Teavivre

Too many mind-blowers lately; my luck had to run out eventually.

This was pretty unremarkable; no real sweetness to speak of, no bitterness that might transform with age, barely any astringency even when pushed. Nothing revolting, though, and easy enough to drink — fair to middling, I’d say.

Don’t really know what to make of all the glowing reviews on Teavivre’s website. I’m sure people are happy to see organics, maybe that’s skewing things.

I went straight for the zini pot with this one, and I’m wondering if that was a mistake. A bit flat, like I was missing the middle.

Malty, bright, citrus, honey. Gaiwan. Delicious and a solid tea, even if my black tea preferences skew a bit more chocolate/smooth/smoky/berry/roasty (… so everything except bright and citrusy, lol).

I didn’t rinse this because it looked so clean (famous last words, lol). When I tasted the first ~30sec steep, I was struck by a vanilla-floral note that I haven’t yet tasted in a sheng. It was gone after that first infusion, but it was delicious and pungent. Following steeps are fairly straightforward apricot/sweet/astringent, but the balance is such that it just feels of a higher quality than some I’ve been sampling lately. The apricot is pronounced, the sweetness lingers, the astringency dances and cools. Barely-whispers of floral and camphor. Mouthfeel is thick and coating, just lovely. Orange liquor. Minimal bitterness. Mild cha qi. I’ll try my next session in a clay pot. If I were ready to start aging cakes, I’d consider this one… I’m interested to see where it goes from here.

I’ve really been impressed with Teavivre so far, I gotta say.

I’m a sucker for the sticky rice flavor of nuo mi xiang thrown into just about anything. These are cozy and creamy and sensuous; some herbal greenery pokes in here and there. Short steeps of 15-20 seconds keep the shou light and balanced with the herb (longer steeps get a little bitter and disjointed). I must be at 10-12 steeps as I write this, and the herb is persisting right along with the shou — perfection.

The ~6g disc looked very compressed coming out of the foil wrapper, but it bubbled and let water in during a 15sec rinse. After a patient 20 minutes, I opened my gaiwan and found a poofy pile of leaves waiting to make magic happen. :D

The handy little discs make me want to consider this for travel, but the need for babysitting short steeps ruins that dream. I am still turning over a plan for overseas steeping… I sure don’t want to have a vacation full of tea ‘meh’, but I also want to be reasonable with gear. I generally pack ultralight (<25L for 2-3 weeks), and absolutely don’t want to change that. A new field of study and research awaits…

A sample packet from ashmanra — thank you!

Clear cherry notes coming from the warmed leaves. The little packet had 10g in it, so I took most of the broken material for this 5g/100ml steep in a new cheapy gaiwan. Lots of little junk in the first pour as a result. Hay and more light cherry notes on the nose and in the sip. Astringency in the second steep that reads more as crispness than drying. Very clear apricot notes on the wet leaves.

I appreciate that the gaiwan in general encourages lid-off-between-steeps and really appreciating the look and smell of the leaves; this gaiwan in particular is one that can support the lid between the cup and the saucer as a nice compact package.

I haven’t seen a lot of love for Fengqing puerh. This is pretty mild, one of those shengs that alllllmost leaves me feeling like I missed something. But then it’s refreshing and easy and I enjoy the sip — and maybe that’s enough.

Next steep loses some astringency. That’s fun. Apricot/peach dominate the leaf scent, while the taste rides a pleasant line of refreshment without too much HEY LOOKIE ME flavor profile. I get some wet rock/mountain flashes with the crispness. It’s nice. And it’s lasting several steeps.

I feel quite relaxed, but I know I’m running on fumes and this is the first sit-and-think time I’ve taken in 8 days… not sure if Tea or Tired.

I wouldn’t buy more of this, I guess, but I’d be thrilled if it was offered by a friend. Which it was. <3

A day of yummy tea and a lazy brain. Tired lass.

