526 Tasting Notes

88

I got a few chunks of this, so cranked the puscifer, grabbed a pot, and began a boil.

The leaves are moderately compressed with strong scents of hap, white grape,and sweet but heavy wood. I let this boil until a deep ruby colored liquor (pictured below), and then I let it cool for a few minutes. The brew was medicinal with sweet but very rough body. The aroma was fantastic! My home was filled with the scent of sweet candied dates. The brew carried a nice plum and date taste with phenomenal qi. The brew gave a rush through my head and made me feel lopsided. The later sipping I could hint at some burnt sugar; this was a very interesting experience. I used about 11g and maybe 1L or so on the stove-top. It was a lot of fun, and I was pretty drunk by the end.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRZiV9Xg9Vy/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel&hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRZjZnLAPIn/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel&hl=en

Flavors: Bitter, Burnt Sugar, Dark Wood, Dates, Hay, Medicinal, Plum, Sugar, Sweet, White Grapes

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more 11 g 34 OZ / 1000 ML

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79

I drank this during an oolong binge.

The leaves are tightly rolled with smooth dark grass notes, kale, spinach, and some floral (chrysanthemum?) . I warmed my teapot and placed what I had inside. The warmed leaf gives off some odd roasted tones along with stir fried veggies. I washed the leaves twice and began my steeping. The brew brings some strong bean notes of the palette along with a slight astringent grass note. The brew is bit drying but it has some agave sweetness that lingers in the back of the throat. A minor floral note peaks through (pompoms?), and the brew continues with wet grass, dry, and agave. This was a okay daily drinker for me.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRoC-GZgZwt/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel&hl=en

Flavors: Beany, Bitter, Floral, Kale, Spinach, Sweet

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 0 min, 30 sec 5 g 3 OZ / 100 ML

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79

I really hate when there are multiple “teas” for the same teas, for I get confused on where I should post…

I grabbed this tea from my sample sack and got to brewing. The leaves are loosely threaded with a sweet menthol lick scent along with some wood, roast, and an odd sesame scent. I warmed my pot and placed a bit inside. The scent moves up into roasted veggies with some tandly light green wood. I washed the leaves once and prepared for drinking. The tea has the iconic odd “pencil shavings” taste which translates to a sweet dry wood. I can not some faint honey tones later one, but the brew does grow bitter. An intense green wood note (paloverde?) comes through with the pencil shaving building up. The pencil-y wood note was very direct and easily spotted. The tea is decent, and it makes fair travel tea, but it’s nothing I would keep as a staple. The qi is good though with a clear head feeling and nice energy.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BR0vLTwgPP0/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel&hl=en

Flavors: Bitter, Green Wood, Honey, Menthol, Sweet, Wood

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 15 sec 9 g 4 OZ / 130 ML
apefuzz

Farmerleaf is intriguing to me. I like the small, family production aspect to it, but was wondering about the quality. Thanks for the review.

Haveteawilltravel

Anytime! :) So far, this company’s teas have been fair priced and mid quality. They make great tea for traveling and no fuss sessions, for Jingmai is sweet and easy to brew with little attention needed. I’ve liked them, but they haven’t really been anything more than just “something to drink”.

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88

This is the 2017 harvest.

I am very excited for this year’s spring teas, for I have a hunch that this will be much better than 2016. This will be my first tea of the spring teas, and this will be a first from this company as well. I usually get my Darjeeling from a few other places, but I have been hearing good things about Vahdam.

I am a huge fan of Upper Namring estate. Their teas are always crisp and refreshing with good fruity sweetness and a short bite. These leaves were small and slightly curled with fresh scents of flowers and sweet tree fruits. I take another inhale to bring about brown sugar and honey butter undertones. I grabbed my tetsubin and scooped in what I had. The brew is sweet and rich. A base of pine notes brings unripe mangoes to the palette. The tea finishes with a light bite that cleanses the palette and sweet succulent aftertaste. The liquor is aromatic with heavy honey roasted almonds and sugar crusted papaya. The taste continues to be smooth and rich with a great complexity of heavier molasses/brown sugar maple tones and higher softer florals/fresh white flesh fruit. This was a great Darjeeling, and a wonderful start to a joyous season!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSemGRyA4LS/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel&hl=en

