Song Tea & Ceramics

Sipdown? Well, I received this Taiwanese Oolong as a 6g gift sample with my January order, and I used it all in one session. Brewed western style, almost as directed: 6.4g leaf in 8 oz boiling water in a stainless steel infusion basket for 2 min. Dry leaf had a wonderful fragrance, which intensified while steeping. But this was way too much leaf, as it expanded out to fill my basket and poke out over the top! The aromatic, golden-colored liquor was sweet, smooth, non-astringent, and like a mouthful of flowers! Song claims flavor of Magnolia x alba, and so I’ll go with that, though I can’t say I truly know what White Fragrant Himalayan Champaca is, let alone what it tastes or smells like. It sure is lovely, and reminiscent of a dong ding I drank recently. This oolong is said to be the Qing xin cultivar (also known as “green heart”) which is well known among the high mountain oolongs, as are hybrids from it. The finish is extended, lasting several minutes on the tongue and in the nose, only finally tailing off in a mineral taste with a hint of skunkiness. Each sip was enjoyable as the cup cooled over the course of ~30 min. I never detected anything remotely of the claimed pistachio or cantaloupe (both of which are very familiar to me). A second infusion was also nice, but not as delightful as the first. Perhaps if I’d used a slightly cooler water and shorter steep the leaf might have given more, but I really liked it my way anyhow. I’ll never know because it is now sold out and next year may differ. Rating this as a 95. The third infusion continued to satisfy, as notes of cardboard and stronger minerality crept in alongside the floral sweetness. Long finishes continued here, and the cardboard notes gave way to a slight cantaloupe flavor way in the back of my mouth! Score another point for Song’s tasting skills. A fourth infusion was unpalatable and discarded. I hope other Steepsters got to try it!

The flavor description from Song is cognac, passionfruit, and coconut. And this tea hit all of these flavors, and in that order! Cognac up front, coming mainly from the way the leaves are roasted, with beautiful fruitiness right after, then finishing on the coconut/tropical notes. So complex and delicious! I tried to get multiple steepings from it, and got around three, but I think it’s better to just brew according to the vendor instructions. Maybe get a weak second steep out of it if you like to push things, as I do. Still, very interesting and flavorful tea. Next time I’ll try brewing Western style and see if that works to make it even better.

Seduced by the glowing reviews of derk, beerandbeancurd, and Leafhopper, I ordered A Different Eighteen (and a couple other teas) from Song. I was already prejudiced in favor of this tea by my prior experience ten years ago with a gifted sample of the Ruby 18 tea from Nantou county that was brought back from Taiwan by a colleague. We were told only “this is the best tea in the World.” It was that tea which initiated my 21st century return to tea-drinking (after years of coffee), and which ultimately led to my joining the Steepster community.

So I happily indulged in a purchase, despite a tea cabinet bulging with recent adventures. My 60g packet is from the June 2024 lot, so can be expected to vary from prior reports. And I certainly have been enjoying it! I steeped 5g leaf in 8oz 205°F alpine spring water (western style in a steel strainer basket) for 60s, successively. And although it’s into dinnertime, I’m unwilling to pollute my taste buds with a meal, lest the tea be less enjoyable. I do not detect any blackcurrent or wintergreen notes at all, but there is plenty of malt, brown sugar, pruny stonefruit, and a nose of malt and mild woodiness. My fifth infusion got away from me and ran just over 4 minutes, producing a beautiful mahogany brew with crystal clarity and not a hint of bitterness or astringency. The flavors are beginning to lighten up, so I’ll stop here. Note that I used almost twice the recommended amount of water in each infusion, but this was not weak tea! I like it as much as the Ruby 18 based “Brandy Oolong” from Tealyra, though this is distinctly a Different Eighteen! So it gets a 95 rating from me. YMMV.

edit 2/28/25: I ran a formal gongfu series across 21 serial 100 ml infusions of 5g leaf in a small porcelain teapot, ranging from 5s to 60s in 205°F water, using a streamlined process and dispensing with the emotional/decorative aspects. The final 18 of those infusions are pictured, starting at top right and going horizontally, to finish at the teapot. I do not doubt that a few more infusions could have been made. These all gave similar flavor profiles and I have nothing further to add from the experience, besides a bit of a caffeine buzz, but it was a worthwhile endeavor!

