359 Tasting Notes
This has always been my favourite oolong from butuki… I just can’t get enough of it. Strangely, I don’t drink it that often, it’s like one of those “special ones”.
I get so many notes from it, I get confused sometimes.
It’s charred and roasted to perfection. I get chocolate, coffee, apple cider, deep caramel (now this is what I call caramel)…liquid crème brûlée.
It re-steeps forever, I loose count. You’ll get tired of this tea before it gets tired of you.
You do what you want, I’m no tea police, but it would be a shame NOT to have it gongfu style.
It’s one of those that morphs to something else from one steep to the next.
If you’ve never had an aged oolong before, I would definitely start with this one, the best in my humble opinion :-)
My oregano bush is in bloom, and like every year, it hosts a bumble bee party. So cute to watch them working their little butts off.
Thank you bees for all your hard work…because of you, my oregano looks like a micro forest!!
I had Sleeping Bear in the middle of the afternoon. I usually have it at night. But it was raining and this tea reminds me how rain tastes in my forest, so it was the perfect companion.
I’m on a “monthly subscription” for this tea…meaning, I buy it once a month cause it’s that good and I get to have the newest harvest every time.
Out of the three different harvests I have tried so far, this one is the best. It’s a little more piney than the others, and the jasmine is just perfect. The scent is therapeutic, it elevates me…I feel like I’m resting on a little cloud made of jasmine blossoms and soft pine needles.
So good that I re-steep it. Yes, cause Whispering Pines has made a re-steeper out of me!
Teehee bumble bee party! http://tinyurl.com/n95df9w
We had two big fat fuzzy bumble bees wrestling inside an okra flower at my house yesterday, too funny!
I would imagine bumble bee wrestling to be similar to sumo… Lol!
Lol, most of them are actually regular working bees, but I like saying Bumble Bee, makes me happy :-)
Lol, Cameron, that pic is cute!
Stephanie, i think Cameron is right, two big fat bumble bees fighting together = sumo bee wrestling :-)
I usually think of the small “regular” bees as honey bees, and the extra large extra fuzzy variety as bumblebees!
They were totally sumo wrestling, LOL
Awwwwwww I love bumblebees! I got stung by one when I was two because I tried to pet it. Surprisingly not traumatized xD
Yeah, re-steepage!!!
Also, sumo wrestling bumbly bees is the cutest image ever.
I’m totally crashing that bumblebee party!!!!!
Haha! KiwiDelight, kudos for petting a bee, so cute!
Sami, except when I do gongfu sessions, I was never much of a re-steeper…now, with those WP teas, it just breaks my heart to throw them out so I can’t help re-steep most of them!
Sars, I was hoping you’d crash ;-)
Bees are so awesome! I went to an insect behavior lecture a couple of months ago (just for fun) and learned some about them. Did you know that all the bees you see outside the hive are female? They are the workers and soldiers. The males stay in the hive and care for the larvae. Fun facts :)
YOU GUYS if you like bees, you need to read this novel.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/25/books/review/the-bees-by-laline-paull.html?_r=0
TTF: You know I can’t resist a party!!!!!
Suddenly The Tea Hobbit has turned us into re-steepers LTF
I’ve learned here on Steepster that resistance is futile Sars…
MzPriss…let’s face it. We are total re-steepers. But only with tea hobbit’s teas… I still dump my other used tea leaves with no guilt after one steep!
The two I actually res-steep are GO and this one. I wih I had some right now. But it’s not long until the 1st. The Tea Hobbit is also lightning shipper
The firsssst…. it nearsssss…. Need teasssssss :p
Where do you get your “subscription” for this tea?
Lol, it’s a joke hippiechick, I said that cause I buy it every month, just can’t live without it, and I easily go through my 2oz within 30 days :-)
Oh ok I was going to order some, due to your amazing review, but it is out of stock. :(
This tea is available in small quantities starting on the first day of each month :-)
Usually sells out pretty quickly, so keep an eye out for it!
Thanks I will!
I am just enjoying this sencha tonight in a tetsubin pot. Not much to say really, except that every time I have this one, I feel happy and relaxed.
I’m not afraid of grassy and vegetal, and this is the perfect blend of both. I like the little bit of seaweed poke I get at the end of each sip, kind of a salty marine breeze.
Buttery sweet peas are also in the mix. Yum. Tasty.
I haven’t been very hungry lately and skipped dinner earlier….but having sencha triggered the little hungry fairy in me.
So….smoked salmon, lemon slices and capers suddenly sounded very appealing at 1am. Should I? Hell yeah!
