Teas We Like

5.5g, 135 mL zini

wet: medicinal, sweet, nutty

1. sweet, creamy, slight underlying bitter medicinal

2. similar. core warmth

3. slight sour note. Can see why people describe it as plummy

4 + 5: similar

moved to thermos after, since 4 and 5 were long steeps but not extracting much. after a few hours had a nice cup: grainy rice (maybe red bean paste adjacent?) sweetness, plum finish. Filled again and left it overnight but the second cup wasn’t as good.

This is pretty good, and for much cheaper than aged oolongs, scratches the same itch. While the same price as the 90s Baolan, this gives more of a dessert tea vibe. The Baolan is more woody and darker. I like both for different reasons and would be happy to own more of either, assuming the Baolan is restocked.

While fairly gentle upfront, caffeine is definitely still there. I drank around 4 PM and finished the thermos around 9 PM and then couldn’t fall asleep until after 3 AM and didn’t feel too great the next day.

5.5g, 90 mL ZZZ, water mix
wet leaf: maybe camphor? Have seen some people compare it to tiger balm, but this is the first time I’ve noted this for any tea i think.

Starts w woody, baking spices, earthy notes and subtly sweet finish. Taste overall on the lighter side, but when pushed some soft bitterness. Some grounding feeling.

Overall, I’m inclined to think that there’s no issue with longevity, since for something like the BYH 04 Yiwu, the stewed leaf taste comes through after five or so steeps. Not the case here, taste is just a bit lighter overall, so sample is likely a bit too dried out/sleepy. Was looking forward to this, but fell slightly short of expectations. Given the drastic differences in experience when the liao fu san cha was dried out vs. rehydrated, I will let it rest and hydrate more before re-assessing.

5.2g, 90 mL duanni, boiling Brita tap

dry: beet smell
wet: sweeter, almost shou like, but not sure if it’s because the pot has seen a lot of cheap shou (my latest obsession) lately.

1st: concentrated and smooth. Slight dark bitter upfront. Beet and concrete like taste in middle and then slightly sweet on finish. Slight relaxation and warmth
2nd: similar, lighter honeyed finish
3rd and 4th: lightened, somewhat woody beet

all in all ok enough. Already over a month, but maybe more rest and or a lot more time will lighten up the beet heavy taste. While it’s not disgusting or anything, for the price I would’ve preferred to own more cheap shou or just pony up for the bao lan instead.

picked this up recently since I wanted to buy a smaller gaiwan for stale greens (lol) and the 4gc liu bao. not shabby, disregarding price! haha. Who are we kidding. Still hard to divorce price from consideration for me. Should’ve just bought more of the 90s bao lan. :P

4.9g, 90mL duanni, 212f
quick rinse. overall strong beets in taste across steeps. Initial steep had a cooling, sweet, slightly floral finish but the rest had more of a unsweetened home-made soy milk finish. When pushed, there’s a slight bitterness present. With older liu bao, it’s hard without a lot of heat and I only own teaware amenable for one person brewing. So after 4 good steeps and 2 relatively pale steeps, I moved it to the stove top to gently simmer for 10 min., and that was ok. Slight warmth. Feeling is mostly relaxing, but was very sleepy today and this did not help.

5g, 90 mL TWL ZZZ, 212f
Wet leaf: smoke, barnyard, sour woody
1st: bitter, woody, cooling minty semi sweet finish. Warmth
2nd: similar. Mushroom-y floral lingering in mouth and nasal
3rd: spicy woody
4th: caramel-ish, bitter, some upper throat presence
5th: dry mushroom
6th: something nutty
7th: dead leaf taste .

overall narrow band of taste this time. Was a bit more interesting last time, but i think my sample may have been a bit dry. Will be interesting to hold onto and see how it progresses

