306 Tasting Notes

40

The scent of this Puer after rinsing is vegetal with heavy hints of damp forest floor. The lotus scent in this is just barely detectable, a slight licorice-like hint.

The infusion is a sort of dusty yellow and it tastes like paper bag, with lingering flavors reminiscent of fallen tree leaves. The lotus flavor is also just barely detectable.

After the second infusion, the lotus smell is still very subtle in the damp leaves, and there is a scent that reminds you of old, cool weathered enclosures, like an old basement or garage. This infusions yeilds more lotus flavor amid a background of raw puer that is still fairly paper-tasting with vegetal notes as well. There’s a sort of spicy sensation and heat that lingers in the mouth, and a bit of tanginess that sticks to the tongue.

Not having any idea on the age of this tea (it was a sample given to me by an acquaintance), I can already tell it’s somewhat young. On the third infusion, there’s a good deal of bitterness in the taste. I can’t speak for others, I’m sure there are those who would enjoy a tea like this, but I’ve had quality raw puer, and this is not what I consider that to be. There’s not much complexity to the flavor. I’m reminded of sticking a Phenylthiocarbamide test strip in my mouth. Those of you who have done the “supertaster” test, know what I’m talking about, though I’m apparently not a supertaster, so I’m not talking about the full brunt of the bitterness you would get from that experience if you were. As the tea cools, the taste I am getting is more pepper with hints of lotus. I can’t say this is bad quality tea, just as much as I can’t say it’s good quality. It’s just not doing much for me. There’s a lingering sweetness in my mouth now that intrigues me, so I’ll push it one more infusion and see where that leads.

On the fourth infusion I’m getting much more spicy and vegetal notes on the scent of the leaves. It’s more pleasant than before. The taste now is a little more rich and vegetal, less like paper, but it is still a bit bitter and the lotus is a very faint aftertaste. When I have to bend my thoughts to try to accept or enjoy a tea, it just isn’t for me.

Flavors: Anise, Bitter, Paper, Vegetal

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 3 OZ / 100 ML

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72
drank Dehong Mao Cha 2013 by Mandala Tea
306 tasting notes

Thanks again, Garret, for the sample!

This mao cha has a heavy smell of smoke, or smoked meat. After a rinse there are some green vegetal notes coming through in the aroma and still a good amount of smokey smell.

The taste of the first infusion is a bit light, a bit of a tart fruit like flavor, reminds me of the smell of hedge apples or the taste of an underripe pear.

By the second infusion, the leaves have released some sweet citrus aromas and a bit of floral. This cup tastes more buttery and citrusy, and smells a little smokey still. As the tea cools there are hints of anise and pepper in the flavor.

The third infusion has a sort of alcohol taste in the aftertaste. I can’t decide if it’s like having a dry white wine or more like hops in a beer, but it’s one of those. There’s still a bit of smokiness as well.

The fourth infusion is a little creamy with wood notes and smoke.

Overall, this tea has a lot of changes from one infusion to the next. It isn’t really the type of flavor spectrum that I seek out, but it’s an interesting tea nonetheless. It seems like one that might age well.

Flavors: Citrus, Creamy, Pepper, Smoke, White Wine, Wood

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 3 OZ / 100 ML
boychik

i liked this one a lot

cookies

Ooh, sounds lovely. I love me some smoky sheng.

mrmopar

Yep +1 on the smoky. I don’t mind it when its not smacking you in the face but subtle smoke.

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90

Thanks, Garret, for the sample!

An initial rinse of these dark leaves reveals a very fresh, cool scent that smells like sweet dough and mineral. There’s also a nice scent of petrichor, the smell of the air when it rains. A very faint hint of vanilla whispers by.

The first infusion brings out more aromas, this time of sweet cocoa and hooka smoke. The infusion is a gorgeous dusty rose color. The flavor is very delicate and sweet. It doesn’t have the mustiness of a lot of ripe Puer teas. There’s a cooling sensation or hui-gan that stays in my mouth long after finishing the sip.

After the second infusion, not surprisingly, I’m getting rose on the nose. I felt something very “rosy” about this tea. Apparently it’s not just the color. By this infusion, the brew is a deeper color, reddish. The flavor is not as sweet this time. It’s got a bit of wood or leather quality to it now, but it is still very smooth and enjoyable. It really leaves a lasting taste in the mouth. There’s a very buttery flavor that coats the gums. You can lick it off of them and taste it very distinctly, an interesting quality I’ve never noticed in a tea before.

The third infusion is rich and again somewhat sweet. It’s mellow. This is the cleanest tasting ripe Puer I have tried.

I pushed my 4th infusion a little bit longer to see what this would taste like with a stronger brew. I’m not noticing anything different. It has consistently good flavor. In fact, I think it tasted better when brewed a bit more delicately.

