1839 Tasting Notes

A sipdown! (M: 4, Y: 4)

I am keeping high pace of sipdowns to finish those last session worth teas. I had two pyramid sachets; first one I drank… long time ago and now the second one. To be honest, I just remember that vervain teas are just with nice herbaceous and slightly bitter flavours, but what they are good for? No idea. I haven’t done the research this time.

Anyway, after recommended 5 minutes steep I got green, like on the box, coloured drink, with a whiff of a bit stinky feet aroma. Luckily it isn’t too strong.

The flavour is, how I have been expecting, mostly herbaceous with some bitter aftertaste. Nothing much else and to write about.

No rating on purpose

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec 10 OZ / 300 ML

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64

A sipdown! (M: 3, Y: 3)
Last 8 grams… what to do with this tea from Michelle and Rich? Thank you!
Split in half and have two weak sessions?
Brew all at once, hoping it will be fine?

Decided for the latter, with long steeps… 20/40/60 seconds, a few uncounted, and one roughly 45 minutes long one, as I have added the water to the gaiwan and forgot about it as I was called for a dinner. The longest one was the last one; I think that the tea doesn’t have any qualities to steep anymore, haha. But drank that one too.

Well, definitely higher amount of tea helped this tea — with more stronger flavours; but didn’t reveal anything else that I haven’t noticed. It is nice and fine shu, but honestly I don’t notice anything in particular. It’s pretty “generic” shu, with excepted flavour profile, woody and mushroomy, the last one was a bit earthy and coffee-bitterness was there a bit.

Whatever, but sipdown is a sipdown, so another tea removed from cupboards.

Preparation
8 g 4 OZ / 125 ML

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66

A sipdown! (M: 2, Y: 2)
Sipdown prompt: A blend made in another country

This tea I got from my Swiss friend, while the company is actually Irish (it seems); so definitely, blend made in another country for sure.

I had some digestive issues today. And again, checked my stash for some tea as a remedy. Well this sounds good and based on the ingredients it will be fine I guess.

Well, compared to previous tasting note I wrote, it is less refreshing (but also older, though foilwrapped) and I think it was a bit more herbaceous. More fennel and lemon verbena compared to lemongrass; and a whiff of juniper this time.

Fine, but nothing I need to keep in my cupboard. They have a few better blends.

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

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98

When I came home from first working day I was in a mood for something strong, robust, roasted, warming, etc.
Decided to brew it western (heresy! for oolongs), but I definitely didn’t had mood to gongfu. It’s about +5°C (feels like +2°C), but it rains, strong cold wind gusts and puddles everywhere. Absolutely no snow and because wet tarmac, all cars are louder than usual. I hate so much this weather.

But the tea. I picked this one up on tea festival back in June. It’s from 2022, so, yep, not the freshest tea in my stash, but I thought it is exactly what I am looking for.

Seems like it was great fit — and definitely well done tea. 5 grams / 300 ml, 95°C water… unknown steeping time, roughly 3-5 minutes, maybe a bit more…

This tea, is made by Mr. Chen as well as the other one I have from TheTea: http://steepster.com/teas/thetea/103968
But this one is roasted for longer time, it’s dong ding and not Shan Lin Xi; and definitely it’s not bugbitten.

But it is unique. When I sipped it hot, the warm notes indeed appeared, roasted; even a bit smoky, sweet honey, fruits (vendor suggests peaches, I wasn’t focused enough), with long mouthfeel and interesting aftertaste. It was creamy, almost like a milky oolong, smooth and not harsh or rough at all.
As it was cooling down, those notes were still there. But the aftertaste turned more into green oolong territory, with, already mentioned, creamy, milky oolong flavours, florals in aroma — lilacs, lilies of the valley, maybe hints of narcissus, very spring-like aromas. Again, I have to say, it was smooth and distinctive, and honestly I had no idea, how this tea could be so dark… with not so oxidized oolong flavours. Definitely going to try this tea as well in gongfu style and I hope I won’t be disappointed.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 g 10 OZ / 300 ML

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80

A sipdown! (M: 1, Y: 1)
Sipdown prompt January 1 – Happy New Year – Drink a tea you’d love to have all year! Happy New Year!

Oh dear. I finished this lovely, yet simple tea? I am sad, you know? First of all, I am not able to contact (they don’t read my WhatsApp messages) nor check company website. Secondly, it is lovely tea and it was great in price/quality ratio. I paid 5 GEL = 1.86 USD for 25 grams of this tea. Cheap! Thirdly, I just hope they are doing well and if once I get to Georgia, I want to visit their teahouse, which seems it is still working.

