Lot 1319, Spring 2024

Excited to have made tea for somebody for the first time in our new house! The friend who I shared the gaiwan with said this was really light and sweet. My boyfriend who doesn’t drink tea and prefers strongly flavored fruity beverages said it was subtle and very sweet, different from the other teas he’s been taking sips of recently but “It’s still tea.” Another friend who is also not a tea drinker, I think I heard him say, “That really sweet.”

Silky soft buttery spring water in the mouth. It’s a bold tea in terms of immediate impact of sugarcane sweetness which is layered heavily throughout the sparkling “green” balsam/fir taste that’s not at all vegetal or grassy. The florality is complex; it permeates through multiple layers of taste. It feels heavy, warm, and fleshy rather than piercing and perfumey, a nice balance to the green quality. Aftertaste is a mingling of banana (which I also smell in the wet leaf) and peach, both thick and ripe. Strong sugarcane returning sweetness from far back of tongue. Later, there’s a pleasant tartness on the back sides of the tongue akin to lemon. Pushing the leaf to the very end gives a rare thick and oily brew and absolutely no sign of bitterness or astringency.

The experience almost reminds me of butter mints.

Overall, the tea is very warming in the body in comparison to the taste. It really had me sweating during the peak heat of the evening.

5g in a 150mL glass gaiwan was plenty of leaf for a 4-brew session that has continued the following morning. Enough caffeine to keep my perked up for only 1 but not 2 full games of Star Munchkin after dinner.

I think this was a good pick for sharing but maybe better for a quiet sitdown than an evening filled with card games and video games.

Flavors: Balanced, Banana, Butterscotch, Buttery, Cherry Blossom, Fir, Floral, Green, Lemon, Lily, Oily, Peach, Silky, Soft, Spring Water, Sugarcane, Sweet, Thick, Viscous

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 5 g 5 OZ / 150 ML
derk

Western steeping really brings out the thick and buttery/butterscotch quality ahead of the fir greenness.

derk

A sesame seed stowed away in the last bit of leaf. Surprising find for tea from Taiwan. Usually Chinese tea contains little treasures.

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derk

Western steeping really brings out the thick and buttery/butterscotch quality ahead of the fir greenness.

derk

A sesame seed stowed away in the last bit of leaf. Surprising find for tea from Taiwan. Usually Chinese tea contains little treasures.

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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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Sonoma County, California, USA

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