This is a very enjoyable Puer tea and a milder one. Some ripe Puer tea I’ve had that was mellower tasted bland and uninteresting, but this one is truly relaxing and shines in its subtlety. This is exactly the right kind of tea I’d need to relax after a long day.

Flavors: Mineral, Pastries, Petrichor, Vanilla

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 15 sec 4 g 3 OZ / 100 ML
Garret

Your pleasure is my pleasure. Thanks for writing up your thoughts on this, my friend. In regard to your gongfu question via email – you are on the exact track. There are no rules. Following ones heart and being with each sip is, in my opinion, the most important part of gongfu anything :)

You’ve got this. You always have.

with gratitude,
Garret

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73
drank Lily by ESGREEN
306 tasting notes

This is a really strange tisane. The flowers are large and a beautiful red. They smell like smoked meat, particularly like a beef snack stick, the sort of long… thin snack sausages you can find in nearly every convenience store in the US… like a Slim Jim.

The infusion brews a sort of amber color. The flavor is surprisingly sweeter than I expected, a little bit fruity but more umami, kind of a tomato flavor, with a hint of smoke that follows in the aftertaste. It’s a little bit tangy like hibiscus, but not nearly as bold.

I can’t believe how much I actually enjoy this. It tastes a lot like tomato juice but with a smokey aftertaste. After the smokey aftertaste dies out, the taste left in my mouth reminds me of dried apple chips, especially tart green ones like Granny Smith.

I feel funny rating this tisane higher than the green smiley face on the scale. Haha. I feel kind of nuts for liking this.

Flavors: Meat, Smoked, Tangy, Umami

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 1 min, 30 sec 2 g 3 OZ / 100 ML

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51

I was told this tea was a nightmare of bitterness and the person who gave it to me said they wouldn’t feel right even giving it to an enemy. Haha. This was an invitation to adventure for me.

I brewed the kuding cha in my gaiwan for about 2 minutes at 185 degrees. I was surprsied that the tightly wound leaf didn’t really open up much in that amount of time. You could resteep this several times.

The brewed tea is a pretty pale green. The aroma after brewing reminds me of two things… freshly opened plastic hard-cases like you find electronics often packaged in… and the smell of old buildings. Neither are bad to me, I should mention, just uncommon for a tea. There is also a heavy aroma of wet hay and clay-rich mud.

Wowwwww, oh goodness wow. That is some bitter tea. What’s strange is that the bitterness isn’t just straight-up gag-reflex inducing bitterness. It’s the kind of bitterness I can see those who like bitterness enjoying. I am not a big fan of bitter flavors in general. I can’t even eat grapefruit, so this is definitely not a tea for me, but let me see if I can describe this taste a bit better. The taste starts out like the taste of paper and is even mildly sugary sweet. If you hold your breath while moving it around in your mouth, you can’t even taste the bitterness. It’s only after swallowing the tea and breathing that the bitterness really sneaks in. Or maybe the effect sort of diminishes after a sip or two.

On the second infusion the tea is a lot less bitter, or maybe I’ve gotten used to it!

I’ll be honest. It’s not nearly as terrible as what I expected. I think if you have a guilty pleasure for bitterness or “antique” aromas, or are just really into traditional Chinese medicine, this could be a good tea for you.

Flavors: Bitter, Paper, Sweet

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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86
drank Nepal Silver Oolong Tea by What-Cha
306 tasting notes

Never had a silver oolong before. This tea from Nepal looks similar to a Taiwanese Bai Hao, an open-leaf style oolong with loosely curled strips and some fuzzy white buds in the mix, though this is more green. There’s a very distinct and familiar smell to this tea that I can’t quite figure out from smelling the dry leaves. It smells like old book pages and something else… I believe the aroma I am getting is pine wood, similar to a pinewood box (fuku masu) for drinking sake when it is wet and full of sake.

When I pulled the lid off my gaiwan after the first infusion, the first words to come out of my mouth were excited expletives, as I wasn’t expecting the intense aroma that drifted over to me. It’s hard to describe, but the scent smells like fruit flowers, maybe a little like orange blossoms, and is very vibrant and uplifting. It reminds me of the aroma of some of the best white teas I’ve had the pleasure to enjoy. There’s a good deal of the scent I’m familiar with in a good quality first flush Darjeeling as well, sort of perfumed, a bit earthy, and lightly fruity.

The brew is very sweet. The taste is very floral with hints of citrus and definite notes of pear.

On the second infusion the aroma is of flowers and fruit, maybe raspberries. The taste is a bit more perfume-like, reminding me once again of orange blossoms. The infusion is a pale creamy yellow. Oh, hey! Look at that. I just checked the website to read up on this tea a bit and they also describe it as having an orange blossom note.

This tea is really vibrant and enjoyable. The energy of this tea is more invigorating than calming.

