24 Tasting Notes

65

I brewed this tea Gong Fu style as I do with most teas.
The initial aroma of the wet leaves was super promising, nice sweet grass and twiggy notes with just a touch of malt. However, the actual first steep more closely resembled what I’d expect of a sheng pu’erh of this age: herbaceous and astringent notes with a pleasant touch of grassiness with an aftertaste of linen. Medium astringency and a thick body that coats the inside of your mouth

Overall, not a terrible tea. Well aged

Flavors: Grass, Herbaceous, Linens, Traditional Chinese Medicine

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 0 min, 30 sec 5 g 5 OZ / 160 ML

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90

Finally brewed this in my Kyusu.

A year of aging actually wasn’t too bad for this tea. It has become much mellower in flavor, somewhat like a muted matcha, and the creaminess note from before has become less intensely creamy yet more of a pronounced flavor if that makes sense. All in all, a good experience even though it aged in my puerh box due to my own incompetency and low storage space.
I want to see how this turns out in a few years, or maybe a decade—I’ve heard good things about aged senchas.

Flavors: Milk, Ocean Air, Vegetal

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 0 min, 30 sec 5 g 6 OZ / 180 ML

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50

I brewed this tea gong fu style as I do for most teas.
Visually, I didn’t get many flowers in my tea brick which was disappointing, but I didn’t let that get to me before I judged it. The steamed leaves took on the aroma of a very typical “drier” shou: lumber, minerality, and just a touch of smoothness (creaminess without the cream). When wet, the dry aromas remained the same – however it did end up getting a slightly creamy aroma.
The first steep tasted just like the aroma: minerals (maybe shale?), dried wood most similar to birch, and a bit of camphor. Creamy aroma was sadly non-existent in flavor. OK puerh, bad example of a golden flower tea.

Flavors: Camphor, Mineral, Sandalwood, Smooth, Wood

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 160 OZ / 4731 ML

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85

I brewed this tea gong fu style as I do for most.
A solid choice with strong notes of spices (perhaps a less astringent clove and allspice?) and dark wood with lighter citrus zest flavors and mouth feel. I received this as a free gift with another purchase and was so impressed, I bought some for myself.

Flavors: Allspice, Citrus Zest, Clove, Dark Wood, Earth, Herbaceous

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 15 sec 7 g 5 OZ / 160 ML

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85

I brewed this tea gong fu style as I do for most.
The aroma of the steamed leaves is typical of most older puerhs – having nice notes of moss, leaves, and a touch of creaminess. Overall – a very earthy and mild smell that becomes stronger and gains musk once washed.
In terms of the liquor’s flavour, it is similar to the aroma with overtones of earth and musk and just a hint of something spicy – perhaps cardamom?
A good example of a classic late 90s puerh!

Flavors: Cardamom, Clove, Earth, Forest Floor, Musk, Rainforest, Wet Moss, Wet wood

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 4 OZ / 120 ML

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100

Holy cr*p! I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t on par with Yunnan’s Sourcing’s Imperial Jujube – my current favorite tisane. At first – the taste of dark chocolate and cocoa HIT you in the face. But as they subside, a whole new world of intricate flavors are revealed to you: roasted hazelnut, barley, coconut shell and more are there. This is excellently roasted – hats off to Spinnaker Chocolate!

Flavors: Cocoa, Dark Chocolate, Hazelnut, Roasted, Roasted Barley, Roasted Nuts, Toasty

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more 3 g 5 OZ / 160 ML

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65

I brewed this tea gong fu style as I do for most.
Based off of the aroma of this tea – I had high hopes for this one. When steamed, the leaves take on a sweet aroma of grapes and lychee with a dark undertone of chocolate and chicory. These undertones become stronger when washed.
The liquor itself however is a mere shell of this strong scent. Perhaps I understeeped it, but the grape notes in the aroma only comes through as a grapeskin like flavour instead of the whole fruit present in the aroma. Additionally, the dark undertones lose the chocolate notes and only chicory and dandelion root flavours remain. However, a nice floral flavour does appear – resembling lily or orchid and coats the tongue.
It’s a good tea for sure – but not worth $1.65 per gram

Flavors: Chicory, Chocolate, Dandelion, Grape Skin, Grapes, Lily, Lychee, Mineral, Orchid

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 4 OZ / 120 ML

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85

I brewed this tea gong fu style as I do for most.
The steamed leaves have a very creamy aroma that becomes more starchy when washed. Both the steamed leaves and the washed leaves have a strong vegetal aroma akin to perhaps a snap pea.
The liquor itself is light and starchy – with similar vegetal notes as its aroma. Reminds me of potatoes. With later steeps the tea takes on a more mineral like flavour. Great tea – very delicate for a Tieguanyin.

Flavors: Creamy, Mineral, Potato, Snow Peas, Vegetal

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 0 min, 15 sec 6 g 4 OZ / 120 ML

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85

I brewed this tea gong fu style as I do for most teas.
The steamed leaves have a very intense aroma of Yew Wood which acquires a shroomy and honey like aroma when washed. I had to wash this tea twice, one short and one long, before I felt confident that it had opened.
The liquor itself is a very gentle one with a more oak-like flavor and hints of moss with a dusty mouthfeel. You can really taste the age and the dusty dry air of the Himalayas.
Also, whoever tasted stonefruit in this tea is tweaking! There are no fruit notes in it AT ALL!

Flavors: Dust, Honeysuckle, Moss, Mushrooms, Sawdust, Wood, Woody

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 30 sec 5 g 4 OZ / 120 ML

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75

I brewed this gong fu as I do with most teas. For an old arbor high mountain oolong – the tea’s aroma was surprisingly subtle with notes of a mild tasting grape. When washed – the leaves took on a strong root smell akin to chicory with the mildness of maca.
While the aroma was dominated by a rooty smell – it wasn’t overpowering in the flavor of the liquor itself which had nice dark fruit notes (perhaps a ripe yet bland plum?) and cacao flavors. The aftertaste was very camphor heavy – perhaps almost eucalyptus; this only came out after the first steep however.
This tea was very nice and complex, but not worth the 1.26/g I paid for it.

Flavors: Cacao, Camphor, Chicory, Eucalyptus, Grapes, Plum

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 4 OZ / 120 ML

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