348 Tasting Notes
Yet another one from my white tea sampler from Shang. But this was “technically” not a white tea. I say that because it actually falls in the black tea category. Squarely. In appearance, it looked like a pre-QingMing Keemun Mao Feng. The liquor colored similar to a Golden Yunnan amber. Aroma and taste, however, were quite the oddity. This tasted like the description – a lightly fermented white tea, as if someone took a batch of Bai Mu Dan and steeped it for eight-to-ten minutes. (Without spinaching, of course.) There’s a bit of a nectarine texture to it, but minor compared to a Yunnan Gold. Still a mighty pleasant drink.
Preparation
This is the third maocha I’ve tried from Norbu. I really liked one, found the other fair-go-good, and now it was on to an older one. Philosophically, I found it puzzling that they aged an unfinished pu-erh. Wouldn’t it make more sense just to turn it into a pu-erh and age it then? Eh, I’m nitpicking. The dry scent was off-putting, but the finished brew-up (Western-style but in a gaiwan) turned up an earthy, faintly fruity, and smoky cup. Like an oolong that’d been blended with a sheng. I still prefer younger maochas – like the Nan Nuo I had – but this was still a pleasure to sip.
Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/04/19/review-norbu-tea-2007-spring-yong-de-mao-cha/
Preparation
I finally tried a tea from MIDDLE-EARTH thanks to QuiltGuppy! Wow, what a unique product. I also finally got to try out my new (well, old) gaiwan in the process. This yielded four successive steeps of varying degrees of excellence. Only the second steep was unfavorable. My favorite was the last because it took on a grape note like a Bai Mu Dan. Overall, a very nuanced oolong that had shades of vanilla cream, caramel, various fruits, and only a slight graphite finish. I would gladly walk into Mordor for this.
Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/04/10/review-chicago-tea-garden-zealong-aromatic/
Preparation
This was the third Asamushi-style sencha I tried from Norbu. I didn’t know much about the leaf cultivar going into it, but it possessed a wonderfully vanilla scent to the dry leaves. That same characteristic also translated to the liquor’s taste. I never call sencha creamy, but this definitely was on the foretaste with a strong fruit note. My heart still belongs to guricha and Fukamushi-style senchas, but this ranks well up there.
Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/04/16/review-norbu-tea-2010-spring-yamakai-sencha/
Preparation
I was first a little turned off by the aroma of this. It reminded me of poor-grade bancha. I’m…not a fan of bancha. The medium-cut, mediam-green leaves smelled like roasted nuts. Luckily, this only partially translated to the taste thanks to a surprising buttery note. However, it’s just a shy skip above ordinary sencha.
Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/04/13/review-norbu-tea-2010-spring-hon-yama-zairai-sencha/
Preparation
Oolongs aren’t usually my thing, but Formosa oolongs have greeted me with quite a surprise. This is the second Bai Hao Oolong I’ve tried, although the first one I did was actually from China. Still confused about that. Anyway, it brewed up gold with a strong fruit presence that made it an absolute pleasure to imbibe. Not usually an oolong guy, but there are exceptions to the rule.
Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/04/07/review-american-tea-room-oriental-beauty-oolong-3/
Preparation
@American Tea Room – Thanks for the surprise. :-)
@Michelle – Really? See, I usually never am. Don’t hit the oolongs first, often.
@Infusin_Susan – It’s definitely a must. :-)
Tea #3 in my white tea sampler from Shang. This time it was a white that was blended with pao blossoms. I’m not quite sure what a pao is; the only information I turned up was that it was like grapefruit. Doesn’t taste like it, though. This white had the typical requisite grape and butter lean, but with a jasmine/mint profile due to the added botanicals. The overall effect was quite pleasant.
Preparation
This is an unusual white tea blend. In dry form, it smelled like it was blended with jasmine, but when steeped for three minutes, it turns up a beautiful gold liquor. The flavor is…interesting. On the foretaste, it’s like any white tea with a melon/nutty delivery, but then settles on a very soapy/citrusy middle. It reminded me of Lemon Pledge mixed with honey, only…y’know…not poisonous. It also had hints of marshmallow leaf. I liked it quite a bit. Certainly unusual.
Any of you who’ve seen my other updates regarding Golden Needles, Gold Buds, or – hell – anything with the word “gold” in it will know where this is going. This was the most perfect of the perfect. Smooth and creamy, honey-like, malty, nectarine-rich, and basic Midas-touched excellence. If I have any gripe, it’s that I think I brewed it too light. Even with that personal snag, though, it turned out majestic. This was Christ-on-a-pogo-stick perfect.
Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/04/04/review-american-tea-room-organic-yunnan-golden-needles-4/
Preparation
It being St. Patty’s Day, I decided to make this my morning cup. Gah! SO good. Still! While it’s been pointed out to me that a “true” Irishman would have “actual” whiskey in his tea for the morn, I will settle with a mildly peaty substitute. Love this grand experiment.