90

I’m winding down with a gongfu session for the evening. I’m currently craving a 1st Flush Darjeeling, but since I don’t have any this does well in a pinch!

Tonight I’m getting the usual smooth cup with orange/grapefruit tang, but also some juicy pear and cucumber notes I didn’t notice before. It’s slightly more floral than I remember it being. It’s also almost.. smoky? But not quite. Hop-like notes linger on the tongue. The citrusy profile makes it a deceivingly good palate-cleanser!

Steep Count: 4 (plus 1 1/2 of the western steeped mug my mother didn’t finish. Not wasting this tea).

Liquid Colour: soft pastel yellow (gongfu) to vibrant sunshine yellow (western)

(2016 Harvest)

Flavors: Citrus Zest, Cucumber, Grapefruit, Hops, Muscatel, Orange, Orange Blossom, Pear

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 tsp 4 OZ / 118 ML

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Bio

I started my Steepster loose leaf adventure back in 2012. I can’t say I’m completely new anymore, but I still view oolong as a magical, extraterrestrial creature that unfurls in water.

Favourite Flavours/Ingredients:

-Vanilla, Maple, Caramel, Cream, Toffee, Nougat, Marzipan
-All Citrus: Lime, Grapefruit, Lemon, Bergamot, Orange, Yuzu
-Anise, but not licorice
-Ginger or Clove-forward chai
-Rosemary
-Grass/Marine/Vegetal/Nutty Green teas
-Florals: Rose, Lavender, Jasmine…
-Musky and/or Woody Incense-like stuff: Sandalwood, Frankincense, Eucalyptus
-Berries: Blackberry, Raspberry, Currants, Blueberry, Elderberry
-Bananas, and most fruits actually.

Less Preferred Flavours/Ingredients:

-Stevia and most sweetners
-Cinnamon-forward chai/blends
-Apple & Cranberries
-Mango pieces (love mango outside of tea though)
-Coconut pieces (as a sub/filler ingredient)
-Metallic or overly artificial teas
-Cocoa Nibs, 95% of the time.

Subjective Rating System 3.0:

90-100: My absolute favourite tea. I’ll impulsively buy in large quantities and hoard like a dragon.

85-89: A favourite tea. I’ll try to keep this one around when it’s practical.

76-84: A good tea, but not one I’m likely to order again.

70-75: Alright, but I may have a few problems with quality, consistency, ingredient chemistry and/or personal preferences.

50-69: Average to mediocre cup.

11-49: Varying levels of undrinkable tea. I don’t give a lot of these ratings out, since I tend to grab tea I know will appeal to me.

1-10: Nightmare tea from the chaos realms. This tea is the embodiment of the primordial swamp, the unholy abomination that is a chimera. It’s very gross and I’m almost positive it doesn’t exist.

Location

BC, Canada

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