The fourth infusion tastes more like orange blossoms and herbs. It’s really sweet and relaxing, very spring like.

This tea is incredibly aromatic and seems to be best when brewed somewhat lightly. If you go too heavy on the leaf, it becomes astringent.

Flavors: Fruit Tree Flowers, Orange Blossom, Pear, Pine

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 0 min, 30 sec 3 g 100 OZ / 2957 ML

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70
drank Tomo Sencha by Wegmans
306 tasting notes

This is a very nutty and mellow tasting sencha. I had it stored with other tea samples and it seems to have taken on flavors from some of them, so I’m not going to do an in-depth review. I can say though that this one is mellow and a bit sweet, pretty good tasting. I’m getting hints of anise but I think that is from other tea scents that got into it.

Flavors: Nutty, Sweet

Preparation
160 °F / 71 °C 1 min, 0 sec 3 g 3 OZ / 100 ML

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64

After infusing, the tea smells very nutty and vegetal, like green beans

The brewed tea is a sort of yellow-green color, kind of sickly looking if I’m being honest. The scent is quite umami and reminds me of gyokuru. The flavor is unique. It has a flash of bitterness, but an agreeable kind and underneath that is a rich bed of umami with very green and vegetal tones, and some hints of herb and mushroom.

On the second infusion, the flavor is dramatically different, much more mellow and subdued, more sweet and nutty. I imagine this is because most of the matcha was poured and drank in the first infusion. There’s a bit of a sour tang in the finish.

The third infusion is even more subtle and tastes something like green beans and nuts. There’s a little saltiness as well. I got this sample from an acquaintance, so I can’t say how old it is, and it certainly hasn’t been properly stored for a Japanese green tea since I got it. I have had it in a little plastic bag just sitting in a box of other samples for months, so I imagine I am not experiencing this tea in its ideal state of freshness. I’ll lean a little higher on my rating to account for that.

I don’t know if matcha-laced teas are really my thing. I’ve only had a couple now. I enjoy sencha because most I have had are very calming and don’t have an intense feeling from caffeine. Adding matcha to the tea makes it seem more invigorating and gives me more of the sensation of caffeine rush, so I don’t particularly enjoy that. This wasn’t a bad tea. The flavor was nice, but it’s not really something I prefer… a little too “edgy” for me, I think.

Flavors: Bitter, Green Beans, Nuts, Umami

Preparation
160 °F / 71 °C 1 min, 0 sec 3 g 3 OZ / 100 ML

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100
drank Osmanthus Oolong by Tea Ave
306 tasting notes

I have had a few Osmanthus oolong teas before and while I enjoy the fragrance, I had trouble enjoying the flavor. They were cloyingly sweet. That said, I’m going to give this one a chance and see what happens.

The dry leaves in a warm gaiwan smell heavily of sweet flowers and bright orange fruit like oranges or apricots. There are also hints of milky cream scent from the Jin Xuan cultivar used in this tea. Orange cream-sickle anyone?

I am using a Taiwanese aroma cup set to enjoy this tea. The scent is even more decadent coming out of the aroma cup, very creamy and fruity, very sweet and honey-like.

The first infusion is pale yellow. Surprisingly, the flavor that comes through the most in the drink is the creamy taste of the oolong itself. The floral sweetness comes in as a refreshingly sweet aftertaste. The mouthfeel of this tea, just like all the others I’ve tried from Tea Ave so far, is exceptionally smooth and clean, very crisp, not drying at all.

The aroma from the second steeping is really just impressing me to no end. Is this really osmanthus tea? Haha. It smells like oranges and cream. I am melting a little bit every time I sniff it. The liquor is a little more yellow this time, but still on the pale side. The flavor is wonderfully sweet and mellow. There is nothing cloying about this tea at all, nothing soapy, nothing bitter, nothing that tastes artificial. Wow!

By the third infusion, I almost can’t imagine having this tea without an aroma cup. The way the scent lingers in there and is just so rich and concentrated… it’s incredibly invigorating and relaxing both at once. This is great. Sure the scent is good off the drinking cup too, but it’s a little different, and not as potent. The flavor this time is incredibly rich and smooth. Wow.

Tea Ave, you have made a believer of me. I look forward to trying your entire selection of loose teas. I think this company could really go far! Osmanthus is a tea I haven’t even liked in the past, and of the three samples you’ve sent, this one is my favorite! Wow! I am just so impressed! The flavors of the oolong and the osmanthus flowers really complement each other, a perfect yin and yang. I don’t taste one more than the other. This is brilliant. Kudos to the farmers and staff who produced this tea!

I was going to end this review here, but made a 4th infusion while I was finishing up, and goodness, I can’t take how good this is! Few teas put me in a tea frenzy like this. This is good stuff! The sweetness lingers in your mouth for such a long time.