It’s all about life’s little pleasures…
I’m eating shrimp, cream cheese, and cocktail sauce on wasa bread at midnight so you can for sure have smoked salmon and capers. :))
“buttery sweet peas” and “salty marine breeze” – no thank you, but if it’s making you happy and relaxed then that’s really all that matters…
Haha! We’re both having sea stuff! You should know that my sencha would work perfectly well with your shrimps, you green tea hatter ;-)
LOL I like genmaicha, and I like some fruity greens – so I’m not a total hater. Hmmmm genmaicha – it’s that a Japanese Sushi thing? Maybe I should have been drinking that with my shrimps….
Ok, ok, You’re right, you’re not a total green hater, I’ll give you that…
Oh and yes. That would have been really good.
Smoked salmon, lemon slices, and capers at 1am? I say “yes”!
T’was really good, sherapop :-)
Yum, smoked salmon! I had sushi last night. <3
Cameron, green tea and sushi…mmmmm!!!
I loooove smoked salmon
When I feel like having something new, I just fetch a pouch from my Terri Box.
She generously sent me what she had left of this precious tea. Delicious little tiny golden snails, so pretty to look at.
Of course, I was curious to compare them to Whispering Pines’s “wee snaily yums” Golden Snail Yunnan Black, already a favourite.
They do look identical, but are completely different in taste. Though I much prefer WP version, this is still yummy, no doubt.
What surprised me the most was to find some smoke in there. Don’t know if my taste buds are playing tricks on me but it’s very noticeable. In a Keemun kind of way.
It’s sweet, but it’s missing that silky barley sugar feel I get from WP.
It’s fuller bodied and maltier, not as delicate and complex. I’m missing the floral and spicy notes I find in WP.
To me, it feels like a good robust black tea, which is something I would seek early in the morning. Just not what I was expecting from what is supposed to be a more mellow and smooth kind of tea.
Maybe I over leafed? Luckily, I still have plenty to try it again.
So yes, compared to WP’s Bi Luo Chun, it looses the battle.
But as a nice breakfast tea, it’s a winner, loved it!
Thank you so much Terri Harlady for giving the chance to try so many teas from Yunnan Sourcing :-)
Weeeee snaily yummmmzzzzzz
This is Autumn tea so it has a little diff profile. Also it aged, so probably new flavors developed as it aged. I want to age some of my YS teas to see the difference.
It’s Wee Snaily Yums’s cousin – Teensy Snaily Yums!
I really want to try this one! Will definitely order it when I get around to YS…
Sars, can’t help yourself right? I do the same every time :-)
Boychik, It could be the reason, the difference is HUGE!
Haha! Yes Cameron, totally Teensy :-)
No, I’m sorry.
I just adore snail teas. :)
Hey, a girl is allowed to let loose at the end of the her day….
What’s on your sipping menu tonight?
I am currently drinking the GTT Honey Black! Round 2! Writing it up now.
I am leaving soon to go babysit my (alomost) 3 year old nephew, so I figured I could use a little black tea energy!
Check this guy out. LOL. He cracks me up!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/124304184@N02/14697428776/
Oh! Yes little boys need to play!!! I know what it’s like, my godson just turned 4, precious boy :-)
OMG he’s adorable, awwww!!!!!
Ok, here’s my little guy, he’s also my nephew:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/laafeevertee/14206250704/lightbox/
He’s so sweet!!!! Too cute!!!
Cuties!
I don’t have autumn 13 but I have spring 14. Should send you a sample to compare ;)
Just going to jump on this “showing off the nephew” train. Here’s mine, he’s almost 1 :)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByLDTxpzm4N2Y3NQTzNfSHIyc1k/edit?usp=sharing
OMG mj!!!! He’s precious!
Thanks Sarsonator :) I love your nephews chubby little cheeks! So adorable! TeaFairy, your nephew looks so cute in that little hat :)
Mj, your nephew is so darn cute, thanks for sharing :-) showing off nephews is fun!!!
As I’m having a sleepless night, might as well drink something spectacular.
Using my newly green oolong seasoned yixing pot.
This tea…oh my, this tea.
It’s beautiful. Long twisted strands of jade tentacles. From the most luxuriant tea plantations, one of the greenest oolong there is.
The ultimate refinement. A gleaming Rolls Royce.
Creamy and buttery mouthfeel, French pastries with lingering lilacs in bloom. The taste creates an imprint in my mouth that stays forever. Angel breath…
Needless to say, this is a staple. Been restocking on this for a good two years now, I don’t plan on stopping.
This gets the Fairy stamp of approval!
Well good morning, early bird!
This sounds really lovely. TeaLux sent me a sample of something. Now I really hope it’s this!!!!
So now I need to try Tealux too?
Well apparently. :p
I got their Dragon Pearls along with my houhin. I really hope this is my sample, but I’m not ready to get out of bed to go look….
Oh guess what… When I do make it out of bed, I’ll be making some cocoa Amore in my new vanilla pot!!!! Eeeeeeee!!!!!