6.3g, 90mL ZZZ, boiling Brita tap

Almost finished with my sample. just like the last two times, very irked by the effort it takes to break and brew a chunk, but a very pleasant session today. cherry, woody, light medicinal, and baked goods, with all the latter almost seeming like a nice yancha without the roasty hint. Tapered off gently, with a light mushroom and minty finish. A bit warming in core + nicely caffeinating. From this session, if it wasn’t an iron cake, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy. But since it is an iron cake, I will probably never own it… lol

Have had this twice now, with similar ish ratios (5.5 or 6.5 g to 90ml). Once with gaiwan, once in zhuni, both boiling. It’s decent, but I don’t think I’ll buy it because I hate dealing with iron cakes. It takes one rinse to open up the chunk slightly, and then another longer rinse to soften it so it’s able to be fully picked apart. Even then I have to use my fingers to separate chunks into manageable pieces which is fine for drinking alone if a real hassle, but I would definitely not do if I was brewing for others.

Wet leaf: sweet (tomato-like?), woody, light smoke, pond

Taste is mostly woody, grass jelly, herbal/medicinal, sometimes apple-like and bitter adjacent but not quite bitter in the oversteeped heizhuan/fu way. Good texture, though taste isn’t terribly exciting most of the time. Which is a good thing, i think, since it seems clean. Feeling is comfortable, slightly warming. It’s in a good spot as far as I can tell, though for price point, I think I’m leaning towards caking the 7532 TWL carries.

6.1g, 130 mL zini, mixed water

wet: wood, smoke, sour, berries, medicinal

1. bitter upfront. somewhat thinner than expected, maybe ratio too low? bright sweetness in finish. dry wood, medicinal

2. similar. maybe a water issue miscalculating, or ratio is really throwing me off compared to previous times trying. fruity finish in throat and on breath

3. kind of dull. not unpalatably bad, but not terribly attention catching. too many variables switched up: pot, ratio, water. ended up moving to a mug after because I wasn’t too happy with it this time.

Mattcha quips somewhere that shah reviews teas more favorably when he owns them. I hope this is not the case for me, but this is generally a common cognitive bias and I probably have the same issue lol. I don’t think I’ll end up caking this.

5.7g, 90mL ZZZ teapot, boiling

wet leaf: sweet, smoke, incense, wood

1. bitter, resolving w/ some tartness and mushroom, cherry, and woody. Lingers in mouth and top of throat and edge of nasal (hard to describe)
2. bitter woody. something almost salty, maybe smoke? texture is ok. Soft floral in background and some astringency on tongue. Throat cooling
3. brassy, and cherry taste

No notes after since I was distracted. Less sweet than previous in the gaiwan, possibly since heat retention in the pot is way better in addition to pushing it w/ longer steeps. Hoping to cake this at some point, though the price is just at the point where I hesitate every time…

5.7g, 90 mL, 212f

nice complex wet leaf aroma: sweet, BBQ, sour, medicinal, woody

1st: medicinal, cherry, almost cola like sweetness. a bit stilling

2nd: good texture, some bitterness after oversteeping a bit. Some acidic sourness with a fruity finish. Sits on tongue, but only a bit in throat.

3rd: brassy? sour and woody with some mushroom in aftertaste

Steeped a few more times, but didn’t take specific notes on this after. Very tasty and dies out fairly elegantly. Overall a comforting and slightly quieting tea, would be good to do work with. Did not find it particularly heating as other online reviews have mentioned, but will need to finish the rest of my sample and re-evaluate. It’s not a tea I ever got around to purchasing I think since it’s just pricey enough where there’s a bunch of solid options (and also someone(s?) kept buying it out every time I ordered from TWL…), but first impression here is positive, if not necessarily astounding.

Have only ever mugged this but it’s reasonably enjoyable that way. Mid aged sheng profile, but very very strong BBQ note and not sure how I feel about it. Some grape in the aftertaste, as mattcha notes.

