178 Tasting Notes
A very nice Dancong from WO! Will have to try their other Dancongs now. This one is pretty complex and very well-balanced.
No bitterness, astringency, sweetness. Very wet and fairly thin mouthfeel. Longevity is ~8 infusions.
Harvest: April 10, 2024
Location: Caodun Village, Xingcun Town, Wuyishan City
Roast: Medium-light (x2)
Flavors: Floral, Grapefruit, Mineral, Orchid, Stonefruit, Wet Rocks
NOW, THIS, I GET! After trying lots of different yancha to find one I might like, I have finally landed on a winner. I was starting to think there was no hope left.
This one is not a Qi Dan, so not truly a Da Hong Pao. They blended Shui Xian, Rou Gui, Jin Mu Dan, Mei Zhan, and Chun Lan to make this blend. Truly amazing that they could blend this to be so balanced and flavorful.
Mild bitterness, mild sweetness. No astringency. Very thick mouthfeel with long aftertaste. Lasts 8+ infusions. 4 g/60 mL water at 205 F.
This is a perfect fall/early winter tea IMO. I will definitely be buying more from Wuyi Origin. And this was just the free sample they sent! The price is also very reasonable at $0.46/g. At least from my limited experience thus far, WO > OWT for yancha.
Harvest: Spring, 2023, blended and re-roasted in 2024
Roast: Medium x 3
Flavors: Cacao, Coffee, Leather, Roasty, Smoke, Toast, Wheat
Very nice JJM from Wuyi Origin! Think I might like this better than their lapsang. More of a potent flavor.
The aroma is insanely strong of honey. Flavor is definitely not as strong, but still strong enough. Medium sweetness; no bitterness or astringency. Lasts 10+ infusions.
Harvest: April 4, 2024
Cultivar: Fuyun #6
Location: Fen Shui Guang
Flavors: Bread, Brown Sugar, Butterscotch, Fruity, Honey, Malt, Peach, Sweet
Well this one is actually quite nice for yancha. It’s certainly better than the rou gui from OWT. Hard to tell if that is due to the age, or the company. This one also seemed pretty weak in flavor, though. But it was certainly nice and smooth and calming. I did try this right after the lapsang, so perhaps my palate was just off yesterday. Will reserve final judgment until I can try them both again.
Harvest: May 3, 2023
Cultivar: Rou Gui
Roast: Medium x 3
Location: Qingshiyan Garden, Zhengyan Farm, Wuyi National Garden Park
Flavors: Cinnamon, Spices, Sweet
My first tea from my first order from WO. Wanted to give it a try for the fall given how well their style of teas pair with fall weather. This was a very nice lapsang and unsmoked. My primary complaint is how subtle the flavor is. If it were just a bit stronger, this would be a winner for me for sure.
Medium-high sweetness. No astringency or bitterness. Lasts 8-10 infusions.
Harvest: April, 2024
Cultivar: Mixed
Location: Tong Mu Guan
Flavors: Apricot, Bread, Cream, Dried Fruit, Smooth, Sugar, Sweet
This is one of my favourite teas! Out of curiosity, are there any fruity unsmoked lapsangs you like better?
It was definitely nice! I need to try it again to see if my palate was just having a bad day (happens from time to time). If so, then yea I would say this would probably be my favorite lapsang I’ve tried. Otherwise, I really like the one from Verdant Tea.
I didn’t realize Verdant had an unsmoked lapsang! I really need to try their teas out sometime.
I’m slightly obsessed with fruity unsmoked lapsangs. Favourites include the ones from What-Cha, TheTea, and of course, this Wild Lapsang from Wuyi Origin. The lapsangs from Daxue Jiadao are less fruity but still very nice.
Yea they have one here to try: https://verdanttea.com/wild-picked-tongmu-unsmoked-zheng-shan-xiao-zhong-lapsang-souchong-wuyi-black-tea.
I might have to try the one from what cha! Can’t find a site called TheTea. Do you have a link to it?
Also, if you plan on making an order from Verdant, would highly recommend some of their Fei Zi Xiao too :).
The only gyokuro sample I got in this order. I wanted to try a different company’s gyokuro, and an affordable one ($0.30/g) to see how it compares to more expensive versions.
A pretty great option for the price! I think the flavor is super well balanced and that’s the main strength of this gyokuro. The intensity is pretty high, but not extreme. Zero bitterness or astringency. Aftertaste lingers for probably 10 minutes at least, which is WILD. Somewhat energizing, but not a whole lot compared to other gyokuros I’ve tried.
Harvest: May, 2024
Location: Kyotanabe, Kyoto
Flavors: Seaweed, Spinach, Umami
Preparation
First time trying a hojicha powder, and only the second hojicha I’ve ever had. At least for now, it is not to my liking. I tried it in an almond milk latte, and I feel the flavor of the powder is too overpowering and a bit off putting honestly. However, I plan to experiment with real milk (didn’t have any at the time) and changing the ratio of milk to powder to see if I can make a latte that I enjoy.
However, I doubt I will be able to come up with something that I love, so I am going to say I prefer whole hojicha to the powdered form for now. I am open to trying other brands in the future to see if my mind is changed.
EDIT: Have now tried it with real milk. Made the latte as such: 3 g of powder stirred in 40 mL of 150 F water (less than the 4 g I tried last time), then added to 250 mL of milk heated to frothing temp and then cooled to 150. This is much less intense and much better. I think this ratio and the whole milk are a better combination. Still not may favorite thing, but it’s not bad! Updating my rating from 40 to 70. And only $0.20/g.
Location: Yabe Village, Yame District, Fukuoka
Elevation: 600 m
Flavors: Chocolate, Nutty, Roasted
A bit disappointed in this sample. Has a bit of an off note that is somewhat bitter, but not just bitter. Hard to describe, but even at 140 F, it did not feel as mellow and soothing as it should have.
Harvest: May 2024
Location: Yabemura Village, Yame, Fukuoka
Elevation: 300-700 m
Flavors: Bitter, Grass, Umami
A very nice sencha from Kurihara. While the website says this leans towards fukamushi, I think it’s actually the opposite. This is so subtle in flavor (at 140 F at least), that it tastes much more like an asamushi. It’s the lightest Kurihara tea I’ve had I think. In fact, it’s so light as to be a detriment; the flavor falls off a cliff after steep 2. I will try a more “typical” brew at 156 next time. This is also, I believe, the first Ooiwase I have tried.
Nice medium sweetness. No bitterness or astringency.
Harvest: May
Region: Yabemura village, Yame, Fukuoka
Elevation: 300-700 m
Notes: Regular steaming (40-50 seconds) used but leaves are young and delicate so the results is close to a deep steaming (fukamushi)
Flavors: Grass, Sweet, Umami
From my second order from Yunomi in 2024. Got a small flight of Kurihara’s other teas. This one is pretty nice! nothing super special about it, but a very solid sencha.
Sweetness is mild. No bitterness or astringency. Lasts 4 infusions.
Harvest: May 2024
Location: Yabemura village, Yame, Fukuoka
Elevation: 300-700 m
Notes: Regular steaming (40-50 seconds) used but leaves are young and delicate so the results is close to a deep steaming (fukamushi)
Flavors: Grass, Seaweed, Sweet, Umami
