Daylon R Thomas Send Message

Sipdown! I should have kept more for leafhopper, but I could feel the time ticking on this one, so I drank it down using a really short style for 3 grams. I rinsed it for 5-10 using 2-3 oz, and kept on flash steeping 10, 15, 20, 15, 25, 30, 45, 55 (closer to a minute), 1 minute, 2 minutes, and then, I added more hot water to about 4.5 oz, , and let it sit for lord knows how long and am drinking it now. I’m not exactly sure of the temperature since I’m using primo heated water, but it’s definitely between 185-195.

All the notes I wrote earlier are still pertinent like they describe. Overall body consists of herbed compound butter leaning into cilantro and oregano, but aroma and flavor leans heavily into the jasmine florals with nectarine finish. I get more fruit in the 2 and 3rd steep, and more green apple in the very last brew. Jasmine is fairly present, though not as strong as a scented tea, it’s comparable.

I am not super strong on the rating, but it’s leaning towards a strong 92, maybe 93. $21 for 50 grams pushes it past the 90s for me, and the complexity of the flavor pushes it to be 87-90’s range minimum. The tumbler rating is holding it back a little bit. It’s also good western, but lasts significantly longer in shorter steeping gong fu. The shortened session with less water brought a lot more nuance in shorter bursts, and made the tea last a lot longer.

I highly recommend this one for tea nerds, and the fact you get a decent quality dayuling for bug bitten sweetness is pretty good. I’d also choose this one easily over the Exuding Jade I have, and it’s pretty close to the High Mountain Goddess in preference, close to their Lishan in terms of flavor.

I’ve held this off, and was time to finish the 2021 sample. Thank you Alistair for this one, and now, I can properly appreciate it. Whole and golden kissed black needles fell into my tea vessel, having decent length and much larger than usual ceylon size.

So I started indecisive between gong fuing my sample or having it western. Everyone recommended 3 minutes, so I started it out that way in my Manual Tea Brewer (westernized gaiwan) with a slight sip. Light, citrus, caramel, smooth. Not expecting that. A little bit too light, so I let it sit more…then one or two minutes extra as I did some chores. I’m not going to say anything new other than its a smooth and easily drinkable ceylon. I get notes of malt, caramel, oats, citrus rising in the mouth, and a caramel, almost cocoa finish ending in tannin. There was some extra bitterness, but a chocolate kind if tea bitterness.

There was mild astringency, and I was impressed with how smooth the body is. What-cha aims for smooth qualities in all of their teas-hence why I buy from the company so often. It’s got the trademarks of Ceylon teas, but it’s so much easier on the palette than the majority I’ve had.

I decided to go so much shorter, brewing 10 seconds, and it was smooth dark chocolate malt, tea tasting, with some healthy citrus and tannin.

Another 10-15 seconds, less water-3-4 oz, and citrus/orange leads the way. Malty finish still there with a little bit of tannin, yet precisely balanced and mildly drying.

I am going to be able to get more cups, but before I do, I’m pretty much set on what I think. And I have to workout. Time is of the essence.

I’m thankful that Alistair included it because I’m usually one to snub Ceylons and some Assams. I know they are essential for most breakfast teas and the blends I drink regularly, but they’re usually too drying, astringent, or tannic for me. This one was a lot more balanced and resembled some good Yunnan blacks, though the chocolate toffee tannin aftertaste is distinctly Ceylon. Keep in mind I’m using “chocolate” as an approximate adjective and not a accurate one, but it’s got the same bittersweetness chocolate does, and that’s what a lot of people like in their tea. It’s not super robust, and it stands on its own legs easily while being soft and nuanced enough to drink it straight.

Although I won’t have this in my consistent rotation (because I pay too much for other tea), it stands out as one of the easiest to drinks Ceylons I’ve had yet. I think it’s a good stepping stone noob tea, and I’m glad Alistair used it as a way to expand some palettes here on Steepster.

Surprise-it’s been more flavorful as a coldbrew. I stuck some, maybe 3-4 grams or more in my bamboo tumbler and let it sit and steep as I worked today. First time after about an hour it was creamier and sweeter than when I had it hot. It had the Qin XIn texture and pineapple skin floral flavor, but the mouthfeel was fuller cold. Second time I refilled my bottle, and more cream. It was subdued, but then after about 10ish minutes, diffused faster than the first one. Lilac was prominent in a soft green edamame-ish body, and then a sweeter finish sneaking up. The drips of remaining water at the bottom soaked more juices from the tea basket/strainer, and were heavy with pineapple taste and acidity, almost being a nice ripe flavor. I decided for another go.

After an hour steeping…not much. Darn. Either way, there’s improvements. I will have to do another tumbler test with the tea but with less leaf and cooler than 185 F water to see how it does.

Tried it gong fu, doesn’t quite work fully, but enjoyable flavor. Coldbrew and western hot are the ways to go. It’s a very balanced strawberry tea that makes clever use of hibiscus. I’m very picky about hibiscus in blends, but here, it works for a bloody liquor and adding much needed dimension for the strawberry taste. The oolong is extremely subdued, and adds a nice orchid background smoothing out the body. In terms of strawberry candy, this one tastes like a strawberry infused hard candy like a jolly rancher.

It’s not my favorite of the Brutaliteas, though I really enjoy and like it for what it is. I don’t see it as a staple like Violet Cremes, and I see it as a occasional tea for visitors and friends or myself during the summer or fall. If you like more naturalistic strawberry, this one’s a good bet.