What a superb tea! My bag of The Roaster’s Red is of the June 2024 harvest. And I brewed it western style, using much less leaf than directed. I look forward to a gongfu session to explore the progression of flavors, but there was plenty to unpack even here. The first impression was to notice the (not smokey) roasted character that comes from charcoal roasting. It was interesting and, since I dislike smokiness in tea, a relief. The roastiness soon gave way to very strong and smooth almost oolong floral flavors, with an extended finish lasting several minutes. As I read the description by Song, I did, indeed, sense the notes of blackcurrent, which then gave way to a long sensation of peach. This all from the first mouthful! The aroma in the cooling cup had potent notes of brown sugar, which matched the smooth, sweet sensations in my mouth. As the infusion continued to cool, the roastiness intensified and the fruity finish seemed to linger longer on the palate, suggesting that this might also make a terrific iced tea. I found that my first infusion of only about 1g leaf in 8 oz boiling spring water for 2 minutes was fruitier and smoother than my second session of 2.5g dry leaf, steeped longer. The longer, stronger session intensified all the flavors and aromas, becoming almost too roasty. I haven’t yet had the courage to brew it exactly as directed, which would be 5 g leaf in 5 oz water. The tea isn’t cheap, but its potency makes it a luxurious value. I’ll rate this as a 95 and highly recommend it!

A teapot time.
I have used all 8 grams received from Derk in the session today morning and in the teapot; to share this tea with other family members. Thank you derk!

I have used 90°C water and steeped for 3 minutes. After we have finished first session, I decided to brew myself second session and steeped again for 3 minutes. There is no lose in the flavours and the leaves were almost lifting up the lid of the pot. I am sure there would be more steeps possible, but I haven’t made them.

I find this tea rather hard to describe. It is a wonderful and very, very complex tea with aroma of florals, herbals, and tropical fruits. Very ripe mango and bananas, in my opinon; combined with some, a little savoury, herbs. I wasn’t able to point out them, but then I read the description for medium roast version and I am pretty sure it is galangal, something I tried during the advent season for (probably) very first time. It was kind of spicy, but not fiery… rather piney as derk notices there.

There is an extremely long aftertaste, and overall high enjoyment of the tea not only from me, but also family members. As my mom described: “Delicate and mellow, with full of flavour.” When I examined the steeped leaves, I could show them the bugbitten leaves and explained them how it contributes to the taste and… yep I liked it very much because of it too. It has got a sweet finish, mouthcoating qualities and if there is something I am sad about, it’s that I will hardly try this tea again.

Of course, I am sure Song Tea would send me some, even they don’t specify shipping on their website; but to be honest, it is kind of expensive for me.

As others have, I received this tea from derk. Thank you! Based on the notes I’d read, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was on my wishlist, so I knew it would be good or at least interesting.

I followed Leafhopper’s preparation method, using the same water temperature and steeping times. The result? A truly wonderful tea.

A beautiful bouquet of floral notes filled my gaiwan. The tea had a smooth, creamy mouthfeel that lingered pleasantly. It transported me to a foggy autumn day, surrounded by yellowing leaves. I almost felt like I was in the mountains.

Each infusion was perfectly balanced, with a delightful floral complexity that was hard to pinpoint. Later infusions took on an intriguing, forest-like character, eventually settling into a simple, grassy note. Even in its final stages, the tea remained complex and special.

By the fourth or fifth infusion, the leaves had fully unfurled. I longed for a glass gaiwan to fully appreciate their beauty as they floated and expanded in the liquid.

This is an exceptional tea, without a single flaw. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to try it. I saved half of the 8-gram sample, eager to savor it again. It was the perfect, relaxing oolong to enjoy on a stressful day before a job interview.

A change in workplace will mean a move, but if I want to move forward, I must seize the opportunity. Of course, they’ll need to hire me first!

Freebie with my latest order — thank you!

I don’t remember much about this either. I followed Song Tea’s brewing parameters for this tea and it flattened all the high notes. It was smooth, sweet and a little dry-roasty. Overbrewed yet pleasant. I would need more and prepared with my own parameters to see how I feel.

This is my last Song sample from Derk. I’m always a bit wary of roasted teas, but I’ve had decent luck with them lately. I steeped 6 g of leaf in 120 ml of 195F water for 25, 20, 25, 30, 30, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds, plus some long, uncounted steeps.

