189 Tasting Notes

38
drank Sencha by Infussion
189 tasting notes

Loose
Appearance: olive grey green sencha lead
Aroma when Dry: grassy, smooth, sweet (eastern) light, hint of floral
After water is first poured: creamy, buttery, vegital, sweet
At end of first steep: creamy, vegital, sweet
Tea liquor:
At end of first steep: clear
Staple? Type yes
Preferred time of day: any
Taste:
At first ?: smooth, velvety, mineral notes, light vegital
As it cools?: notes flatten, get juicy vegital, soupy
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? Hints of buttery vegital notes

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 2 min, 30 sec
Infussion

You might want to try lowering your water temperature to 65C and reducing steeping time to 30s.

Kasumi no Chajin

thanks for the feedback on both your teas, if I have not passed them on, I will try them again with these guidelines!

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4
drank Longjing by Infussion
189 tasting notes

Loose
Appearance: long green leaf
Aroma when Dry: heavy vegital,
After water is first poured: burnt spinach
At end of first steep: cream spinach
Tea liquor:
At end of first steep: light green
Staple? Type No
Preferred time of day: any
Taste:
At first?: spinach, peas
As it cools?: tea deepens, gets sweeter,asparagus notes surface cloying
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? Yes, with cloying heavy vegital notes

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 2 min, 30 sec
T.C.

Oddly enough, I was just watching a youtube video on how to brew this stuff last night.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kff7OxaWhM&feature=related

Sare

T.C that was AWSOME!!! I would have never known! I gave this tea a 59 the first time and i brewed it in a bag I will be trying this tea later today the way they sugest!!

KittyLovesTea

That video was great. I have never been a fan of LongJing and it looks as though it could have been down to brewing it. I usually use my Gaiwan or Gongfu… I will be trying this out. Thank you :)

Kasumi no Chajin

Huh. Lovely vid. I wonder if that method lightens the tea.

Sare

it looks to me likeit would there is not much color in the glass now we will all be trying this method :)

Infussion

You might want to try lowering your water temperature to 65C and reducing steeping time to 30s.

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95

Loose
Appearance: fuzzy bicolored pearl curls
Aroma when Dry: sweet, bright, light floral
After water is first poured: floral honeysuckle, cherry blossom notes
At end of first steep: floral, fruity, cantaloupe notes surface
Tea liquor:
At end of first steep: clear
Staple? likely
Preferred time of day: any
Taste:
At first ?: light fruity, mineral notes, honeysuckle, berry, melon notes high on the palate
As it cools?: tea gets bodied, brothy, sweeter, salt close
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? Only slightly, mineral notes

Second Steep (4min):
At first: light mineral melony notes
As it cools: bodied mineral broth

Third Steep (5min):
faintly sweet mineral broth

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 2 min, 30 sec
Sare

i love the panda pearls :)

Kasumi no Chajin

They are one of the best white teas I have tried :)

Alphakitty

Panda Pearls?! I want to try this for the name alone!

Kasumi no Chajin

LOL! If I get to order some, I’ll be happy to send some your way

T.C.

Must have panda tea! My tea sensei who got me into this addiction is an extreme lover of all things panda. She would flip out if I got her Panda Pearls lol

Lala

I have panda pearls from a different tea company. The package states “The shape is made to resemble Panda bear tears and are a symbol of good luck.”

Kasumi no Chajin

Nice! thank you for sharing this.

Sare

thats what my panda pearls State too on the package :) Made me feel a little off about drinking panda tears but lol it was soo good!!

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85

Loose
Appearance: green brown oolong kernel
Aroma when Dry: deeply milky creamy, nutty, hints of floral
After water is first poured: warm, milky, nutty, floral
At end of first steep: honeyed cream
Tea liquor:
At end of steep: clear
Staple? Type yes, would buy brand
Preferred time of day: afternoon, evening
Taste:
At first ?: honey cream then nutty notes, closing on buttery cream finish
As it cools?: tea gets sour, brothy, slight salt notes, stays buttery
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? bearly, buttery cream notes

Second Steep (4 min):
At first: buttery, nutty
As it cools?: bodied, salty, brothy

Third Steep (5min):
Salty, bodied broth, fruit notes

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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66

Loose
Appearance: mid forest green, highlights of olive, medium jasmine buds
Aroma when Dry: slightly soapy jasmine floral
After water is first poured: moderate jasmine floral, hints of grass
At end of first steep: soft grassy jasmine
Tea liquor:
At end of steep: light grass
Staple? Type yes, would gladly buy brand
Preferred time of day: afternoon, evening
Taste:
At first?: buttery jasmine notes, getting floral on the close
As it cools?: notes deepen,tea gets bodied, slightly salty, brothy, floral close
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? Slightly, floral all across palate

