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I got this Wild Lapsang in Boulder at the Trident cafe. It is definitely up there with the other premium black teas I have tried recently and has a distinctive character of its own. Specifically, it is an incredibly fragrant and floral black tea, at times reminiscent of red jade black teas.

The smell is very deep and complex, I find it hard to describe or compare. There are aromas of tomato vine and various spices and herbs. The taste is well balanced with savoury and bitter flavours complementing the natural sweetness. There are notes of bread crust, pecan skins and rock sugar. Aftertaste is long and very fragrant. The main flavours are those of wood, incence and beeswax. The weakest aspect of this tea is the mouthfeel I think. It’s not bad, but nothing exceptional either.

Poundcake is not really my kind of tea, although it would be nice to have it in the cupboard for diversity purposes. It is fairly easy to drink, and has a distinctively sweet and herbal profile.

The dry leaf aroma is mineral and flowery (Breckland thyme and mountain flowers) with a hint of cabbage smell. From the wet leaves, I get aromas of cooked vegetables, forest and parsley. I found the taste profile a little flat, although it does have a considerable floral bitterness. I found flavours of alcohol, stonefruits, pickled apricots and nigella seeds. The aftertaste is farily long, but not overly strong. As the other flavours die out, the apricot tends to be enhanced.

The body is medium and the mouthfeel is somewhat milky and drying. One of the most memorable aspects of the tea is its cha qi. I found it quite disorienting, which wouldn’t normally be a great choice while getting work done. However, today I needed some new inspiration and in fact as I was lying on the floor half dreaming, I did get some new ideas for my current research project so that’s not too bad. Truth be told, when I recovered from the tea, I did realize some of these ideas don’t really work.

In some strange way, late steeps reminded me of Da Hong Pao. But I couldn’t identify which aspect of the tea it was that created this connection. It also reminds me a little of the 2016 YS Monkey Mini Tuo Cha.

This might be the the most floral tea I’ve ever had, which means it’s not as balanced as I would have liked though. However, I think objectively speaking this tea is higher quality than my current impression of it.

There are aromas of grass, ice cream, magnolias as well as other flowers, but overall the smell is not too strong. The taste, on the other hand is plenty strong. It has notes of citrus, sugarcane and nectar. It is a very ‘green’ taste with a prevalent floral sweetness. I didn’t get any custard flavours as is often the case with these high mountain oolongs. In the aftertaste, apart from an explosion of flowery notes, I also notice some celery stalks. It is very cooling in the throat and body warming tea. The cha qi is also strong – heady and focusing. The liquor itself is not overly thick, but the mouthfeel is interesting. It is soft and sticky as well as quite lubricating at times.

I feel like this tea has the ability to transport me to a totally different place, as it does well to capture my attention and its characteristics are quite focused.

This is the first time I am drinking a tea from Old Ways Tea, thanks derk for sending me the sample :)
I don’t think I can add anything to eastkyteaguy’s review in terms of flavours present. However, I want to point out that the mouthfeel of this tea is absolutely phenomenal. It is thick like a maple syrup, super soft and silky, unlike anything I ever drank.

This is not an easy drinker for sure. The complexity in flavours is exceptional, the body is super full and the qi is electrifying. Unfortunately, the price reflects that as well.

This is the first Cha Tou I have ever had. When dry it smells very dusty, after the rinse I get a nutty aroma similar to Nutella with a hint of dried fruits. The liquor colour dark brown with an orange undertone, a bit like yixing clay.

The taste is surprisingly subtle and balanced. The notes that come to the fore at certain times are bitter, earthy and sour. There are flavours of coffee, oats, caramel, aluminum. In the finish and aftertaste, I also notice additional notes of sorrel and sugar. The mouthfeel is great. In the initial steeps it’s mostly milky, coating and very heavy. Later on the liquor becomes increasingly mouth-watering, active and foamy.

I think this tea is aging quite nicely. I only have a sample of it, but it’s a nice one to drink with a full body, strong and clean taste, and powerful energy. The only aspect that’s lacking is the aroma, but that’s not such an issue for a sheng.

I don’t find the bitterness to be overpowering, it’s very pleasant in fact, even when using boiling water to brew the tea. It’s a strong herbaceous and woody bitterness that quickly transforms into a fragrant sweetness. There are also some floral sour notes in the finish, that, together with the very mineral aftertaste, remind me of high mountain oolongs. Thanks to the protracted aftertaste, the tea stays with you for a long time. The liquor slides down the mouth easily. It has a buttery and slightly powdery mouthfeel and medium viscosity. Drinking this tea makes me sweat a bit, but it’s most noticeable effect is the mind clarity and perception enhancement I get from it. The qi is one of the nicest ones I found, yet it’s not overpowering at all.