Flavors: Apricot, Cream, Flowers, Orange, Sweet

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 0 min, 45 sec 4 g 3 OZ / 100 ML
Ubacat

Oh that sounds so good! I’m just sad that sample isn’t in mine. This was the very first time for me too using an aroma cup. It made for an amazing tea experience. What was even better was I had to set aside time to take notes, sniff, sip. I really got into the full experience of the tea.

Lion

What samples did you get Ubacat? I can’t wait for their store to open so I can order some more of them.

mrmopar

Osmanthus done right is killer good.

TeaBrat

I have an Osmanthus white pearl tea from Red Blossom & it is to die for…

Ubacat

I’ve got Wenshan Baochong oolong, Jasmine oolong , & Alishan Jin Xuan Oolong. I’ll probably order more samples when the store opens too. They’re getting some great reviews.

Teaave

Hey Lion, we are so happy to see you enjoying our oolongs! It will be awesome if you can stop by our site sometimes and help us rate the teas you’ve tried!! Thank you :)

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90

I received this sample from Tea Ave prior to their grand opening. The leaves are gorgeous little twirls ranging from dark brown to fuzzy white. The scent is of autumn leaves and spices. I’m reminded of Bai Mudan.

After letting the dry leaves sit in a warm gaiwan for a moment, the scent that arises is of honey, lemons, and warm cream. I’m also getting subtle notes of cucumber and dry leaves (haha, sounds funny since they are dry leaves).

The aroma of the wet leaves is incredibly fragrant, with honey, warm grass, and so many wonderful tropical flower scents.

I’m enjoying this tea with an incredibly well-made and gorgeous Taiwanese aroma cup set that was sent to me by Tea Ave. They are white porcelain, hold a couple ounces of tea, and rest on a beautiful oak wood saucer. These cups are used by pouring the tea into the tall aroma cup, then pouring it from there into the wide, short drinking cup. The aroma is sniffed from the tall empty cup as a column of vapor exits it after pouring, then the tea is drank from the short cup.

The aroma from within the aroma cup is a very sweet one, reminding me of the scent of honey. Moving back to the drinking cup, the aroma is creamy with little drops of spice. On my first sip of the tea, it has a very smooth and mouth-coating texture, very clean. The color of the liquor is pale gold. The flavor is light and reminiscent of white tea. There is an intense hui-gan, or recurring cooling sweetness in the mouth, more so than I’ve experienced with any other tea, and in that regard it is very refreshing. The overall taste is not quite as sweet as the scent. There’s a mild dry praire grass and fallen leaves kind of characteristic to it, once again reminding me of a Bai Mudan or White Peony tea. The little notes of spice in the flavor are very reminiscent of chrysanthemum.

On the second infusion, the aroma cup starts with a strong smell of peat or bog. I had thought I detected this on the first cup, but it was much lighter. After just a few moments of gently rolling the cup between my hands the flavor evolves into a sweet honey scent once again, with bright floral notes. The brewed liquor in the drinking cup is now a deep golden yellow, nearing orange. The taste is again very clean and crisp, deeper and more earthy this time with more of the chrysanthemum notes coming through. If you let it sit in the back of your mouth and hold your breath, wonderful floral aromas rise up into your nose from inside. This may be one of the cleanest and lightest tasting oolong teas I’ve had. It is not at all lacking in flavor, but it registers in a subtle and gentle way on the palate.

Third infusion , the scent and flavor are even more complex. It is hard to describe. I will leave it at that. This is definitely a great tea and one I would recommend.

Many thanks to Tea Ave for the wonderful samples and cups!

Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Cucumber, Flowers, Grass, Honey, Spices

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 0 min, 45 sec 4 g 3 OZ / 100 ML
Shae

An aroma cup sounds like such a neat idea!

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Bio

Hi there, fellow tea lovers.

My name’s Lion and I’m a Gongfu Cha practitioner, so I usually brew with a gaiwan for reviews unless there’s a more suitable brewing method, like using Japanese teawares for Japanese teas. I tend to stick to straight loose teas and scented teas in general, seldom dabbling in herbal and flavored teas. My favorite tea is Kenyan Silver Needle.

Aside from tea, I’m a generally creative person. I love to cook, write fiction, draw, decorate, garden, and do just about anything creative I can get my paws on.

Animals are really important to me. I’m a lion at heart, and I strive to better understand, respect, and appreciate other animals as best as I can. I advocate for better stewardship of wildlife and captive animals. We’ve still got a lot to learn.

For a long time I rated every tea I tried, but these days I don’t rate them unless they’re exceptional and deserving of a high rating. Here’s my rating breakdown for my reviews with ratings:

0 = Unpalatable, harsh
25 = Unenjoyable
50 = I’m indifferent
75 = Enjoyable, average
90+ = The best, would buy more
100 = Incredible, a favorite

Location

Kansas City, USA

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