359 Tasting Notes

96

In retrospect, the tea of 2013 for me was this one. I realize that it has made me feel better every time I’ve had it. It commends focus and keeps your mind interested and curious. It fully deserves your attention. And when I drink it, it gets it.

You need to spend some time with it in order to fully appreciate and develop its potential . That’s only my opinion but I have brewed it Western style a few times only and although it is still a terrific cup, I deprived myself of so many subtleties that can only be found and achieved through gungfu brewing.

I don’t think I own one tea (incuding flavourded tea) that has so much true caramel notes to it.

It’s a gem, and as long as it’s being offered by Butiki, it will remain in my cupboard as a staple…

P.S. It well deserves a rating of 100, but Steepsters’ Smileys won’t let me go over 99!!! Bad Smiley :-(

cryptickoi

its a good one…it keeps going and going…

TheTeaFairy

I know, it quite amazing!

Dexter

Your favorite tea of 2013 was an oolong? Really? Interesting – going to add that to the profile – this might change everything…

TheTeaFairy

Hehe, dexter, blacks and oolongs are on top of the list for me! Not necessarily in terms of numbers (though I haven’t counted!) in my cupboard but in terms of most consumed! There’s a couple on heavy rotation I drink almost every day (not this one cause it would be too expensive).
I just found the perfect everyday tie guan yin from teavivre that I will review shortly :-)

cryptickoi

which tgy did you pick?Im kinda partial to the nonpareil organic heavily roasted….

TheTeaFairy

Cryptickoi, it’s a green TGY, Anxi Monkey King. $15 for 100g, the quality is unreal for the price, ridiculous!! Almost as good as a Da Yu Ling I keep that costs me 35$ for 50g!!

cryptickoi

that is a good deal…

TheTeaFairy

Now you know I’m gonna have to look at nonpareil organic heavily roasted and I have a feeling it’s more on the pricey side!

cryptickoi

haha…yeah,its kinda spendy…I liked it most out of all their roasted offerings..

tigress_al

LOVE the anxi monkey king!!
I have not tried this Butiki oolong though…. It is now on my shopping list though!

TheTeaFairy

Yes Tigress, the king is the KING!
And for this tea, add it with confidence :-)

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80

Like I need another favourite morning tea. Really Stacy, get your act together and stop making my choices so darn difficult. I need a new favourite tea like I need to have my teeth pulled out one by one without anesthesia (ok, I’m pushing the envelope just a little here but you catch my drift).

Lol, no jokes, this is some bold breakfast tea I find myself in love with. It whispers at me «wake up girl, don’t smell the coffee, just sniff me and pouf! all morning laziness will go away, I promise.»

It just works, simple. But I hear you, you want some decent load of tea adjectives, don’t you? How bout malty, earthy, astringent, woodsy, fruity, tobaccowy (?? not sure about that last one but it fits well in my sentence, lol)

More. I want more. Hey, I HAVE more, good for me!

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96

Daba, oh, Daba,

Couple of days ago I thought you and I were done for good, providing you don’t exist anymore and therefore I can’t restock on you :-(

But then, it occurred to me that I should put some order in my cupboard, and surprise! There you were, from the height of your 1/2 once, waiting for us to meet again!

I will cherish the tiny little bits and pieces I have left of you, but tonight, I can’t resist you! Come for a late night swim in the Gaiwan with me :-)

(See previous notes)

Sil

Yay for cupboard organizing lol

TheTeaFairy

Cryptickoi: this tea deserves to be flirted with :-)

Sil: you were my inspiration :-)

Butiki Teas

I was sad to see this tea go. I still have a tiny little bit left that I’m saving for a special occasion. Maybe one day we will be able to bring it back. I think it was just too expensive.

TheTeaFairy

Yes, I remember, quite expensive!!!! But it’s so fun to play with and so energizing too, really provides a good tea buzz…I used the mini gaiwan so I could use less leaves, allowing me to keep a small stash for a few more servings:-)

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84
drank Phoenix Pearl by Zen Tea
359 tasting notes

This tea is really amazing…as a blind test, one could never tell 100g sells for under $10! For real, what a bargain ratio.

It’s a sweet Yunnan, full bodied. It offers plenty of cocoa and honey, with earhty undertones, vague smoky notes emerge here and there. It reminds me of a milder keemun from Teavivre.

The leaves are more curls than what we usually call pearls. Cute nuggets that you can steep at least three times Western style. I made a gigantic pot tonight using my new Scandinavian pot and matching cup (Shelley if you’re reading, you know what I mean, lol)

I treated myself with so many good teas today, I feel fully satisfied!

keychange

I’ve added this to my shopping list now!

