Master's Ti Kuan Yin

Back to project taste-and-write-notes-about-all-teas-in-the-cupboard.

As I mentioned, I had been feeling pressured by my own tea-related goals in a way that didn’t feel very good. So I gave myself permission to slow down this part of the project (the other being project sipdown). The good news is that the current count after this one is:

14 oolongs to go
8 pu erhs to go
A few random tea bag samples
A number of pu erh samples

Of course, I just got my Lupicia order and I haven’t added those teas to my cupboard. That’s going to skew the above numbers but only in the sense that it will add a few untasted greens and blacks. I don’t think I ordered any oolong or pu erh in that order.

But anyway. Gaiwan. 195F. Rinse. 15 seconds first steep, +5, cumulatively for each subsequent steep.

The dry leaves are very green, very balled, very typical looking and have a savory smell on the surface that gives way to a floral/green smell with a touch of butter.

On the first steep, the tea is pale yellow with a green tinge, clear, and has a mild, floral-lilac fragrance with a hint of butter/milk. Its flavor is also mild; delicate, very slightly milky, and green-floral.

All of these qualities are more intense in the second steep. It’s interesting to me that the company describes this as less buttery than another tea, because in the second steep I get a pronounced note of butter. It’s true, though, that the floral predominates.

Maybe I’m just in the mood for a green oolong today, but this is really making me happy. I could easily sip on this for the rest of the day. I think on other days, the savory aspect might make me rate this a bit lower, but today it is, strangely, a plus.

So many teas, so little time.