1557 Tasting Notes
I see this is listed as both a white tea and oolong tea (in German) on Teehaus Shila’s website, but if I were to taste this blind, I’d guess it’s a Yunnan green. Looking at other websites, this type of tea originates in Guangxi.
Why is it like a Yunnan tea, more specifically young sheng puerh? Large leaf (at least the ones that aren’t broken) and a honeylike sweet, rich aroma and taste. It’s also grassy and mineral like young sheng can be and possesses a very muted wet smoke tone. And the apricot fruitiness. It lacks astringency but not bitterness; Martin says bitter cucumber — yup. Round taste, in a way. It is temperamental and seems to do best with water 175F and below. Surprisingly good in a bowl.
I do think this would make a very good cold brew, so I’ll use the last few grams for that.
Thanks for sharing, Martin!
Flavors: Apricot, Bitter, Cucumber, Fruity, Grassy, Heavy, Honey, Mineral, Rich, Round, Saline, Smoke, Sweet, Wet Rocks
Preparation
Working on sipping down this Canadian herbal tea.
Labrador tea has a fresh red-piney/rhododendron profile. It possesses both sedative and stimulant qualities wrapped up in a mildly anti-inflammatory brew. I notice when I drink it at night, I do get a mild, relaxing buzz akin to alcohol but deep sleep does not exist due to excited neurons, much like how opiates affect me. I’m still trying to figure out under which conditions I can best utilize the medicinal properties of this leaf.
The song I linked last note is still an appropriate mood:
https://vimeo.com/327382912
Malt is one thing that never comes to mind with oxidized red oolong but here, I can agree with the description as well as Martin’s. He describes that dark sweetness as beer-like — a dark Munich malt — and I think that’s spot on. It’s as well a floral tea, being of the Four Season’s cultivar, but I can’t tell what type of flowers. Maybe something more in the wildflower realm, almost like chamomile with it’s apple taste. Subdued citrus and a floral red fruit like hawthorn. Other, more distinct notes are comprised of autumn leaves and old wood furniture. It’s well balanced like its green counterpart, Ji Long, and very easy to drink. This made for a mellow daily drinker bowl tea at work.
Thanks again, Martin!
Flavors: Apple, Autumn Leaf Pile, Beer, Chamomile, Citrus, Floral, Honey, Jasmine, Malt, Red Fruits, Sweet, Wildflowers, Wood, Woody
Preparation
While not my preferred cultivar, this green oolong is the best example I’ve had of Four Seasons. It is a potent, heady bouquet of narcotic flowers but well balanced by soft vegetal and fruity pineapple tones. Performed very well as bowl tea and with water off-boil. Smooth with a lingering sweet aftertaste and some nice floral bittersweetness that sneaks in if left to sit.
For somebody that’s a fan of floral forward oolong, this tea would be a treat.
Thanks for sharing, Martin!
Flavors: Bittersweet, Butter, Floral, Fruity, Jasmine, Lily, Magnolia, Perfume, Pineapple, Rich, Smooth, Sweet, Vegetal
Preparation
If Vietnamese red teas are too strong and rustic for you, consider this oolong. It has a very similar taste profile without the harsh stomach. A beautiful tea, silky smooth with strong wet rock minerality and a slight rasp on the tongue. Alluring character that evokes damp smoke and tobacco notes weaving through a pristine high mountain clouded forest. This tea manages to capture citrus, red fruits, osmanthus, leather, cocoa and tobacco in equal parts. It also has a strong calming effect.
Thanks for sharing, Martin!
Flavors: Almond, Bright, Citrus Fruits, Citrusy, Clean, Cocoa, Coconut Husk, Dark Chocolate, Earthy, Floral, Geosmin, Leather, Mineral, Osmanthus, Red Fruits, Silky, Smoke, Smooth, Sweet, Tangy, Tobacco, Wet Rocks
Preparation
Oh wow. That’s good. Better than the cocoa nib buckwheat tea? Maybe so.
Thanks, g. I needed this.
<3
Flavors: Buckwheat, Coconut, Cookie, Rich, Sweet
Preparation
Had at Pete’s Henny Penny with pancakes, bacon and eggs for dinner.
Plain was fine. Adding a bit of half & half and honey drowned the spices so that it tasted mostly of “tea”. As an American diner chai tea had with breakfast-for-dinner with my loved one during a winter’s night windstorm, I have no complaints.
I got a BIG bag of this from a friend who got it in San Francisco’s Japantown. The amount of tea intimidated me, so I offloaded most of it to ashmanra and distributed half the remainder to other tea drinkers.
It’s exactly as Cameron B describes ( https://steepster.com/CameronB/posts/435684 ) and really pleasant to drink. Tonight’s sipdown was brewed in the big glass pot for 3 of us in the house. I paired it with a small white chocolate peanut butter cup. The tea is also rich and nutty but the slight astringency of the tea absolutely complemented the richness of my dessert. I like the charcoal taste here — the tea is roasted skillfully and has a nice, smooth roasted flavor.
This has a richer flavor brewed in a small clay pot and can be steeped again. It does equally well with the recommend 90C as with 100C.
Now I wish I had kept more of this houjicha for myself :$
Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Buckwheat, Butter, Caramelized Sugar, Cashew, Charcoal, Grass, Nutty, Rich, Roasty, Smooth, Sweet, Woody
Soo, it seems I have been using too hot water.
I still have some left, so I will definitely try your steeping methods.
Good luck :) The apricot note intensifies when the tea has cooled to ambient temperature.