TheTeaFairy

oh, if you order, I really hope you like it miss Keychange :-)

Dexter

LOL I have this – should move it up the list of teas I should try soon.

TheTeaFairy

Dexter: just open it and have it, what are you waiting for?

Dexter

Ummm I have over a 100 other teas in my house I haven’t tried… can’t get to all of them at once. Like I said should move it up the list. :))

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84
drank Phoenix Pearl by Zen Tea
359 tasting notes

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95
drank Laoshan Black by Verdant Tea
359 tasting notes

Homage to Laoshan Black

Its taste feels like the most beautiful Bach sonatas and partitas will do to my ears when they trigger that flow of emotions causing tears to tickle my eyes.

It also rocks my world just like Led Zeppelin or Nirvana does.

The beauty of each sip takes my breath away, just like every brush stroke does on my favourite Van Gogh paintings.

The aroma makes me want to take off my shoes, go run and dance in the neon green grass after the rain…

It makes the ugly go away for a while…

It rights the wrongs…

If you haven’t been able to say that much about anything lately, have a cup of this miracle elixir.

Thanks to Verdant and the He family for bringing such an extraordinary tea to such an ordinary gal like me :-)

Fjellrev

Love the music references! Makes me want to play some Bach on the piano before heading home. So magical.

I almost never even listen to Nirvana but this makes me want to put that on too haha.

TheTeaFairy

Haha! i love music references cause they are so part of who i am, almost everything I do or think about is related to music…do you play the piano? Bach is my favourite classical composer ever. He was most definitely the rockstar of his time.
Yep, can’t believe I still listen to Nirvana, but there’s a time and a mood for it I guess.
Lately, I’ve been hooked on the latest Queens of the Stone Age, just amazing album!

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96

Another sleepless night in Winterland…I am reorganizing my cupboard (at last!!) and I am finding hidden treasures, teas I thought I had run out of. Like this beloved oolong of mine.

I am always amazed at this little chameleon, I keep drinking cause it keeps on giving and every steep is different and evolves into something else. But the main show is about the burnt caramel notes, that’s for sure. (See previous note)

It is simply magic as I’m watching the halo created by the reflection of a moon crescent, caressing the crisp diamond white floors of my land. It’s a city-less surrounding and some gal might be scared to be out here alone in the middle of the night. But it’s my home, and with my faithful canine protector always by my side, I feel 100% safe, that’s how I can put on my snow shoes and go walk in the woods at 1am, the moon as my lantern, the dog as my compass…

yyz

Jealous! I would love to be able to do that!

TheTeaFairy

Has its perks but most of my friends and family are begging and harassing me to go back to Montreal, quote «where the action is»! I shall keep on resisting…

Ysaurella

what are the things you miss from Montréal ? If you’re no more in town probably less than the benefits you get to be in this quiet and relaxing area.If I had a driving licence I would probably do the same choice you did.

TheTeaFairy

Ysaurella, the ONLY thing I miss from the big city is the cultural aspect…and also being able to grab something on the go cause here, cause here, there are no convenience store on the corner of the street so you must plan ahead!
I can’t do «mon marché» on my way home every day the way Europeans do :-) But i think I have best of both worlds, cause if I want the city life, I’m only about an hour away, plus there are smaller cities around that I visit on regular basis for shopping and stuff.

I wouldn’t qualify myself as high maintenance, but I do like to live to a certain standard :-)

What keeps you from getting your drivers and do the same? You live in France, the rural life must be paradise on earth!!! But reality is different I guess, especially when you are raising kids…

Ysaurella

driving licence here is between 1500 and 2000 € it is a consequent budget and your’re not sure to get your licence the first time.Success rates are generally 50% in the area of Paris. However I tried a long time ago and I hate driving…

TheTeaFairy

OMG, are you kidding?? That’s ridiculous, but I guess it’s effective on traffic issues!! I don’t think I would have the chops to drive in Paris,it looks sooo complicated so I don’t blame you :-)

Sil

Paris driving is insanity. my mother and i rented a car to spend a month in france and had to drive out of paris…i was so glad to be OUT :)

Ysaurella

everything is different in Europe, smaller so more complicated to drive probably.Regarding the costs…unfortunately I am not kidding …imagine if you have to pass the exam 3 times as a Friend of mine…6000 €…just to get the right to drive !(she is graduated of University – I mean the driving exam doesn’t really depend on the cultural level of the persons but is hard to get)

Charles Thomas Draper

I had a very interesting experience with this tea. More on that later….

TheTeaFairy

Please let us know charles!

