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“One of the last samples I still had left from a swap with Roswell Strsange is this special black tea. As I expected when it came out, it is very much in line with my preferences. The thick, oily...” Read full tasting note
“Geek Steep S2E12: Astro Boy Gongfu! I was really of two minds when I was trying to pick my pairing for this fandom: do I go with something that’s going to give me more of those classic and...” Read full tasting note
A pure spring commissioned production of our Astro Kittens blend, made into shai hong – sun dried black tea.
This is a very small and experimental production of only around 5 kilograms. Generally speaking not many people would dare use early spring material of this caliber for black tea when they could easily sell if for high prices as raw Puer.
The tea has an intense brothy bitterness and feelings that will overwhelm all but the grizzled veterans among you. This isn’t really a tea for beginners.
I am not even sure who this is for.
Pressed in 2020. Each cake is 200g. The cakes are in bamboo tongs, with five cakes per tong.
One of the last samples I still had left from a swap with Roswell Strsange is this special black tea. As I expected when it came out, it is very much in line with my preferences. The thick, oily texture and the strong yet well-integrated bitterness are often attributes I look for in sheng, but they are rarely to be found in black tea as well. What is more, they are accompanied by a dizzying and clarifying cha qi, a kind of energy that’s not common at all. Tha main reservation I have about the tea is its price, which is unfortunately quite steep.
The aroma is sweet and mineral with notes of leather, dates and gingerbread. Taste is at once bitter, but the woody sweetness is present throughout the experience too. Apart from the strong woody notes such as tree bark, I also found the tea to showcase several medicinal, sour and honey-like notes with a touch of smoke. The aftertaste is once again bitter and woody. It induces a lon-lasting cooling and almost acidic sensation.
Flavors: Bark, Bitter, Cucumber, Dates, Honey, Leather, Medicinal, Mineral, Sour, Sweet, Thick, Vinegar, Wood
Geek Steep S2E12: Astro Boy
Gongfu!
I was really of two minds when I was trying to pick my pairing for this fandom: do I go with something that’s going to give me more of those classic and nostalgic Saturday Morning cartoon vibes or do I choose something more traditional that feels like it better matches the historical gravitas of this monumental anime. Clearly I chose the latter.
It definitely helped, though, that I got the low hanging name reference in the mix as well. This is honestly just such a lovely mix of cooked red fruits, buckwheat honey and a whole lot of thick, dense woody umami flavours when steeped though!! Pleasant bitterness and astringency accompany, and it just felt “weighty” enough and pleasantly layered and nuanced. Really perfect for what is, surface level, a ‘fun cartoon’ that is actually tackling some pretty damn big themes.
