1324 Tasting Notes
Last tea from Marshall. Thank you again for the trade. I saved this one for last because it is the category of tea I am least familiar with. Quite excited to try this one. And I do enjoy the videos from Nannuoshan. Actually, this is the first time I’ve had one of their teas!
Dry Leaf: Dark tones. Dark browns and dark yellows. The yellow disappears in the dark a bit, so make sure to put it under good light to view it. Medium and large rolled leaves. Lots of tricomes.
Steeping aroma: Very nice. Mellow wood tones, bready, barely? some type of grain… malt? Yes malt.
Flavor: Yeah, that’s good. Oh man. Hay, malt, bitter chocolate 85% dark, a bit of herbaceous notes.
This one you really have to sit with. Can’t walk away.
Wet Leaf: Summer floral, summer herbal, raisiny…
Thank you, Marshall for this sample!
Sorry Sheng, Shou is the way for me. I will keep trying Sheng but honestly, my heart stays with shou.
Dry appearance. Compact. Slightly dusty. Light brown and dark browns collide.
Wet Leaf Aroma: Old 1800s house. Cream of wheat. Vanilla. Pure vanilla with no fluff. I also want to say marzipan but it’s been a bit so that’s a maybe…
Liquor Color: Opps… I wasn’t paying attention >.< It’s super dark.
Flavor: This first session is a punch to the face. “Don’t ignore me!” it screams. Bitter. Tannic. Old wood. Resin. I think I’m on session six right now, and wow. Maybe it wasn’t all me. It steeps dark very quickly.
Mouthfeel: 1st: Astringent. 2nd bits of astringency but also softness.
Thank you to Marshall for letting me try this one!! I might have to do two separate tasting notes. My husband is painting some minis, and the paint is horrendously stinky. >.< I’ve got my air purifier and the stove fan running. I’ll just keep my nose in the pot and call it a new type of mask hehe
Dry appearance: Little bit of everything in this one! A nice sized twig, and a variety of different leaf pluckings. Nicely pressed.
Flavor: A lot going on in here. I ruined my first steeping. Went too long. Many different woody tones. Some palo santo, some old decaying tree stump, fresh twigs.
I do not mind drinking dark teas, but I definitely feel like my palate just isn’t as suited to finding the deeper nuances.
The moment you open the package you know this one is a big-time winner. The grind is so fine the the electrostatic properties are super strong! When I opened the package the matcha went poof. And not wanting to waste any of the fine powder I, looking like an idiot in hindsight, started trying to lick the air. ^^;
Feel: So smooth it is almost like you aren’t touching it.
Aroma: The newest grass shoots. Sweetgrass. Bits of umami. Fresh grated, cold, high-quality parmesan cheese. If you don’t believe me go pull parmesan out of the fridge and grate it.
Color: Amazing. Vibrant green. Shamrock. Wow.
Flavor: SO FRESH! Some might call this bland because of the lack of facial punch you receive like some matcha but I quite enjoy the incredibly subtle notes this holds. Also I highly enjoy that the marine attributes slowly sneak up if you sip it longer.
Mouthfeel: Air. It’s like sipping air. Liquid air? That sounds weird but it’s the freshest air with spring qualities added. It’s so smooth it’s like the purest water with the essence of pure ocean water. As you let it settle a bit more on your palate the marine attributes come out more.
Marshall! Thank you! This was also very educational. If you dry the kernel inside an apricot, you can apparently eat it. When I looked up pictures all I thought about was almonds. Being that I am allergic to almonds I feel like I have to try to make these on my own.
Dry Appearance: Long leaves. Dark chocolate brown with some golden hints. Slightly dusty. Tightly twisted.
Dry Aroma: Dry and sweet. A bit of Vinsanto. A sweet wine by Gaia in Greece. (Btw, if you ever go to Santorini, visit the Gaia shop. It’s amazing) Also some mineral notes.
Flavor: Lots of minerality. Very fruity. Dried apricot. When infused longer the minerality really kicks in. Wet rocks.
Wet Aroma: Mix of fruit notes and raisins.
There is a slight astringency when you let it steep longer but it plays very nicely with the minerality.
Thank you Marshall for the trade! I am comparing this to the sencha I had before and wow. Having an eye to determine the difference between these two is absolutely amazing. Now when it comes to taste I am getting closer to being able to tell the difference without being told which is which first. Still, I’m in awe of the farmers.
Dry Leaf: Umami!
Appearance: Long (mostly) needle-shaped leaves. Glossy, dark green with a few vibrant greens mixed in.
Mouth Feel: Very smooth.
Flavor: Lots of umami.
Infusing tea: Slight fresh melon notes. Fresh-cut grass. Umami.
This one is lovely.
Thank you for the trade, Marshall!!! I’m currently looking at this one and the Gyokuro side by side and being absolutely mind-blown. I mean, it’s not like this is the first gyokuro or sencha I’ve seen but knowing the work they go through to make the minor differences… Just wow.
Dry appearance is amazing. I would not have guessed this to be a sencha because that is stellar coloring. Guess I need to study up more. Needless thin and tight. Dark green with a few light greens.
Dry aroma: nice. Fresh. Bits of umami.
Flavor: Umami. Fresh cut grass.
Mouth feel: smooth.
Thank you, Marshall, for this trade! The simple joy of getting tea in the mail is so nice.
Dry Appearance: The leaves on this one are so long! Definitely 3rd, 4th, and 6th leaf on the branch. Even some cute stems! They are dusty-looking with rich, deep chocolate brown notes.
Initial rinse: 1880s house. Lots of old wood notes.
Mouth Feel: Very smooth. Blanketing.
Flavor: Bits of charcoal. Burnt toast. If you steep it too long you really feel like you’re licking a very old wood house.
Sheng is a category I think I would have to explore more deeply to pull out some of the nuanced notes.
Sometimes teas hide under other teas. Like playing hide and seek until they know you can fully appreciate them. This one was hiding in plain sight.
Wet Leaf Aroma: Buttered Popcorn. My husband disagrees. He says it’s nutty. Just can’t pin down what nut. Maybe Brazil nut? Also dried apricots and tropical fruits and flora.
Flavor: I’ve had better Jin Xuan in the past but besides the name, this is still a nice oolong. It lacks minerality in the beginning but kicks into gear as it enters your throat. More apricot notes emerge with more steeping.
Thank you to Davidson’s for donating tea to the MN Tea Society. It comes in good time too because everyone else has been sick and so now with all the anxiety and depression I’ve been dealing with the past few weeks, I’ve caught it too.
The aroma is very nice. Calming. Full of licorice root notes and ayurvedic herbal notes.
The flavoring is nice. Spicy and healing.
