Camellia Sinensis

Made today. Waaaaaaaaaay oversteeped so I’ll try again tomorrow. not rating since I’m pretty sure the bitterness is from the oversteeping.

On our way home from the Sugar Shack, the couple that I had carpooled with and I stopped at a cafe for a proper cup of tea – like many of the cafes here in Montreal, the tea that they were serving came from Camellia Sinensis. I couldn’t remember if I’d actually had this tea before or not – but I didn’t really love the other options available (different green teas, Earl Grey…) so I picked this one for my tea.

Turns out that I have not had this before prior to now, but it is really similar in taste to a couple teas in my cupboard – namely “Surprise Rooibos” from Granville Island Tea Company, which is also just a hodge podge of ingredients thrown into a blend. The main flavour that pops out among all the other things is grapefruit, and lemongrass. Not AMAZING by any stretch, and CS certainly carries far better teas. However, after an afternoon of pretty mediocre teas out at the sugar shack this cup of tea was heavenly. Plus, I think I’m just really on a grapefruit kick at the moment so I really appreciated the grapefruit notes.

I would never purchase this though as loose leaf for at home…

Thanks to Roswell Strange for my first Columbian black tea! How exciting!

Felt like a straight black today, and since this was staring me in the face, I went for it. Initial smell of the leaf was robust and rich, malty and maybe a hint chocolatey – so a great first impression! Brewed up, it was the oddest thing – when it was warm, it tasted like straight up cooked sweet potato. Or butternut squash. I wasn’t quite sure, but it wasn’t sweet. It was very intriguing, but of course I then left the house and the tea cooled; cool it tastes like a nice, malty black – not my favourite profile, but on the yummy side. One weird thing, though – when it was hot, there was the slightest bit of fishiness. I can’t rule out some sort of contamination, as I’ve had pu’erh in infusers lately, and also had smoked salmon yesterday (though I can’t imagine having contaminated an infuser with it). It did dissipate as the tea cooled, though.

Got a little bag of this as a free sample last time I went to Camellia Sinensis, which was convenient timing because my bag of this at home is getting low!

I still remember the one (and only one) time I made a cup of this and swore it tasted like the sweet and savory sauce from my favourite instant vegan mandarin chicken. That memory is so blazed into my brain that, this weekend, when I made that exact vegan mandarin chicken for supper I decided to pull out this tea to pair with the meal. Did the tea taste like mandarin sauce? No, no it did not. However the very brisk notes of caraway and dried plums still complimented the meal really well.

Geek Steep S3E5 – The Music of Disney

…and for my final paired I chose thing tea for Two Worlds from Tarzan!

To be honest I cheated a bit with this pairing because I actually ended up just watching the whole movie while drinking this tea. It was easy to do since this is the opening number for the movie – just a natural transition.

Tarzan is one of my favourite Disney movies, and honestly another underrated gem. Probably because it doesn’t have a princess in it, though Jane is pretty great. I think it may possibly have the best soundtrack of any Disney movie in terms of just encompassing the whole vibe of the movie. Having every song sung my Phil Collins (with the exception of Taking The Camp, which isn’t really sung by anyone) was a genius move. It’s also, I think, one of the few Disney movies with a soundtrack where it really is just a soundtrack and not musical numbers being sung by the characters. That allows it to bring in so much more instrumentals and pick apart at the emotions of the movie more than the normal Disney soundtrack which has to be more exposition heavy and drive the narrative further.

I thought Rwanda Rukeri was a great pairing because on top of being an African black tea it’s also very grounding yet bold and brisk. It didn’t feel right to pick something flavoured for this movie. I mean, I very nearly went with a banana tea but it felt cheap and tacky to me, and untrue to the heart of the movie. Plus, with such a richly evocative setting I just wanted something that mirrored that “wild but natural” kind of feel.

But just… the drums! The fucking drums!

