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I will admit to having been swayed by the Tealyra description and reviews posted on their site. And I had not seen eelong’s tea note here on Steepster — a note that might have dissuaded me from purchasing Rosy Earl Grey. However, I have been captivated by roses and rose scents since childhood, and was eager to try this blend. And I liked it! Mostly. I do also enjoy jasmine scents (and have before remarked on my memories of summertime play amongst the Star Jasmine bushes as a kid in California).

I do wish tea purveyors would be more strictly precise in their claims and ingredients. When a claim of “bergamot essential oil, jasmine, lavender” is made, I expect to find those precise ingredients listed, and not obscured behind the anonymity of “natural flavors” or a vague compound ingredient like “jasmine green tea”. The dry leaf was nicely fragrant of rose petals (not rosehips), and I was optimistic.

I steeped (a single cup) western style, according to direction: 1 tsp leaf in 8 oz (boiling alpine spring) water, for 3-1/2 min, in a stainless microscreen infusion basket. The jasmine aroma was more pronounced in the tea vapors, though I also detected scents of rose and bergamot. While sipping, I found it easy to identify each of the named ingredient flavors, largely in my sinuses, but with bergamot on the sides of my tongue, and with the lavender arriving late to the center back of my tongue in the finish of each sip. I only saw the green tea leaves and smelled their jasmine, but couldn’t really parse out a distinct taste of green tea. Perhaps the green tea accounted for the slight bitterness and bite with a little astringency that I noted (and which Tealyra described, too). The clear amber color undoubtedly came from the black tea content, though it was only barely detected as a flavor. Finally, in the last few sips of the cooler tea, I got a powdery floral hit on the roof of my mouth. Overall, this was a satisfying springtime bouquet that I would recommend and continue to enjoy from time to time, giving it a rating of 75 today, mostly docking points for the use of generic flavorings rather than actual biological components. I prefer a cup of plant origin, rather than the cheating of chemistry, which steals the magic.

I did not detect any notes of bubblegum, as reported by eelong. Thankfully.

Seduced by the glowing reviews of derk, beerandbeancurd, and Leafhopper, I ordered A Different Eighteen (and a couple other teas) from Song. I was already prejudiced in favor of this tea by my prior experience ten years ago with a gifted sample of the Ruby 18 tea from Nantou county that was brought back from Taiwan by a colleague. We were told only “this is the best tea in the World.” It was that tea which initiated my 21st century return to tea-drinking (after years of coffee), and which ultimately led to my joining the Steepster community.

So I happily indulged in a purchase, despite a tea cabinet bulging with recent adventures. My 60g packet is from the June 2024 lot, so can be expected to vary from prior reports. And I certainly have been enjoying it! I steeped 5g leaf in 8oz 205°F alpine spring water (western style in a steel strainer basket) for 60s, successively. And although it’s into dinnertime, I’m unwilling to pollute my taste buds with a meal, lest the tea be less enjoyable. I do not detect any blackcurrent or wintergreen notes at all, but there is plenty of malt, brown sugar, pruny stonefruit, and a nose of malt and mild woodiness. My fifth infusion got away from me and ran just over 4 minutes, producing a beautiful mahogany brew with crystal clarity and not a hint of bitterness or astringency. The flavors are beginning to lighten up, so I’ll stop here. Note that I used almost twice the recommended amount of water in each infusion, but this was not weak tea! I like it as much as the Ruby 18 based “Brandy Oolong” from Tealyra, though this is distinctly a Different Eighteen! So it gets a 95 rating from me. YMMV.

edit 2/28/25: I ran a formal gongfu series across 21 serial 100 ml infusions of 5g leaf in a small porcelain teapot, ranging from 5s to 60s in 205°F water, using a streamlined process and dispensing with the emotional/decorative aspects. The final 18 of those infusions are pictured, starting at top right and going horizontally, to finish at the teapot. I do not doubt that a few more infusions could have been made. These all gave similar flavor profiles and I have nothing further to add from the experience, besides a bit of a caffeine buzz, but it was a worthwhile endeavor!

This lot of Jing Gu White Pekoe Silver Needled White Tea is dated “Spring 2022” and I received it June 1st of that year. I wasn’t impressed with it then, and today — almost 3 yr later — I am still unimpressed. Lots from several other years are listed here separately, and the notes recorded by others seem to be hit and miss. I found the dry leaf to smell of alfalfa hay. My first session used 2.5g leaf in 8 oz boiling spring water, oversteeped for 5 minutes. That was half my usual amount of leaf for western brewing, but the leaf was very bulky (long, hairy needles, as pictured) and I was hesitant. The pale tea was watery, with faint notes of malt, grass and astringency. Weakly sweet despite a nice thick mouthfeel. Resteeping was not too different. A second session was more to my usual process, with 5g leaf and a first 8 oz steeping of 30s, to result in a light blond infusion from the light-hued, olive-green leaves. The flavors were much the same, but less astringent, with weak stonefruit apparent. A resteeping of several minutes produced a golden broth with a grassy aroma, but a more substantial flavor, with malt, hay, and notes of chestnut, akin to a long jing (dragonwell) type tea. This infusion was the best of the bunch, with a nice aftertaste, but just not worth the fuss and price. I’d rather sip on true dragonwell. I’ll only rate this as a 55-point experience, and suggest you sip something else. [For example, EITHER the http://steepster.com/teas/yunnan-sourcing/103292-jinggu-sun-dried-silver-needles-white-pu-erh-tea-cake-spring-2022 , OR the http://steepster.com/teas/yunnan-sourcing/93180-2019-jinggu-yang-ta-camellia-taliensis-white-tea-cake , both of which looks to be made of identical-appearing C. taliensis material, but which were far better tasting, IMO.]