The dry aroma is of chestnuts, ginger, cookies, florals, and vague fruit. The first steep has notes of toasted rice, chestnut, butter, honeysuckle and other florals, ginger, cookies, and very pronounced mango. I’m impressed by how many dimensions this tea has instead of knocking me over the head with roast. The next steep has more of that Dong Ding nutty/buttery/charcoal/toasted rice profile, but with mango, orchid, pine, and ginger. It has a thick, silky texture and an aftertaste that lasts for minutes. Steeps three and four give me green banana (thanks, Derk!), mango, chestnut, florals, and toasted rice. That mango aftertaste is especially lovely! More mango shows up in the next couple steeps, though the roast is slightly more apparent. I get some grass, banana, toasted coconut, and the caramelized sugar sweetness that Derk mentioned. The next couple steeps are a bit drying, but still have that lovely chestnut, butter, and mango profile. The tea starts to lose its florality and acquires more toasted rice, grass, and nutty notes, but the mango is very persistent, lasting well into the long, uncounted final steeps.

As I mentioned, I haven’t had much luck with roasted teas, but this one is exceptional. I love the mango, but even without that, it has lots of nuance and texture while letting the roast play out in the background. Whoever roasted this tea is a master of their craft! It’s also $45 for 30 g, although price doesn’t always equal quality when it comes to roasted teas.

My scale arrived today and it seems to be working okay, but I’m on a roll with these samples from Derk. I steeped 6 g of leaf in 120 ml of 195F water for 25, 20, 25, 30, 30, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds, plus some long, uncounted steeps.

The dry aroma is of orchids, honeysuckle, other florals, and cream. The first steep has notes of orchid, honeysuckle, narcissus, cream, and grass. The orchid really blooms in the second steep, and I get lots of cream, butter, and pine. You know an oolong is good when you start thinking about misty high mountain forests. The butter and cream are very apparent in the next couple steeps, as are the pine, honeysuckle, and lush orchid. The florals continue in steeps five and six, with a little more grass but no bitterness. The grass and spinach get stronger near the end of the session, but the orchid holds its own and makes these final few steeps quite enjoyable.

This is a beautifully floral, creamy tea that doesn’t evolve much over the session but does a few flavours really well. It has an ethereal, high mountain elegance. I imagine it would do very well bowl steeped, and while I’m not as enthusiastic about it as Derk, this is an excellent oolong.

I finally have the time to devote to this generous sample from Derk, which I’ve looked forward to drinking for a while. I love everything about Ruby Eighteen except the tannins, and it appears that this tea may be pleasantly low on them. I steeped 6 g of leaf in a 120 ml porcelain pot using 195F water for 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds, plus many longer steeps.

The dry aroma is of milk chocolate–covered cherries (thanks, Beerandbeancurd), wintergreen, and malt. The wintergreen aroma from the wet leaf is amazing! The first steep has subtle notes of milk chocolate, cherry, earth, malt, tobacco, tannins, and wintergreen. I get a nice blast of wintergreen in the second steep, plus milk chocolate and very realistic-tasting stewed cherries. Maybe there’s some other stewed fruit in there as well. I notice hints of orange along with the cherries in the next two steeps, as well as wintergreen, malt, wood, herbs, tannins, earth, and fainter chocolate. The tea is beginning to be noticeably drying in the mouth, but who cares when I also get that wintergreen aftertaste? Steeps five and six have less chocolate, but still have that pronounced menthol/wintergreen hit, plus more tobacco, honey, and raisins. Steeps seven and eight are more tannic, drying, malty, earthy, and herbaceous, though still yummy and minty fresh. I detect some raspberry at the bottom of the cup. The next few steeps have higher levels of tannins, but also wintergreen, a bit of cocoa, honey, malt, minerals, earth, and cherry. The aftertaste is of honey and maybe a bit of sassafras, which is missing in the actual tea. I couldn’t let this tea go, even when it was mostly sweet, malty tannin water.

I was right to wait until I could savour this beauty. It did have some tannins, but those chocolate-covered cherries were wonderful. This is the most wintergreen-heavy Ruby Eighteen I’ve had, with the best variety of fruit and most balanced profile. This tea has probably ruined me for any other Ruby Eighteens for a while.

Thanks, Derk, for the sample! Let me know if you decide to buy from this company again because I want more of this tea!

Can be brewed with a variety of parameters to produce such varied experiences, from sweet and light yet rich, to something substantially driven by an umami with a deeper, grassy vibe. Somewhere along that continuum, you can strike pure gold. Interesting ‘fatty’ feel that’s not quite like the usual butteriness of green teas but something more like pure animal fat, though it doesn’t taste or smell anything like that feeling. Glassy, viscous liquor; little hairs catch the sun like flecks of glitter. It’s so crystal clear.

I didn’t give this stunning tea the attention it deserves. Fancy stuff. Recommended for experimenters with a love for the finer things.

