493 Tasting Notes
This generous sample came to me from Stephanie – thank you so much.
5g 150ml gaiwan 195F
rinse/pause/5/5/5/10/10/15/15 etc
i think i had this tea over 4 days, still saved leaves,may try today.
beautiful long leaves. 1st steep was very nice mild, sweet and citrusy. nice mouthfeel,sweet peppers emerging
i decided to raise the temp to 200F
the color is dark yellow-orange. very juicy, sweet peppers and apricots. The following steeps were very sweet. eventually peppery notes disappeared and were just sweet and mild, some astringency (nothing major) and no bitterness ( or maybe it was just barely noticeable and i just got used to it). Anyway very nice and positive experience. Made me tea drunk ;)
Preparation
revisiting this shou.
7g 150ml Yixing 212F
rinse twice/pause/5/5/7/10/10/15/15/20/25 etc
its so good and rich. Leather and dried fruits. enjoyed it for 3 days. I think its getting better. When i got the cake, it was dry. Its very humid now and i think it helps with aging and getting flavorful.
Preparation
7g 150ml Yixing 212F
rinse twice/pause/10/10/15/15/15/20/20/25
i loved this shou. Im surprised that one reviewer said its bland. No, its very flavorful, rich, creamy, wood and dried fruits(dried cherries mostly). the brew is bright red color. very potent, many resteeps for 2 days.
Preparation
To continue a tribute to Mr.Harney I made it last night. this blend makes me happy and calm. this time its 1:1. Rosey chocolaty goodness.
Preparation
This tea is a tribute to Mr Harney.
It’s a sample I got with my recent order ( I blame ifjuly for having super taste buds and suggesting me to try)
This cup is a masterpiece combining 8 different teas. It’s bold and balanced. Thick malty some astringency creeping but it’s welcoming. Smells intoxicating of honey, dried fruits and some florals from Darjeeling. Excellent breakfast tea.
Thank you Mr Harney for sourcing and blending such wonderful teas.
205F 1tsp 8 oz 3.5 min
Preparation
This is a tasting note of a new #3.
i got a free sample of it along with the tin of original Classic Chinese. thank you so much for letting me try. Since i didnt have parameters, i think my way doesnt do a justice to this tea.
1/2 TBSP 185F 6 oz 3min
Dry leaves are long, thin and twisted. I love the smell of dry leaves. The brew is golden brown, its sweet dark chocolate, bread, toffee, nuts. very pleasant and refined.
So, if original Classic Chinese is a bad boy, this version is Park Ave princess.
Now Joe you have to help me with the right parameters;)
The parameters: something I was just thinking about with teas :)
I like to be able to try a tea several different ways
I tend to do my own thing, unless the tea turns out epically awful the first time, then I either try the parameters or look for other advice.
i just have a feeling my temp was too low. And its a sample. i can play with it only one more time :(
Maybe a little:). I had to look it up. I still don’t get fareinheit, you would think it would stick in my head a little bit better the length of time I’ve been on this site!
I use boiling for black tea. Always.
What’s the difference between this and the old one? I have the old one.
they are absolutely different. i think i like the old one more…
boychik, the suits of Park Avenue are just not for you I guess. It’s interesting because the two teas taste very different, however, they’re made from the same leaves. The only difference is that the new #3 is just the bud and two leaves and the leaves are much more intact and not broken. The new one has a much smoother fruiter taste whereas the old #3 (new T1 tea bags) is much spicier and more earthy. I think boychik’s metaphors were spot on.
5g 100 ml gaiwan 212F
Rinse twice/pause/5/10/10/15/20/30/45sec
This shou is incredibly smooth. Golden brown, clear brew. Creamy, stone fruits and clean taste. I enjoyed it a lot. On my wish list for Puerhshop it goes
Preparation
Last cup before i get a new tin. ordered last night because first, they going to make sachets only for this tea , Secondly, Mr. Wesley gave 25% off on this one( code saynotobags )
Steeped it according to JW parameters 185F 1tsp 8 oz 2.5 min
The brew is dark golden brown. its very bold and smooth, no astringency. Sweet but not overly, some roast but nicely done. its perfectly balanced and excellent to have a cup every morning.
resteep 3.5 min was excellent, sweeter, some nuts, slight pepper at the end of the sip.
i enjoyed it a lot.
Preparation
I like this one
I have a small sample of this one. I need to try this one tomorrow! Why the sachets?
I think he’s going to use the Number 3 for something else. I’m not sure what though
He said its for restaurants.
Yes. We put two teas into sacehts to easier accomodate cafes and restaurants who wanted to use our tea. Although #3 is being replaced, it is being replaced by a very similar tea but with much better construction. I was never happy with how broken the leaves were with last year’s #3. The new one is much more beautiful – albeit more subtle and gentle than last year’s #3.
Cameron B. inspired me to revisit this tea. Time flies, taste buds change…
i used to mix this tea with Earl Grey Polish blend N° 18 just to finish it. Polish is gone, BdF still have it. What bothered me is ashy note, not smoke, i love smoky tea. I’m not huge fan of floral teas. here are some lilacs, violets. but floral+ ash. And bergamot is very subtle here for me. Still not my cup of tea.
Flavors: Ash, Bergamot, Flowers, Violet
Preparation
See I’m totes crazy. ;) To be fair, I don’t have any experience with smoky teas so I guess I can’t tell the difference.
By the way, how is the Polish Blend? The addition of lime intrigues me.
Stop it. We all have diff taste buds. Polish blend wasn’t bad at all. Kinda refreshing because of lime, not heavy. I finished the tin and it says a lot. Without swapping ( I wasn’t on Steepster at that time, probably 2-3 yrs ago). If you ever in city you can go to their shop on 3rd Av. At least you can smell everything. If I had it I would send you a sample. Btw do you know you can refill a tin in a shop and tea is cheaper by couple dollars.
Yeah I’ve been here a few months and I haven’t gone to New York City yet, but I did see that they have a store there. Do they make samples at the stores? They have the refill option on their website for some of the teas – they just sent it to you in a bag instead of a tin and it’s a bit cheaper. Nice. :)
it was an excellent cup of tea with breakfast. rich smooth and satisfying. i picked 2oz because ifjuly recommended it. i miss her notes…Its just a phase, she will come back
Preparation
…good to know, thanks for letting us know, I miss her notes too.
ifjuly is a wonderful person. Missing her too and wishing her all the best.
Miss her as well…
you guys! you’re making me blush, aw shucks. i miss you all too, a ton. after the next two weeks of being out of town, i’m crossing my fingers life settles down finally and i can get back to TEAFRENS. it is super annoying not getting to chatter away with you during the day.
I got an nice sample of this from Stephanie as well and after reading this note I’m looking forward to it even more than I already was :)