Spirit Tea

From Daylon R Thomas!  Thanks very much!  The first time I steeped this, I expected it to be light and tame, used two teaspoons and WOWZAs was that too much.  Too astringent. I should have read Daylon’s notes before steeping it up!  (I tend to not do that though, so my flavor notes aren’t influenced by the power of suggestion…) So I vowed to try it again with one teaspoon and here we are. MUCH better.  The leaves are so big, hints of gold, nutty scent almost? Could be the cashews I had.  I didn’t expect it to be so rich, with such huge leaves.  The flavor in the first steep is wonderful and just dark and deep enough:  Plummy, fruity, a combo of sweet strawberry, fig.  But then a spice to it, a kick. Sweet like a pastry, cinnamon roll maybe.  I mean, the flavor notes seem so light and sweet but it’s a STRONG tea at the same time. But then I’m wondering if it’s contaminated from the tea in the infuser before. Very drying to the mouth.  The second steep it’s like impossibly, beyond dark maple syrup which sets my teeth abuzzin.  Syrupy both in flavor and mouthfeel.  Quite astringent even with a tame steep.  It’s quite unique.  Like a stronger Premium Taiwanese Assam.  Note to self: ONE TEASPOON.
Steep #1 // 1 teaspoon for a full mug // 20 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 3 min

Album: Bettye Lavette – LaVette
Song: Don’t Get Me Started https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n04sbZXctjA

Like eating corn leaves and grass.

Got this for xmas at request. I got through so many phases with tumblers. I usually stick to my bamboo or my glass one instead of my fancier ones, but this one intrigued me. It looked pretty, a few influencers on instagram raved about putting roasty oolongs in it, and then there’s the fact its metal coated with ceramic on the interior. So, it’s a cool idea.

Using it, it’s very similar to my eclipse teaware, but less expensive, yet sturdier. In terms of design, it’s more suited for prebagged tea or higher grade/larger leaves. The curl of the filter keeps a lot of leaves out, but anything smaller than a rolled oolong or black slips through.

In terms of what has worked better, I have to go for teas that are better grandpa or use less leaves for tumbler syle. It’s obvious to go for more flexible leaves in terms of tannin, but my greener oolongs didn’t fair as well as my darker oolongs, blacks or greens on average. White teas were hit or miss, which surprised me. My Taiwanese Assam was smoother than even my Shan Lin Xi Oolong. I know Green Oolongs are better for Gong Fu, but the ones I picked do better with grandpa too. I usually don’t have to worry about them. On the other end, there were more complex flavors I got out of a remaining Bi Lo CHun I’ve kept along with a Taiwanese Green.

Flavor is well preserved by the ceramic, but as with any tumbler, I actually find that heat retention is a double edged sword. This thing will keep it warm for a minimum of three hours if I leave the lid opem, but up to 6 hours if I close it. If I brew the tea for 190 F, it will remain close to that point for a while and keeping the leaves at that temperature while grandpa brewing. I usually have to add colder water to temper it If I want to drink it sooner. Again, it’s amazing that it retains that heat for travel. For preventing tannin in brewing teas, however, it’s not so great for my green oolongs.

It can be great as a mini teapot/serving vessel for gong fu for sure, but that’s with the expectation that I pour it under 30 seconds or 3 minutes. I have only dropped it twice and no cracks. I don’t recommend slamming it or hard scrubbing it to keep the cool designs. So, elegant yet durable. It’s not as versatile as the Gong Fu 2 Go Tumbler, but it’s sooo much easier to clean overall.

I really like this tumbler overall, but it’s not super versatile. Small leaves are a bad idea in since they will come through. It’s easy to overleaf if not careful. If you brew the tea in a separate mug then pour it in, it will be amazing. It also works as a modern approach better than a regular tea pot if you are brewing your tea in it. It can work for blacks and greens when I leave the leaves in, it’s okay for some flavored teas if you wash it IMMEDIATELY (hand washing only), but I’m still figuring out oolongs. A part of me wish I opted for a larger size than 12 oz since I finish it quickly, and I think I might be able to get better ratios for grandpa style with a bigger size. I’m curious about what you guys think or are curious about.

