All I had of this tea was a 6g sample from Togo and I managed to oversteep it a few times because the sedating energy of the tea hit me hard. After having good results from the extended steeps, I think this tea begs for longer infusions. The energy commands it. I had to take a long break after the second steep because my butt was glued to this chair. Even coming back to the leaf after another break for a shower, it’s kicking my ass again. I’m typing with one eye open -_O

Dry leaf smells like flowers such as orchid, sweet cream, darker nuts like pecan or hazelnut, caramel and a piercing quality that I hesitate to call vinegar?

Teapot time. 6g, 100mL clay, 205F, rinse plus 9 steeps, 2 of which were much longer than expected.

Warmed leaf smells of brown toast, caramel, vinegar, flowers, nuts and wet rocks. Rinsed leaf presents aromas of roast, almost burnt caramel, flowers, roasted nuts, undefined vegetal quality like plant stems, wood, umami, and another hesitant descriptor: gasoline? Dang, I’m having difficulty with this tea. The tea is smooth and nutty on the sip, quickly blooming into a bouquet of flowers, caramel, moderate toastiness and light minerals. It finishes dry with a long floral aftertaste.

This tea is complex and unfolds like a pop-up book with the second steep. Toasty caramel, chocolate, floral aroma. A little bitter on the sip. Nutty, dry roasted almond, caramel and peanut/shell, always a floral high note the lingers, impressions of cream and toffee. Something marine and metallic on the salivary glands. Finishes with banana leaf which later turns to dried peach and peach skin. Sometime in this session I sniff the leaf and it’s chocolate. The session ends on a bright note, like an impression of sunny and tart peach-orange with a light creme brûlée aftertaste. The florals never relent. I’m tired and finding it difficult to keep up with this tea’s robust yet fleeting nature.

Having a hard time coming to a conclusion. Big picture, it reminds me of a medium-dark roasted Taiwanese dong ding crossed with a Wuyi qi lan rock oolong and some Muzha tieguanyin with the couch-lock and mind-numbing qualities of indica cannabis. Leaving unrated for now.

Flavors: Almond, Brown Toast, Burnt Sugar, Caramel, Chocolate, Coffee, Cream, Custard, Drying, Floral, Flowers, Hazelnut, Marine, Metallic, Mineral, Nuts, Nutty, Orange, Orchid, Peanut, Pecan, Plant Stems, Roasted, Roasted Nuts, Smooth, Sweet, Tart, Toasty, Umami, Vinegar, Wet Rocks, Wood

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 6 g 3 OZ / 100 ML

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This place, like the rest of the internet, is dead and overrun with bots. Yet I persist.

Eventual tea farmer. If you are a tea grower, want to grow your own plants or are simply curious, please follow me so we can chat.

I most enjoy loose-leaf, unflavored teas and tisanes. Teabags have their place. Some of my favorite teas have a profound effect on mind and body rather than having a specific flavor profile.

Favorite teas generally come from China (all provinces), Taiwan, India (Nilgiri and Manipur). Frequently enjoyed though less sipped are teas from Georgia, Japan, and Nepal. While I’m not actively on the hunt, a goal of mine is to try tea from every country that makes it available to the North American market. This is to gain a vague understanding of how Camellia sinensis performs in different climates. I realize that borders are arbitrary and some countries are huge with many climates and tea-growing regions.

I’m convinced European countries make the best herbal teas.

Personal Rating Scale:

100-90: A tea I can lose myself into. Something about it makes me slow down and appreciate not only the tea but all of life or a moment in time. If it’s a bagged or herbal tea, it’s of standout quality in comparison to similar items.

89-80: Fits my profile well enough to buy again.

79-70: Not a preferred tea. I might buy more or try a different harvest. Would gladly have a cup if offered.

69-60: Not necessarily a bad tea but one that I won’t buy again. Would have a cup if offered.

59-1: Lacking several elements, strangely clunky, possesses off flavor/aroma/texture or something about it makes me not want to finish.

Unrated: Haven’t made up my mind or some other reason. If it’s puerh, I likely think it needs more age.

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Location

Sonoma County, California, USA

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