Cameron B. select Send Message

346 Followers / 342 Following

Recommended

Cameron B. drank Tie Guanyin by William Rabbit British Tearoom

4161 tasting notes

Tea Swap Sample Sipdown of the Day! (14)

This is the very last tea from my swap with AJRimmer. Sorry it took me so long to try them all! This is why I’ve started committing to one swap tea sipdown each day. :P

This is an interesting oolong with strong mineral notes. It’s actually somewhat similar to gunpowder green tea, which has a heavily mineral flavor with earthy smoke elements. This tea does not have the vegetal character of a green tea, however.

I assume this tieguanyin is at least partially baked, as it has a mellow, comforting roasty flavor that is not overwhelming, as well as a golden liquor. There is a light hay-like mustiness here as well, which reminds me of bai mudan. It does have the classic silky mouthfeel and floral nectar notes that I expect from a green oolong, and a hint of fuzzy apricot at the end of the sip.

What an interesting tea, with aspects of green and white teas as well as oolong. I happen to enjoy mineral notes in lighter teas, so I quite like it! :)

Flavors: Apricot, Autumn Leaf Pile, Earth, Floral, Hay, Mineral, Musty, Nectar, Roasted, Smoke, Smooth, Thick

Preparation

190 °F / 87 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

I Like This

11 likes

0 comments

People who liked this

Profile

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! ~
- November sipdowns: 13
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 156

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.

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