2146 Tasting Notes
A sipdown! (M: 4 Y: 62) prompt: April 4 – Qing Ming Festival: drink a Chinese tea, preferably an early spring green
I have sipped this tea on April 4 too; but it wasn’t a sipdown back then. Now, 12 days later it is a proper sipdown.
It is a Chinese green tea, so it fill the prompt just perfectly. I don’t expect it is early green though, but it is lovely enough. The colder water than recommended 90°C was a bit better. Jasmine had just right level of it.
A sipdown! (M: 3 Y: 61)
6 grams were remaining and wait for their time that has come today. Decided to gongfu them, using 95°C water. Steeps were short at first; around 10 seconds, quickly followed with longer, those were around 30-45 seconds each.
This sheng has a great flavour profile that I liked. It was like dried apricots most of the sessions; also it was very smooth. Sadly, on the other hand, mouthfeel wasn’t too long and it was “over” quickly. It lasted only 5 or 6 infusions and steeps after were just a thin, slightly astringent, cups.
On the other hand, considering it is a Vietnamese Pu Erh, so definitely not a terroir famous for compressed tea; it’s not bad and I would gladly accept a cup if offered. I will keep rating on 86, because maybe when it was fresher, it was tastier. On the other hand, I have also used different steeping method, so it is not really comparable.
Preparation
A sipdown! (M: 2 Y: 60), prompt: a tea in a sachet
A year ago, or so, I have received (among others), 3 pyramid sachets of this tea from Kaylee — thank you!
It says Jasmine Triangular Original Tea Bag with origin in Taiwan and Sri Lanka; Manufactuer written as Jemmy Tea Ltd. and search of which brings no results to me.
And I have to say it is perfectly easy-drinking jasmine tea, with nice base (I wonder if that comes from Taiwan). Grassy green tea and no hay and old tea notes; instead it was fresh tasting and enjoyable. Yes, this last sachet was a bit worse (but also a few days past best before date). But, as I wrote, a good daily-drinker to me, if I had to seek jasmine tea on daily basis.
A sipdown! (M: 1 Y: 59)
This tea has aged well. So creamy sheng, with notes of green apple skins; some refreshing notes — menthol like; and steeps of very various lenghts were always tasty.
Considering I was saving one 4 grams chunk for 3.5 years makes me wonder, if it is a lucky accident that this tea is so good, or it is because I have good storage parameters, or it is a sign of a good tea.
The chunk was super easy to pry, so before humidity absorption time I decided to pry it and make it loose.
Nevertheless, I liked it and keeping the rating 86, though I consider myself a bit more experienced with puerhs.
Preparation
Apparently I haven’t wrote a note for this tea I bought almost a year ago when I was in Germany. Well, maybe because there is so little to write about.
This is supposed to be a peppermint tea and well, it tastes like it. A musty and weak peppermint. One tea bag is too little; so I usually prepare it with two and it doubles the mustiness and doesn’t bring any refreshing menthol notes.
11 bags to go.
Preparation
A monthly list (March 2025) of sipdowns without proper note:
A sipdown! (M: 10 Y: 50) Grapefruit Delight by TakeT
A sharedown! (M: 11 Y: 51) Nepal Aroma Jeevan Gold by Klasek Tea
A sharedown! (M: 12 Y: 52) HexenWald by Teehaus Mörl
A sipdown! (M: 13 Y: 53) Royal Peach & Thyme by Richard
A sipdown! (M: 14 Y: 54) Royal Ceylon by Richard
A sipdown! (M: 15 Y: 55) 1000 and 1 Royal Nights by Richard
A sipdown! (M: 16 Y: 56) Royal Rose by Richard
A sipdown! (M: 17 Y: 57) Mengding Ganlu by Siam Tee Shop
A sipdown! (M: 18 Y: 58) Huang Ya Yellow Tips by Siam Tee Shop
A sipdown! (M: 9 Y: 49) prompt: a good resteeper
This tea was a mood brighter; as well a good resteeper.
Many, many steeps made; all of them equally good, smooth, mouthcoating shu, no funky notes, sometimes more creamy, probabyl depends how perfect timing was performed.
Thank you, a lot, Michelle!
Preparation
I have a very little left from 100 grams pouch I bought last year; as i have shared it with others and drank it quite rapidly myself as well.
Sadly, I can’t tell it is great tea. Fine enough, yes. But something is lacking; the complexity of flavours and aromas aren’t here, rather it tastes, as others mentioned, like a simple Darjeeling with its floral / muscatel note.
It was smooth, but as Inkling have written, it misses oomph note. Definitely a good daily drinker and the price is worth that; but not for enjoying hiqh quality tea with lots of to explore.
Its 2019 harvest was better than this one. I have tried different steeping times, lower temperatures, nothing made me wow.
Preparation
So, finally, I have decided to try this tea. I have received 5 grams sample and half of it I sent to derk who enjoyed it greatly.
I tried to follow vendor suggestions, starting with 20 seconds steep and rather small increments like 5 seconds only. Using 95°C hot water. That seems steep to me, when it is a white tea.
If you want to read more about this Dutch-grown tea, they have updated its description and it is available for reading here: https://moychay.nl/products/exclusive-dutch-white-tea
The harvest year isn’t written on the pouch, but I assume they have only one and that’s 2021. Don’t get fooled, this tea isn’t stale and weak… instead I have received a strong, complex and unique tea I will try to describe.
The leaves look amazing on their own. Large, autumn-like leaves; I didn’t sniffed to them when dry, but now, when they’re damp, they release interesting fruity notes, that remind me berries, maybe raspberries and forest berries, shortly followed with faint, but noticeable autumn leaf piles, because of stems I believe
Flavour after two steeps I made so far, while writing those lines… is mouthcoating, strong, sweet-berry like somehow similar to the aroma of the leaves, but in extra, I consider it a bit spicy, like there was a cinnamon and nutmeg hidden in the leaves. Especially strong in the second session, 25 seconds long. Mouthfeel is not fading, coats well; with sweet aftertaste. It’s not cloying though, and complements well the fruity-spicy flavours.
Long steeps doesn’t hurt this tea. Well, to wrap it up; Dutch-grown tea seems to be good enough to drink; naturally a bit more expensive than their Eastern counterparts, not mentioning Georgian; but equally delightful.