I don’t have much to say with regards to particular flavours, it is a very tasty tea for sure though, albeit quite a standard sheng taste profile. I have a feeling it will age well too. The price seems about right to me, it’s neither overpriced nor a steal. However, because it’s not so distinctive, I don’t think I will be tempted enough to get a cake.

I really like the B/W dry leaf look of a moonlight white like this.

Nightlife doesn’t seem to be the most fragrant of white teas. The dry leaves have a sweet aroma that’s not very complex though. After the rinse, more intriguing fruity smell emerges. There are notes of peach, wood and dates I’d say.

The liquor has an interesting mouthfeel, which is quite numbing and foamy. The body is medium to full. As for the taste, it is strong and expansive, but not my favourite taste profile tbh. It is tart and bitter with a sickly sweet finish that turns into a citrusy and astringent aftertaste.

The first time I opened the package, a few days ago, the dry leaves had a strong, layered fragrance with notes of steamed milk, nuts, freshly cut grass and banana. Today, I would add stewed tomatoes and coconut to the list. The complexity of aromas is impressive and it continues to be so throughout the session. From the wet leaves I get aromas of chicory, spring onion, rocket, pancakes, melon, fermented fruits and honey.

The rinse is very crisp and lively with a floral sweetness, a light citrus note and flavours akin to milk and white grapes. In later infusions, the taste becomes more grassy and metallic with a sour finish. It is delicious, but not as complex as the fragrance I’d say. One extra flavour I notice is that of almonds.

The aftertaste is strong, long-lasting and well-defined, meaning that its characteristics don’t evolve too much. The main notes are those of flowers and sugarcane, but I also notice some reminiscent of lemon ice cream for example. It is dry both in the mouth and the throat and has a slightly numbing quality to it. Mouthfeel of the liquor is creamy, thick and drying especially on the sides of the mouth.

I am not sure how pleasant I find this tea. I think it’s less tasty for me than some other recent Scott’s shou blends. What it has going for it though, is that it’s fairly unusual. I also think it can improve quite a bit in the next few years. All things considered, I could see it grow on me, but at the moment I am not planning to get a cake.

The smell is deep and fruity with the main note being blackberry with a light brownies aroma in the background. Taste has very little sweetness. It is smooth and fruity with flavours like blackberry, dark cherry, blue grape skins, char, bread crust and camphor. The aftertaste is quite different and presents some sweetness. There are some umami notes too, like cheddar, as well as decaying grass and porter ale.

The mouthfeel is oily, viscous (while not being very thick), lubricating and a tiny bit powdery. I find the cha qi to be very strong and unusual for a ripe pu’er. It’s somewhat heady and uplifting rather than rushy.

I had this tea almost exactly three months ago and found it quite underwhelming in both mouthfeel and cha qi. Today it fared significantly better, much better in fact. The taste seemed to have improved over time and the body seems decent too. Cha qi is a bit too rushy and aggressive for my liking, but it’s not bad at all. Aftertaste is also stronger and more complex than I remember. A remarkable change in 3 months.

The aromas of this tea are quite sweet and floral with notes of apricot, meadow, forest floor and menthol especially. Drinking the rinse shows only hints of the tea’s potential, it is creamy, metallic, tart and pine-like. All those flavours are present later on too, but they are complemented by many more, including mineral, grassy, medicinal, salty and sour ones. The dominant flavour is sweet though. There is a nice earthy bitterness and moderate astringency. At some points the taste reminds me of green tea, but it is much more intense of course. The aftertaste is expansive, vegetal, woody, metallic and fragrant. The bitterness and sweetness also persist and some huigan is present too. One new flavour I notice in the aftertaste is green apple with its crispness.

The mouthfeel starts watery in first 3 infusions. It is also somewhat soapy, sticky and powdery. I would say it is also syrupy without being too thick if that makes sense. Infusions 4 to 6 have a slightly thicker body and a soothing and salivating mouthfeel. After swallowing I get a unique feeling that I am struggling to describe in English (what are good antonyms of slippery? I can’t find any suitable ones.). It is definitely dry and sticky, but that doesn’t quite cut it.

I felt the cha qi in the chest first, then as a pressure in my head, later spreading throughout whole body. It is quite an energizing and rushy tea overall. Even though I didn’t feel defocused, when I stood up I felt dizzy. I also found it a little psychedelic to be honest.

Overall, Pussy is a fairly sweet and energizing tea with decent complexity, unique mouthfeel and medium body. I still don’t think I enjoy it as much as several other teas at similar prices, but after this session I can definitely appreciate its chararacter much more, both in the posive and negative aspects.

Since it’s late already, I think I will cut the session short after 6 steeps and finish in the morning. If I have some extra thoughts, I will add them later.