drank Butter Flower by white2tea
1557 tasting notes

Received as a freebie with my teacup purchase, thanks!

My past tries with dancong brewed with the chaozhou gongfu method produced cups that were upfront way too bitter and astringent for my liking, so I went with a recommendation by eastkyteaguy to use less leaf and lower water temperature. No stuffed gaiwan nor boiling water.

Gone glass gaiwan. 7g, 150mL, 200F. Flash rinse that I drank plus 8 more steeps at 10/12/18/22/28/35/45/60s

The dry leaf smelled tangy with yogurt, grapes and apricot. The wet leaf throughout the session was incredibly fragrant and produced scents of dried apricot, yogurt tang, green grape, hay, nectarine, white peach and fresh apricot. The aroma of the liquor was an intoxicating mix of honeysuckle, white florals and white nectarine that remained strong from the rinse to about the fourth steep. The liquor started off very thick with kind of a penetrating, tingling astringency only on the tongue, later becoming thinner and more astringent. Some bitterness appeared in the back of the mouth midway, turning into a full-mouthed bitterness for the last two steeps. The first several steeps were strong yet ethereal in taste with butter, honeysuckle, white floral, white nectarine, minerals and apricot and had an aftertaste of white peach for at least 30 minutes. As the session progressed, the butter faded yet the other notes remained.

I find it difficult to judge my preference for this tea since I don’t have much experience, let alone good experience, with dancong oolong. I’m not sure I’d purchase more, but it was a very pleasurable session.

I do look forward to using eastkyteaguy’s brewing recommendations again for the other two dancongs I have in my cupboard.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 7 g 5 OZ / 150 ML
Mastress Alita

Oh, that’s the tea sampler I got when I ordered my little baby gaiwan!

derk

The leaves of this tea are too large to fit in the baby gaiwan, fyi.

Mastress Alita

Ya, I think after the expansion I got from the last oolong I brewed in it, I may just make my oolongs in the shiboridashi and just measure out a low amount of water for it (fill it to 50ml though it holds 150ml, since I just don’t want to drink that much tea per infusion). It has tons of space for leaf expansion in there. The black tea I brewed in the baby gaiwan worked with no issues, though!

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Mastress Alita

Oh, that’s the tea sampler I got when I ordered my little baby gaiwan!

derk

The leaves of this tea are too large to fit in the baby gaiwan, fyi.

Mastress Alita

Ya, I think after the expansion I got from the last oolong I brewed in it, I may just make my oolongs in the shiboridashi and just measure out a low amount of water for it (fill it to 50ml though it holds 150ml, since I just don’t want to drink that much tea per infusion). It has tons of space for leaf expansion in there. The black tea I brewed in the baby gaiwan worked with no issues, though!

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This place, like the rest of the internet, is dead and overrun with bots. And thus I step away.

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. Terpene fiend.

Favorite teas generally come from China (all provinces), Taiwan, India (Nilgiri and Manipur). Frequently enjoyed though less sipped are teas from Georgia, Japan, Nepal and Darjeeling. 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, possess off flavors/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 pu’er, I likely think it needs more age.

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