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I’m quite sad about this. This tea is ancient. I guess I ignored it in the stash,thinking it was a subpar Keemun — weaker, flavorless. BUT I had it recently and it was quite good! Perhaps it has aged well. Perhaps recent Keemun harvests have been even more disappointing than this one. Anyway, the flavor now is rich enough for me, a bit smokey. I wouldn’t say it distinctly has Keemun flavor notes, but that could also be because of time. Delicious for such an old tea that I expected nothing from. I mean… I never even wrote a note for it! But it was a nice surprise. Two delicious steeps.

I received this from Michelle quite a while ago — thank you! Three solid steeps. Very tasty, though the first steep did have a hint of fishiness. Only a HINT. But it is a little surprising it’s there at all if this is almost twenty years old. Otherwise, quite a delicious puerh. Peeking in the infuser before tossing them, the leaves looked huge and still looked a little twisted together, so I probably could have steeped this a fourth time, even though the third steep was LONG.

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – April 2025 Tea #2 – A tea that is close to a sipdown

LOVE this one every time I have it.  Next time this particular pouch will be a sipdown, but I have backups!   It’s a classic, and I had to go over to check — Davids is still selling it. Raising the rating from 90.

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – April 2025 Tea #1 -April 4 – Qing Ming Festival: drink a Chinese tea, preferably an early spring green

TWO sipdowns today and both of them Chinese teas!  Not sure why I gave this one such a low rating.  I mean, it isn’t remarkable but it also isn’t bad.  Also, this low rating was from eleven days ago, so you’d think I would remember the reason. I will raise the rating from 64. Maybe overleafing it helped the flavor.  It sure helped to get it gone.  I also finished a sample of Teavivre’s dragonwell today.  Delicious.
2025 sipdowns: 22
2025 unique sipdowns:18

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – March 2025 Tea #7 -a flavored oolong

This’ll do!  I don’t remember if I shared any of this with anyone… at least from this pouch.  If not, I finished an entire pouch!  Can’t say I’m tired of it yet.  It’s a cozy tea. I probably wouldn’t call it ‘Nutty & Spice’ though. It isn’t too nutty or too spicy. More fruity?
2025 sipdowns: 20
2025 unique sipdowns:17

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – March 2025 Tea #6 -your oldest green tea

I have had a weird cough thing going on for a couple weeks, so my tastebuds are wacky, but this one is an old reliable favorite anyway.  It was time to finish one of my small samples.  I would buy this again just based on how good it tastes for so long.  I mean… I’m sure it is leagues better fresh, but it’s also REALLY good when it’s old.
2025 sipdowns: 19
2025 unique sipdowns:17

Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – March 2025 Tea #5 – a tea in a sachet

This was the sachet for the prompt.  Still have a few left!  These are a bit faded now, but they were never great to begin with.  Somehow you were able to add these for free to your cart back in the day, so that probably means B&B didn’t think they passed quality control anyway.  So don’t take my word on these. I’m sure B&B has a better blend now.

oh no, another tea I never wrote a note for and now I’m approaching the sipdown. I thiiiinkkk this was from JakeB? Thanks very much. This is MANY years old, so I won’t really talk about flavor here at this point. It is however a cake that likes to stay together in its brick-like shape, even with boiling water for many minutes. And then by that time, it certainly has a harshness to it. So the flavor today is: harsh.

Huh, looks like I never wrote a note for this and it’s almost gone. Probably because this is somehow very roasted, and that is all I have to say about this. Roasted. Roasted. Roasted. meh. I mean, it’s not BAD for a roasted tea, but it is not the tea for me.

Another sample from S&V — thank you! HAD to try this golden monkey. The leaves look like your classic, traditional golden monkey variety. Long, thin, about 1/3 gold in color. I might have steeped the first cup a little light. The flavor is light. But what is there is tasty. Hints of tomato soup. The second steep is a little deeper but sadly, I’m finding this tasting note lacking, as I’m sure all of you are, as there just isn’t the depth to this tea that I would wish. Not my preferred Golden Monkey, I guess.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug // 24 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 6+ minute steep