New Tasting Notes

This tea is perfect at 4 minutes and 208F water. Nice and malty, with a slight notes of honey intermixed.

Got this in Portland last year. A very durable tea. Strong on the caffeine levels, smooth on the acidity level. Perfect after a large breakfast. The digestive properties of pu-erh’s are very active in this one and the caffeine wakes you up. Brew it in boiling water for 2-4 minutes depending on how strong you want it. Starts getting watery after 4 steeps at that length.

Another round of tie guan yin after cinnamon braised pork and sweet potatoes. Both excellent.

Disappointingly boring. The leaves have a soothing fragrance, so I was looking forward to a nice cup. However it simply tastes like a bland black tea.

I noticed the cardamom a lot at first, but eventually it fades into the rest of the tea, making a nice and drinkable flavor.

2nd infusion – decidely weaker. Woodsy flavor. Definitely overbrewed the the first cup, leaving nothing notable for a second. (Edit: I take that back, once it cooled down enough to get a full mouthful, the flavor was there. Much lighter than the first cup. Definitely overbrewed the first cup!)

This more for completeness….
I drink this, with a dollop of honey and a slice of real lemon, whenever I start to get a sore throat. Call it psychology or whatever, but it makes me feel better and I swear it makes the sore throat go away faster!

1 teaspoon (as opposed to tsp) about 4 minutes in moderately hot water. Brews dark and flavorful. Slightly tannic…probably should have taken it out a little past 3 minutes. A bit heavy in the mouth (not bad, just different than say…a Ceylon), but the flavor last a good 30+ seconds after swallowing. Think Irish/Scottish breakfast teas. (Edit: don’t let this one go cold…not as good)

Good and pungent. Hitting me right where I need it this morning to wake up the senses and put me to work.

Added some ginger for a something a bit different.

We love this tea over here at the shop. With just 2 teaspoons of this pricey sencha we made 3 pots in a Kyusu for 4 people, as well as 2 carafes of iced tea! Who says you can’t make tea last!

Tried this with milk this morning and it really does taste better with it. Not a good tea to drink black which is what I am usually used to.

One of our favorite teas to drink in the morning. Hill likes to make it strong to get that bittersweet flavor that the Chinese love so much. Puckering and strong on the intake, sweet and chocolate-y on the exhale.

Wow. This tea is incredible. I’m so glad to have finally found and brewed a young sheng pu-erh that blows my mind. It’s so delicate, rich and delightful. I’m only on the second steep and I just can’t believe how good this is compared to the other handful of pu-erhs I’ve tried. It’s got an amazing blend of raisins, leather, herbs, spice, cotton, chamomile, dry wood, and sweet flower blossom. The texture is impeccable. And the qi this tea carries has my head floating in the clouds. Wow.

and another pot of this to start the day. i could really make a habit of this!!

nice and crisp for Spring

Still playing around with this. I tried it at a slightly lower temperature tonight – 58C – mainly because I got called away while the water was cooling. This worked pretty well, though I think the flavour comes through better when the water is that little bit hotter. I still like the second steeping the best.

OMG! This is my last bunch of this! Ek! Must re-order! Anyhow…I added a tad more loose leaf because I didn’t have quite enough for another stand-alone cup. I am going to see how many re-steeps I can get out of it. I think I am going to go thru withdraw if I don’t reorder…it’s that good folks!

7g/pot, 3 mins @ 175°F.
Dry leaves: long, dark green-grey withered leaves. Not closely inspected, but didn’t notice fuzzy down noted by some.
Liquor: Pale golden, slightly cloudy.
Aroma: Sweet, moderately vegetal.
Body: Light, but slightly astringent/dry.
Flavor: Slightly sweet, solidly vegetal (roasted?) through the middle. More complex floral finish that mixes with the astringent feel to leave something like a jasmine or osmanthus tea.

Good old Leo blend. How I love thee.