1048 Tasting Notes

76

This is one that I have been meaning to get to for some time. I’m new to Bai Hao oolongs, but all of the very few I have tried or otherwise become familiar with have come from Taiwan. This one was sourced from mainland China. I was very curious to see how it compared to Taiwanese oolongs of this type.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a 10 second rinse, I steeped 5 grams of loose tea leaves in 4 ounces of 190 F water for 10 seconds. This infusion was followed by 10 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 15 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, and 3 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, I noted that the dry tea leaves emitted pleasant aromas of honey, peach, and apricot. After the rinse, I noted intense aromas of peach, honey, apricot, fresh flowers, wood, and some sort of minty herb. The first infusion produced a very similar, though slightly more floral aroma. In the mouth, I easily detected notes of honey, peach, apricot, and wood underscored by flower, cream, and herb notes. Subsequent infusions were noticeably more robust on the nose and in the mouth. The floral aromas and flavors began to separate, revealing lily, honeysuckle, gardenia, osmanthus, and magnolia impressions. The cream aroma and flavor began to soften the peach, apricot, and honey tones, while the woody and herbal characters began to stand out a little more. I also noted the emergence of mineral notes, as well as some more savory stuff. A doughy, bread-like character emerged, and I also detected hints of toast and steamed rice. The later infusions were mineral, bread, and cream heavy, though ghostly impressions of herbs, toast, wood, steamed rice, and peach were just barely identifiable.

Overall, I admired the depth and complexity of this oolong, but it was a bit too light on the palate for my taste. The last Bai Hao I rated (Tealyra’s Dong Fang Mei Ren Formosa Oolong) was fruitier and more syrupy, and I recall rather liking that about it. Compared to that one, this Chinese version is more floral and savory with a subtler, more refined layering of aromas and flavors. Normally, I would be all for that, but here, I was really looking for more sweetness and more fruitiness. Also, this tea faded just a hair quicker than I would have liked. To be clear, I still rather enjoyed it, but I wouldn’t spring for it over a good Taiwanese Bai Hao most days.

Flavors: Apricot, Bread, Cream, Floral, Gardenias, Herbs, Honey, Honeysuckle, Mineral, Osmanthus, Peach, Rice, Toast, Wood

Preparation
5 g 4 OZ / 118 ML

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94
drank Bai Ji Guan by Verdant Tea
1048 tasting notes

Where to begin with this one? Bai Ji Guan is a classic Wuyi oolong cultivar. Along with Da Hong Pao, Tie Luohan, and Shui Jin Gui, it is one of the Four Famous Bushes. Of the four, it is often believed to be the least popular, at least in the West. Being a big fan of Wuyi oolongs, I jumped at the opportunity to try this one since I had never been able to try this cultivar before.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a quick rinse, I steeped 6 grams of loose tea leaves in 4 ounces of 208 F water for 5 seconds. I followed this initial infusion up with 12 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 8 seconds, 11 seconds, 15 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, and 3 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves gave off a vegetal scent somewhat reminiscent of a Japanese green tea. Verdant describes it as a matcha-like aroma, and I can see that being at least somewhat accurate. I also picked up the same aromas of hay, sweetgrass, and watercress noted by the folks at Verdant, as well as a slightly herbal scent. After the rinse, the intense vegetal aromas were still present, though I also noted the emergence of subtle roasted nut and mineral aromas. The first infusion produced a notably more balanced aroma that also displayed a hint of citrus. In the mouth, the vegetal notes dominated the entry. The expected touches of hay, sweetgrass, and watercress were there, though there was also something that reminded me a little of radish. Once the vegetal notes calmed, I immediately picked up notes of basil, sage, roasted nuts, and minerals. Subsequent infusions saw the vegetal character mellow, as fruitier qualities began to emerge. Aromas and flavors of honey, mandarin orange, green apple, nectarine, golden raisin, and lime zest presented themselves, creating an interesting contrast with the tea’s more vegetal and savory qualities. Later infusions saw the vegetal character return, though mostly to frame the now suddenly more pronounced aromas and flavors of minerals, sage, roasted nuts, and basil.

Now that I have had some time to process this, I am left with the impression of a busy, complex tea with surprising depth. I found the integration of aromas and flavors to be masterful. Compared to some of the other Wuyi oolongs I have consumed, this almost came across as a hybrid of a green tea and a traditional oolong. Indeed, I found it to display some of the best characteristics of both. Though this is the first Bai Ji Guan I have tried and I have no idea how this one compares to some of the others on the market, I feel that if I was able to enjoy this one as much as I did, then this cultivar and I are going to get along famously. I think I could confidently recommend this tea to those who are fans of both oolongs and green teas and who wouldn’t mind the idea of trying something a little different.

