Daylon R Thomas Send Message

Backlog.

I got two ounces of this, and am really into the smell. In terms of taste, it is a little bit tannic. It borders on chai, but has enough maple and dimension to lean more French Toast. I like it, but I’m not solid on my opinion yet. It’s another tea I’m going to have to play around with.

Finally giving it a rating. One of the easiest going Lishans I have, and creamiest. It actually works as tumbler fuel, giving some coconut water vibes amidst its soothing healthy green taste. I’m excited for Leafhopper to try this one out.

Sip down of nearly 15-20 grams. I did three brews each. It’s faded a bit, still like apple skins and orchids, less caramel in taste, moreso in color. This one was good, but I’m happy to get through it.

I’ve had this one before, though a previous harvest. I was not precise with it, and instead brewed it based on color and aroma each time, making adjustments as I went. I’d guestimate a 30 second threshold with 15, 30, and so on additional seconds using 5 oz of water at 195.

This oolong stands out for its sugar mineral and lavender notes. Every once in a while, it will get nutty or lean in a more oxidized jasmine direction. Unlike the one I had, this had a bit more roast. I will be honest-I actually liked the previous one I had more than this one since I think the roast overpowers some of the more nuanced aspects of the tea. I got more of a gingery note last time, whereas today, it was more white pepper and charcoal under the woody tea profile. Luckily, there’s a green grape quality I got from steep 3 that I usually don’t get from Wuyi teas after I kept the timing between 3—45 seconds. It’s still greener than other Yanchas, and if you like more floral ones, this is a safe bet. I am glad that it’s being sold now, anyway.

Excited about this one as I got my order. Sparrow’s Tongue are harder to find, and based on my reception of their Red Robe and Qilan, I had a feeling I’d like this one too.

I only got about 5 grams in my Manual Teamaker, so I only had one session using roughly 190 F water in 120-150 ml. Mineral and roast are very prominent, but it’s layered as expected. First steep is the most intense and heavy with stone and ore, but some peatiness shows through. Second steep was the most complex, starting off with smoke, earth, peat, plum, sugar, mineral and peat again in the finish. Extremely smooth and well rounded. The later steeps yielded much the same thing with salt and raisin, but got more woodsy and more prominent in floral “water char”.

I was really pleased with it, but wish I got more than 6 brews. The fruit notes are what I want in my rock oolong and actually prefer in conjunction with healthy peatiness, though the Red Robe and Qilans are a little bit more durable. Overall, a good rock oolong that can go toe to toe with more expensive ones in terms of flavor, not necessarily longevity.

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.

Sipdown! This one surprisingly lasted long. I made a cup for myself western, 2 1/2 minutes and another one for my mom. I made hers with cream and sugar, and the sugar surprisingly enhanced the orange blossom/apricot/citrus whatever nicely. I still got much of the same notes. You can rebrew this tea pretty easy, but I rarely finish it after the first or second cup. It’s still a good second flush kind of tea that’s as good as some Darjeeling.

Nearly the same blend as 2019, but in sachet form! Fruity, lemon and ginger dominate. The lychee does come up, and the oolong is a heck of a lot more subdued. I’ll come back to this when I can actually pay attention in verbose detail.

Light tea. Got it ‘cause it’s a Hawaiian Black, and there was a 20 percent discount for the new year. Dry leaves are gorgeous and kinda aromatic like orange blossom. Taste so far is way lighter. Notes are kinda oolongy, definitely floral. Sometimes there is something that strikes me as papaya, though Harney notes citrus. I’ve done it western and tumbler/grandpa, and not a whole lot going on. We’ll see.

The solution to this one-overleafing the hell out of it. I think I put close to 10 grams in my 5 oz gaiwan, and did a bunch of flash steeps. The mango and nutty tones were a lot more obvious with some honey like sweetness, all under the distinct TGY orchid flavor. I’m happy with this one-it’s essentially a high quality TGY for daily consumption and a cheap price. I’m going to plow through it fast though to make some cupboard space.