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derk drank Taiwan Four Seasons Light-Roasted Oolong Tea by What-Cha

1604 tasting notes

I really enjoy a light roast applied to Taiwanese balled oolong.

April 2019 harvest. Freebie from an order last year.

Gongfu longer steeps starting at 30s:
Dense lilac and orchid aroma. Lubricating, viscous mouthfeel. Taste — getting a lot of milk and green cardamom in this one. Lilac, orchid, grass, green stems, sugar cookies, nectar, mineral, aluminum, dry grass, walnut, spinach. Cooling, complex. Fruity aftertaste I cannot place, something tropical-custardy? Excellent for 3 infusions. From the 4th on it becomes increasingly drying like walnut skin, bitter and more metallic.

Grandpa is so pectic thick!

Really nice tea for the price.

Flavors: Bitter, Butter, Cardamom, Cookie, Cream, Dry Grass, Drying, Floral, Flowers, Fruity, Grass, Herbs, Metallic, Milk, Mineral, Mint, Nectar, Orchid, Plant Stems, Spinach, Sweet, Tropical, Vegetal, Walnut

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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.

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