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This is QUITE a small tuocha! And it is a very slow unraveller, even after a rinse and steeping for three minutes. Resulting in a very light brew on that first steep — too light, really. And bland because of it. The tuocha looks like it absorbed a little water, but still kept its form. But it’s unusual for me to steep a tuocha for three minutes on the first steep, so I really didn’t want to go over three minutes. Rethinking this though, I should have steeped until there was a HINT at least of a dark puerh that I would have enjoyed drinking. But that is what I figured out on the second steep! Still, the tuocha is hardly unraveled but the steep is MUCH darker and the taste is lovely. Like a cup of coffee. Rich and dark, just like I love shou. No negative qualities here at all. Even after the second steep, the tuocha needed a bit of prodding for a delicious third steep and then a delicious fourth. Note to self: Just steep the first cup until it’s a drinkably dark brew color.
Steep #1 // 1 tuocha for full mug // 22 minutes after boiling // rinse // 3 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 3 1/2 min
Steep #3 // just boiled // 6 min
Steep #4 // just boiled // 10+ min

From Daylon R Thomas a while ago!  Thanks very much!  Impossible to measure these leaves unless using a scale.  Once in a while, I seem to say “these are the longest leaves I have ever seen”, but these must be the longest!  Not so much twisted together, as almost straightened somehow, but still very difficult even to POUR out of the skinny bag. I was pleased to notice the description says: “Our Cang Ya is tightly twisted into a strip shape.”  So there you go.  The dry leaf has a scent of summer squash and dried hay.  The flavor is also summer squash!   But also a sweet fruit candy flavor that I thought might be strawberry, but then settled on candy grape. The second steep is rich but not overdone or bitter.  Biscuity.  I really expected the flavor to be much lighter on this one, so I’m very happy with how this one resulted! (I’m really not describing the richer flavors here, but there are some.)
Steep #1  // 22 minutes after boiling // 1 1/2 – 2 minute steep
Steep #2 //  just boiled // 3 min

Gmathis noticed me raving about one of my favorites — the many variations on coffee puerh, so she sent over a sample of this one!  Thanks very much (and also for the super cute card! Books!  Tea!)   This might be the first tea I am trying from TeaMaze?   I could tell even before tipping the kettle over, the scent of the dry leaf could not be better.  This blend should have been called “The Best Coffee”.  At least to this coffee novice!  Then again, this is being marketed to tea people and not coffee people!  The flavor couldn’t be better here, the best parts of coffee — it’s coffee, but sweet, mocha, and a hint of cocoa.  Three steeps with great flavor. The twenty minute third steep was almost the same as the second steep.   However, the base is a little too weak for me, no matter which steep it is.  As a combination of puerh and black tea, I love the concept, but the result of the brew is so light in the mug. (The description says “robust” tea and I disagree.) But where I rate this tea so highly, is the perfect flavor that lingers through all three steeps:  IT’S COFFEE.  Delicious coffee to someone who avoids actual coffee. So I will allow the base here to take a backseat as the carrier of this perfect flavor I’m craving all the time (while not actually craving coffee).  Yum.
Steep #1  // 1 heaping teaspoon for full mug // 22 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 //  15 minutes after boiling // 3 min
Steep #3 // just boiled // 20 min

From AJRimmer QUITE a long time ago — thanks very much!   Honestly, even the scent of the dry leaf had something a bit offputting to me, an odd scent, which might be why it has taken so long to write a note for this. It’s just a mystery — not sure if it is flavoring they have added or one of the ingredients that is creating that scent. It’s nothing TOO bad, just unique.  It also transfers to the flavor.  I probably majorly overleafed here to use up the rest, and wow it is a LOT of tartness in a mostly hibiscus blend.  But then there is another element that gives it a syrupy sweet note. Not really any noticeable fruit?  Not terrible if you are actually craving a tart cup of hibiscus!  
Steep #1  // 2+ teaspoons for full mug // 23 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 5+ min
2024 sipdowns: 32

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – April 2024 Tea #1 -April 1 – April Fool’s Day  

Don’t have tea today? ha ha, ashmanra.  This is a fun one —  It’s colorful, it has star sprinkles, even the sunflower petals are fun AND it’s a tea inspired by ice cream!  What could be more fun than ice cream?  This is too tart to be ice cream inspired IMO, but I can live with it.  Definitely not close to a sipdown here though.  Happy April!

