Tea Thoughts

Tea Thoughts Winter Countdown: Day 12

I’ve been holding off on drinking this one till I had ample time to enjoy it. This morning I had some quiet time to myself before the animals awoke and required my attention, so I settled in for a readin’ and steepin’ session!

Mmm. I’m only a couple of steeps in (and I’ve already been interrupted by the furred ones), but I’m really enjoying this one so far. It’s super toasty and grainy, laced with some light mineral notes. It’s got heft without feeling heavy, if that makes sense. Just very cozy!

knittingopera Swap Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 16 (my pick …sort of)
Theme: A White Tea
Her pick: White Angels from The English Tea Room
My pick: White Crow 2022 from Bitterleaf Teas

So this wasn’t actually my pick for today, but I don’t have any of that tea left, so I’m having this as a substitute! I used about half of a coin and steeped it Western-style. It came out so lovely and creamy, almost like oatmeal with cream added to it. Honestly not getting a ton of the orange, but I don’t even mind because the white tea itself is so lovely! :)

Adventageddon Day 12

Gongfu!

We’re halfway there, folks! It’s been a couple days without a good gonfu session, and I was both up early enough today and the sun was bright enough to allow for me to indulge in one – and this was the perfect tea to do so.

The liquor of this tea was actually a surprisingly bright yellow/gold that I felt didn’t totally match the much, much more toasty flavour profile. You could definitely tell this was a TGY with some roast on it from the deeper, nuttier and more mineral notes that popped up. Roasted almond, instant coffee, golden syrup, barley, and a mix of other different toasted grains and cereals. Very cozy, and perfectly aligned with what I woke up craving today.

I got four good steeps and a fifth rather rushed one. Thankfully the sample portion today was generous enough that I will get to have a second session in the future!

Today’s Advent Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DDfpFk7ptSS/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STfu1ZjRv5Y&ab_channel=ColemineRecords

Day 12 of the Tea Thoughts box. Nazanin sourced this specifically for this box, and as far as I can tell is not selling it. Thanks to Roswell Strange for adding it to the database! Confession: I actually opened this one in advance and enjoyed it over the weekend so I could gong fu and savor it. I got two sessions out of the 14g in the packet. Probably could have split it up better and gotten 3 sessions, but I was eyeballing it.

The dry leaf smells very roasted and mineral. For some reason it specifically made me think of the smell of iron. Which, duh, tracks. The first steep definitely has that roastiness to it, but not as strong as the aroma of the dry leaf. This reminds me a lot of tieguanyin, and that’s because it is the same thing. I guess I had never seen this specific name for it before? I was literally sitting here wondering what the difference is between Iron Buddha and tieguanyin. A quick internet search revealed that there’s none, it’s the same thing, I just didn’t know that. I got what felt like endless steeps out of the leaf, with a pretty consistent flavor profile throughout. Eventually I stopped because I was trying not to over-caffeinate but it still kept me awake until almost 3am. The second time, I cut myself off earlier in the day in the interest of sleep!

Day 6 of the Tea Thoughts winter countdown box. I wasn’t expecting much after reading other tasting notes and seeing Jann’s impressions, but decided to give this a try anyway. I don’t really drink pu’erh, so I don’t have a benchmark for good, bad, etc. I brewed this up in one of my little gong fu teapots. After a quick rinse, the first steep was 200f, 1 min, and the leaves were still pretty packed. Unsurprisingly, the brew was fairly weak and nondescript. It faintly reminded me of a green oolong, but weaker. For the second steep, I went longer – 3 min – and that was almost certainly too long. The brew came out bitter and sharp, almost like drinking horseradish. By now the leaves had opened up, so I went back to 1 min for the third steep. It was still really harsh and abrasive. At this point, I gave up. I don’t know if it was user error, a lack of experience with pu’erh, or the tea itself, but this just didn’t work for me.

Tea Thoughts Winter Countdown: Day 6

Drank this one a day late! I’ve made three infusions from this lil tuocha so far; the first two were quite bitter (probably oversteeped) but the third one is pleasant enough, if a bit boring. It’s light and silky, with a fairly muted woodiness. I’m drinking it alongside some spaghetti and not-meatballs, and it’s actually a nice complement!