I officially love sticky rice scented teas. The oolong I had from Alistair, and now this puer: hoo, yum. I gong fu’d this despite it being a tea bag with western parameters stamped on its packaging; I would not recommend a rinse on this one, because it comes out of the gate so so beautifully. The interplay between the sticky rice notes and the foresty puerh is a delight.

These little packets from Teavivre are terribly unassuming, with plainish packaging and leaves broken to bits, but the two I’ve had from ashmanra — thank you for yet another good time — have both been very distinct in character and really just lovely. I’m a baby puer drinker, but the delicacy and flavor precision easily stands up to any loose/caked puer I’ve had.

The puer is lasting longer than the rice, unsurprisingly — but I’m on steep six and the brew, though changing, still has plenty of character.

In other news, I ordered a couple cheapy gaiwans to start playing with smaller volumes and less leaf (been using a 160ml ceramic gaiwan-ish pot up to this point). Some of the teas I’m staring down feel precious, so being able to use less leaf for a session is super appealing. Cutting down on liquid and caffeine consumption per session means I can fit more teas into a day, too, which is thumbs up all around. I’m sc’ited!

It is so blasted hot. I have been working outside, watering tomatoes from the rain barrels, filling bird baths, hanging out clothes, etc. I absolutely could not bear the thought of lunch on the patio but then I came in and cooled off and decided that a cold salad and cold tea would be good out there after all. Must eat outside all we can before the mosquitoes show up in droves.

Last year, Verdant tea had a blog post and some emails about making flash steeped tea. I usually drink my cold tea (other than cold puerh) sweetened but I loved making a flash chilled shaker of really good leaf and drinking it plain. I decided that was the way to say goodbye to this elderly oolong I found at the bottom of a box. Best by date was 2019.

It was excellent. Nice foam from the shaking comes from natural saponins in the tea. The clear is clear and clean and beautiful, just looking at it is refreshing. Aroma is very floral and complex, taste is even more complex. Floral, nutty, musky seaweed, sweetness, then a little toasty – all swirl around in layers. We have made two big steeps so far and will possibly try another, but because of how we are drinking it we are using a bit more water than gong fu but less than Western steeping.

Age hasn’t hurt this tea at all. Good stuff.

Harvest Year: 2022
Date Drunk: 2023-04-14

5g in 100ml porcelain gaiwan
Dry leaf smells sweet, fruity, grassy and floral – stunning. Nectarines, chestnuts, and almost a cotton-candy-like note.

1st infusion: (85˚C, 0:15)
- Wet leaf smells incredibly nutty and lovely. I’m getting Longjing vibes.
- Liquor itself smells way more grassy/vegetal, slight common floral. Ok the liquor is decent but falls far short of Longjing, not as complex. Not sweet at all when hot, has some chestnut-like sweetness when cooler. Tastes sweet and delicious with my oatmeal. A nice fresh subtle Chinese green tea. Slight flat aftertaste.
- Rating: 74
2nd infusion: (85˚C, 0:30)
- Wet leaf still gives me Longjing vibes, and this time the liquor smells more like Longjing too.
- Liquor tastes more flavourful and nutty now than the first infusion. A bit bitter and flat-tasting – probably overbrewed. Doesn’t pair as well with my oatmeal.
- Rating: 73
3rd infusion: (87˚C, 0:30)
- Ooh that is really bitter and astringent now. Would probably pair well with sweets…
- Rating: 69
4th infusion: (88˚C, 0:45)
- Mellowed out now. Quite nice and less bitter than previous.
- Rating: 73

Verdict: A daily drinker if anything.
Rating: 72

I received 50 g of fresh spring 2023 pre-Qingming Bi Luo Chun about a week ago, and got this new-to-me tea as one of my two free samples. This is something I probably never would have tried, so thanks to Teavivre for including it! I steeped around 3 g of leaf in an 85 ml teapot at 176F for 20, 25, 35, 50, 80, 120, and 240 seconds, plus some uncounted steeps. I also steeped the remaining 2 g in around 250 ml of 176F water for 5 minutes, topping up the water as needed.