5/90/212.

suspect that my sample is dried out a bit, as this session fell a little short of expectations taste-wise, but feeling seemed present and more or less intact? Overall dominant taste was of oversteeped hongcha. Strangely subtle in terms of slowing. Usually teas that are slowing feel sedative, but this one I didn’t realize time was slipping until I looked at the clock and suddenly it was almost two hours later.

Was very compressed, so after the first rinse I let it steam in the gaiwan and then picked apart the leaves and rinsed again. Wet leaf had notes of incense, smoke, and sour berries.

1st: malt and honey. some feeling in face.
2nd: bitter and smoky. concentrated fruit on tip of tongue. Softly pausing and slowing. cooling in breath, extending to throat.
3rd: taste is similar. numbing on palate like mala peppercorns. deep breathing.
4th: fruit in throat.
5th: floral aspect to taste and something bright on the tongue reminiscent of some cabs I’ve had recently.

Capped the session here. Maybe will steep it out tomorrow, or just thermos the rest depending on how I feel.

I have had this several times both thermos’d and gongfu. I also mugged it once but the extra heat helps, so I moved it to thermos. It’s simple, but really satisfying and I generally get 3-5 good steeps and then move it to a thermos to drink at work the day after. I can’t recall another tea I’ve ever been drawn to brewing several weekends in a row. It doesn’t command a lot of attention or effort, but is still nice, and I guess that’s what I’ve been after lately. Taste is clean, w/ some woody, medicinal notes, and on one occasion reminding me of mung bean. Warming and calming. If it was cheaper, I’d buy enough to make it last forever…

Side-by-side brews! Same leaf:water ratio, water temps (205 F), steep times (10 + 3 seconds), etc. First one is the 8582 803 I have from Puerh Shop (https://steepster.com/gyokurohead/posts/441904). Second tea (this one) is the 8582 801 I just got from TWL. Time for judging!

Differences are clear from the get go. Smell of the dry and wet leaves is much less potent in the 801. Liquor of the first brew is darker for the 801 as well. The 801 has a much more rounded, subtle flavor in the first brew than the 803.

Second steep is darker still for both batches, but the difference in darkness is less now. The 803 at this time has developed a bit of an “off note” compared to the still weaker 801. The 803 has a bit of bitterness at this point. Honestly, not getting much flavor from either, but the 801 is better at this time. Main note is some hay. Both showing a bit of mouthfeel that is not very different between the two.

In the third steep, colors of the liquors have evened out fairly well now. 803 still slightly bitter. 801 staying smooth. Wet leaves are noticeably darker for the 801. More hay from both and a bit of pepper from 801. Cha qi already setting in heavily.

4th steep: 801 slightly darker again. Sweetness poking it’s head through in 801. Bitterness fading in 803. Less hay now for both. Still a hint of pepper in 801.

5th steep: Liquor color unchanged. 803 still with off note, also some smoke now. In my first note on 803, it took 10 infusions to get honey and white grapes. Wondering if they’ll appear sooner in 801 if at all…

6th steep: Where’d the smoke go? 801 sweeter still with better aftertaste and bit of honey now. Hay is gone in both.

7th steep: Off note is dissipating.

8th steep: Hint of sweetness in 803 now. 801 even better now, but hard to say how.

9th steep: Off note still there in 803. No changes.

10th steep: 803 sweeter now. Off note mostly gone. Differences becoming less noticeable.

11th steep: White grapes now in 803. 801 suddenly sweeter as well, with predominant honey, hints of almond butter (think Justin’s almond butter/honey packets).

12th steep: Even more white grapes in 803. From experience, this is a greener note, so makes sense it isn’t found in 801. Out of personal preference, 803 beats out 801 in this steep.

13th steep: 801 back on top. Less white grape.

14th steep: 49 seconds each. 803 getting worse. White grape gone. 801 losing flavor, but could still go a bit further. That’s enough tea for now, though :).