April 2022 harvest

Chicken soup, sweet chestnuts and grassy. Viscous, round, bright and juicy. Good aroma, taste and texture. Not a delicate tea — it can handle 200F water just fine, creating a slightly different taste profile compared to the recommended 185F. More of a refreshing, brisk character prepared in a porcelain cup with steeper basket compared to a glass gaiwan.

This tea is over a year old and it is starting to get that dry grassy taste of aging Chinese greens but the overall flavor profile seems like a mix between regular green dragonwell and a yellow tea.

Interesting tea for sure and good but it never fully commanded my attention and appreciation. If this tea appears in Song Tea’s fresh harvest catalog next year, I might buy another bag to see how it tastes at peak freshness.

Sipdown. Soo good and smooth. Borders between creaminess of green Jin Xuans, but with a little bit of floral notes bordering on jasmine, heavy on orchid. Love it, and sad to see it go. I fortunately have a dragons trove of oolongs right now.

Thank you DERK! I really wanted to try this one, and am thankful for swapping to alleviate the problem of getting samples.

The later steeps were a little bit more subdued as I improvised based on how open the leaves were and the changing aroma, but there were fruity green traces. I probably should have done it again, but it’s I got the creamy butter profile I wanted from it. I’m not sure how else to experiement since longer steeps give a more rounded body. I’ll finish it quickly, though I won’t rate it quite yet. I definitely like it.

A gift from derk, and leaves she esteems highly, so… an honor.

I christened my first proper tea bowl with this tea. I was terribly patient in seeking a bowl, and patient to find its first leaves… sitting quietly with it today felt easy and comforting. Patience gets a thumbs up.

It’s been a long week of work-related-but-phenomenal classes, and I head out for a straight 48 hours of actual work in the morning. These minutes were welcome respite and afforded some reflection.

The orchid is just so. So grounding, but so light; so beautiful, but so… hm, practical. The evergreen lets the florals hang in a way that feels tenuous… ah, but they persist. I watched the leaves unfurl and churn and resituate and drop, absorbing water like inspiration for the next right thing. I thought about the so-many hands that had touched them before I sat dumbfounded, watching them rewind.

I need to watch more tea leaves.

April Sipdown Prompt – a grassy tea

This is another gift from derk! Thank you!

The company offers a really long description on this tea – all about the tea garden and their methods and worth a read if you like that sort of thing.

I steeped this in my smallest porcelain pot and the little spears went ping like pellets of TGY do as they fell in. So cute! I picked them up and dropped them in again just for fun.

The dry leaves smelled like warm peas in buttery juice. This was not at all like the description. I searched for the scent of marigold which is quite distinctive but I didn’t find it. Steeped, the aroma changes completely. I went with their longer style recommendation. Now the broth is savory, like a light Japanese soup broth, as well as sharp grassy. Although I do not smell marigold, I do get that this mouthfeel which is very brisk could remind me of such. The savoriness brings in the pepper note, but not like the heat of peppercorns in chai.

Those hard little spears are now soft and cuddly in texture and color. Second steep went the shorter way, just one minute. Now we have more of the buttered peas aroma and less of the savory soup aroma, but surprisingly this is still quite brisk.

I think lovers of Japanese green teas would like this one. Thanks for the opportunity to try something new out on the patio on a crisp spring morning, derk!

On the warm leaf: chocolate covered cherries, raspberry jam, Andes mints… seriously, the milk chocolate is unmistakable. Wow.

Wet dog coming off the pour again — this must be par for the course with Ruby 18? Wintergreen here, too (where the Floating Leaves R18 had it everywhere except the nose). Herbaceous.

First pour tastes of baker’s cocoa, tannin, leather, tobacco. I can’t locate any fruit, mint, or sweetness.

After the first pour, wintergreen is now fully apparent in the wet leaves… medicinal and herbal like a Ricola cough drop, menthol cigarettes… immediately after the next pour there was a distinct celery seed and water chestnut aroma (which changed again before the next fill… smells in the pot are all over the place, haha).

Second pour, wet dog is still heavy on the nose, with ripe fruit and more wintergreen. The taste is more cooling, and I’m able to pick out some wintergreen where I wasn’t in the first pour. Quite drying throughout my whole mouth, with crunchy tannins and cherry. Cocoa seemed to have mostly dissipated, until I took the last sip and found chocolate covered peanuts at the bottom of the cup.

Back to the leaves: chocolate covered cherry and wintergreen now that they’ve cooled a bit. The leaves might be the most interesting part of this tea.

