What-Cha
Edit CompanyPopular Teas from What-Cha
See All 684 TeasRecent Tasting Notes
Starting the week right with a cup of Assam Hattialli “Golden Tippy” (Second Flush harvest 2025). I used 2tsp of leaf, and gave it 4 minutes in boiling water. The result is very malt-forward and delicately smooth and sweet, with just the tiniest hint of brisk sharpness lurking in the background. The perfect warming choice for a dull, rainy Monday.
Preparation
Starting the day with a cup of Assam Latumoni “Handrolled Tippy” (May 2025 First Flush harvest) from What-Cha. Assam is my all-time favourite black tea, and this one is delicious. Super smooth, very malty, with a perfectly balanced interplay of sweet-sharp notes between hints of red berry and sweet potato. There is no more perfect way to start a workday.
Brewing parameters: 2tsp, 4m @ 100 C
Another sipdown of an older tea from my stash. If I keep up at this rate, I might be able to buy more tea soon! lol
Despite being a white tea, this has so much flavour. I brewed 4 pearls + the bits at the bottom of the bag in hot (not boiling) water for ~4 minutes. The brew has some bitter tannins but in a good way. Notes of autumn leaves, apricot, and it actually reminds me of a darjeeling or the amber flavour of an orange pekoe in it’s after taste. Light natural sweetness but not drying at all like most black teas of a similar profile would be and with more vegetal leafy notes.
Flavors: Apricot, Dry Leaves, Smooth, Sweet, Tannin, Vegetal
Preparation
2025 sipdown no. 19
This is very close to a high mountain black with waffle-y sweetness and an incredibly smooth body. There’s little to no maltiness, though it creeps in slightly as the tea cools. This is delightfully sweet, so much so that I would choose this over the Mi Xiang black (in a dire situation where not both could be ordered). The resteep of this had a decent amount of flavour as well.
1st steep 2 minutes, 30 seconds
2nd steep 3 minutes, 30 seconds
3rd steep 4 minutes, 30 seconds
2025 sipdown no. 17
This TGY is smooth and vegetal (as described), with subtle hints of cream. A marked difference from the Cha Yi TGY in my next note. Happily, both were lovely.
1st steep 1 minutes, 30 seconds
2nd steep 2 minutes, 30 seconds
3rd steep 3 minutes, 30 seconds
4th steep 4 minutes, 30 seconds
Preparation
2025 sipdown no. 15
This tea is very cream-forward with sweet hay-like undertones. Florals come out more in the second steep (though not nearly as floral as Four Seasons). There’s still a creamy smoothness, balanced with the floral aspects. As it cools, more vegetal flavours come forward.
This one resteeps really well (I regularly did 4x Western steeps) and I’d happily re-order.
I find this tea quite refreshing both hot and once it’s cooled (ahem, mistakenly forgotten). The floral aspects are smooth and linger in an understated way. There is a subtle undercurrent of creaminess and a bit of sweetness. The entire cup is very balanced and delightful. I also find this tea holds up to oversteeping, never becoming astringent.
Both the second and third steeps had just as much flavour. A really lovely tea!
Harvest: Spring, April 2024
Hopefully as I explore more oolongs, I will be able evolve my palate and add more depth to these notes. :)
2025 sipdown no. 9
A smooth malty tea, quite light overall. I find Assams to be more ‘heavy’, but this was a nice change. The raspberry notes are there is I really concentrate (though this could be wishful thinking on my part). I quite enjoyed this cup, though not sure I’d order more.
Preparation
2025 sipdown no. 8
There are both baked cherry and honey notes, but neither are as robust as I anticipated. Regardless, I had no issue polishing off 25g and look forward to the other red oolongs I have to try.
I tried this in my gaiwan doing 15-30 second steeps, western with a 2 minute, 2.5 minute, and 3 minute steep. I personally enjoyed the 3 minute western steep best.