Overall a fun experiment! I definitely prefer 801, although most of the difference probably lies in storage. 801 was > 10 yrs in natural Taiwan storage. 803 probably drier although not much info about storage of either. Is it worth almost twice as much ($60 for 803, $110 for 801)? No. But 801 is noticeably better for sure. Both okay to drink now, but certainly neither has peaked.

Batch: 801

Not as good as the Jiaji. A very different tea overall. Most obvious difference is the intensity is a good bit lower. This one is also sweeter but less complex.

Moderate bitterness in middle steeps. No astringency. Longevity is 10-12 infusions. Mouthfeel is like drinking petroleum jelly. A bit off-putting. Cha qi is present and very mild.

Not a bad tea by any means, but won’t be buying anymore of these.

Harvest: Sep, 2004
Storage: Malaysia 17 yrs → Taiwan 2 years

Dry leaf: Not much
Wet leaf: Smoke
Flavors: Smoke, sweet, wet wood

I am incredibly surprised how much I like this tea!! From my prior experience with Xiaguan, I was expecting a fairly bland, potentially bitter tea. Don’t get me wrong, the characteristic smokiness is there in boatloads. But the other negatives are nowhere in sight! Perhaps the storage is much better on this one (Malaysia for 17 years) and that has made all the difference. Seems to be just entering it’s drinking window. Hard to say if it will improve with age as there is not much to mellow out in the balance and the flavor is still strong.

I get absolutely no bitterness and mild-medium astringency. Mouthfeel is fairly thick and very oily. Aftertaste is smoked sweetness that is striving to be umami in the vein of mushrooms/steak, and lasts 1-2 minutes. Character is best described as warming. Drinking this tea feels like your insides are resting by the fireside; it would be perfect on a cold winter’s eve. Cha qi is heady, mild, starts by 3rd-4th steep. Longevity is 10-12 infusions.

This tuo (my first!) is a welcome addition to my growing collection. For the price ($0.20/g), it’s really quite good. I’ll be picking up more of these with my next TWL order. On to the Teji tuo soon…

Produced: March, 2004
Storage: Malaysia for 17 years → Taiwan for 2 years

Dry leaf: SMOKE
Wet leaf: SMOKE, barbecue sauce
Flavor: Smoke, sweet barbecue sauce, pork, meat, oily, wood, hickory, astringency.

Brewed last 5.3g of sample in a pot today and seemed transformed. Admittedly I have been distracted by other things in the past few sessions, but there’s a fullness that wasn’t present in previous sessions. I’ve used roughly the same ratio at 5.1-5.4g w 90 mL, just in a gaiwan and never felt like it was dialed in properly. Always too hollow and light/floral, or just too bitter/sour, and I couldn’t understand the hype for it. Today’s felt more full and balanced, and the smokiness was a nice complement. I would’ve been tempted to cake with the recent discounted price, but I think it’s too late now and based on the past sessions, seems like too much of a gamble based on my preferences and brewing style.

5.2/90. wet leaf. initially fruity aroma, then smoky bbq and a darker dried fruit aroma.

1st: thick and rich. dried hawthorn candy taste and then somewhat floral and candy like in mouth. returning sort of white pear in mouth and throat.

2nd: pear, juicy sort of plummy note, and woody base. calm and warmth in shoulders and then slowing after, a la jinhao chawang, though maybe not as sedative. still wouldn’t be a good work tea.

3rd: very sweet upfront. had to cap overnight here and resume 2 days later, after which it was pausing still and very sweet overall for those steeps. Admittedly was not the best time of year to pick this to drink during a loaded finals season.

this is definitely one of the best tasting teas I’ve tried. Do I advise everyone to run and buy a cake, given the price, maybe not, but it’s very good.

5.4g, 90ml. boiling, Brita tap.

dry: damp, sweet. wet leaf: salty, grainy rice. shou-like, but maybe a woody incense note.

1st: nothing particular.

