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derk drank Blind Samples by Yunnan Craft

1650 tasting notes

Sample C

Tastes like a wild sheng or a purple leaf cultivar, but from where?? Really nice touch of soft floral-woody cinnamon with some ooey gooey baked plum-peach to the warmed leaf. At first drying and very juicy, it takes a few steeps to settle into character — let’s call it “Leathery Osmanthus atop a Bed of Straw and scented with True Cinnamon”. Main vibe skews savory, kind of like roasted chicken? A little purplish bitterness that numbs. Mineral. At times coppery metallic. Autumn tea crosses my mind. The sweetness in the cooling huigan reminds me of peppermint. The aroma and aftertaste really nail down that Leathery Osmanthus association.

A good one, not that any of the blind samples so far have been bad. I was simply feeling this one today <3 Easy drinker for me, not too complex but alluring. Feels like it would age well enough.

At the end of session, very strong compulsion to listen to
Depeche Mode – Enjoy the Silence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGSKrC7dGcY

Edited to add: the energy of this one is deceptively strong. I felt normal while drinking this. Hours later, I experienced levels of wackiness I haven’t felt in ages. Loaded with caffeine but somewhat tempered by other compounds. Idk, the more I think about how it made me feel, I’m not too keen on it. Like some Jingmai teas I’ve had, energy is akin to ephedrine. Jingle-jangle.

Flavors: Cinnamon, Drying, Grapes, Juicy, Lavender, Leather, Metallic, Mineral, Osmanthus, Peach, Peppermint, Plum, Roasted Chicken, Savory, Stonefruit, Straw

Preparation

Boiling 4 g 3 OZ / 90 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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