Cameron B. select Send Message

259 Followers / 238 Following

Cameron B. drank Barley Black by Dragon Tea House

1578 tasting notes

Another one from cookies! I know she was anxious to be the first person to review this one, and it’s such an unusual tea and not what she expected. So I’m going to try it too and see how it tastes to me! The tea leaves themselves are rather small (I looked on DTH’s website to see what kind of tea it is, but all it said was “Chinese”) and they’re very dark, almost jet black in color. There are little shiny brown barley grains mixed in throughout, and they’re quite cute. Dry scent is rich and roasty and reminds me of coffee, with a surprising sweetness.

Wow, it smells even sweeter when it’s steeped up! There are also roasty and woody aromas here, and perhaps even vanilla? Such an interesting and unusual tea… There’s definitely a strong roasted grains flavor combined with a sweet woodiness that reminds me of bourbon vanilla. In the beginning on the sip, there’s something that tastes like green beans with bacon to me. There’s a little touch of roasty bitterness that’s very reminiscent of coffee, which I’ve found in the flavored barley teas I’ve tried as well. I wonder what the base tea tastes like by itself, as all the flavors here are rather unusual!

Flavors: Coffee, Grain, Green Beans, Oak wood, Peanut, Roasted, Sweet, Vanilla

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 10 OZ / 295 ML

I Like This

13 likes

2 comments

cookies
Delete

I was thinking the base is a Keemun, but I’m not so sure. I kind of want to get the plain roasted barley from DTH to see what it’s like on its own.

Cameron B.
Delete

I would try it too. I actually have a sample of mugicha from Den’s that Stephanie sent me, will have to see how it is. :)

People who liked this

Comments

cookies
Delete

I was thinking the base is a Keemun, but I’m not so sure. I kind of want to get the plain roasted barley from DTH to see what it’s like on its own.

Cameron B.
Delete

I would try it too. I actually have a sample of mugicha from Den’s that Stephanie sent me, will have to see how it is. :)

Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron! I’m a 30-year-old software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, bento, baking, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is collecting hobby related-things… ;)

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I will often sweeten iced tea. I brew Western style, and fluctuate between using mugs or teapots with small cups depending on the season. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I also use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Current Subscriptions:
52teas
Bird & Blend
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Sips By

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, and oolong varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially mango and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura and chamomile. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

Favorite Purveyors:
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Kusmi
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre
Yunnan Sourcing

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age.

Location

Austin, Texas

Website

https://www.instagram.com/cam...

Following These People

Moderator Tools

Mark as Spammer