Harvest: Spring, March 2024
Origin: Chokechamroen, T.E., Doi Mae Salong, Thailand
Preparation
September Sipdown Prompt – a tea from Africa
This tea is marked as “the older the better” so I have been in no hurry to drink it, but I have had it at least twice, so I am befuddled as to why there is no tasting note from me.
I have had it with food each time I drank it, usually with breakfast, so I haven’t picked up as much detail as others here. Today we were just having cinnamon raisin bagels so it seemed like this little sweetie would be a good pairing.
My impressions each time have been: 1. Good, medium body with a light creaminess 2. Clear golden color 3. More flavor than I would expect from the stems of a tea plant, certainly enough flavor to pair with food.
Overall, it reminds me of the first shou mei I ever drank, which I liked very much. There is a little nuttiness, and rich, warm hay. It is certainly no shrinking violet so you don’t need to worry about searching for flavor in it, but it is a quite a lovely, soft tea for fall.
I forgot to review this when I drank it, all I remember is it was pretty unremarkable. Then only had half a serving left and combined it with some leftover India Assam Mancotta SFTGFOP-1 Clonal, and it made an excellent iced milk tea with a little bit of dark brown sugar!
Obviously can’t actually rate it based on this but had to make this note to remind myself of this great blend option for later, as I drink a lot of iced milk tea in the summer.
Addicted. This is so good. I’m just beginning my Oolong journey but out of the 10-12 I’ve had so far, this one is stand out. Good experience gong fu brewing. Great experience Western-style brew…I added goji berries and a bit of honey. So so good. I’m buying the biggest bag I can next time!
Flavors: Sticky Rice, Sweet
Preparation
2020 Summer Harvest
This is not a forgiving tea and easily turns into astringent and bitter green territory. The reminds a little of a darjeeling that way. I see that if I’d read the tea’s page more carefully I wouldn’t have been surprised by that…
The finicky quality meant that this tea sat, neglected, in my cupboard longer than was warranted. After committing to drinking it up this month, I got some pretty exquisite tangy peach and stonefruit notes which really endeared it to me. I wish I hadn’t shied away from it for so long because I ended up enjoying it a lot!
The floral bouquet is decadent and complex too, even if often laced with stabby knives.
Flavors: Astringent, Cherry Blossom, Floral, Grassy, Peach, Silky, Stonefruit, Sweet, Tart, Vegetal
Life is too busy for demanding and high-handed tea.
I’ve found that with a lot of Japanese oolongs. Floral, but sharp. I usually have to flash steep them to get them the way I want.
It was an interesting tea. I started to enjoy it by the end but not sure how much I can attribute that to a mellowing out with age… I wish I’d played around with it more when it was freshest; flash steeps would’ve been fun!
Not a fan of the menthol character
I’ve not had this exact leaf (or anything from What-cha), but I’ve had a few Taiwanese 18s / RedJades, and fortunately never found in them the menthol/wintergreen flavor you and others have mentioned. Because the one time I really noticed it was in Harney’s Uva Highlands Ceylon tea. And I didn’t care for it, either! Now I’ve been forewarned. ;-)
2nd flush, June 2022
Classy and elegant yet strong and rich with a dense aroma. Big hands with scratchy palms, firm squeeze, soft touch. Teak and tobacco, malt and prune. Such a classic black tea.
Assam teas don’t often find their way into my cupboard, usually because they’re too abrasive and without much nuance. This one, on the other hand, I’d be happy to buy again when the Assam itch needs scratched.
Flavors: Astringent, Balanced, Berries, Black Pepper, Blackberry, Bright, Cherry, Chocolate, Coconut Husk, Cream, Dark Wood, Dried Fruit, Fruity, Gooseberry, Green Bell Pepper, Leather, Malt, Malty, Mineral, Molasses, Oregano, Pine, Prune, Red Wine, Rich, Smooth, Soft, Tangy, Tea, Tobacco, Tomato, Viscous, Woody
