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Trying a different Harney sample for my first tea today! I was pretty excited after loving the golden monkey I had yesterday. It actually smells pretty similar in the bag – very malty. But this one has more honey and I can smell a touch of stonefruit and alfalfa. The leaves are about a 50/50 mix of black and golden twisty leaves. I love the look of the gold leaves, they’re so fuzzy and shimmery. I really want to try one of those pure tip Yunnan teas that are all gold and beautiful! :)

This tea has a lovely aroma! Malty, but I love the honey and stonefruit scents. Wow, the taste is powerful! This is definitely the epitome of malt to me, it’s extremely strong but delicious. I also taste a lot of honey, which is fantastic! There’s a woody note and a hint of baked bread. I can see the similarity between this and the golden monkey – they have the same notes but in very different proportions. I found this even more amazing with just the tiniest amount of sugar added. I was a bit sad that I didn’t really taste that wonderful stonefruit that I was smelling. The most I got was a hint by the time it had cooled all the way to room temperature.

I have to say, I feel really bad for this tea on Steepster. It really doesn’t deserve the low rating it has, but it only has 4 ratings and one of them is a 34 (what…?). Makes me sad. :(

Flavors: Bread, Honey, Malt, Stonefruit, Wood

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
TeaBrat

I love a good yunnan. :)

Cameron B.

I definitely love them so far, although I certainly don’t know which ones are considered good yet. :P

Nicole

I thought surely I’d tried this one but I guess not. Good ones are ones you like. :) PM me if you’d like to try a Yunnan sampler. I have tons that I’m happy to share.

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Comments

TeaBrat

I love a good yunnan. :)

Cameron B.

I definitely love them so far, although I certainly don’t know which ones are considered good yet. :P

Nicole

I thought surely I’d tried this one but I guess not. Good ones are ones you like. :) PM me if you’d like to try a Yunnan sampler. I have tons that I’m happy to share.

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Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- December sipdowns: 1
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 157

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia (or monkfruit, etc.).

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing

Location

Austin, Texas

Website

https://www.instagram.com/tea...

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