25 Tasting Notes

90

This tea was purchased from The T Shop in Christchurch, New Zealand.
From each bush, only the finest plucks are used. Tea buds and leaves are harvested in early spring before opening, when they are still covered with white hair. It takes about 80,000 tea leaf buds to make roughly 500g of the final tea product. A skillful tea harvest worker may well spend half a day to get just enough tea leaf buds to make 100g final tea product. After that they are left in natural sunlight for whitening and drying.
When it comes to steeping this tea, there are two options – a long steep, which will bring out grilled vegetable notes with floral/fruity (orchid or white peach) flavours. The taste remains long in mouth with a lingering sweet hay note with honey and walnuts.
OR you can opt for a short 30 second steep, which produces a light and delicate tea with grassy and floral notes.
Either way, watch the leaves dance as they steep. Glass is recommended, so you can witness the clarity of this tea.
Chinese people believe that Snow bud tea has even cooling and detoxifying properties. Recent studies have demonstrated that, compared to other types of tea, has more polyphenols, believed to be a possible anti-cancer agent. Unlike most white teas, Snow Bud is reasonably low in caffeine, so great to have before bed.

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 g 5 OZ / 150 ML

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85

Often purchasing a quality pu’erh is on par with ‘falling down the rabbit hole’ (#Alice in Wonderland).
Fortunately Tibetan Flame is a well-known product from the Xia Guan Factory in Yunnan. This brand was specially developed in 1941 for export to Tibet. The logotype displays the most important colours for Buddhists, as well as the meaningful symbols and images. This tea brick is of high quality.
As soon as we broke open the package, we were transported. Back to the Himalayas. We breathed in the earthiness of the trail and noted the dried yak dung lingering in the air; then came the musty aroma of the donkeys and yaks sweaty from the challenging climbs; and then we entered the hillside community, tea houses billowing smoke from their stone chimneys mingling with tobacco and dry hay notes; finally we sat and enjoyed a sweet lemon tea, the fragrance swirling around and mixing with the uniqueness of this environment.
The taste of the tea did not disappoint either. Brewed for under a minute, the first infusion was medium intensity, without bitterness. The flavour profile was earth and sweet nuts, with a subtle citrus note. The after-taste is a lingering sweetness. After a few infusions, the addition of an apricot note was a pleasant surprise.
The Tibetan Flame bricks have earned a good reputation amongst tea drinkers who are seeking a pu’erh that’s affordable, strong and ages quickly. Give it a go!

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 45 sec 3 g 5 OZ / 150 ML
Revoluzzion

Purchased from Ya-Ya Teahouse in Christchurch, New Zealand.

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70

Red Jade Tea from Taiwan (also known as No. 18):
This is a prize-winning tea from Eco-Cha, using little to no fertilisers or pesticides. I believe the leaf comes from a hybrid of the assam plant and wild tea plant.
The character of Red Jade is unique among black teas. The taste is complex and lacks the astringency or bitterness of classic blacks.
The smell of the dry leaf was strongly of ‘warmed spaghetti (from a can)’, but there were notes of mint beneath. The leaf is long and large, twisted tightly along middle vein, reasonably intact. Once water is added the leaf slowly unfurls, unlocking each layer of the taste.
The scent comes through into the flavor of Red Jade. It is slightly pungent: savoury with winter vegetables (mint) and spices (cloves, cinnamon). The after-taste is of brown sugar and lingers long in the mouth. There is no dryness.
The infused leaf has notes of minty sweetness, sandalwood, cinnamon.
This is a good winter tea, but its strong unique taste may take some getting used to.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 2 min, 0 sec 2 g 5 OZ / 150 ML

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89

This Spring 2013 oolong hails from Dong Ding Mountain. It is not high altitude (1000ft), but the terrain is steep and often covered with fog. The soil is incredibly rich. In addition, this region is home to the most concentrated population of the most skilled oolong tea artisans in Taiwan.
The tea is hand-picked in small batches.
The dry leaf looks amazing – tiny coils that resemble snails – and the scent is wood and spring shrub or vegetative, plus some smokiness.
The taste is mellow, sweet syrupy, chestnut notes with slight raisin and smoked notes. There is a definite English floral note that lingers. It could be hyacinth (green, sweet, floral). There is minimal astringency, no dryness.
The second infusion delivered a sweeter flavor – time for those raisin notes to shine.
Overall, it delivers a complex taste – as well as many cups (up to four infusions last count).

Flavors: Chestnut, Floral, Raisins, Toasted, Vegetal, Wood

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 1 min, 30 sec 2 g 5 OZ / 150 ML

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90

Zealong dark oolong from Waikato, New Zealand is a world-class tea.
This “dark” style is soft and gentle, yet complex. It has a roasted, earthy flavour with malt, caramel, honey notes. So smooth with a smoked straw, yet sweet lingering after-taste. Expect to get around 4 steeps (or more!). A 50g pack will yield approx. 80 cups.
Pure New Zealand + Kiwi ingenuity / determination = a 6 star oolong!

Flavors: Caramel, Earth, Fruity, Honey, Malt

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 2 min, 0 sec 2 g 5 OZ / 150 ML

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Revoluzzion is an exciting enterprise aimed at supporting and growing knowledge of tea in New Zealand.
Our vision is to be the place to go for information about teas of the world – rare teas, fine teas, herbal infusions, tea culture, tea history – in fact, everything tea.

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