This is my four hundredth tasting note! It’s been a fun ride! Given the state of my tea museum, I might be able to reach five hundred tasting notes without buying any more tea, though I expect to continue supporting the tea economy with my impulse purchases indefinitely. :)

Thanks again to Derk for the sample! I was drooling over a pomelo Dancong on White2Tea (or maybe somewhere else), so this is especially welcome. I steeped 6 g of leaf in 120 ml of 200F water for 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds.

The dry aroma is of pomelo, tangerine, orange blossom, honey, and roast. The first steep has notes of honey, roast, pomelo, orange blossom, tangerine, and wood. The next steep adds more honey, apricot, minerals, sap, and cream. I can definitely taste the roast behind the fruit and florals, though it’s not unpleasant. There’s more honey, citrus, orange/pomelo blossom, and roast in the next couple steeps, plus a nice apricot aftertaste. Steeps five and six are a bit softer, with almond, gentle orange and apricot, cream, florals, and roast. The tea seems well integrated and not overly roasty. In subsequent steeps, the roast starts to take over, with honey, pine, minerals, almonds, florals, and hints of orange and pomelo. I steeped this tea out for the pops of orange and florals amid the honey, minerals, wood, and roast.

Derk mentioned that this tea has lost some of its flavour, though that’s hard to believe given how much complexity it has now. I like the very distinct pomelo, orange, honey, and orange blossom flavours and aromas, which persist throughout the session in spite of the roast. This is a more balanced, appealing Dancong than some others I’ve had recently.

This is the first time I’ve tried balhyocha so I can’t say how typical it is, but this is an exceptionally good tea (as well as one of the more expensive teas I own). The leaf aroma is all dark chocolate, but the tea initially sips up fruity, a little pleasantly astringent, before leaving a long-lasting sweet-savory aftertaste of chocolate and barley. Sticky and complex but easy to brew, there’s really no downsides here.

A tea that unfolds its flavor over time. It doesn’t taste like very much on the first sip, but leaves a strong sweet aftertaste. Later steeps are soupy and savory, with lots of suspended tea particles in the liquid.

Now this is good stuff. Starts out light and buttery as popcorn, as I lengthen the steep time the later steeps turn spicy and sweet, with a thicker, juicier texture. There’s a cooling aftertaste that reminds me of Ruby 18 black teas. Very mild and drinkable without being overly subtle.

Another sample gifted from Derk, thank you!

It’s sweaty yucky summer here now so I prepared this coldbrew. I really enjoy coldbrewed green tea (more than hot, actually) and this one is great! It actually gives me some white tea vibes from the flavor profile. There is a sort of fruitiness to it, that tastes a bit like a cross between pear and muscat grapes, with a bit of floral honey. Beneath that is an autumn leaf grassiness. Very tasting and refreshing! I love it!

Thanks so much, Derk!

What happened to the picture for this one? Anyway, used it to test new teaware from Spirit Tea that I got for xmas. I’ll do a full review for that tumbler since it’s ceramic and not as overpiced as some others. I had some trouble with my green oolongs in it oddly enough since they’ve usually more forgiving grandpa style. My Dayuling was too green and flat in it, so since it was a Spirit Tea product that they picked from a farmer, I tried it in the tumbler. It worked better. More evolution of from floral, sweet green and grass notes, and straight into something bordering between lemon, mango, and aprioct. Nice change of pace considering I’ve ignored it for too long. It’s been too grassy or sour gong fu lately in warmer weather, so somehow, it’s doing better in the colder weather. I’m happy to see I’ll be able to finish it off.

Another impulse one. The Shuixian from Wang Family tea was sold out, so I figured I’d give this one a try. I could have been smarter and went for the Qin Yun White, but I really only want to sample that one, and I can finish oolongs so much quicker.

I gong fu’d it, and I’m going to be honest, it’s a good one. The brocolini vibes are pretty strong, but it’s highly vegetal and fruity. Lemon balm is pretty accurate, but I get a lot of apple and pineapple in the taste. There’s a nice balance of sweetness and acidity to it that I like, even with the freshly steamed vegetable vibe I get. Sweetness compensates for it. I think there’s more I can pull out of this one. Nearly two oz is a bit too much, but again, I actually don’t regret getting this one.

