Dragon Phoenix Tender Heart

As others have, I received this tea from derk. Thank you! Based on the notes I’d read, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was on my wishlist, so I knew it would be good or at least interesting.

I followed Leafhopper’s preparation method, using the same water temperature and steeping times. The result? A truly wonderful tea.

A beautiful bouquet of floral notes filled my gaiwan. The tea had a smooth, creamy mouthfeel that lingered pleasantly. It transported me to a foggy autumn day, surrounded by yellowing leaves. I almost felt like I was in the mountains.

Each infusion was perfectly balanced, with a delightful floral complexity that was hard to pinpoint. Later infusions took on an intriguing, forest-like character, eventually settling into a simple, grassy note. Even in its final stages, the tea remained complex and special.

By the fourth or fifth infusion, the leaves had fully unfurled. I longed for a glass gaiwan to fully appreciate their beauty as they floated and expanded in the liquid.

This is an exceptional tea, without a single flaw. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to try it. I saved half of the 8-gram sample, eager to savor it again. It was the perfect, relaxing oolong to enjoy on a stressful day before a job interview.

A change in workplace will mean a move, but if I want to move forward, I must seize the opportunity. Of course, they’ll need to hire me first!

My scale arrived today and it seems to be working okay, but I’m on a roll with these samples from Derk. I steeped 6 g of leaf in 120 ml of 195F water for 25, 20, 25, 30, 30, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds, plus some long, uncounted steeps.

The dry aroma is of orchids, honeysuckle, other florals, and cream. The first steep has notes of orchid, honeysuckle, narcissus, cream, and grass. The orchid really blooms in the second steep, and I get lots of cream, butter, and pine. You know an oolong is good when you start thinking about misty high mountain forests. The butter and cream are very apparent in the next couple steeps, as are the pine, honeysuckle, and lush orchid. The florals continue in steeps five and six, with a little more grass but no bitterness. The grass and spinach get stronger near the end of the session, but the orchid holds its own and makes these final few steeps quite enjoyable.

This is a beautifully floral, creamy tea that doesn’t evolve much over the session but does a few flavours really well. It has an ethereal, high mountain elegance. I imagine it would do very well bowl steeped, and while I’m not as enthusiastic about it as Derk, this is an excellent oolong.

Sipdown. Soo good and smooth. Borders between creaminess of green Jin Xuans, but with a little bit of floral notes bordering on jasmine, heavy on orchid. Love it, and sad to see it go. I fortunately have a dragons trove of oolongs right now.

A gift from derk, and leaves she esteems highly, so… an honor.

I christened my first proper tea bowl with this tea. I was terribly patient in seeking a bowl, and patient to find its first leaves… sitting quietly with it today felt easy and comforting. Patience gets a thumbs up.

It’s been a long week of work-related-but-phenomenal classes, and I head out for a straight 48 hours of actual work in the morning. These minutes were welcome respite and afforded some reflection.

The orchid is just so. So grounding, but so light; so beautiful, but so… hm, practical. The evergreen lets the florals hang in a way that feels tenuous… ah, but they persist. I watched the leaves unfurl and churn and resituate and drop, absorbing water like inspiration for the next right thing. I thought about the so-many hands that had touched them before I sat dumbfounded, watching them rewind.

I need to watch more tea leaves.

Bowl tea again. Will I ever have this leaf any other way?

Mellow morning, overcast with a light rain falling straight down. Woke up to the solemn and soulful call of the owl that moved into the neighborhood several months ago. Enjoying the cool moisture coming in through my bedroom door to the garden. The cool dampness permeates my space and body. Simple and quiet, just the way I like it. This tea speaks to me. It has a strong sense of self.

Should be a good evening for dinner at my favorite sushi place.

In other news, I got a birthday email from my health insurance provider this morning. “Your doctor has a reminder for you about an upcoming screening or test.” Log-in, read the message. They want me to come in a for a mammogram. I’ve hit 40. I’m officially old. HAHAHA!

After sharing this hilarious moment with Kiki, she came into my room with a flyer she got in the mail this week. “Our free lunch, your lasting legacy. Kiki, you’re invited! Join us for a FREE Informational Luncheon (that’s a word often uttered by those of advanced age)(at Round Table Pizza) to learn the Benefits of Preplanning for Cremation.” Her 70th birthday is coming up in a few weeks. She said, “Let me put that in my file,” and tossed it in the recycling. We had a laugh so hard that my cheeks and abs are sore. It’s a year of milestones for us couple of old coots.