121 Tasting Notes
Relaxing. Couldn’t be bothered to remove old leaves for we go high and last thoughts from the pot. Naka isn’t my favorite taste/scent profile so it was an experiment. Eh. Energy is good. Taste blech. Scent meh. Went to gym after. The end.
music pairing: presidential candidate andrew yang’s playlist https://yang2020.com/spotify
https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/yangs-favorite-jams/pl.u-gxblkKJtXJej7
Temporarily through with the the OCD phase of tea appreciation, as I’ve halted acquisitions and have entered drink down mode.. Now it’s kinda like throw a chunk in. Pour water until it feels right. If I overbrew, I overbrew. If I underbrew, I underbrew. The trick is to find a tea that you’re happy with either way, for many steeps. This is one of ’em.
song pairing: happy now – ha:tfelt
I was using this tea every month to combat pain related to the menses but have since then discovered that CBD oil is far cheaper per serving for this issue. Now I only drink this when the pain is very bad or kind of as if it was single malt scotch, just as an occasional experience.
Song pairing: הזוג הזה – mergui
Have finally finished off the highly compressed yiwu disc from this set. Am no longer concerned about the dust because I am now resigned to replacing my filter every 3 to 6 months depending on volume of tea drunk. Really just glad to get any tea sessions in these days.
Song pairing: if we have each other – alec benjamin
Finished my sample. It seemed like a normal alishan. I still have a relatively large stash of this category of tea from an H&S order. Ever since the weather got warmer I have not made the time to sit down regularly to drink tea. My beverage when out has become the easily found ice coffee again.
Song pairing: kirari futari – mamerico
What an intimidating name for dried magnolia berries. I have procrastinated in making this because every version I have been served has been both too sour and too sweet for me. But I like what happened when I put a handful (I’ve small hands, so probably 12-15 berries) into a liter of cold water and let it sit covered for 24 hours. Drunk without added sweeteners, lightly cold-brewed omija is subtle and refreshing, much like a lemon water, but an omija water instead. Omija water is loads prettier, and lets me feel like I’m participating in the culture. Yay! People who want this to be a more intense, authentic experience can boil it for a bit, add some sort of sweetener, and cool it down before drinking. A popular prepraration is to make a lovely punch of it called hwachae by adding floating flowers made of Korean pear (or watermelon, strawberries, or kiwis or whatever fruit floats your boat), chungpomuk, and a sprinkle of pine nuts. I don’t care for it much fancied up this way, but then the color will be prettier, the whole thing very Instagrammable, and the flavor unforgettable(-y tart and sweet).
Flavors: Berries, Sour, Sweet
Of the Mountain Stream samples I’ve tried so far, this one is the most memorable. The scent is a toasted grain breakfast cereal, and the tea has an unusually calming effect. I haven’t tried many GABA’s yet, so can’t compare, but certainly compared to non-GABA teas, there is a noticeable difference. There isn’t much longevity to the flavors, but you end up not minding because it’s such a unique experience.
Preparation
Maybe 25% oxidation is too low for me. I have tried many 고산차’s at this point, and most of them are just ho-hum to me given the expense. It’s easy to see why the category is appealing for many, but I seldom crave this sort of high mountain stuff. I don’t dislike it. It’s just not something I’m going to seek out.
