1839 Tasting Notes

80

Leafhopper sent me this tea, so thanks!
Apparently, it’s quite old tea, but two of those three notes are “quite new”. And I almost never toss tea out, and never without trying it first.

I had almost 5 grams (4.75 gr to be exact); used all leaf for single gongfu session. Steeped as Daylon did, that’s: 25, 35, 25, 45, 50, 70, 90 (seconds), 3 min.

I read also his note as well Leafhopper’s, and I agree with both of them. But one more year in this tea and flavours were a bit more faded I think, or my leaf/water ratio was different, as I was steeping that 5 grams in 125 ml gaiwan.

First notes were indeed fruity, not sure if I point out papaya, but tropic fruits were there for sure. Second steep made those notes even stronger, third was weaker again and in fourth it was gone completely.

Instead those fruits a chocolate notes apperead. However again, they were quite flat, and while longer steeps produced more darker chocolate, some steeps were like a milk chocolate and as well a little waxy chocolate for me, which is something I really don’t like. Maltiness in those later steeps were stronger and stronger and in the last steep it was just malt and nothing else.

Sadly, I don’t noticed any pastry notes which I was looking forward to.

I can imagine it was awesome tea, but sadly it seems it has suffered by age a lot and as well as my not so perfect storage did not helped either. I have checked a few shops which carry it out here — two of them not showing harvest year (which seems to be crucial), two of them are having prices out of my range.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 5 g 4 OZ / 125 ML

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92

A sipdown! (M: 1, Y: 29) Prompt: A finicky tea
Well, yes, technically I still have something. But decided to put all the P&T teas to TTB, which will be a few weeks till arrives to me, but anyway… Maybe it is because I don’t drink them that often as I have hoped and green teas tend not to age well.

And this tea is certainly finicky. It needs proper temperature, 70°C is absolute maximum, it’s better to go even a bit lower, like I did today. Maybe 60°C? Yes, then it steeps longer.

But today it was so yuzu. Citrusy, somehow between grapefruits and lemons, but with pine twist, and lovely grassy flavour of green tea.

I would like more of this tea, but 50 grams is too much for me.

Preparation
140 °F / 60 °C 2 min, 30 sec 1 tsp 10 OZ / 300 ML

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90

Dry leaves were so pungent. I don’t recall such pungency recently. And also so complex. I noticed a lots of florals. Can’t point out any particular flowers, but it was strong. And then there were some different aromas too, as well very strong. Those aromas were white grapes and muscatel. When I did a rinse, which maybe wasn’t needed at all. But afterwards I got another dimension — with stonefruits, mainly ripe peaches, very fuzzy and juicy in aroma.

First steep was 10 seconds long, brewed it has got that fruity note, but along with white grapes for sure. It reminds me a few good FF Darjeelings, but with extra stonefruit note. There were a bit of black tea qualities too — malt noticed. Smooth and round flavour, medium-long aftertaste.

Second steep was 15 seconds long. There is still very prominent fruity line, the malty note became much stronger as well. I don’t get cacao as desrcribed by vendor, though.

Third steep was 20 seconds long. Again a very sweet tea, with less of muscatel, white grapes; but instead stronger note of stonefruits.

Fourth steep was 30 seconds long. Malty notes dominate in this steep, along with fruity, but not stonefruits mentioned, notes.

Fifth steep was around 45 seconds long. Still tasty, however I notice that it is going slowly done. The flavours are actually weaker by a loty, but in terms of flavours it was like a fourth steep.

Sixth and last steep was really long. Well, it’s gone. I tried so hard to coax more from this tea, but in was in vain.

In conclusion yes, I want more of this tea. I will get more than this 10 grams sample. However, I think it is a wonderful tea for western steeping. A few, even long steeps can make (I suppose, it needs to be tried) wonderful flavours, but it doesn’t last long when steeped many times.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 g 4 OZ / 125 ML

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72
drank The Best Rally Tea by TakeT
1839 tasting notes

A sipdown! (M: 5, Y: 28)yes, a backlog from April.

If there was a prompt — your weirdest tea, this would be a great fit.

I don’t know what was different that day, but:
Yes it had salty licorice taste.
It was a bit chewy somehow.
My smell sense detected a tarmac a bit.
It was somehow true to name as it was indeed like a motorsports paddock. Can’t explain that at all. Maybe a little smokiness from it? But no gasoline in aroma (haven’t tasted that, so can’t say that about flavours).

Would I re-order? Probably not. But fun to try.

Preparation
10 OZ / 300 ML
gmathis

Tarmac tea—-ouch!

