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derk drank Fruit Fragrance Black Tea (2018) by Old Ways Tea

1615 tasting notes

I’m reminded daily of resiliency and grateful to be situated where I am.

Brewed this gongfu to compare to the 2018 Grass Fragrance Black. This one is very similar, though with a deeper, more savory, fruitier aroma and taste, bolder flavors early on and greater longevity. Like the Grass Fragrance, it has a solid backbone of baked bread, malt, sweet potato and cedar. Some light bitterness on the sip that becomes more apparent if oversteeped. The finish is a tad drier yet more robust with osmanthus and the returning sweetness darker like brown sugar as opposed to red grapes. The tea also has a nice medium body with a pleasant astringency and the same clean minerality and salivation. The Fruit Fragrance Black seems to have an instantaneous calming and cooling energy. Overall, an excellently structured tea for its price range and such a pleasure to sip.

Song pairing: Toro y Moi — Rose Quartz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ID1plssS4s

[5.5g, 100mL porcelain teapot, 200F, drink the flash rinse! Very short steeps starting at 7s]

Flavors: Almond, Apricot, Bread, Brown Sugar, Butter, Cedar, Cherry, Floral, Fruity, Grass, Honey, Malt, Mineral, Orchid, Osmanthus, Peach, Pine, Plum, Stonefruit, Sweet Potatoes, Vegetables

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 5 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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