1315 Tasting Notes
Generally I try to stick to buying this cultivar from Wang Family Tea but I think it is also important for our palates to try the same teas from different vendors of different areas. I will have to do a side by side comparison after trying this one on its own. This one has some menthol notes I don’t remember in my other Ruby 18 tastings.
Long, dark chocolate colored dry leaf with a drying aroma. Woody.
Smooth mouth feel.
The wet leaf is unique. A mix of eucalyptus and raisin bread.
Liquor aroma reminds me of camphor and eucalyptus. Also dry desert wood. All of this can also be found in the flavor.
An appropriate name. Some companies use names that are so appealing. While I understand the marketing behind it, it also drives me nuts unless the company gives more info like Mei Leaf does. This is fitting. I can taste a mix of forest berries. Though namely northern forest. Blueberries, gooseberries, musty decaying wood, and the forest floor beneath it. The mouth feel is smooth. Slight cream with hints of old wood in the liquor aroma and apricots, bready, and woody hints in the wet leaves. The aroma packet has taken most of the dry aroma but I will update this (If I remember once the aroma comes around) Think I might be slightly tea drunk.
Ah, the dry aroma is wonderful. Sweetgrass, a sweet pastry, slight stone fruit, and a bit of grass. The leaf is so pretty. Glossy green and needle-like. 1ish tsp. Water temp 145.
10 seconds – grass. too light
20 seconds – smooth mouth feel. Fresh-cut grass, sweet grass, umami,
30ish seconds – umami, grass,
uh 1 min? Umami and grass.
This is a lovely green. Plenty of umami notes.
100 ml gaiwain. 190F because 205 seems very hot for a green. Then again Chinese greens tend to do better with hotter water. But I also hate burning my tongue… Lots of fuzz on the packaging. Harder to see it on the actual leaf. The aroma isn’t quite there but I think that is just the odor-absorbing packet doing its job. The leaf is finely pressed. A perfect flat leaf. A mix of olive green hues. Ooo I love the aroma coming from the infusing leaf. Man, it’s been a while since I’ve had a Dragonwell. The difference between the steaming and the pan frying is so amazing. The notes are closer to the toasty notes found in a hojicha with a springtime greenness to it. Also notes of hay
A snapping cold. When it gets to a certain negative the houses crack. It can be rather frightening in the middle of the night. I had a point to this but I’ve lost it amid the kids badgering me for stuff… Moving on to the notes I took before this Aroma from the infusing tea – Cream and veggies. Very slight stone fruit. Hay.
Liquor aroma – spinach water and a … green beans cooked too long?
Liquor color is clear, lightly green, and lightly gold. Clean.
Flavor is vegetal. Bits of hay. Creamed asparagus (which to be honest sounds disgusting but oddly satisfying in tea)
Smooth mouth feel.
Wet leaves: An interesting note.
First infusion is definitely the best. Bits of spice in the second. Like a slightly pepper-forward blend. Vegetal notes of corn husk, fresh spinach, green beans?
NIO Advent Calender 2023
Last Tea! Only took me two months. And my husband wonders why I prefer to get small bags. (Unless it’s a staple like Waikato Black). There is 5gs of the in this bag. Holy smokes. Glad I saw that before dumping it into my vessel. I’ve decided to return to the Shiboridashi. We are only using 1g of this. And thus far, I think the less tea the better. Same steeping time (45s) and same water temp 65C. A very nice first steep. Slightly grassy, hay, a bit of sweetness. Soft mouth feel. Second infusion (20s). Probably could use a bit more time. After an added 10 seconds, astringency shows its head but so does a very nice umami tone.
NIO Advent Tea
Nice glossy leaves. Deep green. Umami, grassy aroma. Initial aroma of summer florals and a hint of gardenia. Going to do many quick infusions with this one. This is very gentle compared to the previous gyokuro. It says two minutes but I really felt like 1 minute was tops. When steeped longer there is a flavor I just don’t enjoy. Yes, it is also bitter but something about the flavor just puts me off. Second steeping needs very quick steeps. I guess I’m just not impressed with this one.
NIO Advent Calender 2023
Was supposed to have a class today. Except it wasn’t today… it was yesterday Japan time. I dummy. _ Luckily the lady running it is awesome and recorded it. Using m kyusu for this one. The shiboridashi needs some… excuse me… I need some education. The dry aroma is nice with hints of stone fruit and fresh grass. Glossy dark green leaves, needle-like. It’s 15 F outside. And by f I don’t mean Fahrenheit, I mean, I also do but also otherwise cause I can’t feel my face. Can we all change to Celcius, please? Soft mouth feel. Fresh cut pile of grass clippings. Maybe some corn and spinach. Slight cream. One minute is too long for this one.
Neti pots get a bad wrap but I tell you guys, if you use them correctly (like anything else) they work. That and a good night’s sleep helps. The dry aroma alone is worth the buy. Caramel, roasted marshmallows, roasted rose petals, plain rose, cherry liqueur. Oh the fascination! The initial aroma coming from the steeping leaves! So unique! Heavy cream, cream of wheat, marzipan?, my mouth is watering. At the suggested ten seconds I am getting hints of desert wood, rose, a bit of oat milk. Very nice. Oh now steeping 20 – 30 seconds. Chocolate notes. Chocolate milk, hot chocolate. Holy cow. At… what time is it? 1 minute? 2? I have no idea. It’s so thick! I feel like I’m drinking hot cocoa with a bit of a woody aftertaste. The wet leaf aroma is slightly bready and a bit woody. Silky mouth feel.
Second infusion. Too hot. Almost spit it out. Didn’t want to waste. Owie. Much of the same notes to be found. A bit more rose though.
NIO Tea advent calendar and a freaking sinus infection.
Had to rest up stairs for a bit. Now that I;ve done that I’m going to punch this thing with some matcha. Some very nice vegetal notes. A bit of green beans, asparagus, and maybe some pepper but also hints of cream and oat milk. I feel like I shouldn’t be tasting as much as I am considering the current state of my sniffer. Speaking of which I’m sure there is a dry aroma but my nose doesn’t really want to comprehend it at the moment. Luckily the taste is quite good.