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Another tea, which I received from derk is removed from my cupboard. Luckily, this time it seems that “ageing” doesn’t hurt this tea and what’s more, it was an lovely experience. Thank you a lot! I know why I like moonlight teas, and why I like “aged” whites.

1 dragonball (roughly 8 grams), one gaiwan (125 ml) and… 90°C water.

Dry, it smells like a classic white teas, a little of hay here, a ltitle of meadows there. After inserting the ball to preheated gaiwan, it started to develop more aormas. I noticed wax, which was interesting, a bit of the florals. But still no water was added. So a quick rinse. 5 seconds maybe? It made the aromas even stronger. But okay, I am looking forward what this small ball will deliver.

First steep, 10 seconds long was like a cross-over episode of interesting flavours (and they were almost always same like aromas). I noticed beeswax (yay, more detailed wax) and eucalyptus. It sounds strange and even writing it down doesn’t go well together, but that was it. I told you it was cross-over episode.

After first steep I was able to rip open the ball, so second steep is expected to be very flavourful and yep, it’s there with hay/meadow undertone, very refreshing eucalyptus and very smooth honey paste (not sure if it is a thing across the ocean). The mouth was walking on air, so delicious.

And following steeps, which I made many, 7-8 at least, were equally perfect. Just steeps needed to be longer and then… it was gone.

This is an interesting flavour profile, which isn’t for everyone I think. Black currant and chokeberry makes quite tart flavour profile, but nice and good black tea compensates that well and cardamom adds that interesting twist, which isn’t that expected in this style of tea.

My cup today was faily weak in cardamom, but I see quite a lots of pods in the pouch. It was pretty much straightforward blackcurrant tea, with pleasant tartness. I will hope later steeps will be a bit more spicy.

As I wrote in first paragraph, black tea is good one, by my experience I don’t think it is pure Ceylon base, but I guess a little of malty Indian teas is in too. Not only by the taste of it, but also by the colour of the used leaf, which contained a few brighter leaves thank steeped brown Ceylon. It wasn’t the cornflower for sure.

Actually I want to compare it with morning tea, which was from Giddapahar, but I read it same way… but found out it’s different, so no comparing will be here.

It’s again from Around the World in 8 Teas Selection Box by Curious Tea! and next two teas are green, so maybe once the wather will be a little warmer, the timing will be a bit better.

Anyway, back to this Darjeeling. It’s first flush, which is apparent from color as well as from scent both dry tea and brewed tea. It’s very floral, citrus zest very is apparent and almost sour.

In taste, flavours are again floral; with again complementing citrus zest, very “bright” and almost sour as well. While I generally like FF Darjeelings, this has been somehow a bit too much; and while it was cooling down, it started to turn to woody notes, which was strange and weid and unpleasant mineral aftertaste. I shall try more steeps, hopefully soon. This time it was single-steep session. Maybe other steeps will develop more from black tea profile, as expected and hoped for.

Another tea from Leafhopper, thank you a lot. Also, it is actually 2022 “vintage” and called Summer Wonder, but I haven’t found that on Lochan Tea website at all, so I am adding a note here. Maybe it is wrongly labeled or something.

3 grams / 300 ml; western. 3 minutes steep.

I was craving a plain black tea today morning, but with some twist — being light, but flavourful and well that was delivered.

It isn’t extremely flavourful, but it is complex indeed. I do not get any beans like derk did, but there are lovely flavours for Indian black, listed below (in no order again): autumn leaf pile, creamy, floral, a little bit of grassy/hay like, meadows, muscatel and little bit of spices, honey as well.

That said, considering my senses weren’t ready for that, I think it is a nice list of flavours; and I wasn’t actually paying too much attention to my cup today morning.

Remaining 7 grams? well I am not sure. Gongfu — that will be one session worth. Maybe I will split it up and do one weaker eastern steeping and one another western steeping session. Because this tea deserves more than one steep.

A sipdown! (M: 1, Y: 21) Prompt: A single origin tea as it is truly from one garden and processed there as well.

Gongfu method; 5 grams / 125 ml, 80°C

For some reason, I had an idea to try to gongfu last 5 grams and honestly it wasn’t a bad idea, but steeps had to be super short. 30 seconds was maximum, as it was turning bitter and very roasty afterwards. Tried once.

I am going to miss this tea; as it is so comforting in cold days like today has been. It was around zero centigrade, but with strong cold wind gusts.

The tea, though, is roasty, with caramel notes, very round and pleasant. There was so little of green tea taste, but today I got some mineral taste from it as well, but sweet notes prevail by a lot.

Lovely, and I need to get some next time I am in Dresden again.

Second of 7 teas from SiamTeas Clubbox January ’23 – Tuyet Shan, prepared western; with 5 grams / 300 ml. Gongfu steeping with remaining 5 grams next time.

Honestly, I am disappointed with this tea. Prepared similar to suggested parameters, yet it was dismal. The visual of the leaf is perfect, many golden tips, wiry, twisted leaves, some black, though they are not shiny, but that’s fine.

