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Not Recommended

Mr. Waffles drank Reserve Mao Xie (2016) by Verdant Tea

39 tasting notes

This tea has earned my lowest marks ever, as it almost tastes like nothing. I mean there’s subtlety and then there’s flavorlessness. This was essentially flavorless. The scent is that of a nice green oolong, but it came off as little more than hot water on the palate.

On subsequent tastings with it, I nearly doubled the recommended amount of tea. Then I got some light vegetal notes. I shouldn’t have to steep $4 worth of tea leaves in a little water in order to taste something. I have plenty of other teas that could blow my mind for the same price, whether they’re robust aged teas or dainty whites.

Flavors: Vegetal

Preparation

205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 30 sec 10 g 6 OZ / 180 ML

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MrQuackers
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Any luck with a lower temp?

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MrQuackers
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Any luck with a lower temp?

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Bio

A pu’er from La Maison des Trois Thés is what got me into tea, about 5 years ago now. I not only had no idea tea could taste like that but that it could amplify the taste of food so incredibly.

Perhaps because pu’er hooked me, I actually find it less interesting, these days. Taiwanese high mountain oolongs are my newest fascination. Phoenix oolongs and Wuyi teas can be pretty great, as well. And I love Puttabong’s 1st flush Darjeeling, even if no one seems to care about Indian tea that much.

Although I’m a tea snob, I find a lot of the attention tea gets to be extremely pretentious. I genuinely believe if you’re routinely picking up 5 or 6 obvious notes that then shift with each steeping, you’re imagining things. I’ve had the good fortune to eat an inordinate variety of fine food, internationally, and I can usually only discern 2 or 3 notes in my teas; that’s more than enough to keep me fascinated.

MY RATING SCALE:

95-100: I want to make babies with this tea.

90-94: Everyone should try this.

80-89: Great tea that I could drink every day.

70-79: Ehh. It’s good. I’ll drink it again, although doing so might bore me.

60-69: I’m not into this.

50-59: Gross.

Below 50: What did I just put in my mouth?