Sipdown. This one is better tumbler style or in longer steeps. It does work gong fu, but there’s more layers the more you draw it out. It’s moslty floral and marshmallowy gong fu, and longer brews western and grandpa are sweeter, leaning more into some fruitier elements.

The first time I had it, I would have rated it 88, the second time 91, and the last few times 85, so I’m leaving it at 86. It’s a very good Lishan, yet it can be fainter compared to others gong fu. However, it’s got it’s own distinct vibe that super easy to drink and brew for longer periods of time.

It’s a little bit weaker with less leaves. Longer steeps had a caramelized marshmallow green taste, shorter steeps brought high mountain green oolong that was not quite as complex. There were more complex smells for sure, but flavor was a little faded.

It also does better when cooled down or with cooler temperature. I liked it more in spring and winter. It’s marshmallow profile and complex florals still standout, though I’m not ready to rate it. I’ve got just enough for one more Grandpa and gong fu if I go heavy.

I decided to get some to finally try it. I thought I had this one and wrote about it before, but I guess not. This particular Lishan is what Spirit keeps in their regular rotation, and laud the craftmanship of this one in particular.

Trying it out myself in a simple gong fu of roughly 30 sec increments, its on the lighter floral side, but heavy in texture and mouthfeel with fun subtle drippings of flavor. Of course their notes help sell it, but it’s not particularly grassy, and the marshmallow note is very distinct, tasting like marshmallow root in some other herbal teas with great viscosity. Mid steeps have a fruity slightly sour quality like apricot rounding out my tongue, and later steeps have more honey. The honey notes are more on the floral side than sweet side despite being fairly sweet overall. I imagine a tropical cloud floating in the sky with waterfalls, fresh fruit, and watercress.

This tea feels like a greener, softer version of the one I buy on the regular from What-Cha. What-Cha’s is nuttier and has a little bit more oxidation, maybe bare minimum roast (still nuclear green), but this one has the same citrus green honey cloud quality.

Essentially, I’m into it. I got some to share with Leafhopper as I amass a more comparable collection worthy of our trade. I unfortunately liked the Dayuling they had more, but they’re sold out, and this one is extremely comparable and definitely worth the buy. I see us drinking through this one pretty happily. Not ready to rate, but it’s an easy win Lishan for me.

Complex fruity, woody and spicy aromas that Dancong cultivar black teas are known for but for my preferences, the tea was lacking in depth of taste and texture no matter how it was prepared. Always thin and tangy with a dominant and bright lemony woody-malt taste kind of like some Taiwanese black teas. Good fleshy and fruity aftertaste like candied mango or osmanthus. The tea also had this very cooling character like pine-blackberry-lavender. Because of this, I opted to brew the remainder of the leaf as iced tea which was quite nice but a waste for the price.

One thing that threw me was sometimes I’d get the faintest whiff of rancid coconut oil. That combined with the disjointed character makes me wonder if this tea was flavored. I’ll give the benefit of the doubt :) It’s likely this tea was simply past its prime before I really started digging in.

Feeling: confusion

Rainy March Saturday. Rain rain rain. It’s been a wet winter.

Spring 2021 harvest.

Mild and soft aroma with fuzzy peach skin. Silky, rounded body; nectarous, springwater sweet tastes gives way to a stiff, dry finish. Transforms to a more astringent character after the second steep. Lots of hot and spicy summer meadow and sun-dried linen aromatics, herbal undertone. Summer meadow being the takeaway here— dried wildflowers, golden dry grass, with boulders studding the landscape, a small marshy stream running through. Aftertaste builds and leans fruity, almost like lychee with custard apple. Cooling in the mouth by the end of the second steep but holy moly is my head hot after finishing the fourth pour from the gaiwan. Ears on fire but oozing cool. The heat moves down, decreasing in intensity through the chest, arms and stomach. By the time I get to my toes, they’re warm, too.

I guess I still don’t fully grok Spirit Tea’s notes of fennel, tangerine skin and cinnamon. Those might be non-dominant tonal aromatics to my olfactories. It’s a tea to be had gongfu; western steepings just felt different, maybe too stiff or stark. It needs attention. Decent tea but not sure I’d purchase it again.