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96

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83

Ok, this morning, I need Thurbo as in turbo, propeller, fast fuse, or what have you. Just give me energy please. This tea will hopefully help me stay grounded, as I have big plans!

I like this Thurbo, another tasty Darjeeling from Butiki. It’s a little spicy and astringent, lots of muscatel. All these big flavours peak for me at second infusion which is the best one in my opinion. Later, it gets a little woodsy.

Although my favourite Darj from Butiki remains Castleton Moonlight, I still feel this one is an excellent pick me up!

I have a special day planned with a very special friend of mine today. Having had serious health issues for several months now, it’s my first attempt at a real outing with a friend and though I am quite anxious about the whole thing, I am beyond excited…this means I am doing better :-)

I haven’t slept all night but that’s ok, I’m used to it and I know I can still manage to have a good time. What we have planned doesn’t require acute intellectual abilities anyways, lol:

1)Breakfast at our favourite restaurant
2)short girly shopping session – only shoes and tea are on the list
3)talk some more and have some tea in the afternoon

She is such a good caring friend, I know that no matter how I feel today, she’ll be there for me. She doesn’t know, but I have prepared a little tea gift for her. I took a giant mug and filled it with a bunch of tea samples from tea merchants she never tried (she only knows DavidsTea!)

Hope she likes it!

Butiki Teas

Sounds like you have a fun day planned! Have a great time! Friends like that are awesome. :)

Terri HarpLady

That does sound like a wonderful outing! Have fun!

Plunkybug

Have a fun day. I know about the not sleeping at night. I’ve had sleeping issues the last week or so, myself.

keychange

It’s so wonderful to have friends who will enjoy your company, regardless of what type of state you’re in: healthy or unhealthy, happy or miserable, etc. We all need people like that, and she’s also lucky to have a kind tea friend!

Fjellrev

I hope you’ll have an awesome day! You deserve a relaxing day.

TheTeaFairy

Thanks everyone, I had a wonderful day and my friend was beyond happy about the tea gift. She said the best gifts are the ones involving a true passion and she could see that passion not only in the way everything was wrapped but also in the way each pouch was selected to match her own personal tastes… She definitely made my day :-)

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100

I don’t resent coffee, I was a coffee lover for most of my life, alternating with tea, coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon and at night. I ditched coffee about 3 years ago, when I started experiencing what real tea bliss was.

Why should I settle for coffee when I can have something like Premium Taiwanese Assam in the morning? From the first to the last sip, I have only 4 words in mind: Thank you tea God!!!
(I don’t recall ever thinking there was a coffee God when I was drinking it).

Malty, chocolaty goodness, even when I feel like sh…, you make my mornings look brighter and sunnier, love ya!

Butiki Teas

That’s how I feel about this tea! :)

Fjellrev

Seriously, Assam is the greatest thing ever for the morning. :)

TheTeaFairy

Stacy, I’m glad you feel the same…but I’ve had a strong second best of the morning lately: Taiwanese Wild Mountain Black. Now I’m not sure which is my favourite anymore!!

Fjellrev, you are so right, Assams just kick ass in the morning!

Butiki Teas

The PTA is morning tea and the TWMB is my afternoon tea. Both are my favs! :)

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Profile

Bio

I am French Canadian, so please forgive me if my English is not always perfect :-/

My relationship with tea in a nutshell:

I’m married to straight Black. I have torrid love affairs with Oolong and Puerh. I party with Green and White occasionally. Flavored are not my BFF, I usually stay away from them.

Love Steepster, a place for tea lovers, where you learn and share with others.

About me:

I am a free spirit, I let people be who they are and expect the same in return.

Books! I love classic literature, but also modern and pretty much anything that captures my attention.

Music is also something I can’t live without… From Bach to Nirvana, my ears know no boundaries…

Animal and nature lover, amateur photographer.

I’ve been drinking tea for as long as I can remember.

Drinking tea is a sensorial experience. The name in itself “Camellia Sinensis” lingers the promess of an adventure for the senses…

Not a big «swapper», but will occasionally. Not because I don’t want to share but because I’m trying not to hoard so much.

Also, I have narrowed down the teas I really like over the years, and I don’t feel the need to try and buy everything the way I used to. (Maybe I have become a tea snob? Sigh…)

My ratings: because I pretty much drink only teas that I judge exceptional, my ratings are usually high. Don’t be shocked to see lots of 90’s and a few 100’s. That’s because I’ve had my share of crapy teas and I’m done with that ;-)

You can find me on Instagram here, I post about my tea sessions mostly, but also about the beautiful nature that surrounds me, and my fury companions :-)

http://instagram.com/theteafairy/

Location

The Laurentians, Canada

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