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__Morgana__ drank Organic Yunnan Golden Needle by American Tea Room

2036 tasting notes

Unopened sample packet, steeped according to directions.

OMG. The leaves are so gorgeous and they smell like a gazillion different yummy things. There’s the chocolate-vanilla continuum thing going on — it’s so amazing, I can’t tell which end I’m on. It could be either, or both at the same time. There’s a confectionery aroma that is stunning.

After steeping some of that goes away or at least flattens out and there’s more of a malty/bready smell. It’s a dark copper color.

The tea is smooth and easy to drink. Delicious but without the same depth and malty quality of some of the other ATR Yunnans. It’s not that there’s no depth or maltiness, just that it’s a different version, like the difference between milk chocolate and dark chocolate. This one is the milk chocolate version.

After reading others’ notes, I wanted to love this so much it would be my first 100 rating. but I can’t give it that, at least not based on my tasting today. It’s an excellent tea, but to my personal palate prefers the darker flavors of other ATR Yunnans.

It’s still going on the wishlist, though.

Flavors: Bread, Brown Sugar, Butter, Butterscotch, Chocolate, Malt, Toffee, Vanilla

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 17 OZ / 500 ML

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I got obsessed with tea in 2010 for a while, then other things intruded, then I cycled back to it. I seem to be continuing that in for a while, out for a while cycle. I have a short attention span, but no shortage of tea.

I’m a mom, writer, gamer, lawyer, reader, runner, traveler, and enjoyer of life, literature, art, music, thought and kindness, in no particular order. I write fantasy and science fiction under the name J. J. Roth.

Personal biases: I drink tea without additives. If a tea needs milk or sugar to improve its flavor, its unlikely I’ll rate it high. The exception is chai, which I drink with milk/sugar or substitute. Rooibos and honeybush were my gateway drugs, but as my tastes developed they became less appealing — I still enjoy nicely done blends. I do not mix well with tulsi or yerba mate, and savory teas are more often a miss than a hit with me. I used to hate hibiscus, but I’ve turned that corner. Licorice, not so much.

Since I find others’ rating legends helpful, I added my own. But I don’t really find myself hating most things I try.

I try to rate teas in relation to others of the same type, for example, Earl Greys against other Earl Greys. But if a tea rates very high with me, it’s a stand out against all other teas I’ve tried.

95-100 A once in a lifetime experience; the best there is

90-94 Excellent; first rate; top notch; really terrific; will definitely buy more

80-89 Very good; will likely buy more

70-79 Good; would enjoy again, might buy again

60-69 Okay; wouldn’t pass up if offered, but likely won’t buy again

Below 60 Meh, so-so, iffy, or ick. The lower the number, the closer to ick.

I don’t swap. It’s nothing personal, it’s just that I have way more tea than any one person needs and am not lacking for new things to try. Also, I have way too much going on already in daily life and the additional commitment to get packages to people adds to my already high stress level. (Maybe it shouldn’t, but it does.)

That said, I enjoy reading folks’ notes, talking about what I drink, and getting to “know” people virtually here on Steepster so I can get ideas of other things I might want to try if I can ever again justify buying more tea. I also like keeping track of what I drink and what I thought about it.

My current process for tea note generation is described in my note on this tea: https://steepster.com/teas/mariage-freres/6990-the-des-impressionnistes