J-TEA

It being Thanksgiving Day – and given the fact that I’m working – I figured it a perfect time to down at least two pints of an American-grown tea. Not just American, one grown and processed in my own state. The leaves for this black tea were picked from a small tea garden as part of the Minto Island Growers outfit. J-TEA International purchased a heap of their leaves and processed them into a black tea product. Similar to a Taiwanese black.

This is my go-to tea when I’m on the go. I can steep it forever, and it doesn’t bitter. The taste is malty, sweet, kinda fruity and…well…’Merica.

I even had to visit the garden it was grown from once WITH the tea in question. (http://steepstories.com/2013/08/14/tea-garden/)

Happy Thanks-Teaing, Steepster.

Interesting tea. Earthy, reminiscing of Humus, but not too Earthy. The description of Bell Peppers above is Perfect! I would say the notes of Bell Peppers is the prominent feature of this tea!

Parameters:
Teapot : Yixing 180ml
Temperature : 185 F
Steep Time : 15 sec
Tea Quantity : 6 g

This roasted high-mountain oolong from Taiwan is way understated. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get into the high-mountain oolongs. Gentle and sweet. My guess as to why it is so affordable is because the leaves are individual and not the two leaves and a bud, and therefore not ideal for gongfu cha presentation.
In any case, I still brew this tea gongfu style with my zisha yixing pot that I use for high-mountain oolongs and a simple aroma cup set:
Aroma: Dark clover honey or brown sugar and a little sweetgrass
Taste: Milky, honey, sweetgrass with a little caramel. The light oxidation brings out the tart fruitiness of leechees.

Every now and then I treat myself to this.
The aroma is like honey and sweet grass. Reminds me of summer time – which of course is when it was harvested. The color is rich golden, unlike many other teas. The texture is thick like milk, not quite like syrup. The flavor lies at the top of the tongue, almost the roof of the mouth – maybe reminiscent of acorns or tempeh – almost beer-like.

Using my green clay Year of the Tiger yixing pot that I use for Formosa (summer) oolongs
Aroma cup: Honey!
First steeping: creamy, smooth, mild mixture of vegetal and floral, like artichoke
Second steeping: Deeper floral tones
I think of Gui Fei as definitely more of an esoteric tea, just because it’s not one of the famous teas, like Tieguanyin or Wen Shan or Dong Ding. But it is a real treat, almost a dessert.

Using aroma cup, the initial aroma is like brown sugar. The first and second steeping are very creamy with a nice musky, earthy flavor that lingers quite a long time. Less roasty than I expected. Notes of honey and sunflower seeds. My last sip was three minutes ago and I can still taste all those flavors. Very satisfying.

Using an aroma cup, I get the aroma of sweetgrass. And as the cup cools down, there is a lingering essence of burned braided sweetgrass in a small room. My first steeping has a complex mixture of honey and roasted brazil nuts with a long aftertaste on the cusp of sweet and bitter. The second brew is slightly less sweet but fuller-flavored and solidifies my first impression – honey and roasted nuts (maybe filberts) with the robust essence of burning sweetgrass.

Smooth, round flavor. Sweet, dark. This tea has a very yin quality. Rosey color. So, even though this is a shu cha, it is one of the few I’ve had that approach the character of a sheng cha. It’s not quite as musty/muddy as other shu cha. I don’t know if it is because it has aged for 11 years.

Dark Earth, notes of bell pepper, morel mushrooms

I think this is my favorite tea of all time. Thanks, Josh, for introducing me to green oolongs, thus eliminating my fear of ALL oolongs!

The front end of this tea is so sweet. It’s not like agave nectar or honey though. More like magnolia nectar, if there is such a thing. Also, peaches. The body is so milky and smooth and full-flavored. A mild, round vegetal finish.
I have to say that I don’t think Americans often have the opportunity to drink tea like this. I just feel lucky and honored to have this opportunity. Thanks Josh!

I discovered Steepster randomly while trying to find reviews of this tea to share with a Tweet I felt I had to do because this is just too darn good, so I didn’t capture the preparation details. I can tell you I’m on the 3rd steeping and left the leaves in for quite a while and yet there’s nary a hint of tannins. The aroma is still remarkable. Not quite jasmine, but certainly some tropical flower. Taste is certainly green but not grassy. Artichoke sounds close, but a sweetness lingers. Green oolongs are among my favorites, and this is spectacular this ranks quite high.

Yet another excellent Oolong from J-Tea. Sweet, creamy, slightly astringent. Nice long aftertaste.

From tea tasting 7/3/11. Andrew, Matt, Sue, Lori, Chris
Jasmine flowers, rose petals, artichokes, ends musky. A favorite!

This tea is very similar to the Ancient Tree Mini Brick that J-Tea provides. Though, rather than peat moss and bacon, this is more like punky wood that gets tingley the longer it steeps.

Very earthy and rich, like blackland soil and molasses. Very smooth and easy to drink. This tea reminds me of the puer you get in the really good dim sum banquets. The smaller size cakes (100g) are also very convenient.

From tea tasting 7/3/11. Sue, Lori, Matt, Andrew, Chris
Aroma of sweet spice, astringent, ends with apricot

This one is different than other High Mountain green oolongs I’ve had. First of all, the flavor just keeps going, brew after brew. I get this peachy taste, like the hint of the ripest peach I’ve ever had, or even canned peach (but in a good way). The floral notes also give me a jolt every time I take a sip. Delicious! Truly amazing.

This traditionally roasted Iron Goddess is really nice. There are a few tricks to get it just right. After heating my gaiwan really hot, I put the tea leaves in it and shake it. Then I pour boiling water on it for just 15 seconds. Then I get a nice roastiness with a subtle sweetness that is perfect for a dark winter night.

I have significantly improved my brewing time with this Ming Jian. I get this sweetness akin to agave nectar or sweet honey. It is so lovely, I can’t wait for this year’s harvest!