Bitterleaf Teas

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Recent Tasting Notes

74

Tastes more like a ripe than a raw; I’m a little unclear from the notes which it is. Good body and depth — very slightly medicinal, though I wouldn’t have picked it out if the notes from Bitterleaf didn’t include it. Salivation without astringency. Overall, though, I feel this is lacking complexity and the surprising, delightful discoveries which make me love [raw] Liu Bao.

Maybe a good fireside sipper for autumn and winter…

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78

These dry leaves are delicate — thin and fluffy. Steaming in the gaiwan, they smell like cardboard boxes in a cinderblock basement. The rinse tasted like licking the walls, so I dumped the balance. Adding water immediately disintegrated any large pieces nearly to fannings.

First proper steep after a few minutes of rest gave up betel nut, cherry pit, basement camphor with a big hole in the middle. Wet leaves started opening up to something reminiscent of a spicy brown cocktail or brandied spice cake.

Is it possible this tea is dropping off at the second steep already? I adore huangpian, but it would certainly create the possibility. I let the third go for a minute or more, and it does indeed seem to be fading. Camphor numbness, alcohol muted by mineral water, with what feels like a metallic patina layered on top — a bagfull of rinsed beer cans.

And it appears: grandma Alice’s basement, flooded with twelve inches of water, hundreds of Old Milwaukee cans lazily floating around, the sad clank-dank-clank when my dad started wading through. Chucking the empties down the stairs and forgetting about them seemed like such a good idea before then, I reckon.

Flavors: Alcohol, Brandy, Camphor, Cardboard, Cinnamon, Metallic, Mineral, Spices, Wet Rocks, Wet Wood

Preparation
3 g 2 OZ / 50 ML
ashmanra

Oh dear

derk

Beer cans and flooded basements — your description takes me tova time and place I’ve been before. Whether I like it or not, I don’t know, but those sense-memories are ingrained.

beerandbeancurd

Something about basements seems to carve them a little deeper for me. I wonder why that is.

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Grandpa Style!

I imagine this would probably be better steeped gongfu, but all of my teaware save for one last mug has been repacked for the moment as I switch locations for the second half of my vacation. It’s still pleasant steeped in this style though; the liquor is medium bodied with a pleasantly light and medicinal bitterness. I have a love/hate relationship with bitter sheng, but this one straddles that line well and the lingering sugar cane sweetness after each swallow is something to look forward to from sip to sip. I look forward to revisiting this tea brewed gongfu in the future, when I’m home with access to my full tea stash…

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/CvSWexyu8Ae/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU5hjtqS-xs

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90

I would have guessed this was younger! The flavors are quite complex, rocketing from truffled banana bread on the nose, to sweet green herbs in the mouth, to an aftertaste of pear candy on the swallow. Tasted like cooling, felt like heat. Apparently this is just a lighter ferment, but I still would have expected 20+ years to infuse some more funk and darkness. The complexity is there, though — a total surprise on my Liu Bao journey. Looking forward to revisiting.

Flavors: Apple Candy, Banana, Bread, Fennel, Green, Herbaceous, Mushrooms, Pear

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90

This tea is sooo good.
Wood and earth tones.
Camphor freshness in the mouth.
And the energy… So strange. Invigorating and calming at the same time.
Want to keep drinking but need to take a break because my head is spinning.

Flavors: Camphor, Earthy, Woody

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93

Had the tea yesterday afternoon as I had just started the weekend. Normally I don’t drink tea in the afternoon as it usually affects my sleep at night.
In Denmark, we have had a long period of heat and no rain, so everything is very dry. But yesterday while I was drinking the rain was on its way.
I don’t know if it affected the tea, but it had a freshness I don’t think I’ve experienced in a Sheng before, with the perfect amount of bitterness.
What made this session special for me was that I have NEVER drank through it so quickly. 6 g/90ml and 15 infusions in 1 hour and 15 minutes. And the energy was never overwhelmed, just uplifted. The perfect tea to kick off the weekend.

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75

Interesting but pretty hard to drink tea. I got this tea last year and completely forgot about it, so I digged it out today and brewed it in my yixing teapot. Nice huangpian leaves albeit slightly more stemmy than usual, a rich dry and wet leaf herbaceous aroma, and a clear and vibrant almond hue liquor. The flavour is quite bitter, with a unique juicy mouthfeel that slightly quenches the astringency. The texture is pretty astringent, and while I am one for astringent teas, this may just cross the line. The finish & aftertaste was okay, nothing amazing. The cha-qi was relatively present, slight buzziness to the tea, and the steep longevity is decent as well, with the tea possibly lasting upwards of steep 10.

Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Floral, Herbaceous, Oily, Sweet

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 30 sec 6 g 3 OZ / 100 ML

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Gongfu!

Steeped this up earlier this afternoon paired with two juicy, ripe pears. Pun not intended. This oolong is so perfectly dark and toasty with strong notes of mugicha and other roasted grains, as well as just a bit of coffee, popcorn, brown butter, and caramelized sugar. It actually compliments the pears so perfectly!