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82

A sipdown! (M: 4, Y: 27)
Sometimes I like tea bags or sachets for its easy using. No need to measure amount of the blend, easy cleaning up, and sometimes even great flavour.

The last thing is also valid for this tea. Lovely cocoa/rooibos/honeybush flavour, mostly complemented with warming spices as cinnamon and cloves. It says it doesn’t contain any ginger, but I was pretty sure it is there :). My tastebuds shouldn’t be off.

Well, also I am not sure if I would call it a chai afterall. It doesn’t contain any piquant spices. Not even that ginger, which I notice somehow. No peppercorns either.

But it was lovely and would gladly drink another cup of this.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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82
drank Poikien Sauna by TakeT
1839 tasting notes

March sipdown promopt, so, a month later — March 25 – The end of American Chocolate week

I was surprised how fast I finished this tea in the office.

Lovely chocolate tea. Chocolate tea base + cocoa nibs; a little smoky to add some complexity and now it’s gone.

Will I reorder this one? Actually, I am not that sure about it. It is indeed lovely, however not sure if I need to grab it often. I think I finished it that fast because I was craving something else than EG in the morning.

Preparation
17 OZ / 500 ML
MiepSteep

The best way for me to finish teas is to bring it to the office with me. I keep a limited stash, so limiting my options really helps me finish off teas!

Martin Bednář

That’s true. I have quite a variety there, but most of them being caffeine-free and that’s absolutely something I don’t need in the mornings :D

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Steeped western; 4 grams/300 ml.

After smelling dry leaf, I thought it will be very smoky, but in fact; not that much.
Brewed tea has lovely level of smokiness, complemented with pine wood aroma and it was also a bit meat-y. But that is probably association in my brain that says smoked stuff => smoked meat.

Also, it somehow reminded me cigars and tobacco, which is something I have very limited experience with as a no-smoker, so I never tried it. But of course, you ran across thorugh different people.

It was a perfect hit to today gloomy and rainy afternoon.

Flavors: Meat, Pine, Sap, Smoked, Tobacco

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 4 g 10 OZ / 300 ML
beerandbeancurd

I have always loved lapsang, but have never sprung for a really high quality example. This sounds like it might be a nice place to (re)start the love affair.

Martin Bednář

W2T offers several types of lapsang, so maybe get them and try them.

beerandbeancurd

I will take a look, thanks for the tip!

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82

This is great summer-y blend. Loads of raspberries and juicy flavour of them; combined with robust, but not overpowering base tea. The linden leaf adds a little herbaceous note, which is pleasant.

It’s another candidate for cold brewing/iced tea.

Flavors: Juicy, Raspberry

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 10 OZ / 300 ML

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78

A sipdown! (M: 2, Y: 25)
Yep, finally I have finished the remaining 2.4 grams of this of this sample, which was two sessions worth. I lowered the vessel volume (200 ml), prepared with boiling water (it’s green tea!), and steeped for long (close to 8 minutes as recommended).

Drank lukewarm; and boy this is herbaceous at first place. Rosemary, parsley, closely followed with fruit notes, mostly the orange for me, tart, because sea buckthorn, but all it was somehow working together. If only, there was more raspberry, but it can be more prominent, if I got better mix.

Well, next time I will get 20 grams pouch. For sure; hoping I will get more raspberry.

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more 7 OZ / 200 ML

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80

So, finally I found out the small bag of this and decided to try it; found out how it is; write a note; forget about this tea; find it again, give it a try again; and so on.

Anyway,I have prepared it as in description. 5 grams, 5 minutes steep, just boiled water, just my vessel is 300 ml instead of 250 ml as suggested.

I do very rarely such long steeps. But well, this is Georgian tea that never turned out bitter and very tannic to me, no matter if it is this brand, or Guria Likhauri. The latter I tried several times even grandpa.

Yes, it works. 5 steeps are still pleasant, and I have to agree with all notes written about this tea already.
Honey, spices, cocoa , sweet malt, sweet potatoes, little caramel. Such an easy drinking tea. A little toasty and I can imagine a buttered toast as a great food pairing. Maybe with some aged cheese.

Well, well, once I finish this one, it will be missed. For sure!

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 15 sec 5 g 10 OZ / 300 ML

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Bio

I am drinking almost everything. Tea bag collector who moved to wonderful world of loose leaf.

Trying to rate differently tea bags and loose leaf as tea bags have usually worse quality.

Photographer now and then. Postcrossing and geocaching member. Very curious person. Logistics student (should finish in June 2021).

Buried in tea right now. Is in my cupboard (trying to be updated) which sparkled your interest? Write me, I would gladly share with you. But I don’t want anything in return now :)

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