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb5keTpC4WU

Over the last couple years, this tea has quickly become a staple tea for me during the Fall. It’s rich and full bodied with surprisingly complex spice notes, a pleasant woodiness, and a jammy sweetness that often oscillates between red pepper jellies and red fruit based chutney – all while maintaining a perfectly cozy dark honey sweetness throughout!

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj3VPkXu6aH/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZRs8KnmAho

From earlier in the week!

Something about this one still heavily reminds me of mandarin chicken sauce, but I was getting a lot more woody flavours from this cup too. It’s a weird enigma of a tea for me where there’s a lot going on flavour wise and I always struggle to put my finger on exactly what. I enjoy it a lot though!

Cuppa from the weekend – just steeped up Western style. I actually had a dream about this tea last week, so I had to go and dig out the sample. I get the most amazing combination of rich umami and savory notes from this tea, with a balanced hit of sweeter citrus noted as well! I know I described it once as tasting a little bit like mandarin chicken sauce, and I didn’t feel that strongly about that comparison this time around but I definitely get why I saw it in my initial tasting…

Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/B_uUNK0A-jD/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzv1wMeeYoM

This is probably a bit of a “deep cut” reference, but the background of the photo is a page from the first volume of Beastars – in the scene the main character (a wolf) is overrun by carnal instinct and nearly eats the other character (the rabbit) alive. I find this song pairing absolutely hilarious in the context of that scene – but it’s more a little inside joke for me rather than anyone else.

Thick, bold, and brisk.

The last time I tried this tea I noted that something about it reminded me of mandarin chicken sauce, but that couldn’t be further from what I experienced with this cup. It was much more akin to a bold breakfast tea, with dominant and full bodied notes of malt and cocoa. Quite smooth and easy sipping, despite a robust flavour. Definitely get the “camphor” descriptor used by CS – but a little surprised to have experienced it with a black tea; it’s not something I’d generally associate with one.

Loved this a lot, though!

Tasting note 7500!!! Whhaaaaatttt!

Stopped by Camellia Sinensis after work yesterday; I picked up a yixing pot as a birthday present for myself and a teacup, along with some tea.

This was something that a coworker of mine actually really likes from Camellia Sinensis and I had never tried it so I told her that if they still had it in stock I’d pick some up to try. It actually smelled delicious from the tin, which made me even more interested in trying it. I’m sipping on the very last bit of a mug of it currently and it’s been super tasty but also just a touch weird. I’m finding it very full bodied, brisk, and malty – but the thing that’s most prominent to me is how much it reminds me of Orange Chicken.

Let me clarify; I’ve never actually had ‘real’ orange chicken since I’ve been a vegetarian since I was like nine years old – but there’s a company that makes a Vegan “Orange Chicken” and it’s my absolute favourite “instant” vegetarian/vegan dish that I’ve ever had. I eat it probably once a week. This doesn’t taste at all like the fake chicken, but it’s startlingly similar to the mandarin/orange sauce. Sweet, but also savory and softly spiced – orange notes, some warming spices (ginger, cumin maybe?), heck even a hint of something that reminds me of the garlic in that sauce. It’s SO GOOD though; the perfect mesh of fruity notes and savory elements in a black tea.

I’m not sure if this is what my coworker is getting from the tea that she likes so much, but regardless I’m very happy that she recommended this tea to me as it’s pretty incredible.

A sample that I received from them. A good tea for a quiet afternoon

Today, after a tea tasting disaster (the tea was not good), I decided to make another one and I choose Bai Hao Jingmai from Camellia Sinensis Teahouse. To be honest, it’s one of my favourite tea and my boyfriend love it also. I used gong fu cha technique.

It’s not a tea that changes (smell and taste) with the infusions and the colour of tea was like golden or amber. At smell, it’s spicy (cinnamon) and sweet (honey). And in taste: cooked fruits (mostly cooked pears), honey and the aftertaste is a little bit spicy. Yummy!

