Mountain Stream Teas

A relatively mediocre Dong Ding. I got the 2021 harvest of this sample from my Mountain Streams order, and it kind of just reminds me of a typical supermarket roasted oolong, but with a few things done better. Beautiful rolled leaves, with an incredibly vibrant and semi-active liquor, with a deep and rich aroma in the dry and wet leaf. However, the flavour albeit decent, lacked complexity and strength, and the texture as well as finish & aftertaste was quite thin and lacking. No noticeable cha-qi and an average longevity brings this tea down to something that is just… mediocre.

This was a confusing tea to drink. Overall, I liked it, but as a previous reviewer noticed, there’s no nuance. The adjectives are all generic: Butter, Vegetable, Stone, Sweet, Bright. It was like a drink with all the rough edges sanded off. The result was pleasant to drink, clearly good tea, but not something I’d ever go out of my way for.

I will say, if you like “buttery” teas, I’ve never tasted something that hit that note as hard. As always, might be your cup if not particularly mine.

This was a freebie so fresh it wasn’t even on Mountain Stream Tea’s website when I received my latest order. Thank you :)

The leaf aromas are fresh and floral, cool grassy and creamy, blue-green in scent-color, scalded milk and millet. Warmed leaf smells more like a nutmilk with fruity pineapple-guava tone and some plumeria.

The liquor is glassy-viscous. Squeaky clean young grass and gentle sweetness mix seamlessly with a jackfruit and unripe tropical fruit taste that holds a savory undertone of orange-flesh squash and cooked peaches, carrying through into the aftertaste. Slightly creamy floral perfume of moderate intensity sits above and settles into all the spaces. The floral quality interestingly expresses itself most fully in the later infusions where I can differentiate plumeria, honeysuckle and jasmine.

It does very well grandpa style and also with very hot water.

Overall, it’s an wulong of moderate intensity and well done. More perfumey floral and grassy than fruity and creamy. As long as you’re not expecting a ‘scented’ flavor bomb, can we agree that this is a nice Jin Xuan?

I think this is now the third harvest (March 2022) I’ve had of this tea (others’ notes listed here: https://steepster.com/teas/mountain-stream-teas/85471-orange-blossom-oolong ).

This has been pleasant steeped up western style during the workday. Not complex by any means, just an upfront sweet and zesty orange blossom note atop a mildly milky, muted vegetal taste. It’s a surprisingly substantial brew, chewy and sometimes heavy.

This morning’s gongfu brew caught me off guard. The first several infusions, in retrospect, should’ve been used to water the garden. Due to the amount of orange blossom petals, my mouth was overtaken with floral bitterness. The 8 infusions or so after, though, have been pleasant. Reminiscent of western brews but with less intensity and with a more pronounced yeasty-biscuit note.

I’ve never been sure what to make of this tea but I keep buying it so that must mean something — perhaps it’s only that I’m hopeful one of these harvests will truly impress.

2022 sipdown no. 16

Thank you Cameron!

This is a really smooth tea. There is an upfront light vegetal flavour, followed quickly by a subtle buttery note. The flavours are soft here, but still lovely. I have been enjoying two steeps of this each time.

Decided to bust this out whilst playing some Elder Scrolls: Skyrim. I wanted to sip on something casual and unique. I threw one of these into the Ingenuitea and let it sit for 3-5ish minutes. It’s a flower, so it tastes like a flower; a sweet flower. It doesn’t seem to open up into anything amazing; slightly mushy. Ha-Ha.

I always get sleepy when sipping this flower. I know that the properties can cause drowsiness and the possibility of hallucinations (per Google, only if smoked, so I’m safe). I have one last flower left, so I’ll save it for another day this week or whenever I need a restock/wait for more CBD tea.

Side Note: This does pretty well gongfu’d, too.

This is the final tea in an order I made from Mountain Stream several years ago. Given my well-known penchant for bug-bitten teas, it was inevitable that I’d pick this up, especially given Derk’s glowing review. It isn’t currently on their website, so I’m following Derk’s parameters of 30, 45, 60, 70, 80, 90, 120, and 240 seconds using 6 g of leaf in 120 ml of 195F water.

The heady dry aroma is of honey, grain, and citrus. The first steep is very light and immediately indicates by its strong cereal aroma that this is a roasted tea. I get lots of honey, citrus, rose, and wood. The next steep is stronger and has citrus, cherry, grain, mild spices, rose, and lots of honey, but also a touch of astringency. The aftertaste is woody, drying, and a bit sour, though the honey aroma at the bottom of the cup is mouthwatering. The next couple steeps feature the same flavours, but the fruit starts to disappear by steep five, leaving honey, grain, and roast. The end of the session is much like a black tea, with notes of malt, honey, and tannins.

While I enjoyed the fruity flavours and beautiful aromas in this tea, the roast was quite noticeable and I didn’t think it was well integrated. I’ve had many bug-bitten teas and am a bit spoiled regarding this type, and my rating probably reflects that. The tea also lacks longevity. I won’t have trouble finishing my 25 g pouch, but am glad I didn’t buy more.

Sipdown 29

Meh.

