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Sipdown

I’ve had plenty of subpar Dragon Well green teas in my life to know that this one wasn’t anything outstanding. I decided to change it up and brew the rest of this overnight in the fridge, as a cold brewed tea. Maybe the key to making an excellent green tea is to cold brew because this method seemed to help elevate the nutty tasting notes, and somehow, allowed the tea to be crisper and refreshing! Again, it’s not the most amazing green tea, but this cup was enjoyable, nonetheless.

February Sipdown

Aroma: Vanilla & cake/s

Color: Yellow

Tasting Notes: Vanilla birthday cake with added spices – reminded me of my grandma’s vanilla spice cake (cinnamon, cardamon, & nutmeg).

February Sipdown

Aroma: Grassy, buttery, & vegetal

Color: Yellow/green

Tasting Notes: Green beans, buttery, mushrooms, & bitter aftertaste

Sip Down & Backlog

Aroma: Fruity – nearly citrusy, peachy, & floral.
Texture: Thin, not much body.
Color: Yellow / light gold
Tasting Notes: Peach, florals (Jasmine?), astringent, & slightly bitter.
Added Notes: This sheng was perfect for a midday pick-me-up. It helped elevate my mind and feel giddy. The tea lasted about 9 infusions each time, but I think I could’ve managed to pull more from the sessions, had I cold brewed or overly steeped the tea. I’m likely to grab a cake of this soon.

Sip Down & Backlog

Reviewed on 02/01/2025

Aroma: A bit earthy, sweet, chocolate, & vanilla.
Texture: Soupy, creamy, & thick mouthfeel.
Color: Dark red – not as dark as other shou.
Tasting Notes: Vanilla & earthy.
Added Notes: Nothing too complex. More expensive than most shou cakes I’ve had in the past, yet somehow less unique than even the cheaper ones. It was overall pretty average.

Sipdown

“2021 Gushu Baicha”

I cannot remember for the life of me where or when I required this sample. It may have been from one of my farmer sources on IG or from a swap. I failed to make a note who sent the tea. My notes on the slip of paper attached read, “Unsweetened grapes, pencil shavings, malt, & wood chips. 55/100.”

Sipdown

It’s great to sip a green tea that’s moderately fresh (at least not sitting for 2-3 years in the stash) in the winter! Sweet Dew was refreshing, grassy, and crisp while the weather outside was biting, cold, and bitter.

Backlog

“A bitter cup of smoke and charcoal.” – January 3, 2025

Sipdown

I had topped this off on the New Year, but noted that it didn’t remind me much of Apple Pie, as much as it had lemongrass with chai spices added. I hadn’t loved the cuppa.

Backlog

I hadn’t spent too much time taking notes with this session. I had sipped this one in the moment, and after the flavor started to pop (about the 3rd infusion), I noted sweet florals/honey. The qi headiness was the main attraction. I marked on the back, “6 infusions & giddy from the tea.” Too bad one can’t get this on their website. It seems that a lot of tea peeps got this in their Black Friday boxes, too.