Adventageddon Day 6

I steeped this sheng tuocha as a Western style mug of tea. I didn’t have time to brew gongfu today, and I can’t help but wonder if this maybe would have been better if brewed that way instead. It’s not that this was unpleasant tasting, but I did feel like it was a little bit flat? Kind of a softer mouthfeel with light and greener flavours alongside notes of barnyard hay and a cedar sort of woodiness. Just not something that popped for me personally…

Today’s Advent Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DDQMGQsSJFF/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AERlkOk6MA&ab_channel=marlin%27sdreaming

Day 2 of the Tea Thoughts box. The box also has stickers and teaware in it, so not every day is going to have a tasting note. This note is a day late, to boot. I did brew this up yesterday but was so out of it that I steeped this up with boiling water for a couple of minutes. These are not the steeping instructions, at all! With a sample size of tea, I try to start by brewing according to instructions and then adjust to taste. I made it properly today and drank it while working. 

I had trouble articulating the flavor of this one. The best way I can describe it is “floral hojicha.” Toasty, but in a soft way rather than the sharper way that a tieguanyin is. When I used boiling water, the heartiness dialed up and the floral notes pretty much disappeared. And on the up side, this is a black tea that doesn’t hurt my stomach!

Tea Thoughts Winter Countdown: Day 2

I’m a day late for this one… I opened it yesterday evening, but it was on the late side for caffeine and I didn’t really have time to savor it anyway. I’m glad the Tea Thoughts countdown alternates between tea and stationery, because it eases the tea-drinking pressure just a lil bit!

This is verrry smooth and mellow. I honestly think my palate is broken, because I don’t get any floral notes, and definitely not jasmine. It’s a bit nutty and a bit toasty, laced with a smidge of earthiness I can’t quite identify. It steeps up a gorgeous amber shade, like a light whiskey. I’m drinking it in a mug from a 2022 Düsseldorf Christmas market; the mug is clear glass with the Düsseldorf skyline in white, little white dots of “snow,” and golden stars. The tea looks so pretty!

I’m perplexed about the taste here, but maybe I’ll get something different in the next steep! It’s still really nice, just not what I expected. Again… something may be wrong with my taste buds.

Adventageddon Day 2

Gongfu!

This was easily my favourite tea from today! It was expectedly floral with really lovely fresh orchid notes. Maybe a little easier on the jasmine than I expected, however. But delicate floral elements aside, it also had really distinctive woody and nutty flavours with a slightly smoky undertone. It reminded me of roasted chestnuts, which was such a pleasant tasting note. Very rich and toasty.

So excited to see what other teas Naz has in store for us!

Today’s Advent Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DDF43CoyYo2/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukcrlVnsAvM&ab_channel=halfaliveVEVO

A tea from Kaylee, thank you! Which, I accidantly preprared probably too strong.
I got 6 grams, maybe even a bit more… and decided to brew all in 300 ml mug, with short steep. That was two-three mintues long.

Well, it WAS strong. Suggested 5-7 minutes would be definitely too much. It was strong in taste too, but I managed to notice bergamot, a little peppery rose and cinnamon. I thought there was also the clove, but it seems it was the rose and cinnamon together making this feel. But the flavours were working well together, so yes, I can see a chance trying this once again, if I get the chance to get it.

I have enjyed it, but as I wrote, it was a bit too strong in all flavours, so… a little sad face here. But on the other tea, another tea down (though not a sipdown, as prepared all at once).

2024 Sipdown Challenge | August | A calming tea

Really enjoyed this fragrant blend! I don’t typically love bergamot, but I really enjoy it here with the complementary rose and subtle cinnamon notes. This tea actually straddles the line between two prompts: It’s both a wake-up tea and a calming tea! I find the floral elements quite soothing, so I went with that prompt.

I’m sad to run out of this one and will probably pick up another bag the next time I order from Tea Thoughts.

