, though. It was a tasty tea, indeed, with longer steeps in, not full, gaiwan. That’s because of less than 2 grams left.

But as I wrote, I wasn’t focused on it today… just it lasted quite long with long and enjoyble aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel.

April and May sipdowns without a proper note.

April:
A sipdown! (M: 8 Y: 70) Erzgebirgesonne by Teehaus Mörl
A sipdown! (M: 9 Y: 71) Ms. Gardenia by Xian Cha Tea — prompt: a flavored oolong
A sipdown! (M: 10 Y: 72) Royal Green by Richard – prompt: your oldest green tea

May:
A sipdown! (M: 5 Y: 73) Traditional High Mountain Oolong by Floating Leaves prompt — May 1 – May Day: Drink a floral tea!
A sipdown! (M: 6 Y: 74) Spring 2024 Yingpan Shan Black by Farmerleaf prompt — March 21 – International Day of Happiness/Spring Equinox – drink a tea that makes you especially happy or speaks to you of spring. A spring tea.

I have received this tea from derk, quite a long time ago; and I felt I need to be very focused on this tea to enjoy it fully. And as I am home alone for once again, and I have a mood for damn good tea, I picked those 8 grams in small zip-lock bag; got water ready, preheated the gaiwan, measured half of the tea amount, and put tea in the gaiwan. Actually, I wanted to use all 8 grams; but I read the notes by others and rather used just half. That means I will have a chance to have this tea once more; with a proper sipdown.
Thank you a lot, derk that you send me such gems in the tea industry.

Dry leaves smell mostly after honey and cocoa, with some fruity line — it could be mentioned black currant by vendor; it could be something else, but nevertheless, it is a lovely scent.

I haven’t done any rinse, as, in my opinion, it doesn’t need any; as there are only nice twisted wires of leaves; nothing broken, no dust to strain.

First steep was only 10 seconds long, enough to wet the leaves; with first notes to appear in the drink as well. Leaves now smell really lovely, very familiar, but again, I feel short to point out what is it like. I think it could be again that black currant, but others say wintergreen. I am trying to recall if I ever had the experience with the latter and probably not at all. Just some teas that tasted like that before, but not the plant itself. If I look into Internet what wintergreen is, I found out many essential oils with such a scent.

The flavours are a bit weak, but hey, 10 seconds steep… you can’t have miracles.
It is a little tannic, however then the refreshing notes appear, fruity, something between red and black currants, hints of cocoa and woodsy. Long mouthfeel and aftertaste with cherry notes. Amazingly complex!

Second steep has been 12 seconds long; it seems I am more-less following Leafhopper’s note; brought much more darker liquor with a lovely aroma and I will tell it is that wintergreen.
Leaves started to be like chocolate covered cherries, a little bit reminding me griotte. The flavours exploded in my mouth, filling it with wonderful fruity notes; again the cocoa and the aftertaste is like the aroma of the leaves. And it’s long indeed!

Third steep, 15 seconds
I wish I could get high from the leaf aromas! It smells so nice and I could smell it very often. Narcotic isn’t probably the correct word for that, but my mind can’t bring other one.
This is chocolate covered cherry, there is nothing off-putting; lovely aromas rising from my teaware filling whole room; flavours that are mouthcoating like a honey… and that note appears in taste too, especially in the long aftertaste.

Fourth steep, 20 seconds
Oh my, that aroma from leaves. I know that I repeat myself. But it is such sooo nice. I am speechless.
As of flavours, it turns more into currant notes. Maybe a bit of herbaceous. Delightful woody notes; a little bit tannic, but note that there was a really low level to start from.

Fifth steep, 25 seconds
It started to fade, but it is not faded at all.
Currant-y flavoured goodness, with cocoa and woody notes. A little bit drying too.
A flaw? I don’t think so.

6th steep, 30 seconds
Still so fruity, so flavourful; drying and tannic level has risen a bit though.

And many, uncounted following steeps that are without written notes.

I saw a can of this RTD tea yesterday and I bought it right away. I saw well-known brand, so I thought it won’t be bad.

I haven’t checked the ingredients in the shop; but maybe I should next time.

First of all, it contains sugar. That’s not surprising, but me, who likes tea without any sweetener, it is a little dismal. Truth is that the amount is lower than expected; and maybe better sugar than artificial sweeteners or stevia.

Secondly, they claim it is Ceylon green tea. That’s not suprising either, as Dilmah is a brand from Sri Lanka. But Ceylon green teas were usually a miss for me.

But, well, I was drinking it and something was wrong. It is refreshing, jasmine is there, but a little bit hidden… not sure if is because of sugar, and it taste indeed like a green tea. But that aftertaste is weird, but what is it. I found out when I was finishing the can. It is like you used boiling water for a green tea. That creeping bitterness, which is very unwelcomed in green tea. Such a shame; it ruins the experience!