drank Yunnan Golden Buds by Verdant Tea
144 tasting notes

I’m brewing this western-style since I only have one gaiwan, and I’m using it for oolongs. I hear you are only supposed to use a gaiwan for one type of tea?

First steep:
Wowww, this is so good! My only other encounter with a Yunnan black tea was Davids wild yunnan or something, and it tasted like baked goods, like soft pretzels or something. This is like that too, only with more natural sweetness and a strong honey note. The aftertaste gives me the impression of a very dark chocolate. I haven’t had a cup of tea this nice in awhile.

Second steep:
This cup doesn’t have as much of an aroma as the first one did, but the taste is just as intense. The baked goods taste is still there, and the sweetness, but less honey. I think I like this steep better actually! There’s something almost cakey about it, and I can pick up a bit of the cinnamon people were talking about.

I know this would be good for a couple more steeps, but I have to go to work :C
MASSIVE SADNESS.

Bonnie

Lay the tea on a plate to dry…come back to it later and you can steep again. At least here tea drys in 20 minutes. Some places it takes longer. Just can’t leave in the basket or gaiwan wet long or mold can develop. Good tea huh!

ScottTeaMan

Good tea helps turn :C to :D!!

Uniquity

I use my gaiwan for multiple kinds of tea (but not at once! :D). I thought only yixing had to be kept to one type of tea?

Kittenna

I thought gaiwans were (typically) porcelain, so a rinse/wash would remove all previous flavours, so they could be used for anything, whereas yixings are clay and porous, retaining flavours, therefore only should be used for one type of tea.

Bonnie

There are clay gaiwans too.

Tina S.

The clay ones are supposed to be only one tea. Not one type, but one specific tea. But the porcelain ones you can use for a variety.

Bonnie

Awe I have a Yixing just for pu’erh not just one type (brand) although I could see a pot for shu and one for sheng.

Erin

Thanks for the tip Bonnie, I will do that next time!! I feel so bad wasting good tea :(

And my gaiwan is clay on the outside but with a porcelain lining, so I guess it will be okay with multiple tea types?? If so this is good news and I’ll definitely be trying this one in the gaiwan!
Thanks for all the input everyone!!

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Bonnie

Lay the tea on a plate to dry…come back to it later and you can steep again. At least here tea drys in 20 minutes. Some places it takes longer. Just can’t leave in the basket or gaiwan wet long or mold can develop. Good tea huh!

ScottTeaMan

Good tea helps turn :C to :D!!

Uniquity

I use my gaiwan for multiple kinds of tea (but not at once! :D). I thought only yixing had to be kept to one type of tea?

Kittenna

I thought gaiwans were (typically) porcelain, so a rinse/wash would remove all previous flavours, so they could be used for anything, whereas yixings are clay and porous, retaining flavours, therefore only should be used for one type of tea.

Bonnie

There are clay gaiwans too.

Tina S.

The clay ones are supposed to be only one tea. Not one type, but one specific tea. But the porcelain ones you can use for a variety.

Bonnie

Awe I have a Yixing just for pu’erh not just one type (brand) although I could see a pot for shu and one for sheng.

Erin

Thanks for the tip Bonnie, I will do that next time!! I feel so bad wasting good tea :(

And my gaiwan is clay on the outside but with a porcelain lining, so I guess it will be okay with multiple tea types?? If so this is good news and I’ll definitely be trying this one in the gaiwan!
Thanks for all the input everyone!!

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University student and relatively new tea convert. It all started several months ago when my mom bought me a tin of The Glow from David’s. Now I want to try ALL THE TEAS.

If you know of any excellent tea places around downtown Toronto, let me know! I’ve found a few but am always looking for more.

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