The dry aroma of these flat, almost uniform leaves is of chestnuts, seaweed, and grass. The first steep has notes of chestnuts, green beans, asparagus, butter, umami, and grass. The next steep adds notes of orange peel and florals, and the tea is slightly drying. The tea is less sweet than Dragonwell and has a starchy quality. The orange disappears in the next couple steeps, and stronger notes of asparagus, chestnut, and green beans emerge. The final steeps are a bit more bitter and add kale and grass to the veggie combo.

Bowl steeped, this tea has notes of chestnut, asparagus, spinach, green pepper, faint florals, seaweed, and grass. There’s some bitterness, but it’s not overwhelming. I get more green beans and grass as the session goes on, and the tea becomes slightly sweeter and more floral. It lasts for several infusions.

This is close to the type of nutty, less abrasive Chinese green tea that I like, though Dragonwell appeals to me a little more because it tends to be sweeter. As usual, bowl steeping provided the more pleasant experience, though the citrus in the gongfu session was a nice surprise. This isn’t something I need to rush out and buy, but I’m glad I got to try it.

Ashmanra’s Sipdown Challenge | May 2023 | National Eat What You Want Day: Drink what you really want!

I’m a day late with this prompt, but oh well!

This is barely a sipdown because the sample I grabbed from the TTB last year had just two small servings in it. But I’ve been saving that final tiny serving!

As I was rooting around in my box of caffeinated teas this morning, I couldn’t decide what I wanted. Nothing appealed. And then, suddenly, I knew exactly what I wanted! It took me a moment to find where I’d stashed this packet, but now I am drinking this tea at my desk with the window open, listening to the birds chirping and singing loudly right outside. The tea is just as good as I remember it.

I just saw a goldfinch, the first of the season! It’s sunny and warm and it feels like spring. I’m happy right now.

2023 sipdown count: 34

I was today years old* when I learned that not all lapsang souchong is smoked. In a past life I would’ve hesitated to admit such ignorance, but I’m trying to embrace vulnerability and humility, so here we are!

This sample came from a TTB last year, and this morning seemed like the time to give it a whirl. I was so surprised — and a smidge disappointed — when I tore open the packet and didn’t get a whiff of smokiness! As it turns out, though, I’m absolutely LOVING this tea. For the first time, I really understand all those tasting notes I’ve seen on here that reference sweet potato. Amazing!

The scent here is caramelized sugar sweet with a teensy hint of wet dog, but not really in a bad way. The taste is earthy sweet potato and the ground after a rainstorm.

I love how it’s both earthy and light, with absolutely no astringency or dryness (and I say that as an avowed lover of tannins).

I’m finishing my first cuppa while going through morning work emails, etc., and wishing I’d given myself a little more time to enjoy this tea without distraction. The first few sips were blissfully taken in bed with a book, but then it was time to log on for work. I’ll squeeze at least one more steep out of these leaves, and then I still have another cup’s worth in the sample packet.

Thank you to whoever threw this sample into last year’s Steepster TTB! What a treasure.

*Apparently “today years old” is a terribly millennial phrase. Welp, I AM A MILLENNIAL. Deal with it.

I rarely drink green tea anymore, straight or flavored. I’ll occasionally have a straight green tea with food, or a jasmine green. But, I just don’t gravitate towards them. But, I was in a rare mood and decided grab one of the few little green tea samples I have.
This is fine, I think I oversteeped it a bit, because it’s a touch bitter.
Super vegetal- cooked asparagus and spinach.

Interesting WP and I’m glad I got to try this one after trying Upton’s version. I think I like this a bit better. Still doesn’t compare to silver needle for me. First steep is the best with most flavor, balance, and character.

Dry leaf: floral, sour.
Wet leaf: malt, hay, grass.
Flavor: honeydew, cucumber, sweet, floral.

Wonderfully light and refreshing tea! Medium-low astringency, very vegetal, with minimal to no bitterness. Only reason this is under a 90 is because it is a bit too mild in flavor for my taste in green teas. Otherwise, I really do love this tea!

Dry leaf: vegetal.
Wet leaf: cream corn, sweet, umami.
Flavor: cream, sweet, spinach.