Sipdown 8-2022

Found a sample of this in my sample box. Yay sipdowns! Super roasty, with a bit of a charcoal note that lingers. More sweet and caramel than I would have predicted, but the roastiness is still the focal point. A bit vegetal in the aftertaste- like roasted artichoke.

2022 sipdown no. 1

Thanks Cameron for this tea!

There’s a lovely sweetness up front and almost none of the minerality flavour. I’ve been steeping this twice and both steeps have great flavour. If I ever decide to keep more roasted oolongs around, this would be a great addition.

Sipdown! (8 | 8)

The last of my yummy samples from a previous Mountain Stream order…

Another lovely red oolong, which is possibility my favorite kind. Probably because I adore Taiwanese black teas, and this is sort of like an oolong pretending to be that. :P

Very sweet and rich, with lots of dark brown sugar and honey mixed among hints of red and golden fruits. A generous sprinkling of cinnamon as well, which is a note I only tend to find in oxidized Taiwanese teas. This one actually has a bit of malt as well, and could probably convince me that it was a black tea if it was so inclined…

Yummy, sweet, cozy goodness. A perfect tea for fall and winter weather. :)

One lotus flower was what the sunny day requested.

2021 sipdown no. 121

Thank you Cameron for sending this my way!

The immediate taste is a creaminess, followed closely by a vegetal taste mixed with a bit of a hay. It’s a nice cup, but not necessary to order. Nonetheless, always happy to have the opportunity to try new teas!

2021 sipdown no. 119

Thank you Cameron for this tea!

This has a small amount of that oolong minerality, though it’s a smooth cup overall. Sadly, it does seem to be lacking in the magic I found in the other red oolongs. There’s nothing inherently wrong with it, but it’s not one I need in the cupboard.

2021 sipdown no. 116

Thanks to Cameron for this tea! :)

This tea smells fairly strongly of honey, but in a delightful way. There’s also a typical breakfast tea scent, but the taste is more breakfast tea luxury. There’s not a stitch of astringency. There’s a typical Assam flavour, but with a lightness to it and not as much maltiness as I might expect. Like a Taiwanese high mountain mixed with an Assam. As it cools, as incredible sweetness comes out. This is a must order.

2021 sipdown no. 113

Thank you Cameron for all of these delightful oolongs to explore!

This one actually has a bit of a roasted scent, despite being unroasted. There is a roasted flavour to this tea with plenty of delightful sweetness. I’m having a difficult time accepting this as unroasted. I’ve only had one other Dong Ding Mr. Chang (from Camellia Sinensis), which I noted was vegetal and floral. This one mentions notes of “strong floral, deep vegetal…” and I’m not getting that.

I’ve had to search the Dong Dings on the MS website because I couldn’t accept that the label on this tea was correct. It looks like the 35% oxidation (as is labelled on the tea in front of mine) is matching the Charcoal Roast Traditional Dong Ding Oolong, along with the flavours I’m tasting, but the production date is not the same.

2023 sipdown no. 69

This one is much rosier than the initial harvest I tried of this tea (though still lovely and creamy). The honey is behind all the rose/floral that’s at the forefront. It’s still tasty, but not my favourite cup of tea. Sending what remains to Kaylee to enjoy!

Harvest: spring 2022

Well, this one smells delicious. Similar to Yuchi Wild Mountain Black with the sweetness emanating from the cup. The flavour is very honey-like. It’s delicious as a unique flavour found naturally in this tea. Thank you to Cameron for all of these wonderful teas to try!

1st steep: 1 minutes
2nd steep: 2 minutes 30 seconds

This harvest was picked either 2020 or 2021

Another delicious tea courtesy of Cameron!

This one has a mix of dates and maple sweetness and a subtle scent of cinnamon. This is a very smooth tea as well and it comes across as an oolong mixed with a black almost — not quite fully oolong. I’m really enjoying this one. We’ll see what a second steep brings!

2021 sipdown no. 112

1st steep: 1 minute
2nd steep: 2 minutes 30 seconds

A wonderful surprise from Cameron!

I have an exam at 6a tomorrow, and green oolongs help my concentration. I really enjoyed the Ali Shan from CS, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to try this one. I love the mellow flavour here, with the most subtle hints of bitterness intermingled with floral notes.

1st steep: 1 minute
2nd steep: 2 minutes 30 seconds

Thanks Cameron :)

2022 sipdown no. 28

I ordered 25g of this and ripped through it far too quickly. This tea is really great. It’s silky and full of flavour. Almost like a cross between TTC Yuchi Wild Mountain and Teavivre’s Bailin. I really love it and will re-order soon!

I resteep this once and it retains a significant amount of flavour.

2021 sipdown no. 124

This is like a baked fig syrup against a smooth black base. Even the second steep still has plenty of flavour. This is a must order.

1st steep: 1 minute
2nd steep: 2 minutes, 30 seconds

Thanks Cameron for introducing me to this company!

A wee surprise was waiting for me in the post, courtesy of the wonderful Cameron!

The dry scent is very similar to Teavivre’s Bailin, and the steeped scent reminds me of prunes! There is a light, yet syrup-like sweetness. A prune sweetness. The tea is light overall, and smooth. What a lovely introduction to this company! Thanks Cameron!