Anyway, to the tea. Well, it is a bit past its prime, but truth to be said; my storage wasn’t so good. I have opened the plastic bag it was in, thinking I will finish it quickly, but I let all the air and humidity affect the tea for long time. I wanted to move it into some airtight container, but never did (sad face).

But notes of sweet malts and sweet potatoes are still present; just with shorter mouthfeel.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec 5 g 10 OZ / 300 ML

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72

I will copy a description from the vendor:
“The Rangdoo plantation was established by the British in 1870. Within a very short time, the plantation became so popular that the teas from the Rangdoo plantation were only given the nickname “It’s the only Okay Tea” at auctions. So the Rangdoo plantation was renamed Okayti.”

And my note? “It’s the only Okay Tea”.

Yes, pretty classic Darjeeling with floral notes, light woody notes and some muscatel. I have received it as a free sample when I have been shopping in Shila’s Tearoom in Hamburg in the middle of this year.
Fine, but nothing to have/try again. Maybe if I trired it back in summer, the note would be different. I guess it will be one of the first sipdowns in 2024.

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

I like the backstory!

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96

A sipdown! (M: 6, Y: 83)
Last one this year. Maybe, maybe not? Sad one? Definitely.

Last 4 grams and 90°C water.

Well, lovely tea that will be missed; and lots of going here in flavours. As I noticed in first note, from dark fruits through malty notes, honey flavours with the cherry on the top being brown sugar. Round, sweet, flavourful; with distinct flavours and wonderful leaves to the eye (though my last amount had only little of the golden tips).

Affordable and enjoyable. I won’t get next year harvest probably, as I definitely need to cut down tea amounts; but I will keep this tea in mind.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec 4 g 10 OZ / 300 ML

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95

I have very same tea from What-cha in my wishlist and bought a pouch of this; from Klasek Tea. So, naturally I can’t compare them side by side; that would be interesting.

Anyway, this is FF 2023 (so not that fresh anymore), steeped 5 grams (a bit too much maybe…) western style in 300 ml of water that used to be boiling, but cooled down to 90°C. Roughly 4 minutes steeping (which was a bit over vendor suggestion as well)

Definitely lighther hand next time will be better; but still it is tasty! Strong cocoa notes, aroma of candied fruits and florals. Mouthfeel long, smooth malty (dark malts and caramel malts), roasted barley and with hints of astringency and bitterness, like high percentage chocolate or stout beer (that’s something that Crowkettle notices on What-cha’s tea and it is true for this tea too). Reading other tea notes doesn’t help me much as it wasn’t definitely woody or green pepepr notes aren’t here either. Maybe because it’s FF; or/and different harvest year.

I can see why derk likes Nepalese teas and it is second most favourite region of black teas for me, Georgia being the first.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 4 min, 0 sec 5 g 10 OZ / 300 ML
derk

Aye, thanks for all the Nepali teas! Can’t wait to start drinking them in January.

Martin Bednář

Can’t wait to hear your opinions!

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84

A sipdown! (M: 5, Y: 82)

Huh, this is weird. My system says I had 3 tea bags and when issuing them today, it means I should have two others somewhere. I checked my black tea “chest”, the boxes around… but nonewhere to be found. So… a sipdown and issue for 3 tea bags. If they appear again, I will make other stock movement.

For tea notes, read my previous tasting note.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec 10 OZ / 300 ML

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82

I just opened pouch of this one, probably being the last from Around the World in 8 Teas Selection Box by Curious Tea! received a year ago as a Christmas gift. I really should focus on those sample / small amount teas I have, as they take a lots of space, but it doesn’t contain much of tea!

Prepared western, 3g/300 ml, 80°C water (set on the new kettle I bought as a Christmas gift for everyone this year!) — I won’t lie, it will serve me the most and two steeps 90 seconds each.

In the middle of meltdown, I found out I have a mood for nice, grassy green tea and I found out that I probably don’t have much of those? I mean, I have lots of green teas around; afterall, I have lots of teas around, but green grassy tea seemed to be rare in my cupboard. This one says grassy profile on its packet, so I decided to open it, though I have some others that needs to be focused on drinking. Definitely something to focus on. Drinking all the teas…

I have digressed and now to the tea. Well, I have a little different opinion what means grassy but maybe as it was harvested in May 2022, it could be age. It is grass-hay like a bit, though quite sweet and some toasted notes with hints of savoury aftertaste is good actually. Not what I have been expecting, as I wrote before, but it could be age as I already wrote. Smooth and fairly long aftertaste lingers in the mouth.

Nevertheless, it is fine and if I finish remaining 7 grams in timely matter, I think I can get nice cuppas of this lovely scenting and visually nice tea.

Who would think that UK based company will have green teas better than black teas in their sample box?

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 1 min, 30 sec 3 g 10 OZ / 300 ML
Michelle

Yay for a new kettle!

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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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