100

Upfront and penetrating aromas (osmanthus!!) and tastes. Bright and deep, fruity and sweet, fluid and full, smooth, almost sticky but leaning more soft and oily. I don’t know how to say this without turning people away, but it has a strong cat pee character. Reframe that as black currant, ginseng and hops and you’ll be in love. Throw in strawberry, grapes, mango, apricot, banana and dates and I guarantee you won’t turn your nose up at it. There’s probably some tropical fruit out there that embodies this melange. Turns more honeyed plum and passion fruit with forgotten steeps. Long, cooling finish and savory-fruity osmanthus aftertaste with spice notes. Also, it’s very easy to brew and long-lasting. I know a lot of people brew leaf only once but if you do that with this tea, I will weep at your folly. This is what it sounds like when a derk cries.

Now a word about the energy. This is powerful stuff. It knocked my socks off, unscrewed my head, screwed it back on straight and had me FLYING. Intensely uplifting, beautifully intimidating. I’m scared to try this gongfu with more leaf.

Highly recommended for anybody that can appreciate the, um, black currant character.

Album pairing: AIR — Moon Safari

Flavors: Allspice, Apricot, Banana, Black Currant, Bread, Chocolate, Dates, Fruity, Ginseng, Grapes, Herbal, Hops, Licorice Root, Mango, Mineral, Mint, Nutmeg, Oily, Orange Zest, Osmanthus, Passion Fruit, Plum, Soft, Sweet, Tropical, Winter Honey

Preparation
3 g 10 OZ / 300 ML
gmathis

That may make me chuckle all day!

mrmopar

I need to try this one. I have a sample tucked away. Maybe anniversary week in the mountains of NC near Traphill.

TeaEarleGreyHot

Oh yum!,
Absolutely, I must get my paws on some of this cat pee tea! Pardon my litterbox humor, ha!

derk

I would be happy to send you some, TeaEarleGreyHot. Send me a PM if you’d like. Essence of Tea has so many good teas that I do suggest an order, especially for you as a lover of pu’er.

derk

Today I brewed a cup for a coworker who drinks coffee but not tea. He said the tea was ‘doing things inside of me, hitting many systems at once. It’s filling my whole body. It is sticking with me." He’s sensitive to these feelings. I could sense the energy moving within him, and while he seemed overwhelmed by it, he kept commenting on how good it made him feel.

ashmanra

That’s impressive!

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Comments

gmathis

That may make me chuckle all day!

mrmopar

I need to try this one. I have a sample tucked away. Maybe anniversary week in the mountains of NC near Traphill.

TeaEarleGreyHot

Oh yum!,
Absolutely, I must get my paws on some of this cat pee tea! Pardon my litterbox humor, ha!

derk

I would be happy to send you some, TeaEarleGreyHot. Send me a PM if you’d like. Essence of Tea has so many good teas that I do suggest an order, especially for you as a lover of pu’er.

derk

Today I brewed a cup for a coworker who drinks coffee but not tea. He said the tea was ‘doing things inside of me, hitting many systems at once. It’s filling my whole body. It is sticking with me." He’s sensitive to these feelings. I could sense the energy moving within him, and while he seemed overwhelmed by it, he kept commenting on how good it made him feel.

ashmanra

That’s impressive!

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Profile

Bio

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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