I appreciate the mild flavor the tea has while retaining lots of complexity. The mouthfeel is also wonderful and the thickest tea I’ve had other than gyokuro. I am impressed with the complexity, how the tea changes so much as it steeped, and the mouthfeel. As the tea passes infusion 4-5, the flavors switch from floral, creamy, and sweet to primarily vegetal.

Dry leaf: cream, butter.
Wet leaf: floral, vegetal.
Flavor: floral, creamy, sweet, vegetal.

Quite nice tea on a Saturday night. Most unique black tea I’ve tried so far.

Dry leaf: orange zest.
Wet leaf: wet earth, malt.
Taste: tangy, orange.

I have had this one for a while. It’s a tea kinda day. I love Pu’Erh and was excited to get this one. Thick body. Dark brew. I tried this time brewing in a Chemex…I don’t recommend that. I had to run it through a few time. To me it’s okay but not my favorite Pu’Erh . The flavor is a little metallic.

First time trying Golden Monkey, or Jin Sihou. This is pretty good tea. Smooth mouthfeel and a beautiful color to the liquor. Medium-low astringency at 205 F. Basically nonexistent bitterness. Might try a bit hotter next time to see how that changes the flavor profile.

Main drawback is the high amount of broken leaves/tea dust in the samples.

Dry leaf: STRONG, beautiful apricot
Wet leaf: Malt, chocolate.
Taste: Honey, lasting aftertaste of brown sugar.

February Sipdown Prompt – An Afternoon Tea

I feel really bad for letting this tea go past its “best by” date, but it still tasted wonderful today. Teas like this make me vow to get rid of all the flavored tea I own and just concentrate on orthodox, whole leaf tea. Then the pendulum swings and I place a Lupicia order.

Since we quit having gong fu tea service at night because of having issues with caffeine, a lot of my best teas have been neglected because I either don’t have time to make them properly by day or I don’t have time to properly enjoy them by day. I need to fix that.

I plan to focus on sipping down this one, continue the sipdowns, and then I need to order some fresh 2023 green teas and after that, new oolongs. I didn’t order greens for the past two years because I had so many teas that needed to be cleared out of the cupboard and I am almost there.

This was enjoyed in the afternoon sun today, shelling roasted salted peanuts on the patio. Nice pairing! The forecast of mostly cloudy all day proved to be wrong and we had beautiful sun and temps in the 70’s, so Sam and I stayed out practically the entire day. Ashman joined us around 3.

The leaves expanded to completely fill the infuser of my Stump pot. Beautiful olive green. Floral, smooth, a little butter, vegetal in aroma, a little like juice from peas that have been buttered. Not perfume-y, just nice floral, and also not a roasty toasty TGY. This is one I would repurchase one day. Two Western steeps.

VERY different from green TGY I’ve had before. I understand why people love TGY, and why some insist it be made in the traditional way (charcoal-roasted). Definitely fills a gap for me between green oolongs and black teas. Non-linear brewed. No bitterness. Mild astringency.

Dry Leaf: Charcoal, soil
Wet Leaf: Tobacco, soil, caramel
Taste: Honey, nuts, floral

This was the worst tea I’ve had. I don’t know if I got a bad sample (I tried both bags though), or if I just don’t like this type of tea, but I did not experience most of the positive flavors listed for this DHP. If you like smoking a cigarette while huffing gasoline, this is the tea for you.

Dry leaf: charcoal, ash.
Wet leaf: tobacco, petroleum.
Palate: tobacco, petroleum.

Wonderful Chinese green tea! Absolutely no bitterness! Mild astringency if brewed hotter (180F); none if brewed cooler (160 F). Will certainly be buying more of this tea!

Dry leaf: Toast, popcorn.
Wet leaf: Same.
Taste: Buttermilk, artichoke, toast.

Advent Calendar from Kaylee: Day 20

Ooh, this is mellow! There’s a mild mushroomy earthiness with a bit of leather aroma. Lots of minerality as it cools. Tasty!