Flavors: Biting, Brown Sugar, Floral, Fruity, Mango, Nuts, Sugar

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec 10 g 24 OZ / 709 ML

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85

Back to some puerh!
I have been searching for a decently aged sheng (besides 90HK) for “daily” consumption, and I have yet to find one that is both easy drinking and affordable; this may be an endless journey.
The leaf is heavily compressed and dark with very faint scents of earth and dry wood. I grabbed my zini and warmed her up and then put old lumps inside. The scents open up into some strong earthiness and slightly sweet with oak and cherry. The aromas are mild and this was definitely stored on the dry side. I washed the leaves once and prepped for brewing. The brew is dry with a heavy bitterness. I can grab at lots of cedar notes with a slight sweetness towards the back of the throat. I couldn’t much of any huigan, except for some slight dried plum notes that wandered to the back. The brew gave me quite a bit of tongue numbing. The qi is moderate and approaches soon with a good head buzz. However, the tea does not go down easily. The brew tends to leave an acrid taste on my tongue. I continue to brew and the soup still almost crosses over the line to the sweet territory, but it is stagnate above staying in its home land of wood, bitters, and dry. I finish the session with a nice qi in my head and some float-y feelings. The tea is fair. I peak inside my pot and do some digging, and I note that I spot a few green and yellow leaves; which is a bit odd for the vintage; however, this may due to the heavy compression. The tea is okay, but in relation to price and what my stomach needs, this is not what I am looking for.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQluGDiA9c4/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel&hl=en

Flavors: Bitter, Dark Wood, Drying, Earth, Oak, Plum, Wood

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 15 sec 3 g 50 OZ / 1478 ML

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65

I found an unopened box of this tucked away in my closet. I am always amazed at how often I find random quantities of tea that I don’t remember. This box states that it is still good for another year, so I am in luck. Lately I have been getting crap for sleep, so I started bringing these to work to help keep me alive. The sachets are nice, and the tea inside looks like a typical Chun Mee or Hyson with a few pieces of jasmine. The scent is nice and heavy with jasmine and a base of vegetal. However, that is where my interest stops. The taste is okay. It’s a bit rough and sickening with the florals. Honestly, the more I drink of it the less I like it. This is the sort of tea that gives me headache and makes my stomach turn. Although, at just one cup it is fine. It is far from good, but it is drinkable. I have tried using cooler water (doesn’t have any flavor, except for the bitter floral), and I have tried shorter steep times (same conclusion), but I cannot make this a great brew…

Flavors: Bitter, Drying, Floral, Grass, Jasmine, Vegetal

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 2 min, 45 sec 3 g 8 OZ / 236 ML

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84

The weather is getting warmer and the sun is shining, so i’ve been craving something a bit more “green”, and this tea fit the bill quite nicely. The leaves are short and thick with a heavy scent of umami that is quite lovely. I grabbed my kyusu and scooped some inside. The brew is brilliantly clear and light jade with a nice warming umami taste with a green grassy base. The brew is not overly complex, but it is enjoyable to drink, and it will do perfectly today.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BR8pZ9EgTUN/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel&hl=en

Flavors: Grass, Green, Sweet, Umami, Vegetal

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 1 min, 15 sec 3 g 8 OZ / 236 ML

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90

Out of the three, this one is my favorite. The flavor is rich and full with a nice green wooded base with hay and lemongrass mixed in and a sweetness of light molasses. This is a great tea to sip on and perk me up. The brew is more nourishing than the others, and it feels good to my body to drink. I like teas that replenish my body as I sip. You can feel It when you gulp; it should feel satisfying and crisp. I may have to get this tea in loose form, and toss it into my gourd to see what happens.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSWMfu-gcmO/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel&hl=en

Flavors: Green Wood, Hay, Lemongrass, Molasses, Smooth, Sweet, Thick

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 30 sec

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80

This one is a bit greener than the dark roast, and it has more of a wet wood feel to it. The sweetness is alike cane sugar, and it comes with a bit of astringency; however, it is still quite smooth and easy to drink. I enjoy the buzz yaupon gives me.

Smooth and mild, our medium roast yaupon is inspired by Lost Maples, a forest unlike any other in Texas. In the fall, the bigtooth maples along the Sabinal river, left over from the last Ice Age, don a magnificent array of colors echoed by the caramel notes in every cup.

Available in 2 ounce loose leaf and individually wrapped yaupon pouches (our take on the tea bag).

Flavors: Drying, Hay, Sugarcane, Sweet, Wood

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec

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Bio

Young and experienced Tea consumer. I’m continuously learning and developing knowledge about tea. If I have learned anything at all from the world of tea it is that I do not know anything about the world of tea. I enjoy good tea, and I try to acquire the best of the best. I usually brew gongfu but I’ve been known from time to time to resort back to western brewing.

I have an Instagram (haveteawilltravel), and I am proud of my photographs. I use my pictures in my reviews,and I hope that they aid in portraying the beauty of tea and teaware.

https://www.instagram.com/haveteawilltravel/?hl=en

Tea Rating System:
I rate my teas based on the category they fall into (Puer, Red, Oolong, Darjeeing, Flushes, Yancha… etc.)
This means that I will rate a Oolong based on how it stands up as a quality Oolong. I try not to compare teas, rather I work to evaluate them on their craftsmanship, harvest, processing, and qi.

I am most strict with Shou and Sheng Puerh, only because of the vast expanse of various experiences, such as; region, vintage, production, processing, etc.

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Middle of nowhere, New York

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