Dobra Tea

Pai Hao, Bai Hao, “Oriental Beauty,” “White Hair”…So when Payton and I did a comparison of this tea with Darjeeling Himalaya and Chi-tsu Bing Cha (see other notes!), we recognized a core note of woodiness which we later modified to “walnut shell.”
Bai Hao deviates from this center in that it breathes an earthier, saltier flavor…which I have always considered the perfect likeness to a pile of crisp autumn leaves fermenting and baking in the orange October sun. Now that I have been eating seaweed granola for several months, I also detect an unmistakable flavor of seaweed in Bai Hao’s cup. Dulse, to be exact. Payton commented on a burnt sugar flavor, and now I’m thinking of (vegan) pumpkin pie along with that pile of leaves…I always crave this tea when the season shifts over to the vermilion days of fall.
HOWEVER…{I humbly implore the Vermont sun}…that won’t be for a while yet, right?
I’m liking summer. Thanks.

Not as sweet as previous years, but still with a comforting aroma and mouthfeel. There’s a slight smokiness I’m not used to finding in teas that don’t come from Yunnan (as far as I know this tea hails from the East coast of China), but it’s very subtle in the manner of Dian Lu Eshan Mao Feng or a light infusion of a white pu-erh. The combination of the slight sweetness and slight smokiness bring to mind the taste of a perfect mango.

The second and third infusions were just as good, although the sweetness retreats as the smokiness takes hold. After the third I thought I might be drinking the last infusions of a delicious green pu-erh.

Been a long time, and although I have not shared the news, tea has never—for more than one day—relinquished its quotidian regime over my life!
The sips go by and they are each so sweet and fleeting—tasted and drained the cup—inspiration in the new bud—this year’s winning cultivar—teas from Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand—teas from China and beautiful stories—and at times going back again for Reiki-infused Tie Guan Yin…

Last week, we did a taste comparison of this tea along with Bai Hao (from Dobra), and Darjeeling Himalaya (from Dobra). My fellow devotea and I remarked that the central note in all three of these teas is that of a tannic woodiness. I presented the teas in a blind taste test, he was quite surprised to discover that each tea was a totally different type. They had identical colored infusions upon the second infusion…it was spooky.
More on Bai Hao and Darjeeling Himalaya to come, but Chi-Tsu Bing Cha was the one that stumped everyone at the tearoom. They all thought it was Darjeeling! In truth, I had made that discovery of their similarities only the day before and had been ruminating on this synchronicity with great wonder. The tannic, sweet and slightly floral waters taste like fresh and sunkissed hay, wheat in the wind, and golden needled woods nearby…
A warm tea, golden and light, with incredible similarities to the autumnal taste of Bai Hao and the dry, bold taste of Darjeeling.

as a gradually cross the 2011 teas off my list, I am now finally getting to this year’s genmaicha. i have not had this tea in a long time so it’s hard to remember what last years tasted like in comparison. this year’s has very stale popcorny taste right away, much more than i remember. after the popcorn, the toastyness really comes through. it’s a smooth transition with the underlying tea providing the perfect bridge. the tea itself is not the best, maybe a second harvest sencha or even a bancha. i wonder if tea will take over after three or four infusions…

I haven’t had this in a loooong time, don’t know why, maybe because most of my friends didn’t like it and I often go to tea with them. I should get it more frequently though as it has always been one of my favorites. make sure you brew in a vessel that allows the rice to be poured into the cup so you can eat the tea-infused rice!

2010 Ya Bao from Dobra Tea. Buttery and very sweet with a banana-like texture and no color to speak of. This is the last of my 2010 batch and the leaves (“buds”, I suppose) were looking a little frayed and tired, but it does not disappoint. The first sip, as usual, is a real shock of beauty that reaches all the way into the mind from the mouth. A perfect beginning to Thanksgiving Tea.

