Teas We Like

Brewed last 5.3g of sample in a pot today and seemed transformed. Admittedly I have been distracted by other things in the past few sessions, but there’s a fullness that wasn’t present in previous sessions. I’ve used roughly the same ratio at 5.1-5.4g w 90 mL, just in a gaiwan and never felt like it was dialed in properly. Always too hollow and light/floral, or just too bitter/sour, and I couldn’t understand the hype for it. Today’s felt more full and balanced, and the smokiness was a nice complement. I would’ve been tempted to cake with the recent discounted price, but I think it’s too late now and based on the past sessions, seems like too much of a gamble based on my preferences and brewing style.

5.2/90. wet leaf. initially fruity aroma, then smoky bbq and a darker dried fruit aroma.

1st: thick and rich. dried hawthorn candy taste and then somewhat floral and candy like in mouth. returning sort of white pear in mouth and throat.

2nd: pear, juicy sort of plummy note, and woody base. calm and warmth in shoulders and then slowing after, a la jinhao chawang, though maybe not as sedative. still wouldn’t be a good work tea.

3rd: very sweet upfront. had to cap overnight here and resume 2 days later, after which it was pausing still and very sweet overall for those steeps. Admittedly was not the best time of year to pick this to drink during a loaded finals season.

this is definitely one of the best tasting teas I’ve tried. Do I advise everyone to run and buy a cake, given the price, maybe not, but it’s very good.

5.4g, 90ml. boiling, Brita tap.

dry: damp, sweet. wet leaf: salty, grainy rice. shou-like, but maybe a woody incense note.

1st: nothing particular.

2nd: slight medicinal note. calming, cozy, almost sinking feeling. no clear notes after.

A tea that brews and brews, but was clearly not impressive for taste. no clear progression in taste, just lightening after some time, and cozy still. The first time in a while I’ve really felt caffeinated by a tea too, interestingly enough. Also, marco’s notes indicate a lot more sweetness and aftertaste than I got, but it’s probably a water thing.

7g 100ml gaiwan
Factory style boutique sheng. Complex citrus similar depth as single malt, drying tangerine like. Amazing activity in the mouth.
Energy is calming, body feels light, possibly aligns chakras.

5.1g, 90mL gaiwan. wet leaf: smoky, w sourness. Initially slight fruity. good texture. woody with sugary floral background initially. buzzy, pausing feel with stomach/back warmth. also slightly humid in room today. something cherry-like in taste. borderline TCM leaven taste with fine astingency in florals that works surprisingly well to its benefit. slight lethargy. past a few steeps, moved back to the mushroom in aftertaste, which I didn’t like as much. astringency not as strong today. some throatiness and dried apple in aftertaste. kill steep was woody medicinal bitter end, but had a goji berry soup smell, which I don’t think I’ve encountered before, or maybe I haven’t noticed.

I’ve heard NY is a cake that can be very inconsistent and so sessions can be a wild card. While I haven’t really gotten a sedative feeling others have noted from either two sessions (though having slept well the night before can heavily influence perception as Phyll has noted somewhere, and it’s close to finals so…), the taste has been interesting enough to keep my attention rooted during the session. Assuming the price is same as before ($168/357g), it’s definitely more interesting than any of the YQHs I own. Will need to pick up a cake or two once TWL restocks.

5.7g, 100 mL roc zini. still quite bitter and sometimes astringent, even given that I am extremely congested today. quite warming, and I was sweating, but it was also very humid in my room. bright floral and evolving into mushroom aftertaste initially. End steeps had some jujube in the taste. leftover in a glass overnight was fruity and had a haw flake candy sort of taste that felt familiar but I couldn’t place fully

edit: on further reflection, the mold may have just been tea dust. Oh well. Doesn’t hurt to be safe.

Thanks Kar for the sample!

I drank part of the sample some time ago grandpa’d in a mug and I don’t remember much other than that it was okay. I’m pretty sure I didn’t rinse, and it looked fine. Tasted like aged sheng mushroominess, nothing special.

I’ve kept the rest of the sample with a Boveda pack in a Mylar with some other to-drink-soon samples and so you can imagine my horror upon taking the rest of it out to brew and seeing small yellow mold spores. Did I do the smart thing and toss it? No, I just gave it two 20s rinses instead of one and hoped for the best.

I didn’t take notes for it, but it was a bit over 8g in a 90mL gaiwan, steeped like I usually do. Smell had sour, leather, and mushroom-y aged sheng notes. Broadly, tastes were pretty strongly bitter (not LME level, but still bitter) and mushroom-y, sometimes sour and lingered for a while in mouth and sometimes throat, which I know is a good marker of quality, but in terms of personal preference for what constitutes pleasantness/enjoyment is a different story. Sometimes cooling on tongue. Some shifting woody herbaceous notes along with hints of dark fruitiness and smoke. I didn’t particularly like this and would not purchase a cake, but it was interesting to try.

Right off the bat this is one of the thickest blacks I have had. The nose is floral but the taste is much more fruity and creamy, with undertones of cinnamon and sea salt, and a bit of Ruby 18-style mintiness. There’s some noticeable astringency, and the finish is long and dry. The flavor dies off earlier that I would have hoped, but the texture remains strong. At 50 cents a gram I can’t quite say it’s worth the money, but it’s at least quite a nice tea.