A cup of ecological and geological processes. I can taste it. Vivid imagery. Not sure about Spirit Tea’s notes of fennel, cinnamon and tangerine skin — this leaf calls for a Sunday sit-down to explore its nature.

After hearing how I dislike most green teas because of their spinachy, vegetal profile, Derk generously sent me a sample of this Crescent Green, which Spirit Tea says doesn’t have these characteristics. I steeped 3 g of leaf in a 355 ml mug at 175F for 3, 5, 7, and 10 minutes, followed by a couple long infusions.

The dry aroma is indeed not like most green teas I’ve had, featuring honey and toasted grains and reminding me a little of a roasted Dong Ding. The first steep has notes of toasted grains, honey, minerals, spinach, sesame seeds, and hints of apricot. I would have said it was just woody, but Derk’s mention of sandalwood fits. The next steep has more minerals and something I’d label as hops. The honey and minerals come out a bit more in the third steep, and there’s no hint of astringency, though the apricot has faded. My last couple steeps, one of them overnight, yielded a tea with honey and sweet apricot notes and no bitterness whatever.

This is a fascinating green tea that I actually enjoyed. The long steeps in particular brought out the sweet stonefruit notes and were the highlight of the session for me.

This Dancong oolong has really faded over the past year or so. The intensity is gone – I have to use quite a bit of leaf to get it to shine – and it now tastes like a run-of-the-mill Milan Xiang. I’ve been brewing it at work lately and bringing home the once-steeped leaf to cold brew overnight which has turned out fantastic! Nectary honeysweet with some really nice pomelo zest and smooth roastiness that cuts through. One serving left.

Quick note since I have little experience with Dan Cong oolong.

It’s like liquid sunshine honey mixed with a roasty undertone that somehow brings crystallized ginger to the forefront, and it has floral and fruity notes that are truly pomelo blossom and pomelo, also some apricot. Kind of juicy-creamy and nourishing with some tongue-numbing bitterness that doesn’t feel out of place at all.

Delicious :)

I’m ready to rate it. Between 75-80% for rating. Complex, smooth, clean, Qin Xin pineapple stemy, Jin Xuan creamy, and original-yes, but not my favorite so far. I think there is still a way to get this one to shine, but doesn’t stand out as much as Spirit’s other oolongs. I’m still happy to try it, and it’s clearly a product of labor and love.

I had some western this past weekend, and it was extremely creamy. Definitely grassy and pineapple-y, but the jin xuan notes really came through. I only got two great cups, and one okay cup. Kinda jasmine like in the florals. I’m going to write again since this is opening up more than it previously did. Maybe it’s the spring weather, but I can finally get the pound cake they were talking about.

I’m still not ready to rate it. This session was better, and more forward, but not by much. Creamy overall, generally vegetal and floral moreso. The thick texture matched by the florals made it kinda custardy, edging on vanilla-leaning more into lilac. Orchid and lily of the valley are what I get more, kind of bordering on the headiness of jasmine. The spring floral creamy notes are probably the “poundcake” they write. Pineapple and longan still have yet to fully show up other than in hints, and really, the teas color. It’s a bright yellow like a young pineapple. Maybe pineapple skin like in some other Shanlinxi’s?

I’m still learning this one and do like it. I’m not raving in a vichyssoise of adjectives when I drink this, so I may be missing something. Kind of like I wrote before, this tea comes out like a muted Shanlinxi. I think if I were tasting it blind, I may have guessed it was a Cui Yu or a Four Seasons. I’ve been too spoiled by other Qin Xins. Future sessions may bring more of what I hope to get out of the tea.

Backlog:

Another Tea Nerd purchase, because I love Shanlinxi, Jin Xuans, and Qin Xin, and was curious about the development. I tried it out 150 ml with 4 grams after 3 minutes, and I didn’t get too much. The tea was generally fruity, kinda floral and a bright yellow, but not very forward. Some lily of the valley in the florals, but not a lot as it took some time to open. The tea somehow was kinda flat and soft in comparison to the nice aroma, and generally like other green oolongs. It wasn’t bad as it lasted 5 cups western, but there’s got to be more to it. I committed to 50 grams dammit, so I best make the most of it.