My little disappointment is that it’s not persistent: only 4 infusions and after that, it tastes water…

Something that someone at the office had, and I realized that I’ve never actually had CS’s Silver Needle before despite having tried a bunch of other weird or interesting white teas that they offer – so I asked if I could make myself a cup and was told “Of course, help yourself!”. I love being in an office of tea people…

This was fine, but nothing to write home over. A little bit fruity, but mostly just your typical floral and straw notes. Kind of chamomile-y, which is probably at least part of why I didn’t LOVE it. Not big into that flavor profile…

This is quite an interesting tea. I pulled it out of the TTB and am enjoying my last cup.

There is a lot of lemon and strawberry, it actually tastes a lot like lemon and strawberry PEZ mixed together, but without the sweetness. The base is flavourful and lightly floral. I think it is is a vegetal white like Bai Mu Dan) because there are some herby and bok choy vegetal notes that stand out. It also reminds me of pineapple, maybe based on the acidity and fruity flavour.

This Dragonwell isn’t anything special but it is a pleasant cup; it strikes the right balance between a pleasantly nutty and grassy profile. Nuts are the thing that hooked me onto this type of tea years back when I was just learning that green tea doesn’t necessarily equate to Bitter Veggies of Death. To this day, as long as a hazelnut, peanut, or sesame profile is present and the leaves aren’t burnt and astringent (looking at you David’s Tea Dragonwell circa 2012), I’m more or less in a nostalgic happy place.

To double the nostalgia, I’ve been using this as a filler base for my remaining With Open Eyes from Butiki (A Strawberry Ginger Dragonwell blend from 2015). That Butiki blend is essentially a wilted brown hue now, but the ginger and strawberry are still quite bright; they just need a nut-grass pick-me-up!

Sipdown (211)

This is very oolong today with a touch of that waxy apple flavor that a lot of apple-based tisanes have. It’s alright. But I remember the last cup being better. Thank you Roswell Strange!

The moot (mock trial) that has been causing me so much stress is finally done. I did it last night and this weekend I can finally relax. I am still worried about drinking too much tea so I have been avoiding it or only having a cup but at least I can just hang out at home and relax if I am dizzy…

I am currently sipping on this tea shared by Roswell Strange while watching the strangest documentary, Abducted in Plain Sight, and trying to not order ice cream or bubble tea despite a wicked craving.

This tea has a nice apricot flavor but it is also very floral from the base tea. Floral and a touch roasted. It is good though I don’t love the base tea. There is a slight twang here that pulls me out of the juicy and sweet apricot notes.

Thank you for sharing, Roswell Strange!

“I picture…a field of grass…covered in whip cream.”

My girlfriend, upon taking the first sip of the first steep.

The pitcher is left with such a pleasant, sweet aroma, which reminds me of high mountain oolongs. The wet leaves, have a strong iodised/sea smell.

The second steep was left just a tad too long, hitting me with more of those sea notes. Very grassy, slight umami, slight bitterness, thick in texture.

After the third steep, I’m left with a thick sweetness on the tongue. So pleasant. The still still shines bright yellow, with a hint of green.

Before event starting to brew this tea, knowing I’m about to take notes on my experience, it hits me how little I’ve paid attention to what Japanese green teas taste like. Now, to take a moment and appreciate fully.

The dry leaves give me hint of seaweed, and nori. Sweet and umami.

The first steep’s liquor is yellow with strong green tint. Smelling it, I get some nuts. It’s a very warming smell.

A quick look at the wet leaves reveal how brightly green they are, so I ran around the room with the teapot in hands, trying to catch the best natural light to fully enjoy the sight.

I left my first steep cool down quite a bit before sipping it. I get the typical umami flavours of Japanese green, with a slight bitterness at the back. I take the time to analyse what flavours hit me. And the more I think, the more I’m reminded of clams, with a heavy iodine taste at the back of my tongue.