Several more steeps. Some indistinct florality. Biggest pulls are mint, milk chocolate, cherry, tobacco — and it all completely works together. The tannins are what give me pause, which I know is common with Ruby 18s. (derk, I’m shocked you didn’t get any going grandpa style! Maybe I should have followed your lead.) If I had more leaves, I might try this at a lower temperature? Even still: Song recommends 5g in 150ml at 205 degrees for a full minute, and I’m only at 3.5g/150ml at 195 degrees for about 10-15 seconds! I think my tongue might turn to leather if I cranked that hard.

A delightful journey, and probably the most interesting Ruby I’ve had so far. There is so much to uncover here. Thank you so much for the absolute treat, derk!

Something told me to drink it grandpa style. It’s unlike any Ruby 18 I’ve had. Sweeter than any other, softer, complex. No tannic bite at all, which is often an occurrence with this cultivar. Incredible balance of aroma, flavor, texture.

I have a few samples of new-to-me Ruby 18s from Leafhopper to try so it might be hasty of me to say after drinking this tea that there is now no other Ruby 18 for me. Song Tea is going to ruin my tea budget. Their selection thus far has been some of the best leaf I’ve had. The teas make me want to do nothing more than to sit with them and feel, rather than taste.

I will return with more another time.

Song pairing: The Flamingos — “I Only Have Eyes for You”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvzNeh4Mq1o

The second half of 2024 and moving into 2025 has been tough. I lost my sense of self, my sense of humor, hobbies, interest in tea. Everything has been off-center but my boyfriend helped me from shifting too far into the gnarled grip of depression.

It took me six months to finally sign up for the 6-week course at the lumber yard-converted-to-studio-space, but on Wednesday, I had my first introduction to pottery outside of making one lonely and lumpy pinch pot tea cup in an Environmental Lit class in high school (I didn’t realize until years later how much that class effected the trajectory of my life). Starting off with another lonely and lumpy pinch pot, I felt the slow release of all the stress and struggle that was trapped in my body. I felt true calm and freedom for the first time in months. I can’t wait to go back next Wednesday.

This tea, like the process of molding clay with the hands, aids in shifting the self into a centered state. So grateful to be able to experience its unwavering character with each bowl.

One of several teas brought with me for camping. Brought my trusty bowl for bare bones tea sipping. Boil water in my backpacking pot/stove setup, fill bowl, store rest of water in the old Aladdin Stanley thermos.

With the filtered water and colder ambient temps and forest environment (redwood, Doug fir, Scotch pine, huckleberry, tan oak), this was so much more floral than brewed at home with my usual unfiltered tap water. I actually enjoy it more at home. It’s foggier here, and warmer. Goes better with the tea. I’d rather be in the woods, though. This city living ain’t for me.

Bowl tea again. Will I ever have this leaf any other way?

Mellow morning, overcast with a light rain falling straight down. Woke up to the solemn and soulful call of the owl that moved into the neighborhood several months ago. Enjoying the cool moisture coming in through my bedroom door to the garden. The cool dampness permeates my space and body. Simple and quiet, just the way I like it. This tea speaks to me. It has a strong sense of self.

Should be a good evening for dinner at my favorite sushi place.

In other news, I got a birthday email from my health insurance provider this morning. “Your doctor has a reminder for you about an upcoming screening or test.” Log-in, read the message. They want me to come in a for a mammogram. I’ve hit 40. I’m officially old. HAHAHA!

After sharing this hilarious moment with Kiki, she came into my room with a flyer she got in the mail this week. “Our free lunch, your lasting legacy. Kiki, you’re invited! Join us for a FREE Informational Luncheon (that’s a word often uttered by those of advanced age)(at Round Table Pizza) to learn the Benefits of Preplanning for Cremation.” Her 70th birthday is coming up in a few weeks. She said, “Let me put that in my file,” and tossed it in the recycling. We had a laugh so hard that my cheeks and abs are sore. It’s a year of milestones for us couple of old coots.

Another bowl tea. Hm. Can be soft and quiet but really wants to shine as crisp and clear in a sense, with a dark, grounding depth and fortitude not expressed in Qing Xin cultivar. Difficult to describe. This is Ruan Zhi, a popular cultivar in the plantations of Thailand. But this leaf is grown on Taiwan, Shan Lin Xi.

My imagination is running away. I feel an enclave of tall, triangular conifers, housing the beauty of orchids in their bark… surrounding a small pond dark, opaque and cool, ringed by hand-carved cold stone. It’s almost a blue-green association, or cyanobacterial. The tea also elicits the feeling of the Temple of Light in God of War Ragnarök. Warms the throat like a pillar of ethereal buttery light.