When I pair tea with fruit, I often worry about the intensity of the fruits overpowering the tea. It’s actually why I often recommend eating the fruit in between steeps so that the fruit juices carry over on your palate before washing them down with tea – it just helps balance out those particularly sweet or sour fruits with the overall session. However, in this case I’m finding the bold roasted flavours of this oolong can actually take the fruit head on. The contrast of the lushly sweet and floral pears actually brings out a lot in the tea: I’m noticing the floral orchid undertones more than I think I would have otherwise, and the top notes seem sweeter and richer. There’s even a bit of a cocoa note drawn out! If there’s any downside, it’s that the coffee notes are also much more apparent – not that more coffee is unpleasant by nature. Mostly just that it’s a particularly tasting note that I don’t typically find myself chasing as someone who is, well, not a coffee drinker. It’s actually quite interesting though; I would not have called that as one of the notes that would leap to the forefront!!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/ros_strange/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiMPmWXeyf0

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Gongfu!

Enjoyed this session paired with some sweet, tangy and sour golden berries in between each steep!! My love of dark and roasted flavours but disinterest of coffee is definitely somewhat at odds with each other, and that’s wildly apparently when drinking this oolong. It’s expectedly very roasty tasting, though not as dark as you.maube might expect – and certainly not bitter. The taste, to me, is split between being very coffee-like but also somewhat cozy with notes of barley malt and brown rice. The liquor is also actually very, very smooth with great body and richness to it. I kind of don’t mind the parts of each steep that make me think of coffee; it very much works here!!

It’s absolutely insane to think that an aged tea from 2013 is ten years old; it feels like it was just a year or two back!! I would have been fresh out of highschool and definitely in the infancy of my tea drinking journey. What were you doing in 2013…??

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CuKnMaeO2Xt/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukGApNC7nCE

Martin Bednář

I wish I remember. Probably I had a summerjob, so painting the layout in warehouses in the local company?

Kaylee

I was about a year out of grad school. I could fill a textbook with what I wish I’d known ten years ago! But I’m trying to let the takeaway be the importance of both being responsible and making the most of life, and maintaining a balance between the two.

Daylon R Thomas

Fresh graduated out of High School too.

derk

Oh heck, I think that was the year I moved to San Francisco. Quit my job as a bug scientist, had a temporary job at the local market run by a Palestinian family, then got into wildland restoration doing lumberjill things. Personal life was a hot mess, haha!

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Grandpa Style!

I’ve been so impressed with all of BLT’s black teas lately and this one is no exception. The liquor has a rich and velvety full-bodied mouthfeel. From the first sip, the sweet and savory notes of malt, brioche dough, and dark golden honey with an almost orchid-like floral undertone which makes me feel as if I’ve just walked into a bakery in the opening hours of the day. Intensely warm and inviting aromas of different pastries, rolls, and breads fresh out of the oven. Aside from that, there’s a slight undertone of golden raisins that completes the cup; very delicious alongside the array of pleasant baked notes.

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ct9zq71OSMD/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5fSu774THM

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Gongfu!

I love how full bodied and lush the mouthfeel of this tea is. It has such a nice coating slickness that works really well with the indulgent notes of bittersweet dark chocolate, malted barley, leather, and brandied plums. I especially love that the whole session seems accented by these fresh, aromatic top notes of sweet red apple and undertones of dewy roses. Really dynamic mix of tasting notes!!

Between some bad insomnia and an unexpected cold, it’s been a few days since I’ve had a really nice tea session. So, this was a welcome moment of calm and reflection. Very grounding. For a couple days I really didn’t feel much like myself, so good to get back to that.

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CyjDLGaue-K/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikGaCYy8naw

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Gongfu!

This was a morning session paired with a couple juicy summer peaches!! This black tea was made with Zijuan material, which is also known as purple tea. Not the Kenyan purple tea that’s more commonly known Western-facing, though. I’m always intrigued to try different Zijuan productions, and I feel this one made a good first impression. Most of the richly bodied infusions were pretty consistent in taste with “denser” low notes of orchard and stone fruits, which was ironic given my pairing. I also tasted honey and dark grains, with subtle notes of chocolate and leather. Definitely not a lot of “brightness” to each sip, but so much complexity!!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CtfDtaEORmw/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu9rCazVjIw

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Gongfu!

Continuing tasting through my recent BLT order with a session of their 2002 “Potion” Liu Bao! It’s weird to me to think that a heicha from 2002 already has twenty years of age on it; that number just doesn’t feel real. However, steeped up this tea definitely has the smooth, clean taste but deeply intense body to match its maturity. On top of the expected cooling sensation of camphor, this Liu Bao is delightfully medicinal with rich notes of cassia and clove, wet wood and forest undergrowth, and incense. I really found this to be a super grounding session, and definitely a stand out heicha which makes me even more excited to taste through the other two samples I picked up!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CtRkoFau4YQ/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsBd8G2Dzgo

beerandbeancurd

Oof, literally just clicked “complete purchase” at Bitterleaf… wish I’d seen this prior! Sounds divine.

