beerandbeancurd Send Message

Apologies in advance to anyone reading, as I’m about to copy-paste this note onto two teas.

I drank two Shandong Laoshans yesterday, one from What-Cha and one from Yunnan Sourcing, within an hour or so of each other. I had mild intentions of noting some differences between them, but the reality is I just wasn’t focused enough while doing some studying. I’m sure I’ll make more in depth and nitpicky reviews for each later, but overall impressions remind me a lot of What-Cha‘s Vietnam Fish Hook Green. Umami, asparagus, crockpot white beans, salty, savory. Very approachable, smooth, and delicious. I will probably always keep a tea of this character in my cupboard, though I look forward to getting to know the intricacies and contrasts between all of the ones I have right now. I brewed both around 170°, which I think is perfect. Some astringency showed up toward the end of each session, but I think that was more a function of steep length than temperature. I really like this style of green.

Apologies in advance to anyone reading, as I’m about to copy-paste this note onto two teas…

I drank two Shandong Laoshans yesterday, one from What-Cha and one from Yunnan Sourcing, within an hour or so of each other. I had mild intentions of noting some differences between them, but the reality is I just wasn’t focused enough while doing some studying. I’m sure I’ll make more in-depth and fussy reviews for each later, but overall impressions remind me a lot of What-Cha‘s Vietnam Fish Hook Green. Umami, asparagus, crockpot white beans, salty, savory. Very approachable, smooth, and delicious. I will probably always keep a tea of this character in my cupboard, though I look forward to getting to know the intricacies and contrasts between all of the ones I have right now. I brewed both around 167-170°, which I think is perfect. Some astringency showed up toward the end of each session, but I think that was more a function of steep length than temperature. I really like this style of green.

Wow. My second session of this beauty today. It is lovely and delicate. I suppose I need to better understand these snails and how they become snails, because — between this and the Pure Bud Golden Snail from What-Cha — I am just about smitten flat with them. This one, although green, is similar to What-Cha’s golden in its incredible smoothness and full mouthfeel. Some vegetal comes through on steeps 3+, but the flavors out front are perfectly toasted nuts and just a whisper of sweet corn. Umami. Brewed quite low at about 170, and it was perfect.

I have tried so many new teas over the past few days, but have been overwhelmed with classwork (I took a Chemistry class for kicks, and am indeed enjoying it — but it’s so accelerated time-wise that it’s managed to take over my life). Three more weeks in survival mode!

I did want to pop on and put a note here, though. I did a bit of googling, because this flavor that runs through soooo many of the teas I’ve had lately was haunting me. Linalool oxide! It’s in this Nepalese black, it’s in Darjeelings, it’s in White Antlers, it’s in Wild Tree Purple Moonlight White from YS… and it turns out I don’t love it. I mean it’s okay, it’s drinkable… and I can see why some people would enjoy it… but it’s not a scent or flavor I want to seek out any more often than I accidentally stumble on it. I kept calling it camphor/menthol, but it’s more than that — I needed answers!

“It occurs naturally in green and black teas. Linalool oxide can be described as camphorous, floral, fruity, spicy, tea-like, woody and even minty. It is well known for adding depth and sweetness to tea and lemon flavors as well as enhancing woody notes in red wines. Natural linalool oxide can also be used for mint top notes due to the fact that it has nice cooling sensations at certain levels.” (perfumerflavorist.com)

I… is this what Dong Ding is supposed to be? I had just about written off the style, but figured if anyone could get it right, it’d be Alistair.

Color me impressed and humbled… cinnamon shortbread, florals… astringency that makes me want to try this at a slightly cooler temperature. It’s delicious.

I ran out of water before the leaves ran out of life. I feel like I finally understand the love for this cultivar.

Wet leaves smell like spinach and flowers.

Pours a sweet light yellow; not a delicate yellow, not quite goldenrod… floral aroma off the cup. Flavors are floral, vegetal, creamy. Less refined than some with similar notes, but that’s okay. Sweet corn. Looking forward to second steep.

Creamy aroma, flowers, baby powder. More vegetal than the last pour, light florals.

Some bitter tang in the third steep; a little abrasive.

I guess I stopped taking notes there, lol. I’ll come back. This is good; totally different than it’s roasted brother. Both have a casual beer-instead-of-scotch feel, but sometimes you just want a beer, amirite?

Big day for my Yunnan Sourcing haul. I’m trying this one side by side with the dehydrated-at-green version here (https://steepster.com/teas/yunnan-sourcing/95289-chou-shi-king-of-duck-shit-dan-cong-oolong-tea).

“Aroma” is right… roast, spinach, floral, sweet potato from the steaming leaves. Pow pow.

Pours a light yellowish brown. Smells of vanilla, creamy, cake… like if you caramelized some delicate Alishan notes… which is not what I expected after smelling the steamed leaves or seeing how dark the dry leaves are. Tastes like caramel, cooked spinach, sweet potato… but all very delicate and first-steepy.

Liquor is not much darker on the second steep, but the aroma is getting heavier… I can definitely smell the cream and florals with some caramel. Everything’s more intense in this pour. Butterscotch, stronger florals, roast coming through more now, white bean umami.

Opened my little pot to check on the wet leaves again after the third steep — got really bright flowers coming through roast on the nose. Campfire in a meadow full of wildflowers. Vegetal, floral, and roast spread evenly across the palate.

I over-steeped the next one. Extremely forgiving, just a little bitterness detected toward the cooler end of the cup. Nose is mostly vegetal. Flavor is more mellow, wood, perfumes, and florals. Still some roast permeating.

And just like that: florals are gone, wood perfume is gone, even the roast is mostly gone. Maybe I understeeped this cup, due to oversteeping the last? Wet leaves, earth.

Nice long steep on this one. Mushroom. Earthiness. Florals and Wood perfumes are definitely gone. Even the roasted flavor is pretty well absent here. Celery. Going to end it here… as much as I enjoy the watery vegetables, I anticipate the next steep is going to be more water than vegetable.

This is nice. And fun. It tastes a little loosey-goosey, maybe — casual, a beer instead of a scotch. But it’s tasty and I’m glad to have some in my cupboard.

I just received a very diverse order from Yunnan Sourcing, my first from them. Pretty excited to slowly work through all of this tea!

The smell coming off of the dry leaves steaming in the preheated pot was just astounding. This tea is worth trying just to smell the toast with strawberry jam pouring off of these leaves.

First short steep (no rinse) was nuts and wheat — if there were Wheaties and Grape Nuts tags, I’d use them.

Second steep poured a MUCH darker brown, but still had a very translucent quality to it. Pumpernickel toast, with its distinct flavors of rye and ferment.

Cooked red fruits, and more of that weird delicious thing that pumpernickel does.

Next few steeps were very consistent: roast, wheat, twigs. Just a hint of watery (not creamy) cocoa, maybe. The wow factor was all upfront, but these last steeps remain delicious and bold.

Anyone else old enough to get this reference? “Talk amongst yourselves. Bittermelon… which is neither bitter, nor melon. Discuss.”