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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95

Loose
Appearance: large rose hip chunks, long hibiscus bits, deep crimson red blend
Aroma when Dry: bright, fruity, tart, herby
After water is first poured: fruity, nutty
At end of first steep:fruity, nutty, herbal
Tea liquor:
At end of steep: light pink
Staple? Type yes, would restock with brand happily
Preferred time of day: any, medicinal, summer seasonal
Taste:
At first?: bright, lightly tart
As it cools?: notes open up, deepen tea gets a bit more tart,
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? yes, a slight sour, tart earthy tang
Want to try chilled

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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40

Loose
Appearance: basic black leaf,, mostly coffee dark black, small curl
Aroma when Dry: malty, fruity, astringent
After water is first poured: fruity, malty, sweet
At end of first steep: fruity, sweet
Tea liquor:
At end of steep: Shadowy brown
Staple? Type No, would drink this one again, might buy
Preferred time of day: any
Taste:
At first (without milk)?: flat, non astringent black
As it cools?: notes deepen, raisin notes surface
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? Only slight mineral notes

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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85

Bagged
Aroma when Dry: sweet spicy chocolate, faint cinnamon notes
After water is first poured: Hazelnut Cocoa
At end of first steep: hazelnut bonbons
Tea liquor:
At end of steep: light yellowy brown
Staple? possible
Preferred time of day: evening
Taste:
At first (without milk)?: cinnamon, nutmeg, spiced hazelnut sugar, creamy close
As it cools (with milk)?: notes deepen, sweetness lessens, but tea gets creamier
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? few oz of milk added after first notes
Lingers? Yes, hazelnut notes across the palate
With milk?hazelnut notes open up, spices deepen, tea gets lighter

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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70

Loose
Appearance: long fine leaf, dark forest green
Aroma when Dry: buttery, smooth, sweet (eastern)
After water is first poured: buttery, smooth, creamy, sweet (eastern)
At end of first steep: even smooth vegital
Tea liquor:
At end of steep: clear
Staple? Type likey, would use brand again
Preferred time of day: any
Taste:
At first?: smooth, brothy, salt seaweed note close
As it cools?: gets rich, creamy, salty, brothy
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)?
Lingers? Yes, sweet, silky, vegital, brothy notes, hints of salt

Second Steep(5 min):
At first: lightly sour vegital, sweet buttery close
As it cools?: gets a cloying sweet, sour vegital note

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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12

Loose
Appearance: small, thin curled grey leaf
Aroma when Dry: sweet beans
After water is first poured: vegital, soupy, sweet
At end of first steep: vegital, soupy, sweet
Tea liquor:
At end of steep: hit of green
Staple? No
Preferred time of day: unsure, first tasting
Taste:
At first?: sour vegtial, brothy, bitter tangy close
As it cools?: gets more vegital, sweet notes mingle with the sour tang
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)?
Lingers? Yes, sour vegetal notes across the palate

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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Profile

Bio

Drink your tea slowly and reverently,
As if it is the axis on which the whole earth revolves
Slowly, evenly without rushing toward the future.
Live the actual moment.
Only this moment is life.

-Thich Nhat Hanh

If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty.” ~Japanese Proverb

Tea is a cup of life.” ~Author Unknown

Tea is liquid wisdom.” ~Anonymous

tea leaves
tea loves
loves tea
lives tea
leaves tea?
never.

~Uniek Swain

You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” ~C.S. Lewis

Divinity is a smile or a tear drop; or yes, even a cup of fresh green tea.
-Chinese Author unknown

Tea…is a religion of the art of life.” ~Okakura

I am Chajin. A 98% Loose leaf gentleman.

When in practice, and with access to loose leaf tea, I drink tea daily. With Loose leaf, often I will stay with the same tea for 2-3 days. With Teabags I flit around between kinds a bit more, though if I am restricted to only teabags due to any kind of lack of access, I often reduce my tea to a few a week, get bored easily, and as a supertaster I am very sensitive to quality.

Being of Japanese, English, French, Welsh heritage(Southern, Texas),I have had a lifetime’s experience in true teas, in one way or another. Growing up, my mother’s cupboard was rarely without a daily go-to quality genmaicha, and a matcha for cooking. My father loves blacks, and his mother was never without a box of Red Rose Tea. My Aunt and Uncle usually had Greens,Pouchongs and Oolongs around the house. Due to location and accessibility issues, I have gravitated towards bagged tea recently, but grateful to find more options opening up for me, and it is a relief to restructure my loose leaf stash!