When you have a lot of tea that is near its expiration date, and it surprises you to have a lot of flavor. I heavily leafed my cup, and it was pretty complex. All my notes are still on there, but the rhapsberry, lilac and bread notes were really working with todays 60 degree weather. Each cup gong fu got sweeter and sweeter leaning a little bit into tannin and brown sugar towards the end. A part of me wishes I could have gotten a smaller sample since I have at least 30 ish grams to work through on top of all the other teas I’ve had, but I’m happy I figured out a season this works in. It’s a spring-summer tea.

It’s been a while since I’ve had this one. Here I thought I’d be writing about it more often, but for whatever reason cough, cough, Taiwanese oolongs cough, cough I haven’t written more. I would drink it a lot in summer and the winter for the past few years, maybe every once in a while in the fall. It’s better suited to fall, but it’s more of season round tea for me.

I’m gong fuing today, and doing it 6-7 grams in 5 oz, 10, 20, 30, 35. The later end was the fruitiest and most honey forward, but slowly developed some power that was too much for me after that. The smoke and lychee are still there after having it for nearly four years, and it’s technically expired, but I think it’s smoother than when I first bought it. Darker oolongs tend to age well and better than black teas, so I shouldn’t be surprised. It’s not quite as forward with the honey and not quite as overwhelming. There’s a little bit more mineral as I drink it. It also made a very good cold brew last year with a friendly 4-6 grams in 14 oz tumbler.

I thought I rated it and wrote at least one more note, but I was wrong. It works tumbler, western or gong fu, but I get the most bang for my buck gong fu or tumbler. Shorter steeps are better for it because it does have some bitterness and astringency like the woody core of an overripe peach. I would have rated it in the higher 90s when I was first getting into dancongs, but now it’s between an 80-90. I still have the same 50 gram bag that I did all those years ago, and I’m not close to finishing it. I’d be happy to share, but I’m happy I’ve got some left over. It’s one of the most reliably good and consistent dancongs I’ve got though, and the least tricky to brew. I occasionally get overwhelmed by it’s strength or sharpness, though it’s easily one of the more balanced Dan Congs I’ve had.

Really unusual. I may have had it before, but I’m not sure. It’s also a popular tea that Andrew hates is popular because it’s not as sophisticated as some of the other stuff he sells, but the flavor is on point.

At first, it has the scent of a flavored milk oolong being spinach-vanilla cookie batter like, almost fruity like Flinstone vitamins. Drinking it up, it’s like flinstone vitamins. There is some mineral and bready qualities along with funky gaba fruit, though way smoother than other gaba. It’s like a white grape raisin in a buttery floral milky body. I kept drinking it over and over, brewing it up again and again in flash steeps maintaining the flavor. Longer 30 sec and up steeps leaned more towards the raisin cookie quality, lighter steeps were more fruity and milky like fruit loops in milk.

Either way, I’m digging it. I look forward to see what I else I can get from it. If anyone else writes about it, there are going to be a flurry of adjectives on this page in all kinds of directions for it.

Coldbrew is soooooooo the way to go with this herbal tea. I wish I had a decent coldbrew bottle for it, and am tempted to use my amazon gift money on a Hario Filter. They always look so pretty. I really shouldn’t because two of my tumblers do have cold brew filter capabilities, and one of the ones I am getting will, but they are a pain in the butt to clean. Anyone have any experience with the Hario Filter bottles? Easy cleaning is the big draw in for me, and if having one means I go through my loose leaf like this faster because I’m cold brewing, all the better.

I will try it again hot, but it’s so much creamier and sweeter cold. Instead of overripe near rotting fruit for me, it’s fresher cold and I really like it. Now to see how the Pandan waffle does.

Coldbrew! And a really successful one. The pepper and cardamom actually come in like poprocks of sweet spice in a creamy, custardy coconut body. I know people have mixed feelings about lemongrass, but I think it helps transition the coconut into the ginger so smoothly. It’s also extremely refreshing in the increasing summer heat.

I am one of those weirdos that prefers chais in the warmer months for some weird reason I’m curious to determine. Either way, my girlfriend sipped it-she went “OOOOooh.” and then I made her a cup after I made myself one. She asked “Is this one mine?” and I embarrassingly said no, and gave her a cup of Lishan Black. She preferred this one, so I made her another cup.

Personally an 88, but I’m rating it high because it’s a coconut combo that works really well for me. The chai is not particularly strong, and I don’t think I prefer it with milk/creamer yet, but I think it’s great on its own or with some quality rock sugar. Coconut milk might work better, though any cream can overpower the coconut/lemongrass flavors or dampen the spices. The spices lift up the milk into something warming and nuanced, but I like it on its own. The next time I’m ordering from Brutalitieas, I’m definitely getting at least an oz or more of this.

Doing it again semi gong fu. I got the same hoppy malt profile like a medium or nice ale or lighter beer with some red or green grapes and citrus. I’m also adding hay to the mix, and a little bit of sweet potato. There are definite Jin Jun Mei components and occasional orange citrus quality in the finish, but that could be what my brain interprets as hinted-fruity.

I’ve only gotten through three cups so far, 4-5 grams in 5 oz and beginning with 30 sec, 45-50, and now closer to a minute and 5 seconds. It’s not as forward as when I did it last time, but keeps bringing out a gold amber color in each cup. The needles remain a gold brown after brewed, mixing the trichomes in the liquor, and the later longer steeps were a lot softer with some nice malt and little bit of tannin.

I’m not settled on this one for a rating yet. I do like it and thinks it’s a good quality golden needle style tea, but I wouldn’t drink it all the time. The tea is a delicate and flexible, but easily muted. There are more dimensions and layers this time around than when I brewed it western.