Cameron B. select Send Message

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Cameron B. drank Yunnan Dian Hong Trees Needles by Han Xiang Ecological Tea

4126 tasting notes

Hah, I automatically went to type “Lewis & Clarke TTB” at the top of my post. Whoops! I did keep five more teas to try, but none of them are black teas, and I need my black tea in the morning! :) This one came from Han Xiang Ecological Tea on AliExpress. The leaves are gorgeous, as you can no doubt see from the image. They’re straight with pointed ends, definitely reminiscent of pine needles, and of course they’re golden and fuzzy and lovely! Dry scent is very sweet and honeyed with that lovely stonefruit smell that these teas tend to have.

Once brewed, this tea smells sweet and bready with sweet potato notes. I’m also getting a little bit of cocoa. The taste is all the things I love about Yunnan teas – smooth, sweet, bready, sweet potato-y, and with just a bit of fruitiness. It’s making me a bit happier this morning, when I’m grumpy because I didn’t sleep well last night. :P

Flavors: Apricot, Bread, Honey, Malt, Sweet Potatoes

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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3 comments

SarsyPie
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Sorry you didn’t sleep well, Cam bot! But I’m sure glad the tea is helping!!! :)

Cameron B.
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Thanks dear! It’s just one of those days when I feel meh.

Cheri
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I almost typed in L&CTTB for my first tea post tea box as well.

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Comments

SarsyPie
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Sorry you didn’t sleep well, Cam bot! But I’m sure glad the tea is helping!!! :)

Cameron B.
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Thanks dear! It’s just one of those days when I feel meh.

Cheri
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I almost typed in L&CTTB for my first tea post tea box as well.

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: 3
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 132

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