2024 sipdown count: 26

Sipdown prompt: April 1 – April Fool’s Day – Don’t have tea. Just kidding! Have a fun cuppa! — but again not a full sipdown. Though I guess the remaining 3 grams from Kaylee will be finished once I return home. Thank you! Tried first 3 grams before leaving to Germany as it looks as the wackiest and most colourful blend in my cupboard right now; that was indeed on April 1. I haven’t got time nor mood for writing tasting note April 1 and April 2, so… now it’s April 3 and I am trying to recall it.

Well it was definitely floral as much I can remember; and there are notes saying rose but for some reason I recall rather violets, but not really sure if it is correct or it is my dull memory.

It was refreshing enough to be drank in hot days and we have really warm days recently; with highs about 28°C on Saturday coming up. In April! Foolish weather!

More detailed note will follow.

TTB tasting: This is such a fragrant and pleasant tea, great for night time. I’ve had it twice already in the evenings. When I first open the package, all I smell is the roses. After steeping it, I can taste the lime, rose with a subtle floral taste from the borage as well. It’s a really mellow tea even though the rose really comes through, I love that it’s just three ingredients and it still taste amazing! Love it.

Day 11 of the Tea Thoughts Winter Countdown box. Brewed this up Western style and drank it in between PT, meetings, and eating sufganiyot. I spent probably too much time trying to pin down the flavors here and still am not entirely satisfied. I liked it, I just can’t seem to describe it very well. Maybe buckwheat and honey – but soft buckwheat, not the roasted kind. It did feel very cozy, like putting on a pair of warm fuzzy socks.

Adventageddon Day 11 – Tea 3/4

Made this as a large Western style pot of tea today and drank it while working at my desk this afternoon. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the tea, but there also wasn’t anything at all to it that hooked me and drew me in. It feels a bit unfair to compare them, but every other white tea in this countdown has had at least one very memorable and standout tasting note and this one was honestly just a little bit flat and boring. I suppose, in some ways, that made it a good choice to have desk side for mindless drinking. I just really couldn’t get into it though…

Today’s Advent Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C0uqf7gOYTS/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCEKBwHUc-c

Adventageddon Day 5 – Tea 1/4

Gongfu!

Very cool to see another version of the GABA Coin that was included earlier in the advent! I brewed this gongfu at my desk for most of the workday and it was really nice. I’m always a little skeptical about how much GABA teas really help me focus, but I do feel like i had an especially productive day today so maybe it was the tea after all.

Definitely not fair to directly compare this to the Honey GABA Cake since I made that as a teapot but this one gongfu – however, I’m gonna do it anyway. So sue me. I found this one a lot more focused on the grain/cereal type of notes, and a little bit roastier. I enjoy those flavours in a tea a lot, but something about the sweeter and more nuanced flavour of the honey version does appeal to me just a little bit more.

Today’s Advent Photos: https://steepster.com/teas/tea-thoughts/105141-flower-gaba-cake

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTB2h64Gh5A

Did anyone else notice that Steepster just 404’d? Sipdown of a tea that comes in a special shape for ashmanra’s sipdown challenge. This was part of the winter countdown box and I usually don’t count advents toward my sipdowns, but since it’s a coin and also I had forgotten that detail until I sat down to write the note, I’m making an exception. It’s got a hint of a honey note and a roasty grain note that’s reminding me of buckwheat today, though not quite. Looking at my previous note, apparently I had considered steeping this coin gong fu style since I did the first one Western-style. Alas, I drank most of this while working and didn’t want to be getting up constantly for more water (and had forgotten to check my previous note!).

Day 5 of the Tea Thoughts Winter Countdown box. I had a lot of work to do today so I brewed this up Western-style, using the whole cake in a spacious steeper and a 10oz mug. I did 95c for 2 min for the first steep, with a very very quick initial rinse, and I was amazed at how quickly and thoroughly this cake blossomed in the steeper. More than anything it reminded me of those little toys that expand in water. I don’t know if they’re even still made, but I remember loving them as a kid because they were tiny and then when you added water they’d get way way bigger (or so it seemed to me at the time). This had the same spirit of rapid, joyful expansion into something fun. Definitely a smooth drink, with a dominant roasted savory flavor and a gentle sweetness. It reminds me of toast with a thin layer of honey on top. There’s a second cake, which I suspect would yield many steeps if brewed gong fu style, but given how much this one expanded I’d probably break it in half for that.

