218 Tasting Notes

90
drank Golden Yinzhen by Harney & Sons
218 tasting notes

Big golden leaves that’s so fun to watch steep.

Flavor wise, it has a lot in common with the Golden Snail I got from Whispering Pines. Its mellow and smooth though can get a little astringent as it cools. Not bad, but it is noticeable.

Will consider buying this one again.

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85
drank Ceylon Orange Pekoe by Tea Runners
218 tasting notes

Things have been so busy lately that I really haven’t had much of a chance to think much about wrting notes. And i’ve been drinking a whole bunch of new teas.

Anyway, I got the specifically for making cold brews. And this one works well. There is no astrigency that I can really detect brewed this way. (Have not tried it hot yet so I can’t say for that.) And it still has the flavor that I remember from the iced tea my father would make when I was a kid.

Overall I think I really enjoy this and will be restocking when I am out.

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75

Catching up on some old notes.

I decided to give this a try since I love Golden Snail from Whispering Pines so much. The flavor sadly just doesn’t match up. Its more bitter, less of that warm feeling to it. I know, yeah, really descriptive.

Overall I’m underwhelmed.

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75

Sip down was sometime last week or maybe the week before. I’m so behind on any notes due to a move at work.

Other than that first horribly harsh try, I’ve had really good results out of this. I actually suspect its more related to amount of tea and not as much the steep time. Use more pearls than you think you should.

I will likely reorder again come spring.

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40
drank Havakai Frost by Harney & Sons
218 tasting notes

I’ve had this a few times previous, but delayed writing a review as I’m having trouble describing what I am tasting.

I tend to only steep my teas for a few minutes and re steep them multiple times. It just seems like a waste to not do so.

So the first steep on this tea is kind of . . I would have maybe said harsh, but I see someone else described it as sharp, and maybe that might be a better word? Its also astringent though I would not describe it as sour at all. It seems mostly on the back end of the sip and after swallowing.

Second steep, is a little more mild, but still astringent. I wish I had a better description for the actual flavor, but I am severely lacking the words.

Overall, this is not something I am enjoying, though I may try it a few more times. Might work better as iced or cold brewed.

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80

Its been a couple of months. I’ve been trying to sip down a lot of teas I’m not fond of hot as cold brews, so I set this aside. This week promises to be a rather hot one, so good timing.

Came into work this morning with a fresh pitcher waiting and ready to go. And all of my hopes were realized. This is almost exactly what I was hoping for. In fact its just now 11am and there’s maybe 1 more glass worth in the pitcher. I’ve just been downing it this morning.

There is a very slight aftertaste that seems a little off to me. But I really only notice it if I’m really paying attention.

Overall, I’m pretty pleased.

Random

In less than 8 hours I have managed to drain the entire pitcher. It was exactly what I needed today.

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75
drank Phoenix Oolong by DAVIDsTEA
218 tasting notes

So, I took a good break and then came back. Drank this the last few days. Leather has calmed down significantly. Still a little wood, a little roast (not too strong), and maybe a little bready or something similar.

Its still not something I would have on a regular basis, but I might be tempted to pull it out periodically.

Part of me wonders if summer isn’t the best time for this one as well. I am very mood driven and during hot summer, I’m just not pulled to these types of flavors.

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55

Cold brew sip down. Makes a passable cold brew.

Glad I chose to do this project as its allowing me to make sure of teas I didn’t enjoy hot.

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65

Got another sampler of this in my last order. Since my previous note said it might be better iced than hot, I used the entire pack to make a pitcher of cold brew.

Verdict, there’s an odd flavor profile here. Its difficult to describe, but it almost reminds me of soap maybe? or at least something similar.

Not my thing. I’ll try to finish the pitcher, but overall I’m not impressed with this one.

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70

Makes a decent cold brew, though nothing exciting. Just started my last pitcher this evening. Close enough I’m calling this finished.

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Bio

Due to Steepster instability, I have moved to my own system for logging/rating/tracking and I have chosen to move to a 10pt rating system. (As of 7/2023)

All new teas will be rated using this new system. Existing teas will not be modified unless I try them again.

Rating Details:
100 – Amazing
90 – Excellent
80 – Enjoyable
70 – If I’m in the right mood
60 – Nothing Special
50 – Interesting elements, but doesn’t work as a whole
40 – Disappointing
30 – Not for me
20 – Harsh/Bad
10 – Absolutely horrible

All reviews are purely subjective based upon my personal preferences alone.

Location

Seattle Area

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