2016 harvest, sealed sample packet from Leafhopper!
Dry leaf is pungent! chestnut, cacao, an impression of cherry pie filling. The look of it reminds me of Laoshan green. I’ve had this as mini-bowl tea 1g:100mL and teapot 2g:190mL, 3/4min. Prefer the bowl.
Let’s see… lemony, roasted chestnut, pan-fried green beans for sure, steamed escarole, gentle floral-powdered sugar high note, underlying umami. Vegetal, salty-nutty-brothy-sweet ending brisk and tart with a light bitterness on the swallow. Aftertaste is at first metallic, turning into a salted citrus rind tingle then apricot to a subtle impression of violet and lavender.
It’s not extremely vegetal or too robust, has a range of flavors that are well rounded. Pretty dang good for 5 years old.
Flavors: Apricot, Astringent, Bitter, Broth, Cacao, Cherry, Chestnut, Citrus Zest, Escarole, Floral, Green Beans, Lavender, Lemon, Metallic, Nutty, Powdered Sugar, Salty, Sweet, Tart, Umami, Vegetal, Violet
Comments
I initially read this ‘turning into a salted citrus rind tingle…’ as ‘turning into a salted circus ring tingle,’ and said to myself-Damn! derk has really outdone herself with this tea note!!! Needless to say, I was most disappointed upon re-reading. Ah! The joys of dyslexia.
Oh, I don’t think you make notes up. It was fun to take a break from scrubbing the floors, drink seltzer and try to imagine if you were tasting peanuts, sawdust, cotton candy, grease paint, tiger dander, high wire sweat, clown wig fibres or a combination of all of those.
There’s nothing like the pungency of hungover carnies. I love the way the combined scents of cheap cigarettes, sweat, body odor, horse manure, deep fried twinkies, malt liquor, unwashed clothing, crystal meth, and bottom shelf vodka just roll off of them as they emerge from their carnival trailers into the July heat. It’s magical.
I am thinking how tastes salted citrus rinds; never had it!. And all others comments me laugh; much needed!
Derk, I almost didn’t include those green tea samples because they were so old. Glad you’re getting something out of them.
Eastkyteaguy, your comment made me laugh!
Yeh, Leafhopper, I was surprised. No worries, I try anything that lands in my cupboard through the kindness of others :)
Now that you mention it, I really do have circus in my DNA! My great aunt and uncle weren’t performers, but were on kitchen and setup crew, traveling on a real circus train. Wish I knew more. I was an afterthought, a decade behind elder siblings, and by then, I guess it was just assumed everyone had already heard all the good family stories.
Moral to you young’uns: WRITE THIS STUFF DOWN. IN A BOOK. WITH REAL PAGES. THAT WILL NOT BECOME OBSOLETE TECHNOLOGY.
(rocking chair creaking) Pull up a chair, honey, and I’ll tell you about how Grandpa won the money for Grandma’s wedding china in a craps game in the attic of their unfinished house and hauled it back from the train in the buckboard…
I don’t think there were any circus folk in my family but there are definitely some stories I wish I knew more about. Certain family members were considered embarrassments for things nobody would bat an eye at now and asking anything about them would get you a “don’t shake the family tree, a bunch of nuts will fall out.”
Figured I throw a link here in this old note.
South of Tampa, FL, is a carnival museum that’s well worth a visit.
I initially read this ‘turning into a salted citrus rind tingle…’ as ‘turning into a salted circus ring tingle,’ and said to myself-Damn! derk has really outdone herself with this tea note!!! Needless to say, I was most disappointed upon re-reading. Ah! The joys of dyslexia.
Hehe. Now I feel compelled to come up with an absolutely batty note.
Oh, I don’t think you make notes up. It was fun to take a break from scrubbing the floors, drink seltzer and try to imagine if you were tasting peanuts, sawdust, cotton candy, grease paint, tiger dander, high wire sweat, clown wig fibres or a combination of all of those.
and the pungency of hungover carnies.
There’s nothing like the pungency of hungover carnies. I love the way the combined scents of cheap cigarettes, sweat, body odor, horse manure, deep fried twinkies, malt liquor, unwashed clothing, crystal meth, and bottom shelf vodka just roll off of them as they emerge from their carnival trailers into the July heat. It’s magical.
That was a real LOL I did there.
I think one of my aunt’s was a local carnie for a minute.
I am thinking how tastes salted citrus rinds; never had it!. And all others comments me laugh; much needed!
eastkyteaguy-That was an absolutely stunning and spot on sensory picture!
Derk, I almost didn’t include those green tea samples because they were so old. Glad you’re getting something out of them.
Eastkyteaguy, your comment made me laugh!
Tasting note and comments on a roll here. I think my Laoshan is about five years old by now…
I was just thinking this tea sounds like its own buffet.
Yeh, Leafhopper, I was surprised. No worries, I try anything that lands in my cupboard through the kindness of others :)
Now that you mention it, I really do have circus in my DNA! My great aunt and uncle weren’t performers, but were on kitchen and setup crew, traveling on a real circus train. Wish I knew more. I was an afterthought, a decade behind elder siblings, and by then, I guess it was just assumed everyone had already heard all the good family stories.
Moral to you young’uns: WRITE THIS STUFF DOWN. IN A BOOK. WITH REAL PAGES. THAT WILL NOT BECOME OBSOLETE TECHNOLOGY.
That is awesome, gmathis (but not awesome they skipped the stories with you.)
(rocking chair creaking) Pull up a chair, honey, and I’ll tell you about how Grandpa won the money for Grandma’s wedding china in a craps game in the attic of their unfinished house and hauled it back from the train in the buckboard…
:D I had to look up buckboard.
I don’t think there were any circus folk in my family but there are definitely some stories I wish I knew more about. Certain family members were considered embarrassments for things nobody would bat an eye at now and asking anything about them would get you a “don’t shake the family tree, a bunch of nuts will fall out.”
Figured I throw a link here in this old note.
https://showmensmuseum.org/
South of Tampa, FL, is a carnival museum that’s well worth a visit.
Love it. Maybe my big brother knows the name of the circus company we’re connected to…