2nd: slight medicinal note. calming, cozy, almost sinking feeling. no clear notes after.

A tea that brews and brews, but was clearly not impressive for taste. no clear progression in taste, just lightening after some time, and cozy still. The first time in a while I’ve really felt caffeinated by a tea too, interestingly enough. Also, marco’s notes indicate a lot more sweetness and aftertaste than I got, but it’s probably a water thing.

7g 100ml gaiwan
Factory style boutique sheng. Complex citrus similar depth as single malt, drying tangerine like. Amazing activity in the mouth.
Energy is calming, body feels light, possibly aligns chakras.

4.8g/90/212. last of my 25g sample. I had to leave my cake at home since I couldn’t fit it in my backpack this time around.

wet leaf after rinse has some berry, slight smoke, and vegetal tinge.

started w/ goji berry and hawthorn flake candy notes and then shifted to tannic taste of oversteeping hongcha/malty notes. can be floral on edges. a little tart and some salivation + a little stilling feeling before just caffeinating. overall, petered out fairly quickly today. part of it may be that I should prob hold off on drinking shengs until i get a holding temp hot box set up since my apartment is very cold and shengs haven’t seemed too happy with it.

5.1g, 90mL gaiwan. wet leaf: smoky, w sourness. Initially slight fruity. good texture. woody with sugary floral background initially. buzzy, pausing feel with stomach/back warmth. also slightly humid in room today. something cherry-like in taste. borderline TCM leaven taste with fine astingency in florals that works surprisingly well to its benefit. slight lethargy. past a few steeps, moved back to the mushroom in aftertaste, which I didn’t like as much. astringency not as strong today. some throatiness and dried apple in aftertaste. kill steep was woody medicinal bitter end, but had a goji berry soup smell, which I don’t think I’ve encountered before, or maybe I haven’t noticed.

I’ve heard NY is a cake that can be very inconsistent and so sessions can be a wild card. While I haven’t really gotten a sedative feeling others have noted from either two sessions (though having slept well the night before can heavily influence perception as Phyll has noted somewhere, and it’s close to finals so…), the taste has been interesting enough to keep my attention rooted during the session. Assuming the price is same as before ($168/357g), it’s definitely more interesting than any of the YQHs I own. Will need to pick up a cake or two once TWL restocks.

5.7g, 100 mL roc zini. still quite bitter and sometimes astringent, even given that I am extremely congested today. quite warming, and I was sweating, but it was also very humid in my room. bright floral and evolving into mushroom aftertaste initially. End steeps had some jujube in the taste. leftover in a glass overnight was fruity and had a haw flake candy sort of taste that felt familiar but I couldn’t place fully

edit: on further reflection, the mold may have just been tea dust. Oh well. Doesn’t hurt to be safe.

Thanks Kar for the sample!

I drank part of the sample some time ago grandpa’d in a mug and I don’t remember much other than that it was okay. I’m pretty sure I didn’t rinse, and it looked fine. Tasted like aged sheng mushroominess, nothing special.

I’ve kept the rest of the sample with a Boveda pack in a Mylar with some other to-drink-soon samples and so you can imagine my horror upon taking the rest of it out to brew and seeing small yellow mold spores. Did I do the smart thing and toss it? No, I just gave it two 20s rinses instead of one and hoped for the best.

I didn’t take notes for it, but it was a bit over 8g in a 90mL gaiwan, steeped like I usually do. Smell had sour, leather, and mushroom-y aged sheng notes. Broadly, tastes were pretty strongly bitter (not LME level, but still bitter) and mushroom-y, sometimes sour and lingered for a while in mouth and sometimes throat, which I know is a good marker of quality, but in terms of personal preference for what constitutes pleasantness/enjoyment is a different story. Sometimes cooling on tongue. Some shifting woody herbaceous notes along with hints of dark fruitiness and smoke. I didn’t particularly like this and would not purchase a cake, but it was interesting to try.