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“Mastress Alita’s Sipdown Challenge – a white tea I had very little of this and I don’t remember how I felt about it the last time I drank it, but I must have done something wrong. I see astringent...” Read full tasting note
“Gongfu! There were a couple white teas in the box this month but the description of cotton candy in the packaging was very intriguing to me, so I’m steeping this one first. It’s certainly a very...” Read full tasting note
“From the Samurai TTB. First note in my brand-new Moleskine notebook and last note for the teabox. This is my second TTB and I think they are just so much fun. Now to start the next bit of fun –...” Read full tasting note
“Another tea box tea! It’s so fun to watch the pearls unfurl, so I used my one clear mug for this. The flavor was pretty strong and classic. It was a little bitter at first, but that mellowed...” Read full tasting note
White teas are picked in early spring from the youngest shoots of the plant where the mild natural sweetness of new growth is most concentrated.
These first flush peony silver needles are delicately handcrafted into the shape of tiny pearls. White pearls of this exquisite quality are in high demand and becoming exceedingly rare. With its soft mouth feel and cotton candy sweetness, white teas reflect all of nature’s goodness. A perfect daytime tea.
Ingredients: White tea
Company description not available.
Mastress Alita’s Sipdown Challenge – a white tea
I had very little of this and I don’t remember how I felt about it the last time I drank it, but I must have done something wrong. I see astringent and bitter listed here by others, and that was just what I got. I also see jasmine and floral and candy mentioned. I did not get those.
I like white tea, and usually enjoy it a lot. I don’t know what went wrong with this one, but I am glad to see the back of it. Maybe someday I should try it again. It was quite old. That could be part of the problem.
Gongfu!
There were a couple white teas in the box this month but the description of cotton candy in the packaging was very intriguing to me, so I’m steeping this one first. It’s certainly a very light and airy white tea with such gentle sweetness that hangs on the tip of the tongue after each steep. I don’t think that cotton candy is the tasting note that would have come to my mind were I not being influenced by the packaging descriptions, but I certainly understand the thought process behind it! I get more of a white Springtime flower and veeerrrrry subtle green grape, personally. That really fluffy delicate sweet profile truly does evoke the feeling of pillowy white clouds though, and makes me miss Spring and Summer weather even more than I already was…
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CaaMRwjuBax/
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhyk9rchC2c&ab_channel=MunaVEVO
From the Samurai TTB.
First note in my brand-new Moleskine notebook and last note for the teabox. This is my second TTB and I think they are just so much fun. Now to start the next bit of fun – picking out teas to add back to the box. I think I love that part just as much. Anyway, on to the tea!
I wasn’t sure if I was going to drink any of the white/green/oolong teas in the box. Black teas are my favorite and I enjoy herbals on occasion, but I can almost never seem to brew a white or green tea in a way that is really enjoyable to me. So I figured, why waste these beautiful teas on someone who can’t fully appreciate them? BUT. I did a splurge and bought an electric kettle, hoping that getting the temperature right would be the key. So I picked this one from SkySamurai out of the box based on how amazing it smelled. I absolutely love florals and this one smells exquisite. Jasmine, I think?
I have to say, it’s one of the more flavorful white teas I’ve had. They usually come off tasting like lukewarm water and not much else. This one is still fragrant and keeps that floral fragrance in the taste. It’s a touch bitter and slightly astringent but enjoyable. My husband had a sip and said that it tastes metallic. Now that he says it, I can see that.
Overall, I would say this hasn’t won me over for white teas but it certainly has shown me that they can have flavor that I haven’t experienced before. I’ll withhold a rating here since this isn’t my preferred cup of tea. I do want to add – I think this would be really refreshing iced!
Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Floral, Jasmine, Metallic
Another tea box tea! It’s so fun to watch the pearls unfurl, so I used my one clear mug for this. The flavor was pretty strong and classic. It was a little bitter at first, but that mellowed overnight. If you want a tea that’s strongly flowery, this might be the one. It’s one of the better flowery teas I’ve had.
‘Samurai’ Traveling Teabox – Tea #13
I don’t think I’ve ever had white pearls? They’re smaller than black dragon pearls, but bigger than most rolled green teas. The flavor is light and delicate, despite unraveling to quite a large amount of leaves. The first steep wasn’t as flavorful as I’d like, but the second steep, oddly enough (this is the oddest tasting note ever) tasted like Necco candy hearts… maybe the lemon ones. I don’t have any of those around despite it having just been Valentine’s Day. But a very distinct and obvious flavor of lemon candy hearts. It’s the weirdest thing. Sweet, with hints of lemon.. I’m accustomed to some white teas occasionally tasting like lemon. But I could swear there are melted candy hearts in this mug and it certainly didn’t taste like this in the first cup. The third cup was back to tasting like the first, like actual tea and not melted candy hearts, so I don’t know what magic happened with that second steep. I wish all of the steeps were like that. Maybe with precise steeping parameters. This is currently on sale, if anyone is interested.
Steep #1 // 1 teaspoon for full mug // 40 minutes after boiling // 3 minute steep
Steep #2 // 22 minutes after boiling // 2 min
Steep #3 // 12 minutes after boiling // 2 min
