16396 Tasting Notes
Gong Fu Sipdown (520)!
During one of my last W2T orders I picked up a single coin of this one, just to try it out/get a feel for it and see if it was something I might be interested in. Finally got around to brewing that coin up, and I have to say I actually liked it a lot right off the bat.
This was another more relaxed/casual session where I didn’t overly track anything but I believe I ended up doing around ten infusions, though with a strong preference for the first half of the session. What I found was that it had a very, very rich and thick/bold flavour for a really long time – and so it seemed like the staying power was good, except then the drop off was so sudden that the richness became thin and weak with no real decline to transition you into the loss of profile. In that aspect, the session was somewhat disappointing.
Flavours in the first half of the session were a lot more weighted towards things like molasses, date paste, wet wood, and honey oats. Very sweet but in a rich, dark way. There was even a steep very early on that reminded me exactly of those molasses/treacle candies that get passed around during Halloween. I grew up calling them ‘tar candy’ though I know there’s many names for them. I actually love them, so for me that was a total win however I know that flavour is really polarizing so for others it definitely would not have been. Later infusions were more raisin-y, with more emphasis on the date and wood notes.
Overall this was a smooth, pleasant Shou with tasty, and somewhat more unique flavour notes. I have not yet decided if I’m willing to just leave this as a one off, but very enjoyable, session to not be repeated or if this is something I’d have an interest in repurchasing.
Sipdown (521)!
Another sipdown that I’m not too choked about, although this cup in particular was really wickedly good. It was very, very silky and creamy both in flavour and mouthfeel. Strong notes of orange, cream, vanilla, and custard with just a hint of grassyness from the green tea base. It almost completely reminded me of a Creamsicle.
I finished it off while listening to some Moroccan pop music, since the tea itself is supposed to be somewhat Moroccan like in feel/nature. I don’t know if the music itself seemed to pair with what was a more subdued, smooth flavour since the pop music was so upbeat/lively but I did enjoy listening to it/experiencing something new musically speaking.
This was a nice tea to explore!
Sipdown (522)!
Glad to clear this one out; this last cup was actually pretty smooth with some good juicy, and bright ripe mango notes but the lemongrass was still really intense and there was some dryness to the finish that made it an average, at best, cup overall. This was probably the most pleasant cup I experienced of it all in all as well, so if the best cup is still only average then it’s not something worth keeping around…
I feel like I owe this tea a more thorough review, but I’ve only got a few minutes to get in some reviews before my bus leaves for the night so I’m gonna keep it brief and to the point – jot note level of brief/to the point. Just know that I will revisit this and give it a more detailed review…
- Beautiful dry leaf; a slightly nutty aroma with sweetness to it
- Steeped it had more of a fruity quality; sort of a fresh lemon aroma
- Not lemon skin/peel or the fruit itself but more just the aroma of a lemon, untouched
- Smooth and medium bodied
- Notes of lightly toasted nuts (almond?), honey, and florals
- Just a bit of roastiness, and lemon/citrus undertones
- Maybe some yuzu?
I liked it well enough overall; I anticipate I’ll most likely enjoy it even more when I get around the brewing the rest of the sample Gong Fu. As it stands, this is something that I’d drink happily if served or the mood strikes but I don’t think I’d class it as exceptional or something I’d go out of my way for just when it comes to this sort of Western prep. Then again, we all know a tea like this isn’t really meant to be prepared Western…
Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/BfdwV8QFkei/?taken-by=ros_strange
Buy It Here: https://www.jkteashop.com/
Code has been cracked!
Do you want to drink this tea and not experience the world’s worst combination of bitterness, astringency, and soap? Simply add a FUCK TON of honey. Think you’ve got enough in there? Add more. Seriously.
I pretty much despise this tea on its own – I don’t think that will ever change. At least I’ve found a way where I feel comfortable finishing it off though. I mean, I have to make sure I’m DEFINITELY in the mood for something sweet/the distinct taste of honey because that ends up being the bulk of the flavour profile (with blueberry undertones) but at least I can now see that this is drinkable…
OMG! LOL! Why do you keep drinking it? Do yourself a kindness and toss it!
I’m one of those people that forces myself to finish off bad tea that I know I should just throw away too. Why do we do this to ourselves?
It feels wasteful to just toss it out – and there’s almost a bit of pleasure in the learning experience of figuring out a way to make it decent tasting even if the cups in between the first and the final product aren’t equally pleasurable ;)
From the vacation I took late October/early November.