Flavors: Grain, Grass, Green Apple, Hay, Herbs, Honey, Mineral, Orange, Raisins, Roast Nuts, Sage, Vegetal

Preparation
Boiling 6 g 4 OZ / 118 ML

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22

Well, it’s getting cold here and I’m still drinking as much Assam as I can manage. I bought this one back in either late spring or early summer and I started on it last week. From the first sip onward, I was not impressed, so I decided to work my way through a couple of other sipdowns and then pick it up again. Allowing this tea to sit for about a week helped it a little, but not much.

I prepared this tea using the one step Western infusion I tend to prefer for non-Chinese black teas and many black tea blends. I steeped a heaping teaspoon of loose tea leaves in 8 ounces of 205 F water for 5 minutes. Tealyra recommends using one standard teaspoon and only steeping for 2-3 minutes, but I did not get much out of this tea using their brewing guidelines, so I resorted to the method outlined above.

Prior to infusion, the dry tea leaves gave off a slightly musty, leafy scent. There was not much else to note. After infusion, I picked up on faint scents of malt, autumn leaves, wood, leather, and roasted nuts. In the mouth, the flavors were very weak. It took some time, but I was just barely able to pick out notes of autumn leaf pile, leather, roasted nuts, malt, tobacco, cream, and some sort of mild spice.

I have no clue what the deal was here. This tea did not even remotely smell or taste like an Assam. It barely smelled or tasted like anything. I keep thinking that it maybe was stale, but I have not even had this tea a year and I was as careful as always in storing it. I also did not pick up any musty or stereotypically old flavors, so who knows? Looking at Tealyra’s description, they do not mention much in the way of aroma or flavor, so perhaps this tea is just a dud. I know that it still packed one hell of a caffeine wallop whatever the case. The only things I see this Assam being good for are blending into another black tea to add some additional kick, making a very spice forward masala chai, or drinking straight exclusively for the sudden caffeine pick-me-up.

Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Cream, Leather, Malt, Roasted Nuts, Spices, Tobacco, Wood

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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85

For the past couple of days, I have been rabidly digging through my sample hoard and polishing off some of the Verdant samples I have accumulated over the past several months. My most recent sipdown was this Jin Jun Mei. Part of Li Xiangxi’s collection, this tea was picked on May 9, 2016. It is one of several Jin Jun Mei variants currently offered as part of this collection. I found it to be an interesting take on the style.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a quick rinse, I steeped 5 grams of loose tea leaves in 4 ounces of 205 F water for 6 seconds. I followed this infusion up with 12 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 15 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, and 3 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, a sniff of the dry tea leaves revealed strong aromas of nuts, ginger, honey, and bready malt. After the rinse, the honey and ginger aromas intensified and were joined by a trace of vanilla bean. The first infusion produced a similar, though slightly more balanced aroma. In the mouth, I easily detected notes of malt, cream, honey, vanilla bean, ginger, and roasted nuts. Subsequent infusions saw the ginger aroma and flavor begin to fade and the nuttiness more fully emerge. At this point, I detected a complex of black walnut, hazelnut, and roasted almond notes. Later infusions were mild, smooth, and somewhat malty. I did not pick up on much of a mineral presence at all, which was more than somewhat surprising considering this is a Wuyi black tea.

I found this to be a nice Jin Jun Mei. I would have liked to see a little stronger of a honey presence and I would have preferred that the somewhat spicy ginger character stuck around longer, but this was still very enjoyable. Compared to some other teas of this type that I have tried, this one was drier, subtler, and more balanced. I could see this going over well with fans of traditional Chinese black teas or those looking for a balanced tea with some depth.

Flavors: Almond, Cream, Ginger, Hazelnut, Honey, Malt, Vanilla, Walnut

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 g 4 OZ / 118 ML

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90

The number of Tieguanyin variants released by Verdant Tea always overwhelms me. This is at least the eighth I have tried this year and I know I have at least five others tucked away in one of my tea cabinets. This specific version is the spring 2016 Tieguanyin finished with a traditional roast. Compared to the fall version, I found this one to be lighter, more vegetal, and a little less woody.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a quick rinse, I steeped 5 grams of loose tea leaves in 4 ounces of 208 F water for 10 seconds. I followed this initial infusion up with 11 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 12 seconds, 14 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, and 3 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, I noted that the dry tea leaves gave off mild woody, spicy aromas. There were also touches of flowers and grain. After the rinse, I noted more distinct aromas of wood, cream, grain, lychee, violet, gardenia, lilac, and honeysuckle. The first infusion produced a similar, albeit slightly more floral aroma with a touch of jasmine. In the mouth, the floral notes were thin, but fairly distinct. I also noted touches of wood, cinnamon, honey, lychee, cream, barley, grass, and some kind of vegetable. Verdant’s tasting note described it as jicama, but I did not quite agree with that. Subsequent infusions saw the perfumey floral aromas and flavors swell. The fruit and honey presences were somewhat more amplified. I noted the emergence of white grape and aloe at this point. Later infusions were mild and smooth, featuring very little of the mineral presence I get from many oolongs. There was still a touch of fresh flowers and fruit on the nose and in the mouth, though the tea turned decidedly grassier and more vegetal at this point. When I focused, I could still just barely detect traces of barley, white grape, lychee, and cream.