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Grandpa Style!

This year’s Spring tea order arrived in record time, so now I have even more teas to add to the ever growing list of recently acquired cakes and samples that need tasting – not that I’m complaining, of course. More teas to try is NEVER a problem!

Though my Spring BLT order is usually very sheng heavy I was a bit more selective this year with which samples I grabbed. Of course I got my reliable haul of Yiwu and Jingmai productions though, and I’ve already dipped into my Year Of The Rabbit cake. It was soft yet flavourful with more of the sweet and fruity notes that I’ve always loved from yiwu productions. As BLT notes themselves, the last few year’s pressings have had a bit more bite to them due to weather conditions. All still delicious, of course. However, based on this first impression I do feel this sort of ‘return’ to some of the earlier teas in the YOT series and I liked the familiarity of the tea a lot!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CtOzwTIOc_q/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvXStoXTU4Q

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87

Got a sample, loved it so much I ordered more. Brewed in a gaiwan, but held back on the leaf, and went lower on the temp than usual (208F). Poured the water around the gaiwan rather than straight over the top of the leaves. I was rewarded with a honey sweet, mellow but flavorful taste, super enjoyable. Got quite a number of steeps out of it (like, 6?) before the leaves gave up. Like Bitterleaf says in the notes, super honey-forward. Just like I like it.

Flavors: Herbs, Honey

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 15 sec 3 g 4 OZ / 120 ML

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Grandpa Style!

Didn’t actually take good notes for this one; I think I was being overly optimistic at this point that the database would be back up much faster than it was. I remember it being so thick, darkly sweet and kind of oat-y though.

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq6M7Y7Oa9i/

Kind of a tea photo, anyway. If we’re being honest it’s mostly a gaiwan photo.

Song pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpetK7aGGjo

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74

Nice daily drinker. Nothing too special but still nice.

Preparation
4 g 2 OZ / 70 ML

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Cracked open a fresh cake earlier in the week. Brewed grandpa style this was a smooth and sweet tea with all the delicious Yiwu character I could have hoped for! Reminded me a bit of lemon candies, but still with a greenness to the cup and an appropriate amount of bite. I feel like this tea is really going to sing when brewed gongfu, and I’m looking forward to trying that next!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CoYHNeFunx4/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NdluzeDNow

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81

Gongfu!

Finally took the time for a session with this dancong oolong and shou pu’erh blended tea! This is such a unique combination of teas to be pressed together, and I wanted to make sure I have it the mental focus I felt it would likely need and deserve. Honestly, the oolong and pu’erh play off each way nicer than they have any right to! There’s something so sweet, fresh and floral about the aroma that comes off the leaf and liquor as it steeps that exemplifies some of the best qualities of the dancong. In terms of taste I find this to be akin to a softer shou with a more round and coating mouthfeel. It’s still earthy but very clean and lacking the heaviness and pungency it might have were it not blended. I get some undertones of lychee and plum skins, which make me think of the dancong, and it’s so unique to be tasting in tandem with the pu’erh! I think it all kind of works because of the unifying minerality of the two teas. Honestly, I just really love “Frankenteas”. This miss a lot but, when they hit, OH BOY do they hit!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CnpsRapOZtk/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ssjkdcATng

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Gongfu!

My Anniversary Sale order from Bitterleaf arrived this week in what feels like record time; just about two weeks! Mostly I picked up a frankly offensively large amount of teaware including this STUNNING gaiwan, but I also added in a few tea cakes as well. Cake is sample, after all. I very much want to dig into my shiny, new cake of this year’s Body & Soul, but I’m doing the arguably more responsible thing and letting it rest and steeping up last year’s production instead.

Ever since the first year’s pressing, this unique blend of black tea and shou pu’erh has been a BLT staple for me. I find that, though I visually see much more black tea in the leaf I’ve packed into this very overloaded gaiwan, I actually taste the ripe pu’erh more. The liquor is slick and full bodied with a richness that mirrors the taste. The most succinct way to describe the profile would be to call it savory dark chocolate. Anything else feels superfluous. I do love, though, how balanced those brothy, earthy notes are with the dense bittersweet cocoa. It’s comforting and cozy on what is, of course, yet another cold and dreary Autumn afternoon!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy6oAQCuS4O/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6pKRY—OXc

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Grandpa Style!

Long days call for comfort teas so I brewed up a nice chunk of this tea earlier in the week. It’s rich and robust with a lot of my favourite parts of both tea types (shou and black) all beautifully woven together! Still earthy but also malty with chocolate notes. Surprisingly complex yet smooth.

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/CniHVlBOcRm/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUO6XoJruNw

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