Organic Sourenee Black Blossom

Woah… I don’t know what was so different about this tea today, but I’m not getting any of the usual notes from it. Instead, this tastes like an IPA! I did a double take when I first sipped it. It’s floral and fruity, but there’s an unmistakeable hoppy note about it too. It’s nothing like what I expected from this tea, but I’m really enjoying it! The front of the sip is all grapefruit and lychee, with an elderflower-like note lingering at the end of the sip. A hoppy note runs through the entire sip. It tastes so much like an IPA that I feel kind of wrong sipping on it at midday while I’m working, haha. I would never have thought to try cold brewing this tea, but now I’m really intrigued. Maybe it’ll bring out the chocolate and malt notes I usually get from this tea, or maybe I’ll be like drinking a nice, cold beer… Totally not what I was expecting when I brewed this one up, but a nice surprise.

My last untried Butiki. I went with the recommended parameters for this one – 2tsp of leaf in slightly cooled water for 3.5 minutes. The resulting liquor is a medium golden brown, with the scent of wood, damp leaf and dried fruit that I typically associate with darjeeling. The leaves are pretty – dark brown with silver tips.

To taste, I initially picked up notes of tree bark and cedar wood, both resulting in quite a “dry” flavour. There’s a touch of nuttiness in the mid-sip, and a lemon-like freshness in the aftertaste. It comes across as quite sharp, although there is a light maltiness that contrasts with this. As it cools, I’m finding it quite drying on the palate and a little astringent. Not awfully so, but enough that it distracts from what it otherwise a flavoursome cup. Quite a strong, thick-tasting floral also becomes more prominent towards the end of the cup, meaning that this one just really isn’t ticking all the boxes for me. I have enough leaf for a few more cups, in case I’m just having a bad day with this one, but I suspect it’s probably not the darjeeling for me. Since I couldn’t get anymore even if I wanted to, that’s actually a small relief. I miss Butiki enough as it is.

I drank this one down before work last Tuesday and I still remember it quite well. I knew that it was not a morning black tea from the smell and taste, but I am not someone who follows the rules; put me under citizens arrest guys.

This tea is nice and bold and though I still am not a fan of Indian black teas, I found this to taste rather pleasant

I’m actually not sure I remember what this tea tasted like today… it must have been the mystery tea I couldn’t identify. I’ll have to review this later, because I have very little recollection of it (or perhaps it was in the mug I might not have drank from?)

The first words that come to mind while sipping this tea are “exotic” and “mysterious”. I don’t know how much better I can describe it than that, but here goes!

I can taste suggestions of the florals and chocolate in Stacy’s tasting notes, but mostly wood and resin and possibly some spice. The overall effect is a bit like discovering a long-lost temple in the jungles of India and smelling the incense and damp tropical wood interior. It’s quite a deep, dark flavor; more savory than sweet, and full-bodied without being overpowering. There’s enough astringency to give your tongue a bit of a tingle, but not so much that it gives you sandpaper mouth.

Very tasty and very intriguing. Thanks for the trip, Stacy! I can only hope that she will continue to guide us to wonderful weird teas like this after Butiki closes :)

This tea is awesome. There are hints of breadiness and a natural sweetness that I’m really enjoying. I may need to order more of this one before I no longer have the opportunity.

A sample from Butiki I have taken way too long to try. I’m going to make a priority list of teas to try and pick from that for a while. To be fair, this was stored around the super strong smelling Ruby Pie and it might have acquired some flavor from that one, but if it did, it is delicious with this one anyway. This Darjeeling is different. I can easily say it is one of my favorites. It doesn’t have too much of a muscatel quality, but it has a syrupy quality but also a bite to it. The flavor is very bright and fruity (again, could be the Ruby Pie). It also has a quality to it like the Taiwanese assam. The leaves do look similar, dark and twisty… if it also had some Darjeeling leaves mixed in. The color of the brew is a lovely autumn orange, as I’m expecting Darjeeling to be now. This one could be called Darkjeeling. I like it whether or not it has flavors from Ruby Pie. This is similar to the other Sourenee that Butiki carries, but that one definitely has more astringency and chocolate notes. This is much fruitier. The second steep was delicious as well but it tasted a bit more like the “bark” flavor mentioned in Butiki’s description. But to me that is usually what I call the cedar tree like flavor that oversteeped leaves have. I need to drink all of my Butiki samples… but then they’ll be gone!
Steep #1 // 2 tsps.// 18 min after boiling // 4 min
Steep #2 // 13 min after boiling // 4 min

Today, I went to the market and picked up a giant cauliflower to oven roast, and some corn on a cobs. Now that cherry season is over, I’m all into corn on a cob, can’t get enough of it!

When I came back, I wanted a comforting tea. It’s been raining a lot here lately and it’s rather on the cool side.

This tea was purchased during Butiki’s birthday sale.

I’m already a fan of Darjeeling SF, but this has a different profile than a typical second flush.

I don’t get that fruity “grapey” muscatel I normally associate with SF.

Surprisingly, I get bitter chocolate and tobacco mostly, with floral notes.

It’s malty and full bodied. The’s a nice astringent finish, well balanced by the natural sweetness of this tea.

It’s provided a very good afternoon sipping, glad I got 2oz of this.

Pic of the session:

http://instagram.com/p/rph6SpQh2s/

final verdict on this one now that it’s a sipdown? Lovely taste but with an astringency to it that makes it good for me , as a morning tea. I’ll need to have a few more of my other teas before deciding on a final breakfast sort of tea but this one is pretty good :)

I’ve had more to drink but this is all i have time to track at…hopping on a plane in a few hours. Final count before leaving: 95 let’s see what the damage is when i get home haha

Generous sample Stacy included with my surprise package from TeaTiff – thank you.
190F 8oz 3:30 min ( according to Stacy)
I love it. It tastes like a blend of Assam, Darjeeling and Fujian, but in reality it single origin tea. Malty, some florals, some slight citrus and bready chocolate. Amazing that one tea could combine all those flavors and be a little bit of all. If you a fan of Assam/Darjeeling teas I highly recommend you to try this great tea