This was a nice, though very mild and subtle Tieguanyin. It was not quite as flavorful as the Traditional Tieguanyin Verdant offered last fall, but there was still nice depth and complexity on the nose and in the mouth. While I was not wowed by the green Spring Tieguanyin, feeling that the floral presence was overwhelming and the body was too light, this was a surprisingly delightful upgrade. I would recommend this tea highly to anyone looking for a respectable traditional take on this cultivar.

Flavors: Cinnamon, Cream, Floral, Gardenias, Grass, Honey, Honeysuckle, Jasmine, Lychee, Mineral, Roasted Barley, Violet, White Grapes, Wood

Preparation
Boiling 5 g 4 OZ / 118 ML

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71
drank Kenyan Tinderet by DAVIDsTEA
1048 tasting notes

I’ve been trying to get into more unique black teas recently. I review a lot of teas from India, China, and Sri Lanka, but I do not always pay attention to teas produced in other countries. Until recently, I did not have much interest in African teas, but after being blown away by a couple of white teas from Kenya, I have been keen on trying more teas produced outside of the so-called “Big Three.”

I prepared this tea using the one step Western infusion process I tend to favor for non-Chinese black teas and many black tea blends. I steeped 1 teaspoon of granulated tea leaves in 8 ounces of 205 F water for 5 minutes. Obviously, no additional infusions were attempted.

I got a strong aroma from the dry tea leaves. I noted a combination of earth, wood, and coffee aromas that kind of ran together. After infusion, I noted even more pronounced aromas of wood, coffee, and earth joined by scents of nuts, toast, and malt. In the mouth, I picked up on a particularly robust combination of coffee bean, earth, wood, brown toast, fresh bread, dark chocolate, leather, malt, hickory, and black walnut notes. The tea was very brisk in the mouth, with a pronounced astringency that left a dry, woody, gritty impression on the finish.

Overall, this was an interesting black tea, but I doubt I would be in any rush to come back to it. I do not normally mind brisk, astringent teas, but this one was a little much, even for me. I did, however, enjoy its woody, nutty character. I think fans of contemporary English breakfast blends would perhaps get a kick out of this one, but fans of sweeter, smoother teas would probably want to avoid it.

Flavors: Astringent, Bread, Brown Toast, Coffee, Dark Chocolate, Earth, Leather, Malt, Walnut, Wood

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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79

So, this is the last of the bagged Taylors of Harrogate teas I subsisted on in Lexington. Of the bunch, this was far and away my favorite. As a matter of fact, I plan on trying the loose leaf version just to compare the two.

I prepared this tea using the one step Western infusion process I tend to favor for non-Chinese black teas and many black tea blends. I steeped the tea bag in approximately 8 ounces of adequately hot water for 5 minutes. Again, I have no clue what the water temperature was, and I did not attempt additional infusions as I never reinfuse bagged teas.

After infusion, the dark mahogany tea liquor produced integrated aromas of bergamot, cream, honey, toast, caramel, and wood. In the mouth, I picked up on smoothly integrated notes of bergamot, wood, brown toast, honey, cream, malt, caramel, butterscotch, and cocoa. The finish was mild and slightly citrusy. The bergamot presence continued to shine, underscored by fleeting impressions of wood, caramel, cream, malt, and butterscotch.

I found this to be significantly better and more sophisticated than many of the bagged teas I have tried in the past. Unlike at least one previous reviewer, I did not note anything that seemed overtly artificial about this tea. For a bagged Earl Grey, it certainly was not bad. I could see myself reaching for this again in similar circumstances in the future. I am definitely planning on trying the loose leaf version soon.

Flavors: Bergamot, Brown Toast, Butterscotch, Caramel, Cocoa, Cream, Malt, Wood

Preparation
5 min, 0 sec 8 OZ / 236 ML

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37

This is another of the bagged Taylors of Harrogate teas I got to try during my stay at the Marriott Griffin Gate Resort and Spa in Lexington, KY. I know I have said it before, but I honestly tend to loathe bagged green teas. This one did not do much for me, but that being said, I did find it to be slightly more drinkable than most standard bagged green teas.

I prepared this tea using a one step Western infusion process. Again, I never attempt to reinfuse tea bags. I steeped this tea for approximately 3 minutes. I have no clue what the water temperature was. Even though the back of the packet suggested that the bag should be steeped from 1-2 minutes, I decided to go with 3 as I could not pick up much of an aroma after 2 minutes had elapsed.

