Cameron B. select Send Message

345 Followers / 342 Following

Recommended

Cameron B. drank Hong Yun Black by Butiki Teas

4124 tasting notes

This sample came from the generous and lovely Stephanie. Must try all of the Butiki teas! Especially the straight blacks. :D This looks similar to the Taiwanese Assams I have from Butiki, it has those “creepy tree branch” leaves. I wondered how this differs from other similar-looking teas, so I looked at the website. Apparently this tea is a cross between Assam and Keemun, which is very cool. I don’t really get any smell from the dry leaves. I noticed that the website recommends 2 teaspoons per 8 oz, so I “underwatered” a bit for my sample, as it looked to be about a teaspoon.

The brewed tea smells lovely – apricots, dark dried fruits, and honey. My first though after tasting this was… yum! Lol. This may be the fruitiest black tea I’ve had yet. Very strong apricot and plum flavor with a generous amount of honey over the top. There’s a little wisp of floral near the end of the sip, which I have found in a couple of Keemun teas before. At first, I didn’t think I was finding a lot of Assam in here, as I’ve found more fruitiness in Keemuns I’ve tried. However, as the tea started to cool a bit, I started to taste that amazing pastry-like waffle flavor that I found in the Taiwanese Wild Mountain Black yesterday. Oh, hello Assam! So I would recommend trying this tea warm for a different flavor profile. :D

Flavors: Apricot, Floral, Honey, Malt, Pastries, Plum

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 6 OZ / 177 ML

I Like This

18 likes

4 comments

Nicole
Delete

Mmm. This sounds good.

Cameron B.
Delete

It is quite good if you enjoy fruity! A bit pricey but I think I would order it anyway as a nice light, fruity tea for afternoon. :)

Tealizzy
Delete

I LOVE this one!!!

Cameron B.
Delete

Tealizzy, it’s definitely tasty! I’m tempted to but it on my order list so I can try it with the recommended 2 teaspoons. I love apricots and plums! :D

People who liked this

Comments

Nicole
Delete

Mmm. This sounds good.

Cameron B.
Delete

It is quite good if you enjoy fruity! A bit pricey but I think I would order it anyway as a nice light, fruity tea for afternoon. :)

Tealizzy
Delete

I LOVE this one!!!

Cameron B.
Delete

Tealizzy, it’s definitely tasty! I’m tempted to but it on my order list so I can try it with the recommended 2 teaspoons. I love apricots and plums! :D

Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- October sipdowns: 1
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 130

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing