Great Wall Tea Company

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Recent Tasting Notes

77

Was gifted a sample. It’s nice. It’s not AnD’s, but it’s likeable; I might have to pick some up after I run out. There’s hints of Keemun in amongst the smoked teas—which aren’t very strong, but they mesh well.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec
Daniel McCash

yer freakin welcome ;)

Daniel McCash

Smokey is a unique level of flavor for teas, but too unique for mornings. I’d prefer Russian Caravan for an evening tea much more than as an early or afternoon drink. —this is just taste preference though…

AJ

Thank you.

I like smoky teas in the morning; I enjoy them any time of day, truly, but I think they provide a unique pickmeup (since caffeine doesn’t do that for me).

I should come down to the Wall today, before work. If I leave RIGHT now, I could hang out for two hours. I could return Watchmen to the library while I’m down there.

Daniel McCash

oh yeah, I’m lending you that movie right? Totes. I’m not working today, but I’ll swing by to drop off your package and perhaps bump into you :D

AJ

Didn’t end up going. Some time this week, though.

Daniel McCash

i left it there for you. If I’m not behind the bench, just shout out my name and the disc will appear.

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65

Finished this one off. Which is good, as I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would when I first got it. Odd bitter undertones I can’t get rid of.

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65

This smells delicious. Like candy—sour jubjubes or something. It makes my mouth water.

It’s giving me a craving for jelly babies.

Brewed, the smell isn’t AS strong but still there enough to make me hungry. Sniffing it more closely, I’m getting notes of Assam in there. Most of the tea descriptions for this tea note Ceylon and Assam as the base.

First sip is tart and sweet, and mixed with strong Assam notes. No bitterness yet, but Assam can tend do cause it at five minutes steep time, so I’ll probably consider reducing the time somewhat in the future.

The strawberry-lemon isn’t as strong as the smell, but it works because with the Assam-Ceylon as the base, all together it’s a very nice, “classic” taste. Screams British almost. In a good way. I think I’d like to liken it to a Lady’s Earl Grey (without it being Lady Grey).

Starting to get a bitterness from the Assam. It’s enough that the strawberry and lemon take a back-seat. Still very enjoyable, though.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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81
drank Dorian Grey by Great Wall Tea Company
477 tasting notes

Welp, this’ the last of this. Saddd. But I’ll just have to go and get more.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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81
drank Dorian Grey by Great Wall Tea Company
477 tasting notes

Sorry for disappearing. I moved to accommodate a job, but I have no internet access (or options to get it, for that matter); I have access at work, but Steepster and other websites are blocked.

I’m finally attempting the public library, which has a very slow connection, but it’s better than nothing.

Anyways—the water here is quite hard, so it’s been making it slightly difficult for me to enjoy my tea, especially lighter oolongs and whites. I’ve had to stick with dark oolongs and blacks—no complaints. Dorian Grey seems to thrive in hard water, though, because it takes away the bitter background taste I had, and makes it bright and fruity. I’m regretting not bringing more of it.

I only had room in my bags for so much tea, so I packed my travel tins full, and then grabbed the large tins of a few of my staples. There’s not a single tea shop up here, and I’m hours away from any medium-sized city that might have some. I’m surviving, though. I’m sure I’ve got enough to last me another two months. My contract ends then, and I’ll be on my way home.

I think I should start signing everything “The Tea-Drinking Geologist”. I’m very boring; my colleagues keep inviting me out for beer, but I sadly don’t drink. Ahwell.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec
GreatWallTea

How’s the job going? Email us your address and we’ll send up some tea. We’ve got a few newer ones you should try while you’re in the tea-shopless north.

AJ

I hate that the internet at work blocks both Steepster and anything that resembles a blog. I miss important messages.

I’m collecting quite a lot of items (mostly rocks); I’m already running low on room in my luggage. I might not have the space to bring back any tea that’s sent up (my family’s already sent some—and a water filter); never fear, however, as I will be back in under a month. I can’t wait to see what you’ve got.

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81
drank Dorian Grey by Great Wall Tea Company
477 tasting notes

Mmm you can smell the sweet caramel. The bergamot is very mild, but there. And when I pulled my filter out, I think I might have gotten a whiff of apple.

The bergamot’s stronger in the taste, the caramel shadowing it in the background. I still get whiffs of something that could be apple in the smell, but none of it carries over to the taste. Maybe just a touch as it cools, but I could just be mistaking the taste. It’s very mellow and pleasant, though. There’s a touch of bitterness as well, but that’s it.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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86

That’s the last of that. I plan to buy some next time I’m over there, and possibly some of the blueberry black as well. Both were delicious. This’ very good as a breakfast blend.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec

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86

Have you ever heard of a cream Irish breakfast? I haven’t. I even checked out our database to see if any other places had something. Nothing! How unique.

I got this as a sample at the Great Wall during my last visit. I’m pretty much a regular there now (to the point that I’ve gotten to meet The Other Regulars, and also help out with Advertisement—when Lauren, the owner, explains “tea to go” to prospecting customers, I hold up my cup and display it like a fancily-dressed Show Lady). It’s a wonderfully social area, and I’m allowed to do my homework there. If I’m not chatting.

But more on that in Place Reviews.

Tea!

Brought the steeping temperature down to threeish minutes due to the high Assam content of Irish breakfasts. The dry leaves carry a hint of sweetness in their smell, and if you put your nose right into the brewed tea, you get a good Vanilla whiff. Sipping it, it’s definitely no Irish Cream, but it’s such a wonderful hint, and it oddly works so well—it’s like a pleasant, sweet surprise for your breakfast blend. I figure milk might bring it out a bit more—I should try some with it later. Maybe a bit of sugar, because that always coaxes along vanilla cream flavours.

The Irish Breakfast itself is solid, malty but subdued by the non-Assam teas in the blend (Ceylon, I think, is in there, but I can’t guess the others).

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec
Cofftea

The combo of “Irish” and “Great Wall” make me smile lol.

AJ

Hah! I didn’t even think of that.

TeaEqualsBliss

AJ ~ I tried googling the companies website and couldn’t find one! Do you know of it!? Can you PM me!?

AJ

Their website’s still in the works. I talk to them every day about it—the guy designing their website, is the same one creating their Tea Bar sign and advertisement, and s/he hasn’t completed any of the three yet (very busy).

They WILL be at http://www.greatwalltea.com, but for now they communicate through Twitter and Facebook.
http://twitter.com/GreatWallTea
http://www.facebook.com/GreatWallTea

And they’re on “Places” here: http://steepster.com/places/2543-great-wall-tea-company-new-westminster-bc

(Haha I’ve turned into a walking advertisement for them).

TeaEqualsBliss

Awesome! Thanks for the info!!!!!

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