Day 4 of the Tea Thoughts Winter Countdown box. I opted for a heavy-handed leaf when I gong fu’d this, partly because it’s a chilly day and partly because I didn’t want to leave half the packet languishing in my tea drawer. This generally isn’t my favorite type of oolong, so to me this seems fine but not astonishing, you know? If I want something with a heavy roast, I’d rather reach for a tie guan yin than a rock tea. The heavy minerality just isn’t my scene. So to me this seems like a pretty standard mid-range rougui – roasted, tastes like rock soup, and despite all the digital ink spilled by countless tea companies (and my own love of cinnamon) I still can’t really discern a cinnamon note. But I think that’s more about how rouguis generally taste to me and less a reflection of the quality of this specific one.

Adventageddon Day 4 – Tea 3/4

Gongfu!

There was actually quite a lot of tea stuffed into this little packet so I split it in half and will finish the rest another time. I love this tea though; made me so happy to see a Rougui included – especially on a day I was working from home and could take the time to brew this gongfu in my nice, relaxing tea space. Medium bodied in addition to a more golden, medium roast with notes of brown butter, lightly charred peanuts, cinnamon sticks, allspice, and pleasantly woody tree bark. Even a bit of a raisin-like fruit undertone that pushes this into a borderline spice or fruit cake territory.

Today’s Advent Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C0cpM5NuW5Z/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAOZJPquY_w

Day 2 of the Tea Thoughts Winter Countdown box. I love that Nazanin has been increasingly experimenting with sourcing teas for the countdown boxes. It adds another dimension to the way that the boxes help me explore new-to-me teas. I probably should have tucked one of these little cakes away for later, but I ended up drinking both of them: one last month as a sneak peek and one today for a proper note. It’s just such an easy drinker, dangit. Made gong fu style both times, the result is smooth and sweet, with a very slight mineral note. Dark honey, almost jammy but not in a heavy way. I accidentally let the cup cool and it made for a great iced tea – I can see this being really good on a hot summer day!

Adventageddon Day 2 – Tea 4/4

This was the last tea I drank today, as a little treat for myself after going and doing a giant grocery store haul. I decided to make it in a tea for one pot instead of gongfu, which is how I would probably usually brew this. I didn’t feel switching it up since there were actually two of these oolong coins today – I’ll have the change the try it gongfu in the future.

Visually the coins themselves are really interesting looking – I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a ball rolled style of oolong pressed into coins or really any other shape before. Because it’s ball rolled the coin itself breaks apart super easily which is actually a bit of a plus since sometimes coins can be so tightly compressed that it takes ages for the leaves to seperate and fully open up.

The liquor is a warm caramel-like brown that seems to appropriately mirror the smooth, sweeter flavour of this tea. Honey is pretty spot on. It’s just very pleasant and golden tasting with a very, very gentle roast and grain note to what is otherwise a bit more of a fruitier berry-like mid sip. Round on the palate with a clean finish. I’m glad that Nazanin included two coins because this is definitely something I’m going to want to revisit. Maybe, if I’m lucky, they’ll eventually make their way to her store. I’d totally buy more.

Today’s Advent Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C0Xf_rYOG6Y/?img_index=2

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLKX-dPV2jE

Gongfu!

This was a morning before heading in to work! I was initially caught a smidge off guard by this tea as the white tea is quite a bit more naturally herbaceous and savory than Inhad expected; I got so many notes of both fresh and dried rosemary and oregano in addition to the more expected hay and floral profile. The orange peel is well incorporated, and the little strips of chenpi are so flipping cute! They reminded me of Bitterleaf’s Orangeo & Shuliet minis, which have the similar strips throughout. Very aromatic and zesty, with a lightly medicinal pith note offset by a natural sweetness!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CwBNbrQu-ww/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1m0nLG7Ics