derk Send Message

199 Followers / 153 Following

derk drank Gold Mudan "Jin Mu Dan" Wu Yi Rock Oolong Tea * Spring 2017 by Yunnan Sourcing

1629 tasting notes

I’m not really sure what’s going on here. There’s a new floral here I’m unfamiliar with which is throwing me off. Is it osmanthus? I’ve never had an osmanthus tea. It’s definitely a ‘yellow flower’ tea in flavor and fragrance, like yellow rose, dandelion and some bitter marigold. Kind of fruity taste in the beginning like unripe pineapple and yellow passionfruit. Light but long-lasting. Flat mineral in the mouth, flatness in feel – nothing special there. This is a frangrance-forward tea. Finicky, seems to need lower temp and if oversteeped it can be bitey in the throat. Dry leaf has a pleasant roast and smells darker than the liquor tastes. I’ll have to play around some more with this tea including leaf amount. Maybe pick up some osmanthus tea in the meantime.

EDIT: Reminds me of Huang Guan Yin which I didn’t care for. I’m willing to try a more focused tasting of this particular tea because it seems more complex than the few HGY I’ve tried. Yunnan Sourcing says this is a hybrid of Tie Guan Yin and Huang Jin Gui. I looked up some info on Huang Guan Yin and that is also a cross of TGY and HJG. Now I’m assuming this Jin Mu Dan and Huang Guan Yin are the same? Confused. I found also that yes, this type of tea has osmanthus notes. I’m not crazy.

Preparation

205 °F / 96 °C 7 g 3 OZ / 100 ML

I Like This

8 likes

0 comments

People who liked this

Profile

Bio

This place, like the rest of the internet, is dead and overrun with bots. Yet I persist.

Eventual tea farmer. If you are a tea grower, want to grow your own plants or are simply curious, please follow me so we can chat.

I most enjoy loose-leaf, unflavored teas and tisanes. Teabags have their place. Some of my favorite teas have a profound effect on mind and body rather than having a specific flavor profile.

Favorite teas generally come from China (all provinces), Taiwan, India (Nilgiri and Manipur). Frequently enjoyed though less sipped are teas from Georgia, Japan, and Nepal. While I’m not actively on the hunt, a goal of mine is to try tea from every country that makes it available to the North American market. This is to gain a vague understanding of how Camellia sinensis performs in different climates. I realize that borders are arbitrary and some countries are huge with many climates and tea-growing regions.

I’m convinced European countries make the best herbal teas.

Personal Rating Scale:

100-90: A tea I can lose myself into. Something about it makes me slow down and appreciate not only the tea but all of life or a moment in time. If it’s a bagged or herbal tea, it’s of standout quality in comparison to similar items.

89-80: Fits my profile well enough to buy again.

79-70: Not a preferred tea. I might buy more or try a different harvest. Would gladly have a cup if offered.

69-60: Not necessarily a bad tea but one that I won’t buy again. Would have a cup if offered.

59-1: Lacking several elements, strangely clunky, possesses off flavor/aroma/texture or something about it makes me not want to finish.

Unrated: Haven’t made up my mind or some other reason. If it’s puerh, I likely think it needs more age.

bicycle bicycle bicycle