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – March 2024 Tea #8 – An unflavored green  

I THOUGHT I had written a note for this a long time ago, so I’m glad I chose it for this prompt today!   Let’s see… this one was from Nicole a LOOONGG time ago. Thanks!  In that case, the flavor is still quite delicious.  Dusty gray twisted leaves.  The flavor reminds me of a cup of matcha.  I almost couldn’t tell the difference in a taste test, other than the texture of matcha would be different.  Flavor wise, it’s spot on.  I’m sure it was much more complex back in the day, but this is a delightful cup.  TWO delightful steeps.  Today, I’m also drinking my yearly Easter Egg Nests and Hot Cross Bun from Bird and Blend.  

Album:  Sun’s Signature (my fave album of 2022 had a deluxe edition in 2023)
Song: Golden Air https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN1fTs15jD4

From Cameron B!  Thanks!  Another cute wrapper.  The apple flavoring on this decent black tea is much like apple flavoring I have had before on other teas — not great, not bad.  But I would definitely guess apple in a taste test.  Seems hard to accomplish any flavor here, when teabags usually have such a small amount of leaf in the bag! An acceptable apple tea!
Steep #1  // 23 minutes after boiling // 1 1/2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 3 min

From Meowster a while ago! Thank you! Despite its age, this is a flavorful oolong. Neither too delicate and light or too roasted and harsh. I actually steeped it four times (rather than my usual three with most oolongs) as I was getting along with it so well. The flavor notes are hard to find, but it’s agreeable and tasty. It’s GOOD OOLONG.
Steep #1 // 23 minutes after boiling // 1 minute steep
Steep #2 // 10 minutes after boiling // 2 min
Steep #3 // just boiled // 2 min
Steep #4 // just boiled // 3 min

additional notes: I had to check my other notes to make sure I hadn’t already said that I seem to forget about this GEM in my tea collection. It is aging so so well. I really wish more of you were able to try this one. I think it is one of Anne’s best creations. Though I know the problem with that is since it is a mix of white tea/houjicha it will probably never find its way into an advent. It’s so so good though. Even still, it tastes just like a maple cream filling of a candy. A perfect blend. Raising the rating from 89! (I think I raise it every time I have it!)

One of Martin’s notes reminded me of the stash of puerh from Michelle that I should be trying!  Thanks again, Michelle! Looking through the samples, I was looking for “golden buds” specifically, as I recently realized that might be the trick to my favorite shou.  Put a big chonk in the infuser.  To be fair, the leaves don’t LOOK golden at all.  It’s all quite uniformly dark.  The flavor is lovely!  Sweet, so sweet.  No negative qualities here.  I almost want to call it the most breakfast shou?  But that is odd, since I would consider most shou for breakfast… and it could be lingering cinnamon from the last tea in the infuser.  The second steep is the same, quite deep, quite sweet.  Coffee, bittersweet chocolate, rich.  Everything I like about a shou.  Four solid steeps, a very slow unraveler.  I love it.  I actually tried a FIFTH steep, for 20+ minutes, but the brew was relatively weaker, so I don’t think I would bother with a fifth steep again.  This cake really does support my theory that it’s all about the “golden buds”.  Sadly, I can’t find a cake of this anywhere (I suppose streetshop88 doesn’t exist anymore either.)  Interestingly, Rich’s original note from 2015 says he paid only $20 for it!!! Rich also originally noticed a lot of golden buds in the cake which must have changed color by the time it arrived to my infuser! 
Steep #1  // 23 minutes after boiling // rinse // 2 1/2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 10 minutes after boiling // 2 min
Steep #3 // just boiled // 3 min
Steep #4 // just boiled // 10-11 min
Steep #5 // just boiled // 20+ min

Album: Gaz Coombes – Turn the Car Around
Song: Not the Only Things https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl2NQ8lK0k0