I was really excited when I found this one – it seemed like a really unique find to see any purple tea at all in such a small tea shop in such a weird little town, but to find a purple tea that was flavoured in an equally unique way was so fascinating.
I bought very small amounts of everything, but this is one that now that I’ve tried it I’m kicking myself for not trusting my instincts and anticipating how much I’d be into it. It was very good, and I don’t know that a few more cups of it are going to be enough for me to be happy with the experience. Or, maybe the better wording is not enough to be satisfied with it…
This is totally one of those blends where the things in the blend almost entirely mask the taste of the tea base itself – it really doesn’t taste at all like other purple teas I’ve had save for a very light bordering on vegetal/beany kind of undertone. Hard to pick out, though. You could definitely ignore it easily by just focusing on the fruit in the blend.
Those fruit flavours are very bright and lively too, with aspects that are very natural but also a little bit of a candied sort of taste to them too. And I don’t mean like pineapple flavour candy, for example, but actual pineapple that has then been candied. There’s a big difference. Notes of pineapple, lychee, and just a little bit of currant. Really, really tropical and a little bit exotic, with floral undertones from the lychee – such as hints of a jasmine-like floral aspect.
If you’re even around Fargo, ND then this is something that I recommend trying out because it’s a really well done fruit flavoured tea with some great flavour!
Drinking this one currently.
The last tea I made in the steeped I used this afternoon had lime it in, and I must not have cleaned it nearly as well as I thought I did because this whole cup has had a lime/citrus heavy undertone unlike how it normally presents. So, that’s totally my bad. I mean, it’s complimentary to the rest of the sweet and jammy notes in the tea so I’m not too bothered about it. It just wasn’t what I had planned for the cup.
I feel like, apart from jammy red fruit flavours, I’m getting way more white tea in this mug than black though. More of a straw/hay thing with those honeysuckle-ish notes that are more common in whites. Not nearly enough malt or full bodied nature.
Ironically, this was an evening cuppa with some cashew milk and a smudge of vanilla agave. I actually find myself hard pressed to believe that this is something I’ve ever going to want to drink in the morning given the fact it has no caffeine in it. I just need the caffeine almost all days to be a functioning adult.
However, flavour wise this was great! Kind of buttery and sweet, both from the additions to the cup but also from the tea itself. The base rooibos in this one has an especially honey like quality to me, so it really sort of pushes those ‘muffin’/honey oat sort of tastes all on its own, and then the nuttyness of the milk and the extra vanilla sweetness just sort of exaggerate/amplify that quality it already has.
As for the berry flavours – this one has a lot going on. I mean, it really, really does come off as a mixed berry sort of flavour but you can pick out some of the stronger/bolder berry notes if you’re thinking about it – the cranberry and the blueberry mainly. The combo makes me think of Saskatoon berries even though there aren’t any in the blend; but Saskatoons do taste like cranberry/blueberry combos in the first place, so…
Yeah.
Spicy on the tongue, with a roasty middle sip and a sweet finish. It’s a triple threat, in that regard anyway. It has aspects that are a little creamy from the chips in the blend that melt down, but I think I’d like it a little better with just a touch more of a vanilla element or more of those chips mixed in overall; though more chips would mean a more oily mouthfeel. So, you know, there’s a bit of a balance to be had there. Totally nails the gingerbread aspect though; I definitely feel like I’m taking a big bite of the really good homemade stuff – you know ’cause of that intense natural ginger flavour.
Just needs more ‘latte’. (I still REALLY like it though)
Iced tea.
My store still has a fair bit of this one left – and honestly I’m somewhat surprised by that? I mean, of all the teas from that collection I thought this was one of the better ones for sure and also one of the ‘safer’ flavours, and usually we run out of those ones first.
That just means more for me to enjoy at work though before I have to dip into my personal stash of it – and that’s something I can roll with. This was maybe just a bit tart, like an underripe strawberry with those hibiscus undertones. Best part is, and will always be, the rosemary in the blend. Sometimes I can taste the vanilla in the blend – but not always, and this was one of those times where it was definitely missing. I would have liked to have tasted it – but that’s just how it goes. I feel it must come down to whatever winds up in your scoop(s) of tea. You know, vanilla pods or no vanilla pods.
I’ll probably get in a few more cups of this one in store before we sell out. Or at least I’ll try to…
Friendly reminder that I do not numerically rate DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts regarding the teas, and not the company’s.
