Cameron B. select Send Message

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Cameron B. drank Lost Maples - Medium Roast by CatSpring Yaupon

4292 tasting notes

Sipdown! (109 | 206)

Honestly, I was disappointed in this one.

I really loved the green version, which was the first I tried from the sampler. This smells amazing dry, like honey-sweet golden raisins. But for some reason, for me there’s a noticeable ashy, charred flavor in the steeped tea. I didn’t see any other reviewers mention it, so I’m a bit perplexed… Otherwise, it has a nice autumnal, lightly toasty herbaceous flavor with plenty of sweetness and notes of autumn leaves, tobacco, and syrupy dried figs and raisins. But that very mineral ashy taste just throws the whole thing off for me.

I tried different steeping parameters but the result was the same for every cup. Not sure what I’m doing wrong… :(

Flavors: Apricot, Ash, Autumn Leaf Pile, Char, Charcoal, Dried Fruit, Earthy, Fig, Herbaceous, Honey, Mineral, Raisins, Roasted, Smooth, Sweet, Toasted, Tobacco

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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3 comments

Mastress Alita
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I really dislike ashy/charcoal notes and definitely didn’t get anything like that in either the Medium or Dark roast. I wonder if it got roasted incorrectly… a burnt batch that still went out?

Cameron B.
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Yeah I didn’t see anyone mention it, so I wonder…

I’ll probably end up ordering Pedernales so I’ll have to get another sample of this one to try when I do.

Martin Bednář
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It indeed seems like some kind of bad batch :(

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Comments

Mastress Alita
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I really dislike ashy/charcoal notes and definitely didn’t get anything like that in either the Medium or Dark roast. I wonder if it got roasted incorrectly… a burnt batch that still went out?

Cameron B.
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Yeah I didn’t see anyone mention it, so I wonder…

I’ll probably end up ordering Pedernales so I’ll have to get another sample of this one to try when I do.

Martin Bednář
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It indeed seems like some kind of bad batch :(

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… ;)

~ 2025 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January sipdowns: 3
- Total 2025 sipdowns: 3

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