I bought a cake of this about 3 years ago, and it has improved since then! I love the mild briskness, and the maltiness on the tongue. Slightly floral scent, too. The cake was easy to pry apart, though the leaves were fragile and prone to shattering. Still for sale at YS, though at $30/250g it’s perhaps not the value previously reported — though it has improved, so perhaps it is actually still a value? It is surely potent. I brewed (western) 5g in 8 oz boiling spring water for a mere 15 sec each for three infusions, and 30 sec for the 4th, and the liquor has deepened from golden amber at start to golden brown on the 4th, with no drop in flavor or aroma yet. If anything, the aroma of honey has intensified, and the malty flavor is persisting. This is surprisingly good tea! I’ll rate it at 83 and have hopes that more aging will provide continued pleasure! Nice aftertaste, too!

Got a few cakes of this 2022 material a couple yr ago and found it to be underwhelming at first. Now it’s aged 2 more years (70°F, 62% RH) and I am enjoying it! Serial infusions of 5g in 8oz boiling spring water for 30s, 45s, 60s, 2-1/2 min and 5 min, using a stainless infusion basket. The light green leaves are large, fuzzy, and the cake pulled apart easily. The first steeping was very mild and smooth, pale yellow, sweet but watery, revealing olive green leaves. Third steeping was more flavorful and coated the mouth nicely, with the floral and grassy notes promised by the YS description. Last steeping was after the leaves had sat out overnight, and todays brew was wonderfully potent, golden yellow in color, with now a little bitterness — and sweetness becoming more pronounced as the tea cooled. Yes, I do feel a little guilty for drinking the threatened C. taliensis species, but hope it will stimulate increased cultivation of the plant. I look forward to finding how this tea continues to develop with more ageing. YS is now selling a 2024 harvest, so I can recommend it for tea explorers! I’ll give my 2022 cakes a rating of 80, but note that I have very limited experience with white teas.

This raw/ripe blend definitely presents its ripe character over the raw, which was very subtle. Absent any astringency or bitterness, this yielded a very smooth & creamy infusion, with undertones of petrichor and fresh autumn leaf litter. No fishiness or dank wet basement notes. Inexpensive and quaffable, this would be a nice base for further blending with fruits, berries & nuts. Or just sip with your morning granola. Lots of caffeine hit me within 15 min of finishing my first cup, so beware (or take pleasure). Although from an “iron cake”, it was easy to flake off large leafsets. I used 5 g leaf in 8 oz boiling alpine spring water and discarded the first 10s wash, then steeped 30s, followed by 60s re-steeps. In my opinion, solid & inoffensive, but unimpressive since I got no special flavors out of it — not even of the tea varietal itself. I’ll rate this blend at 40, since my benchmark for 50 is Lipton teabags which at least offer some character of their base tea. I recommend you spend your money on something else.

What a superb tea! My bag of The Roaster’s Red is of the June 2024 harvest. And I brewed it western style, using much less leaf than directed. I look forward to a gongfu session to explore the progression of flavors, but there was plenty to unpack even here. The first impression was to notice the (not smokey) roasted character that comes from charcoal roasting. It was interesting and, since I dislike smokiness in tea, a relief. The roastiness soon gave way to very strong and smooth almost oolong floral flavors, with an extended finish lasting several minutes. As I read the description by Song, I did, indeed, sense the notes of blackcurrent, which then gave way to a long sensation of peach. This all from the first mouthful! The aroma in the cooling cup had potent notes of brown sugar, which matched the smooth, sweet sensations in my mouth. As the infusion continued to cool, the roastiness intensified and the fruity finish seemed to linger longer on the palate, suggesting that this might also make a terrific iced tea. I found that my first infusion of only about 1g leaf in 8 oz boiling spring water for 2 minutes was fruitier and smoother than my second session of 2.5g dry leaf, steeped longer. The longer, stronger session intensified all the flavors and aromas, becoming almost too roasty. I haven’t yet had the courage to brew it exactly as directed, which would be 5 g leaf in 5 oz water. The tea isn’t cheap, but its potency makes it a luxurious value. I’ll rate this as a 95 and highly recommend it!

My recent acquisitions from Tealyra included Surajamukhi Assam Orange Pekoe. I find it rather pleasant to sip, even if it doesn’t knock my hat off. 1.5g in 8 oz boiling spring water for 2 min produced a deep amber infusion with the expected Assam flavor profile. Notes of malt and raisin, with a caramel nose, enough astringency to tickle the tongue, decent aroma, pleasing aftertaste and a little stewiness as the cuppa cooled. Reasonably priced and better than grocery store CTC Assams. I’ll rate it as 75 and recommend it, with the caveat that there are richer and smoother Assamic options out there.

Okay, it’s been a long time coming, since I bought this sheng in the summer of 2017, and kept it in a dark, vented jelly jar for the past 7+ years, sipping along now and then, waiting for it to improve before putting words on paper. Alas, it has not gotten much better than the bitter, woody, leaf-litter flavor it has had all along. I’ve tried gong-fu as well as western style as directed by the label, all to no avail. It’s pretty dang WEAK, too. No idea when this tea was produced, other than before 2017. It was never pressed into a cake, and I know of no special treatment or storage. Just that it is from China. I get nothing but disappointment from it, and now it’s headed to my garden compost heap since it’s not worth the cost of the spring water I steep with. I rate it a 40, and wouldn’t recommend it — it’s no longer listed for sale by Tealyra, either, though “topproteastore” out of Miami still lists it (along with a bunch of other stuff identical to Tealyra’s offerings, right down to the photos and verbatim descriptions.)