Cameron B. select Send Message

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Cameron B. drank Hunan Black Congou by Capital Tea Ltd.

4298 tasting notes

First tea of the day! This one came from Dexter’s amazingly generous care package. The leaves are quite pretty. They’re long and twisty and somewhat thick – similar to Taiwanese black teas but a nice warm chocolate brown in color. Dry scent is mildly sweet and raisiny with a bit of malt. The amount of leaves I had left looked like more than enough for one cup but not quite enough for two, so I used it all and made a 10 ounce cup instead of 8. :)

Steeped, this tea smells very fruity with some bread and floral notes. I think I may have overdone it slightly on the leaf, it’s just on the edge of being slightly bitter. However, the flavor itself is quite tasty. There’s definitely a heavy raisin influence here along with an overall strong malt flavor. I’m getting a tiny bit of floral as a top note, and while I could do without it it’s not ruining the tea for me. Touch of astringency as well.

Flavors: Astringent, Floral, Malt, Raisins

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 10 OZ / 295 ML

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Skysamurai
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oh jesh… I thought it said human at first…

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Skysamurai
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oh jesh… I thought it said human at first…

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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… ;)

~ 2025 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January sipdowns: 8
- Total 2025 sipdowns: 8

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 (or monkfruit, etc.).

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