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Cameron B. drank Azores Shade-Grown Orange Pekoe 'Ponta Branca' Black Tea by What-Cha

4158 tasting notes

Good morning Steepster! Gah, I don’t even know what to do with myself with all of these new teas to try. I have so many black teas to choose from in particular. Oh well, gotta start somewhere! I thought this would be a good first tea of the day because it mentions briskness on the package. The leaves vary a lot in size, and there are pieces of stem as well. In the package, the tea smells somewhat spicy and malty. If I dump some tea into my hand to smell, it smells more mellow and sweet. Odd!

This is one of those teas that just doesn’t have much aroma. And that’s no fault of it’s own, it’s just the way it is. Whoa, this is an interesting one. At first taste, it seems very musty and hay-like. But it becomes creamier and maltier as the sip progresses. The flavor is actually really light and not brisk at all. There’s also a somewhat vegetal flavor, I think? It’s odd, the flavor disappears before I have much time to think about it, leaving just a light malty aftertaste.

Flavors: Creamy, Hay, Malt, Musty, Smooth, Vegetal

Preparation

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

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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… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- November sipdowns: 7
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 150

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