Swap Sample Sipdown! (64)

From Kawaii433, of course!

I’ll be honest, I really didn’t enjoy this one…

The rinse was extremely tasty, with sweet notes of honey and dried apricots, comforting roasted grains, and a light floral overtone. I was excited for the steeps to come!

Unfortunately, all of the remaining steeps had a really strong floral note that was just too much for me. It was almost perfume-like. I don’t know if that’s a normal aspect of da hong pao, or if I just did a terrible job with my steeping parameters…

I stuck with it for seven steeps total, just to see if there was any change in the flavors. I was actually surprised that the taste didn’t seem to change much at all after the first steep. There was still plenty of flavor left in the leaves when I called it quits.

Kawaii did send me another da hong pao sample as well, so I’ll have to try that one out and see how it compares. Maybe da hong pao just isn’t for me!

5g – 110ml – 200°F – 5/15/20/20/30/40/60s

Flavors: Apricot, Bitter, Dried Fruit, Earth, Floral, Grain, Honey, Mineral, Musty, Perfume, Roasted, Sweet, Wood

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 5 g 4 OZ / 110 ML
Kawaii433

hehe I was just going to write that this one (the Medium one) is way better than their dark roasted one. The best one to me though is the YS one because you can taste the nuts. I hope that was the other one I sent you.

Cameron B.

Did you find this one very floral? I feel weird that I had such a different experience.

Kawaii433

Nope. I usually can’t stand floral teas… I was re-reading your notes and was wondering could I have mislabelled it. Did it look green or roasted? hehe

Cameron B.

It was definitely roasted, looked similar to the other dark oolongs you sent. :(

Kawaii433

Better yet, did it look like the picture? I know I sent you one that I found too floral, called the immortal prayer but that one is in its own foil package.

Kawaii433

Ok, then that would be it. So strange. I wonder if you did it boiling and longer time period. I did it at 25s with boiling. I sure hope you get to try another DHP though.

Cameron B.

You did also send the dark roast version, along with Golden Peony and Shui Jin from Mandala. So I’ll see how those compare!

derk

Here is a short conversation on Da Hong Pao:
http://walkerteareview.com/dialog-authentic-da-hong-pao-or-big-red-robe/

“More often than not, what is being sold as da hong pao are blends that consists mostly of Huang guan yin, an incredibly floral cultivar.”

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Kawaii433

hehe I was just going to write that this one (the Medium one) is way better than their dark roasted one. The best one to me though is the YS one because you can taste the nuts. I hope that was the other one I sent you.

Cameron B.

Did you find this one very floral? I feel weird that I had such a different experience.

Kawaii433

Nope. I usually can’t stand floral teas… I was re-reading your notes and was wondering could I have mislabelled it. Did it look green or roasted? hehe

Cameron B.

It was definitely roasted, looked similar to the other dark oolongs you sent. :(

Kawaii433

Better yet, did it look like the picture? I know I sent you one that I found too floral, called the immortal prayer but that one is in its own foil package.

Kawaii433

Ok, then that would be it. So strange. I wonder if you did it boiling and longer time period. I did it at 25s with boiling. I sure hope you get to try another DHP though.

Cameron B.

You did also send the dark roast version, along with Golden Peony and Shui Jin from Mandala. So I’ll see how those compare!

derk

Here is a short conversation on Da Hong Pao:
http://walkerteareview.com/dialog-authentic-da-hong-pao-or-big-red-robe/

“More often than not, what is being sold as da hong pao are blends that consists mostly of Huang guan yin, an incredibly floral cultivar.”

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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...

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