Cameron B. select Send Message

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drank Mao Feng Black Tea by Simpson & Vail
4308 tasting notes

Yay, time for non-advent teas again! XD I really enjoyed my tea advent calendars (and still have a couple of swap and DIY teas to drink) but also excited to get back to sipping down, as I’ve been feeling overwhelmed this month by the amount of tea I have. (Plus my tea count went up instead of down this year, oops!) :P

This is from the S&V subscription. For some reason I felt compelled to sign up when I saw it was four teas a month for $16 or so with free shipping. Plus they tell you ahead of time what the teas are going to be, so I figured I could skip if I wasn’t interested. I’ve never tried any of their unflavored teas, and they seem to include at least one every month, so I figured it would be fun. Anyway!

This is lovely, and a great start to the subscription. Very rich and flavorful, with that concentrated fruity character that I assume is what people mean when they call Qimen “winey”. There’s also a savoriness to it, and a heft like a dark whole-grain loaf of bread. And then in the background is that waffle-y flavor, sweet and a bit maple-y. Usually something I find in Taiwanese black teas but happy to find it here! All in all, just a really tasty hongcha to start the day with. And makes me excited to try some of their other unflavored teas in the future!

Flavors: Bread, Caramelized Sugar, Caraway, Creamy, Dried Fruit, Fruity, Grain, Hay, Malty, Maple Syrup, Raisins, Rich, Smooth, Sweet, Thick

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
4 comments
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ashmanra
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I, too, have more in my cupboard today than when the 2024 Sipdown Challenges started. It’s not my fault, though! My kids keep giving me tea! Ha ha! (Okay, I bought a few, but not very many.)

Cameron B.
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Mine is definitely entirely my fault ha ha! >.<

Martin Bednář
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I don’t know what was the number which I started with; but it is moreless same I assume. I wanted to be under 200; rather under 100… but I guess I mostly need to go through the teas I have and check their status. And I have been 4 months without access to my stash, and it was hard to resist to not buy any new ones… so I failed there too. But I am trying to work hard on these sipdowns, though December seems to be hardest month to do that!

tea-sipper
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uh oh, it looks like my cupboard count only went down by ten “unique teas” within 2024… ANNNNNDD I just ordered around that many from 52Teas. :X I will never regret ordering from the smaller tea shops though…

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Comments

ashmanra
Delete

I, too, have more in my cupboard today than when the 2024 Sipdown Challenges started. It’s not my fault, though! My kids keep giving me tea! Ha ha! (Okay, I bought a few, but not very many.)

Cameron B.
Delete

Mine is definitely entirely my fault ha ha! >.<

Martin Bednář
Delete

I don’t know what was the number which I started with; but it is moreless same I assume. I wanted to be under 200; rather under 100… but I guess I mostly need to go through the teas I have and check their status. And I have been 4 months without access to my stash, and it was hard to resist to not buy any new ones… so I failed there too. But I am trying to work hard on these sipdowns, though December seems to be hardest month to do that!

tea-sipper
Delete

uh oh, it looks like my cupboard count only went down by ten “unique teas” within 2024… ANNNNNDD I just ordered around that many from 52Teas. :X I will never regret ordering from the smaller tea shops though…

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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… ;)

~ 2025 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January sipdowns: 24
- Total 2025 sipdowns: 24

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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