On the second steep, the tea is a bright yellow. The aromas are warmer. Cooked vegetables…possibly string beans. It feels like everything sea-like is now gone.

A pleasing sweetness lingers at the back of the tongue.

The third steep continues in the same vein as the second, still going strong. The fourth steep starts to dilute down, becoming a bit more watery.

Overall, a highly pleasant sencha.

The wet leaves give hint of a pleasant light roast, and sweet grass.

The 1st steep, I’m hit by how silky this tea is. The tea aromas remind me of small, fresh flowers. Already, I’m hit by a strong, sweet lingering aftertaste.

The second steep is still as silky as the first. I’m getting some grassy notes through the flowers.

Sipping on the 3rd steep, the tea feels heavy on the tongue, and still gives away sweet grass and flowers.

Around the 6th steep, the tea starts to lose in texture, and gains astringency. Still, it leaves a nice aftertaste.

It took me a month to record notes on this tea, after sharing a gong fu session at the Camellia Sinensis tea house, but I couldn’t let this one pass without a word about it.

A tea recommended to celebrate my yearly passage back at home. And what an experience it was!

Amongst the first shou pu er to be made, the process was not yet fully standardized, offering a different palette of taste. I remember, we were not in the typical shou puer flavours. Instead, the tea offered the fruitiness of dried plums, mixed with the fermented umami of soy sauce.

Good times, in good company, for many many steeps.

Wow, this one went out with a bang!

I remember never being ‘wowed’ by this tea in the past, it never came across as chocolatey to me. But this time, remembering my past grievances, I upped the brewing time and temperature a little and boy did it make a difference! Now the heavenly chocolate scent as it’s brewing actually translates to the drinking! The sip is all pu, a little earthy but smooth and with a hint of richness which may be coming from the chocolate, and then the aftertaste is just like you’ve taken a bite of a fancy dark chocolate bar, but without the sweetness! I can’t believe that this is the same tea I’ve previously rated at 64, the change in steeping parameters has transformed it into a tea I might actually consider purchasing in the future, and it’s making me want to place an order with Camellia! I usually avoid chocolate teas, but this is making me reconsider…

Sipdown 175/397

I chose this sample from VariaTEA because I thought it would make a good strong morning tea before work, but when I saw how dark it brewed up I was a little nervous. It’s actually quite smooth, and not really astringent at all, but it hasn’t aged the best and I know that’s my fault and not the tea’s. I’m almost through all of my little plastic baggie samples, and aim to be completely done with them before the end of next month. Most of them have held up pretty well but a few, this one included, have become victims of age. There is a definite rich chocolate scent lingering in the air around the cup, but sadly this doesn’t translate into the flavour. Plain it’s more a vanilla tea, a pinch of sugar brings out the chocolate slightly more and a splash of milk doesn’t do much but give it a richer mouthfeel. I’m annoyed with myself because I bet this tea would have been just what I was hoping for today if it were fresher. Rating without factoring in the fustiness.

Happy new year! I hope 2019 will be a better year for everyone.

I bought this as part of a Taiwanese tea sampler in 2018. To my knowledge, it’s the first time Camellia Sinensis has carried this varietal. I steeped around 6 g of leaf in a 120 ml teapot at 195F for 25, 20, 25, 30, 30, 30, 40, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds. Annoyingly, there’s about 2.5 g of tea left in the bag, which I’ll subsequently try to Western steep in my ridiculously huge mug.

The dry leaves smell like honey and heady flowers, and the liquor backs this up. The first four steeps have notes of honey, lilac, honeysuckle, spinach, and grass. A balsam note comes in on steep three, and the balance among the spinach, honey, and florals is good. By the fifth steep, the honey starts to diminish and the tea gets more vegetal. It lasts for a good eight steeps.

This is a pleasant, if not a very memorable, oolong with decent staying power. I’d definitely recommend it for the price.