Dobra Tea

This oolong was delicious! It tasted nutty and rich. I got two or three steepings out of the serving in the gaiwan. I could also taste burnt chocolate and earth. I think it leans more toward the “black” than “green” side of oolong-dom, but that works for me! Highly recommend.

I let this one go stale, unfortunately… I overleafed to compensate, but I didn’t really get much flavor until it cooled considerably. It’s not a super flavorful and complex tea to begin with, so I guess it doesn’t bother me too much that it’s past its prime. It’s earthy and familiar and vegetal, light and beautiful to watch steep. Chinese teas have a mysterious, quiet, artistic presence. Tea with a purpose other than to caffeinate the drinker. They evoke and awaken certain feelings.

Drinking this particular one makes me sad, although I am 100% certain that that wasn’t the intent of the blendmaster.

I got it on my very last weekend in college, so just opening the bag and inhaling the dry leaf transported me right back to that day, the sadness, fear, and also strange exhilaration of graduating looming over my head as I made the purchase. Maybe that’s why I went so long without drinking it— I didn’t want to be reminded of the cozy little tearoom where I bought it, or of the friend I was with, whom I haven’t seen for a while.

I think my memories associated with this tea flavored my cup today more than the leaves themselves.

Made a cup of this in the gaiwan this morning. I haven’t had it in a while. I’d forgotten how flavorful it is, despite its deceptively pale color. I may have made it a bit strong, but I got bitter cocoa notes, asparagus, and the same sort of umami quality that you can taste while eating turkey.

A very unique and dynamic cup.

My new gaiwan arrived in the mail yesterday (the glass one, inevitably, shattered). This one is just plain white porcelain, is much sturdier, has a good lid for pouring, and it’s beautiful. I chose the perfect tea to try it out with, too, because this particular tea is known for its leaves that “dance” in the water. Seeing these tea leaves steeping in this gaiwan filled me with a sense of beauty and calm. This tea is very fragrant while it steeps, releasing a floral, springy scent.

It tastes like asparagus and something else that I can’t quite identify. It’s like a light perfume. Lovely, calming tea.

Got a 3 oz bag of this tea on my last trip to Dobra as a college student…

It’s lovely. Very light and refreshing. I haven’t had much experience with yellow teas, so this was an adventure. It’s vegetal and subtle, like most white teas. I’m trying to get more into them because they’re the least processed.

I get a sweet, almost floral finish. Very nice!

The rich aroma of peat and mushrooms, followed by a taste of sweet earth makes this a really special tea. The umami mouth-feel lasts for ages after a sip. This puer is one of the best examples of why an older Sheng can be similar to, but much deeper than, a Shou.

What a treat in the cold depths of winter. I’ve come to realize that despite the appearances of a “twig tea” there are indeed different quality grades of Hojicha. I’ve had many a Hojicha that tasted burnt, watery, or old. I have to say, without any bias, that Dobra’s Hojicha is one of the best I’ve found. It’s a touch sweet, plenty roasted and mouth-filling, without any off-notes. I tend to get about 3 infusions from a pot at around 2 minutes apiece, which is respectable as well. I’m not always in the mood for it, certainly, but when I am it’s just the right body-warmer and mind-clearer.

Warm with an inviting aroma. Good for a frozen day. Occasionally when I have this tea the mandarin peel is too strong and creates a citrus-bitterness that I dislike; today, however, it’s just the right balance of sweet Shu puer and tart mandarin.

Just what today called for. A taste like sweet bread and wood chips or toasted almonds.

Mmmmmm…. I’m glad I have a lot of this, even though it’s old. It’s light, it’s full of umami, and it’s soothing to my sore throat. Ideal for the first day of spring. :)

Steeping this differently. Ooooo, I smell raisins and burnt chocolate! This is a whole new experience!

Mmmm now it’s transitioning into its usual springtime-y bready umami fullness.

Wow. What a difference your steeping method can make!

Have 3 oz of this and need to use it up because it is very very old! I made a pot of it yesterday and chilled it overnight.

Upon first sip, it almost tastes like pickle brine! Uh-oh. There is also something soapy about it that I really don’t remember while drinking it hot. I thought maybe it was the container I was storing it in, so I tried a sip from a different container, and nope! Still soapy.

The aftertaste is yummy- floral and light.

This makes me sad. I know that this is high-quality tea, but I can’t seem to get this right.

I steeped some of this tea in a glass jar with a bag of Celestial Seasoning’s Peppermint. It’s the only plain green tea I have, and I didn’t think peppermint would mix well with plain black tea.

I knew going into this endeavor that it was probably not going to work out too well, and I was mostly right- the Huang Shan Mao Feng is too light of a green tea, and I’ve had it for a long time, so it’s not fresh. Plus, the peppermint is a very dominating flavor. So mostly what I taste is the peppermint. Don’t get me wrong- it tastes good- Celestial Seasoning’s is my favorite peppermint blend. But this combo isn’t that great for what I originally wanted, which was a stronger green tea flavor.

Oversteeped and overleafed. It tastes sweet and almost wheatlike.

Ughhh what a fail. Oh well. I’ve drunk this tea enough times to know that it’s a good tea, even if I totally messed this up this morning.

You do need to use quite a large scoop of leaves in order to taste this one. It’s a very light tea. Its color is a very pale green-yellow, kind of like green tea that hasn’t been steeped long enough. It’s full of umami, and it has a very nutty finish. It’s a very pleasant spring afternoon tea.

This is the most expensive tea I’ve bought yet. However, it was well worth the price. Like many green teas it has that grassy flavor but this one is somewhat smoother. It only needs a few minutes of steep time. The second steep only needs around 30 seconds. If you like green tea you will love this one.

Ok, went with what I thought was a tsp per cup and 1m, but I’m sure I need to double both. Way too thin. I can tell there is something in there trying to get out. I won’t rate this one due to my utter lack of tea-making ability at this stage. :)