My Sheng Olympics sample for the day. :) 6-7g sample in a 4oz gaiwan, water 90-100C. Started with 10sec steeps, gradually added time. This is interesting to drink fairly soon after trying the 2015 version, because you can really see the effect of the aging. Interestingly, there’s not much of an “aged” flavour to this – a bit of that old books note in the scent, especially smelling the wet leaves, but tea liquor itself doesn’t really have the musty, earthy flavours at all. I’m guessing that means the storage was fairly dry? Anyway, what’s noticeable is how much the tea has mellowed out with age. I found the young version a bit more bitter than I prefer, but this has a lovely balance between sweet and bitter. It’s smooth, with a medium thick mouthfeel and aftertaste. I didn’t really pick out a lot of distinct flavour notes, but I found it really easy to drink – I just kept steeping and drinking over and over (while somewhat distracted by my laptop). I had to force myself to slow down and sip more mindfully so I’d have something to write in this note besides “Yum!” It held up to longer steepings very well, getting darker in colour and thicker in flavour without developing any overwhelming bitterness or sour notes. Quite nice.

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Well it has been over a year and everyone I know thinks my tea obsession is a bit out of hand, so… I guess I’m not a total newbie anymore. :)

I’m drinking a lot more pure tea these days, though I still love a good flavoured blend too. Current favourites: Chinese and Taiwanese blacks, fresh Chinese greens, oolongs both green and roasted, sheng puer.

I really love companies that buy directly from tea farmers, and have an emphasis on quality and sustainability. Favourites: Verdant, Whispering Pines, Eco Cha, White 2 Tea. I live in a small town in the middle of nowhere, so I buy almost all my tea online.

For hot tea, I’m usually brewing in either a 100ml gaiwan, or a 10oz mug with a steeping basket. For cold tea, I cold brew overnight in 500ml mason jars.

My cupboard on Steepster doesn’t include small samples, just the ones I have at least 15g of. So if you see something you’re interested in, I probably have enough to share. :)

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Northwestern Ontario, Canada

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