89

Exciting news — I’m within a weekend tasting fest or two of completing the taste-and-write-an-initial-note-about-all-the-teas-in-my-cupboard project! After today, the count is:

pu erh: 4
oolong: 1

This isn’t my entire tea universe as there is still the random selection of pu erh samples to taste and a few newly arrived teabag and other single serving samples, but it will be another little tea project accomplished.

I may be out of town next weekend, though, which means accomplishing the goal will need to wait until later in the month. But I’m pretty excited about being within striking distance.

The dry leaf of this one has a lovely creamy-floral green smell.

Gaiwan. 195F, rinse, 15 seconds plus 5 for each additional steep.

The tea is a pale yellow with a green tinge. It has a natural dairy smell that does not seem to have been artificially enhanced, with some floral notes as well. It is light bodied and smooth.

This is different than other “pouchongs” I have had, which tend to be more oxidized. This one is very green, and although it isn’t as floral as some of my favorite green oolongs, it’s really lovely.

Flavors: Cream, Creamy, Floral, Green

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C
ashmanra

I had Wenshan Baozhong from Harney and Sons and it was quite green and very floral, not very oxidized at all. But I have had other pouchong tea that had a sour edge and I didn’t care for it.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Comments

ashmanra

I had Wenshan Baozhong from Harney and Sons and it was quite green and very floral, not very oxidized at all. But I have had other pouchong tea that had a sour edge and I didn’t care for it.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Profile

Bio

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

Location

Bay Area, California

Website

http://www.jjroth.net

Following These People

Moderator Tools

Mark as Spammer