I was ready for “At this, the most coining features are malty and cocoa notes and a pronounced, but nevertheless pleasant roast aroma.” but it was just malty, and somehow flat. I will borrow a note from Courtney with tea with same name, but from Teerausch: " I wouldn’t say this is anything special, but not bad to drink as I work on school stuff."

Yep, that’s it. Nothing special, a nice daily drinker, but that’s all. A dismal after such unique and interesting oolong from very same leaves. And nothing as chocolate or roasty here. What’s worse, second — 4 minute steep didn’t helped it develop better tastes. It was actually almost the same as the first. Hmm…

Another gongfu session today. 5 grams / 125 ml gaiwan. June 2021 harvest. Another stop from Around the World in 8 Teas Selection Box by Curious Tea!

Dry leaves in preheated gaiwan reminded me mostly roasted peanuts, but when wet it’s totally different; strong floral notes along with stewed fruits, dates + plums.

After first 20 seconds steep, and no rinse was made (why, no dust and whatever), I received a sweet, sugary, baked plum taste, with a little dates aftertaste, and overall there is a nice mouthfeel, though a bit short.

Second steep was with doubled time, so 40 seconds. It’s less sweet, but strong woody taste, aftertaste is long, but mouthfeel overall is short. Honestly I don’t get promised honey taste, but well, it’s fine. It’s different.

Third steep — 60 seconds, was totally different. First of all, it has got mouthcoating quality, along with long(er) aftertaste; and flavours I am able to notice is back the fruits with woody line, but also some refreshing note is here and I think it could be camphor or simply some mint, but yep, that’s complexity I was hoping for!

Fourth. 90 seconds. I think I start to notice promised honey notes, but very weakly, woody notes dominate this steep and I got even same-long aftertaste.

Fifth, 120 seconds. While it keeps giving, I notice fading as well. Not a surprise after such long and heavy steeps, but still I have hoped for more. Sadly, that refreshing note disappeared.

In conclusion, I think I had better oolongs, although this is probably first one bug-bitten I had. It is an interesting tea, and produced flavour is not so common (for me), but somehow I am not so sure if I would drink it regulary. Those 10 grams I had is a good starter, and getting similar, small amounts for occasional drinking seems like a good choice. But I must be in mood for that specific taste. I have hoped for more fruits, but sadly, they were present only in first steeps.

A sipdown! (M: 12, Y: 20) Prompt: Self care — Have tea and do something that feeds your soul! Gongfuing tea does that to me :)

I am so happy that I have finished another last session tea, because I have loads of those; because I feel bad finishing them.

4 grams/125 ml gaiwan. Gongfu.

First steeps were mellow and quite smooth, later ones were with hints of astringency, and last ones were quite vegetal. Noticed scents were mostly floral, lilacs, then it turns a bit into vegetal — kale, lettuce and such, actually very similar to flavours. I haven’t noticed citrusy notes this time

Mouth-feel was good. Somhow simple, but lasting for long, round and there were not any domaninant note that would ruin the tea with its strength.

Very acessible tea for newbies :)

I bought this for office tea sessions, and when I put it into cupboard, my boss went to his shelf and told me: “You really like tea, don’t you? You have loads of tea here.” And I have replied: “Well, look at your shelf full of coffee capsules.” “True that.” he replied.

Anyway, sometimes, when I want a green; but with some other notes, I pick up this one. (The other is plain Chinese sencha in tea bags, not bad though!) This one I picked actually because it is jasmine, but with pear! At least they claim so.

They say it is with pear, but sadly it seem the ratio is too low, or it is just too weak to win or tie with strong jasmine. The fruit loses in all points sadly and it is just a normal.. bagged jasmine tea. No fruit. Not in aroma, nor in flavour. Base tea is cheap green tea — so a nondescript, hay. The sencha I mentioned is way more flavourful itself, than base of this tea.

Because buying new tea IS addictive (don’t tell me it isn’t!) and I was browsing Etsy, when ad of this teashop appeared with some kind of interesting tea (it wasn’t this one), I have decided to give them a try. And as they are from neighboring country, shipping fee wasn’t high either. So in total I placed order with 4x 50 grams of tea blends.

An EG with cardamom (I have not noticed cinnamon until I saw the pouch) sounds so interesting, so I have decided for this one to brew right after I opened the box.

Honestly, the pouch is very cinnamon forward, the sweet kind of cinnamon, but also cardamom is noticeable pretty much well. I was ready for being hit in the nose by bergamot, but nope.

I have brewed it differently than on instruction (half teaspoon/cup + 1-2 minutes steeping time seems very short to me), so I used one full teaspoon, even heaped; and steeped for 3 minutes. It seems I haven’t made any mistake with this; as it was pretty nice.

This is actally pretty much floral-kind of EG. Bergamot is quite mild, and rather the cinnamon dominates in flavour. The cardamom complements it well with its unique taste along with that floral bergamot. Sadly it’s not zesty as I have hoped for.

In conclusion it’s certainly a nice tea, a good daily drinker; but hopes were higher. Maybe it will grow on me and when I will make a sipdown note, I will see it differently. Sometimes it just happens.