The taste of sweet pine. An indescribable nuttiness. A one-minute infusion is enough, but I’ve tried up to ten minutes (!!) and the flavor is still there, sweet and not astringent at all. Stronger, of course, but you can easily get 3-6 infusions from these wild leaves.

once again Jin Zhen has taken a journey in my gaiwan! the hairy tips are golden, the smells is like a caramel cake and the flavor is like a walnut muffin with a hint of brown sugar. a special tea that i’m glad is around for the long haul

Wow! I have re-awakened my taste for Chinese blacks. Might have to get this again real soon!

oh hello, Ya Bao, haven’t seen you in a while. these fluffy pine cone-like (tea?) leaves are remarkable. you can’t really brew this tea wrong. brew it cold, boiling, 80, it has slightly different flavoristics for each brew but it’s still close to that initial pineyness. it can be re infused many times as well. maybe it’s a puer? maybe it’s a white, maybe it’s just its own varietal. not sure, but i think it’s quite special.

Unlike any tea I’ve ever tasted. Not sure how to describe it, but it is quite delicious.

When I sat down to drink this today, I was distracted by the magic hour light hitting the tea. My cup started glowing and so did I. More and more every sip. So fresh! So good.

Liqueur is sweet with a light but smooth body. A flavor of steamed broccoli and lightly grilled sweet leeks or Brussels sprouts. Aftertaste is a little creamy with a hint of cashew nut. Wet leaves have the aroma of spring rain on grass and asparagus. Wet leaves after second infusion smell of candy and sweet peaches. The liqueur, in contrast, becomes more rounded and asparagus-like. The third infusion departs from the sweet and leaves a simpler light vegetal flavor with a hint of dryness in the aftertaste.

Buttery and somewhat flowery liqueur with a nutty aroma reminiscent of freshly shelled walnuts. A little blunt in the mouth but the high notes are worth it if you stop to appreciate them.

The dry leaves are tightly woven knots and corkscrews twisted lengthwise; a patchwork of white and green threads.

After adding this tea to my warmed gaiwan, the first thing that greeted me was a creamy yet slightly roasted and vegetal aroma. But once infused, you notice more characteristics of asparagus and slight tropical notes.

The first thing you notice about the taste of this tea is how sweet it is. It is delectably sweet like pineapple. Once the sweetness washes over your tongue, a light asparagus taste pervades it.

This smooth, full bodied, and refreshing tea is perfect for sunny spring days.

This is not one of my favorite teas from Dobra. It’s decent, but lacks the bold flavor of other Bao Zhong teas that I’ve had. Not bad, but not great.

I tried Mao Jian for the first time last night during a visit to Dobra. It is a very unique tea that blends the grassy, fresh and subtle qualities of a good Chinese green tea with the boldness of a young oolong. The light and refreshing qualities of this tea really make me think of a spring day, which makes this tea perfect for this time of year.

While I’m an avid fan of oolong teas, I had never tried a Dan Cong until last night. I’d always been kind of intimidated by their cult following and all of the single bush vs. multiple bush talk, so I just ended up avoiding them.

I had some rare free time last night so I decided to go to Dobra and try something new. I’d tried every oolong on their menu except for the Feng Huang Dan Cong, so I figured I’d give it a shot.

I was very impressed. The medium roasting gave it a wonderful aroma and full-flavor, while floral and fruit notes (definitely apricot as was mentioned, along with a bit of grapefruit citrus) dominated the aftertaste. Strangely, it reminded me a bit of the Traditional Dong Ding offered by Floating Leaves.

Only complaint would be that it has a bit more astringency than I usually like in an oolong, so it probably wouldn’t be a regular long-session tea for me. That said, it’s bursting with flavor and will definitely be a go-to tea over the next few months.

Just the right tea for a quiet foggy morning. Light enough not to disrupt the calm or fill your mouth with flavors like Bai Mu Dan might, Yin Zhen’s calming influence comes more from the aroma in the mouth than from the flavor on the tongue.

The most amazing smoky aroma, but what has never ceased to amaze me is the smooth and actually not smoky taste. This is really good for settling the stomach after a big meal. My friends often brew this stronger, but I like an almost gong-fu style infusion for its lightness.

Creamy and light, in a very comforting and calming way. I really sense fresh strawberries in the taste.

A comforting infusion with a characteristic taste of freshly steamed asparagus. The wet leaves really strongly represent this aroma, while the infusion itself contains it as a light touch. Also a little creamy, this cup will enliven the senses like a Japanese green, but with a very different vegetal taste.