I think of Teas as friends…exploring new relationships, deepening established ones…having a strong circle of solid support to stand alongside you through life…I have found some of these kinds of relationships with individual teas, I am hoping to find/build more along my journey courting my current circle of acquaintances, and not get sidetracked by frivolous dalliances flirting too long with a newcomer along the way.
(Due to this point of view, I will often taste a tea at least twice before fully evaluating enough even for a first rating.)

I drink true teas, and tisanes. Among Tea,
I love my Japanese Greens, and more recently love exploring whites and oolongs, and want to rediscover Pouchongs. Mixed results so far with pu-erh and also blacks, but use blacks for chai, as well as medicinally. Limited exposure to (Chinese)red teas, but interested. No experience with yellow or purple teas.

Among herbal and floral notes, my favorites are (Seaweed) Kombucha, Mints, Ginger, Honeysuckle,Yuzu, Jasmine, Lavender, and Rose.
After all this time, I still understand unflavored Matcha, jasmine or rose fragrance in tea to be a sweet tea.

The flavors I Treasure in my Tea are the Classics/Orthodox blends, I gravitate most towards the layered and nuanced teas.
Of those I always return to Scented and “Plain”…while I do enjoy some classic flavored tea also. I feel strongly that life is to short to drink bad tea.

Ingredients you will not find in my tea stash: 1. Stevia, 2. rooibos (red or green), 3. Fermented kombucha, or more accurately, kōcha kinoko.
I am attempting to avoid any artificial flavors as well.

My permanent stash consists of mostly varieties, teas I know I enjoy at any temperature( at least 1-2 each of Houjicha, Genmaicha, Sencha, Moroccan or other Green tea/Mint Blend, Thai blend, Silk Oolong, Jasmine, Chai, and White, Matcha, Darjeeling Black..

Ginger, Lychee, Lavender, Mint, Rose, Rosehips, Hibiscus, Mugicha, and Japanese Konbu-cha (both plain, and Ume flavors) and Yuzu are among the tisanes/blends ideally in residence) I chose based on overall quality as well as how a tea’s flavor and texture holds up over various temperatures(as in can it cool and keep my interest?).
I try not to be too brand loyal, in case of discontinuance, or lack of common availability.(Of course I do have my further favorites, but I try to find a few qualifying faves to rotate through.)
I have a small collection of tea ware, collect some lines of Wade Rose Tea figurines.

Rating Legend:

100 = What I will restock first and most likely always have on hand

90-99 = Where is the Tea IV again? Soul Nourishing Teas I never want to be without.

79-90 = Daily Drinker Teas, comfort teas must haves.

66-78 = Specialty stash. Seasonal must haves, Medicinals, Teas that I love that are too expensive/rare to qualify for unrestrained consumption, or that I have to “be in the mood for”

65-50 = Acceptable, 2nd choice brands or types of of my staple kinds of tea, teas that may need reconsideration.

30-49 = Will drink if only tea around. Won’t buy personally.

48-20 = Might finish a tasting cup…For Research only.

20-1 = Why am I drinking this?….Just…NO.

1= also often a tea where the smell of it, dry, or brewed makes my physically react badly, before tasting

Rated, but No tasting note?
I have tried it prior to joining, and rated from memory. If it is in my stash, or something that got a high enough rating to revisit, I will get to an update with a formal tasting note as well. OR: The first smell or sip made me ill enough, I did not proceed with the tasting.

Favorite Companies So far:
Numi
MAJANI
Shang
Tealet
Butiki Teas
Nature’s Tea Leaf
The Persimmon Tree
Steven Smith Teamaker
Japanese Green Tea Shops
Mellow Monk
Blue Lotus Chai
Red Leaf Tea
Hibiki-an
Yuuki-Cha
O-Cha.com
Maiko
Den’s
Hojo
Aiya
-
the minimalism of tea

“Tea is a an act complete in its simplicity.

When I drink tea, there is only me, and the tea.

The rest of the world dissolves.

There are no worries about the future.

No dwelling on past mistakes.

Tea is simple: loose-leaf tea, hot pure water, a cup.

I inhale the scent, tiny delicate pieces of the tea floating above the cup.

I drink the tea, the essence of the leaves becoming a part of me.

I am informed by the tea, changed.

This is the act of life, in one pure moment, and in this act the truth of the world suddenly becomes revealed: all the complexity, pain, drama of life is a pretense, invented in our minds for no good purpose.

There is only the tea, and me, converging."


Thich Nhat Hanh: Tea Ceremony

Location

Oregon, USA

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