After infusion, the straw gold tea liquor produced mild aromas of grass, straw, and honey. In the mouth, I picked up a substantial note of honey on the entry that was quickly chased by milder notes of grass, straw, and hay. There was also a slight floral note that was most apparent on the finish. It reminded me a bit of flower nectar.

All in all, I found this to be very boring, but then again, who really gets excited over bagged green tea these days? For what it was, it was pleasant, but not something I would reach for on my own unless I had no other options. I do not think I could move myself to recommend this to anyone.

Flavors: Floral, Grass, Hay, Honey, Nectar, Straw

Preparation
3 min, 0 sec 8 OZ / 236 ML

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64

While reviewing prior tasting notes for this tea, I noticed that the previous reviewers ended up drinking this tea during hotel stays. I am no different in that regard. I returned from a week long conference at the Marriott Griffin Gate Resort and Spa (nice hotel btw) in Lexington, KY yesterday evening. While there, I spent a great deal of time consuming complimentary glasses of Taylors’ Earl Grey, Pure Green Tea, and English Breakfast Tea. Each was the bagged version, and in all honesty, I came to the conclusion that Taylors of Harrogate does bagged teas pretty well.

I prepared this tea using a one step Western infusion process. I never attempt to resteep tea bags. I steeped the tea bag in approximately 8 ounces of adequately hot water for 5 minutes. I have no clue what the water temperature was.

After infusion, I noticed that the dark amber tea liquor emitted aromas of malt, toffee, toast, and butterscotch. In the mouth, I detected notes of cream, malt, oak, toffee, brown toast, and butterscotch. This was very smooth and mild for a bagged English breakfast blend.

This was far from the worst bagged English breakfast tea I have ever had. While it may not be something I would go out of my way to acquire again, I would drink it with no complaints in a similar setting. Of the three Taylors of Harrogate bagged teas I got to try over the course of the past week, I found this one to be the middle child of the bunch. I did not like it as much as the Earl Grey, but I liked it much more than the Pure Green Tea (I normally hate bagged green teas). In the end, I would say that this is a decent bagged breakfast tea. Hopefully, I will get the opportunity to try the loose leaf version of this in the near future so I can compare the two.

Flavors: Brown Toast, Butterscotch, Cream, Malt, Oak, Toffee

Preparation
5 min, 0 sec 8 OZ / 236 ML

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84

I remembered rather liking this year’s first flush Risheehat Darjeeling offered by Harney & Sons, so I kind of had to try the second flush. Compared to the first flush, this is a much darker, toastier tea with a nuttier flavor profile. I think that it compares favorably to most of the other second flush Darjeelings I have tried.

I prepared this tea using the one step Western infusion process I tend to favor for non-Chinese black teas and black tea blends. I steeped approximately 1 teaspoon of loose tea leaves in 8 ounces of 212 F water for 5 minutes. Obviously, I did not attempt additional infusions.

Prior to infusion, I noted that the dry leaves were darker than some of the other second flush Darjeelings I have seen recently. I noted a musty, straw-like aroma from the dry leaves. After infusion, I noted that the dark golden tea liquor emitted aromas of straw, roasted almonds, brown toast, Muscat grape, and lemon balm. In the mouth, I easily detected notes of Muscat grape, lemon balm, grass, straw, nutmeg, brown toast, honey, roasted almonds, and minerals.

In the end, this was not a bad second flush Darjeeling by any means. I particularly enjoyed the pronounced honey, toast, almond, and nutmeg notes. The mineral presence was somewhat distracting, especially on the entry, but mellowed out rather quickly. I do wish the Muscat flavor were a little more pronounced, but overall, this was a good second flush Darjeeling with plenty of the grassy, herbal character I tend to get from Risheehat teas.

Flavors: Almond, Brown Toast, Grass, Herbs, Honey, Mineral, Muscatel, Nutmeg, Straw

Preparation
1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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Bio

My grading criteria for tea is as follows:

90-100: Exceptional. I love this stuff. If I can get it, I will drink it pretty much every day.

80-89: Very good. I really like this stuff and wouldn’t mind keeping it around for regular consumption.

70-79: Good. I like this stuff, but may or may not reach for it regularly.

60-69: Solid. I rather like this stuff and think it’s a little bit better-than-average. I’ll drink it with no complaints, but am more likely to reach for something I find more enjoyable than revisit it with regularity.

50-59: Average. I find this stuff to be more or less okay, but it is highly doubtful that I will revisit it in the near future if at all.

40-49: A little below average. I don’t really care for this tea and likely won’t have it again.

39 and lower: Varying degrees of yucky.

Don’t be surprised if my average scores are a bit on the high side because I tend to know what I like and what I dislike and will steer clear of teas I am likely to find unappealing.

Location

KY

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