49

And yet another tea courtesy of White Antlers. Thank you :)

The session starts with a thin, brown sugar sweetness and a hint of vanilla. Really strong roast, so much that most of the time I taste mostly roasted nuts, roasted barley and brown toast. Past that I can taste apricot, peach, orange blossom honey, and orange zest. Strong mineral taste and tingles, light apricot and orange blossom aftertaste. In subsequent infusions, the fruitiness and sweetness are overtaken by malt, wood, straw, astringency and bitterness tasting much like a washed-out black tea.

Unlike LuckyMe, I didn’t find this oolong to be easy-drinking. The roast easily dominated the session for me. The leaf seems temperamental, unforgiving. Then again, I don’t have a finessed hand. I thought with the level of roast aroma in the dry leaf that I would brew this with water off the boil; based on the unfavorable results, the next session I will try with lower temperature.

Not recommended… for now.

Flavors: Apricot, Astringent, Bitter, Brown Sugar, Brown Toast, Fruit Tree Flowers, Honey, Malt, Mineral, Nuts, Nutty, Orange Blossom, Orange Zest, Peach, Roasted, Roasted Barley, Roasted Nuts, Straw, Sweet, Vanilla, Wood

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 g 3 OZ / 100 ML
Leafhopper

I steeped it at 195F and I think I had a slightly better experience, though I also found it to be overly roasted.

LuckyMe

Sorry this one didn’t work out for you derk. I underleafed quite a bit so that could be why mine tasted less roasty.

derk

Did you brew it in a teapot or grandpa style?

LuckyMe

@derk sorry i know this is late, but yes this was grandpa steeped. 1.3g in 8oz of 200 F water.

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Comments

Leafhopper

I steeped it at 195F and I think I had a slightly better experience, though I also found it to be overly roasted.

LuckyMe

Sorry this one didn’t work out for you derk. I underleafed quite a bit so that could be why mine tasted less roasty.

derk

Did you brew it in a teapot or grandpa style?

LuckyMe

@derk sorry i know this is late, but yes this was grandpa steeped. 1.3g in 8oz of 200 F water.

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This place, like the rest of the internet, is dead and overrun with bots. And thus I step away.

Eventual tea farmer. If you are a tea grower, want to grow your own plants or are simply curious, please follow me so we can chat.

I most enjoy loose-leaf, unflavored teas and tisanes. Teabags have their place. Some of my favorite teas have a profound effect on mind and body rather than having a specific flavor profile. Terpene fiend.

Favorite teas generally come from China (all provinces), Taiwan, India (Nilgiri and Manipur). Frequently enjoyed though less sipped are teas from Georgia, Japan, Nepal and Darjeeling. While I’m not actively on the hunt, a goal of mine is to try tea from every country that makes it available to the North American market. This is to gain a vague understanding of how Camellia sinensis performs in different climates. I realize that borders are arbitrary and some countries are huge with many climates and tea-growing regions.

I’m convinced European countries make the best herbal teas.

Personal Rating Scale:

100-90: A tea I can lose myself into. Something about it makes me slow down and appreciate not only the tea but all of life or a moment in time. If it’s a bagged or herbal tea, it’s of standout quality in comparison to similar items.

89-80: Fits my profile well enough to buy again.

79-70: Not a preferred tea. I might buy more or try a different harvest. Would gladly have a cup if offered.

69-60: Not necessarily a bad tea but one that I won’t buy again. Would have a cup if offered.

59-1: Lacking several elements, strangely clunky, possess off flavors/aroma/texture or something about it makes me not want to finish.

Unrated: Haven’t made up my mind or some other reason. If it’s pu’er, I likely think it needs more age.

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California, USA

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