189 Tasting Notes
Loose
Appearance: crinkle, curly bicolor, deep black leaf
Aroma when Dry: salty, vegital
After water is first poured: intensely floral
At end of first steep: floral, vegital
Tea liquor:
At beginning of steep: muddy green
Staple? Possibly, first tasting
Preferred time of day: any
Taste:
At first: deep floral, buttery
As it cools ? Malty notes surface, salt notes increse, floral notes lengthen, cocoa notes and nuttyness close
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? Yes, floral, hints of spice, slight chewyness, lastly, slight sea salt notes
Second steep (3min)
Aroma: salty, hints of malt
Taste:
At first: malt and salt notes
As it cools: malty notes lessen, salt stays, tea gets brothy
Preparation
Loose
Appearance: med size, knobby oolong, bicolor
Aroma when Dry: milky, sweet (eastern)
After water is first poured: vanilla and milk
At end of first steep: deeper milky notes, almost hinting at spice
Tea liquor:
At end of steep: clear
Staple? YES
Preferred time of day: afternoon, evening
Taste:
At first: creamy, buttery, deserty
As it cools ? Starts to get nutty, little less creamy, less sweet
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? Yes, buttery, thick, creamy vanilla-ish notes, slight citrus quality
Second steep 4min
at first: nutty, deep, woody, no milkiness
As it cools? tea sweetens again, milky, nutty layers
third steep (6min)
Milky, sweet still but getting lighter, floral notes surface
Preparation
Loose
Appearance: broken leaf, med green,muted bi coloration, pale lavender buds noticeable
Aroma when Dry: salty, herby, slight chewiness
After water is first poured: same
At end of first steep: floral, lavender
Tea liquor:
At end of steep: light grassy green
Staple? YES
Time of day preferred: Any, except first cup of the day
Taste:
At first: floral, lavender, faint hint of grass closing
As it cools ? notes get fluffy, much lighter, creamy, slightly sweet
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? no
Lingers? Yes, the lavender stays, gets slightly creamy
Second steep (4 min):
Same notes, milder
want to try chilled
Third Steep (8 min)
basic lavender water taste, light, herby
Preparation
Loose
Appearance: dark brown-black, crinkled leaf
Aroma when Dry: slight fruity notes hints of creamy maltyness
After water is first poured: slightly fruity, musty
At end of steep: faint fruity, malty
Tea liquor:
At end of steep: light muddy brown
Staple? Unsure, first tasting
Time of day preferred: afternoon, evening
Taste:
At first: balanced fruity maltyness
As it cools ? Gets slightly fruitier, tea deepens, notes layer
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? no
Lingers? Yes, with slight tang, fruity, faint metallic note
Second steep (8min)
Taste: notes flatten and weaken, tea smooths out a bit
Preparation
Loose
Appearance: brown-black, crinkled leaf
Aroma when Dry: fruity, dusty, hints of earthiness
After water is first poured: fruity, sticky, another note… muscatel?
At end of steep: faint fruity sweet
Tea liquor:
At end of steep: faint green
Staple? No
Time of day preferred: unsure, first tasting
Taste:
At first: flat, mild, closes with hints of fruit
As it cools? metallic note lessens, slight spicy note surfaces, tea deepens a bit
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? no
Lingers? Yes, the fruity nature stays, closing with almost a metallic note
Preparation
Loose
Appearance: grey green med crinkle leaf, no jasmine buds or flowers
Aroma when Dry: fruity floral, deeply sweet, deserty
After water is first poured: syrupy sweet, floral, nutty
At end of steep: sticky floral sweet
Tea liquor:
At end of steep: pale green
Staple? No
Time of day preferred: any
Taste:
At first: deserty, slightly fruity like floral sticky rice
As it cools ? floral notes open, stickyness lessens
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? no
Lingers? Yes, creamy, jammy cloying floral sweetness
Second steep (6min)
Same characteristics
Preparation
Bagged
Aroma when Dry: frosty sweet, crisp minty desserty
After water is first poured: sweet, spicy, powdery
At end of steep: delicate minty, crisp, slightly sweet
Tea liquor:
At beginning of steep: med minty green
At end of steep: brownish green
Staple? yes
Time of day preferred: any
Taste:
At first: light mint, mild, crisp, sweet, slight bite closes
As it cools? mint crisps up a bit, bite lingers longer, distinct from the cooling closing notes
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? Crisp clear, peppermint,cooling closing notes, mild bite
Lovely chilled
Preparation
Appearance: large cut green, bi colored
Aroma when Dry: coconut, slight sweetness, vanilla creamy
After water is first poured: sweet coconut grassiness
At end of first steep: lemony, nutty creamy coconut
Tea liquor:
At end of steep: very light yellow– green
Staple? Would be if the brand was not so liberal about artificial ingredients.
Time of day preferred: afternoon, evening
Taste:
At first: grassy coconut, chased by creaminess, hints of lemongrass
As it cools? Coconut changes texture slightly, grassy notes heighten, texture gets silky, creamy, still no ginger notes
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? Tried part of the cup also with milk
Without milk:
Lingers? Yes, smooth grassiness, hints of the lemongrass stay longest
With milk: gets velvety, almost fluffy, lemongrass fades, coconut and vanilla most noticeable
Lingers? Yes, creaminess hints of sweetness stay
Second steep(8 min): lighter creamy, grassy, lemongrass notes heighten
Still lingers,lemongrass mostly, coconut notes closing
Third steep 3-5min: still creamy, lemongrass gets a bit bolder
Preparation
Bagged
Aroma when Dry: sweet (eastern) buttery, spicy, hints of floral
After water is first poured: creamy, slight floral, hints of pepper notes
At end of first steep:
Tea liquor:
At beginning of steep: murky brown
At end of steep: leathery red-brown
Staple? Was, seems to have been discontinued…Must find a replacement
Time of day preferred: afternoon, evening
Taste:
At first: cinnamon, and coconut, hints of pepper, floral creamy coconut notes close
As it cools? Notes all open up, gets slighty spicy, earthy
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? Not at first, added few oz of milk after first notation, Used to do stove-top with milk
Without milk:
Lingers? Yes, warm, hints of sweet (eastern) toastyness, coconut, Cinnamon and pepper
With milk: all the notes still noticeable, addition of a velvety creamy texture
Preparation
Loose
Appearance: large broken leaf med green
Aroma when Dry: slight sweetness, fruity floral, apple noticeable
After water is first poured: desert apple-y fruity
At end of first steep: apples, slightly sweet, slight tart note
Tea liquor:
At end of steep: very light green
Staple? No
Time of day preferred: unsure, first tasting
Taste:
At first: faint sweetness, light floral apple
As it cools? apple notes get more aggressive, tea gets “busy”
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? yes, sweet apple taste, no notes of green tea base
Might try chilled