drank 1990s Wenshan Baozhong by Tea Urchin
1557 tasting notes

Since I’m ranchsitting and I don’t have internet, phone-tapping over 4G waves it is. I had the vaccine but haven’t noticed an increase to 5G speeds ;) It’s a challenge to express myself with my thumbs. That means more disjointed notes than usual. I hate smart phones.

Mellow and clean aged tea with enough power to engage the senses. Aroma sticks in nose. The winey-redfruity and deeply sweet smells related to the leaf serve as nuances in the brewed tea; they are not the main attraction by any means. Tea thickens as it cools. Mineral after swallow. Warming and cooling camphor. Relax. Drying-creamy osmanthus aftertaste. Something about pungent rinsed leaf aroma reminds me of beer-brewing or wine-making but it’s not yeast. Definitely an aged oolong. If from 90s, I could’ve been anywhere from first to eleventh grade.

I’m hoping Leafhopper can add to this!

Tea Urchin provided this aging beauty with a cake order a few years ago.

Flavors: Buffalo Grass, Camphor, Cherry, Chocolate, Dried Fruit, Drying, Medicinal, Mint, Osmanthus, Plum, Raspberry, Red Fruits, Red Wine, Spices, Straw, Vanilla

gmathis

Have mercy, I’m old.

derk

What ever are you talking about? hehe
Old is a state of mind.

gmathis

Why do you think I hang out with 11-year-olds? (They are patient with me and explain all the cool stuff I know nothing about.)

Leafhopper

I need to locate my cache of your samples in my tea museum! I haven’t been drinking much tea lately due to a suddenly sensitive tooth (I have a dentist appointment next week), and when I have had tea, it’s been Taiwanese oolong. However, this sounds intriguing.

Evol Ving Ness

Tea museum! Love that phrase. A particularly accurate for many of us, certainly for me. Hope your tooth will be relatively easy and painless to fix.

derk

Hope a visit to the dentist can relieve your woe. Nobody wants tooth problems and hot tea season is ramping up. I’m curious what you think about the tastes in this tea. It was very aroma-driven for me.

Leafhopper

Thanks, Derk and Evol Ving Ness. I’ll be happy to have my dental woes taken care of. :) I like aroma-forward teas and am looking forward to this one.

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Comments

gmathis

Have mercy, I’m old.

derk

What ever are you talking about? hehe
Old is a state of mind.

gmathis

Why do you think I hang out with 11-year-olds? (They are patient with me and explain all the cool stuff I know nothing about.)

Leafhopper

I need to locate my cache of your samples in my tea museum! I haven’t been drinking much tea lately due to a suddenly sensitive tooth (I have a dentist appointment next week), and when I have had tea, it’s been Taiwanese oolong. However, this sounds intriguing.

Evol Ving Ness

Tea museum! Love that phrase. A particularly accurate for many of us, certainly for me. Hope your tooth will be relatively easy and painless to fix.

derk

Hope a visit to the dentist can relieve your woe. Nobody wants tooth problems and hot tea season is ramping up. I’m curious what you think about the tastes in this tea. It was very aroma-driven for me.

Leafhopper

Thanks, Derk and Evol Ving Ness. I’ll be happy to have my dental woes taken care of. :) I like aroma-forward teas and am looking forward to this one.

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Bio

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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