Well good morning to you too lovely ladies…this tea is really something. Missy Prissy, we talked about this one a little while ago, it’s in your box…I’ve been sending so many Tealux teas, I ran out of most of them, but some are just stunning. But now with WP and Mandala madness, I don’t think I will restock them all. If ever you girls want to place an order, let me know first, I have tried almost all of them, lol. I can give you good recommendations. Their assam #8 is stunning, and so is Da Yu Ling oolong…
Awww, sars, vaniila pot is going to knock your socks off!!
This one is not my sample. The sample is Feury Doux Champagne. Tried that one?
Does that translate to “Fairy Dew?”
I’m in bed ignoring my dogs and drinking Fujian Black. Sars you will LOVE CA in the vanilla pot. I’m going to do my purple pot for oolong this evening.
It’s actually Fleury Doux Chanpagne, but I like your translation better
I think my translation is best! Fairy Dew Champagne!
I had to get up b/c my kitty overlord wanted breakfast. But now I’m back in bed.
My dogs want to get in the bed which usually I let them, but yesterday morning they made me spill my tea and I had to change my sheets and get them in the wash before it stained and it was a LOT of trouble for a Monday morning. So they are looking at me with the BSEs cause I won’t let them up right now.
Haha! You crack me up you two…Fairy Dew? So cute, I want that!!!
Fleury Doux means soft floral…and it’s not even on their website, so it must be something new…sounds really good though.
Oh no! Not bed change again???
And BSEs??? No human can resist canine BSEs…
Mine get in bed whether I let them or not. Me, Brian, 3 dogs, and Chairman Meow. It’s only a queen sized bed!!!!
It’s a white tea, TTF. I’ll try and report back!!!!
Yes, wicked doggies. Good thing they are adorable. I know, I feel like I;’m giving into the BSEs
3 dogs???? Awesome!
Happy 4 legged family you have there sars :-)
Try saying that when they have you sardined into your own bed, and you can’t turn over, AND the little monsters have stolen all the covers!!!!!
And the Chairman sits on my head and meows for breakfast!!!!
Haha! Love that you have a chaiman to control the madness…
Oh mine lay on the covers really HARD so you can’t pull the covers out from under them and cover yourself up. They make themselves HEAVIER somehow
The chairman incites the madness!
And yeah, that’s what I mean! They lay on the covers and weigh them down then you are left with none!!!
But then they snuggles up all around me and I melt into a pile of puppy-love
EXACTLY!! I have only one dog (and cats) but he makes himself so heavy (well he is over 100 pounds) that I can’t move a god damn thing from underneath him. Oh, and he snores…not doggy snore…big fat beer belly lumberjack snore!
One of mine snores hard
LOL!!!! Abby snores, too. Neither of the other dogs do, though.
nother cup of tea. I think it might be CA time
I.cannot.wait.to.get.CA.over.here. In the mean time, I’m getting some snaily. Have I told you gals that WP and Mandala are making almost all my other teas taste bland? It’s a curse.
Yes. Brewing mine now… Join me.
I have mine. Holy shit it’s good in the vanilla pot LTF!!!! I want yours to get there!
I’m taking my new wee tray to work today and I’m gonna do some WMG. Work sheng!
Enjoy some CA for me ladies…Snaily Yums isn’t a bad replacement though…and I just smelled my little VD pot and it’s full of Port smell and that made me happy.
MMMMMM nose tea is sometimes almost as good as mouth tea
LTF – when I’m done with this cup of GO – I’m going to RE-STEEP! Vanilla Dreams in a yixing is turning us into re-steepers
Haha! Nose tea :-)
And yes…re-steeping is a must in the little pot. I had Port gongfu yesterday and it rendered so many steeps I was amazed!
Oh I should try gongfuing my Port
Nose tea is totally a thing. It doesn;t even have to be brewed – sticking your nose in the bag of GO or Golden Fleece or CA is nose tea!
So true!!
OK lovlies – I need to get in the shower and get to work. I will check in with y’all later.
Have a great day missy :-)
And my work day begins… I’d rather drink tea with you two all day!
Me too Sars. I’m out the door. Toodles!
<3
Another quick note…
Having this with virtual friends tonight, long distance sheng party!
It’s sweet, peachy, clean and fresh with a nice light astringent citrusy finish.
Love this tea! It’s fun “shenging” with friends :-)
(mzPriss, we’ll do this again when your taste buds behave!! )
:(
Shengtastic!!!!!
They will be back missy, don’t worry!
I wanted to fall immediately and directly in love with Hot Cowboy
Oh, you know cowboys are trouble…he’s just playing hard to get!!
Sometimes love grows slowly!
Cowboys are definitely trouble
Ooooh yeah
Hee Haw!
Short review, but so worth it.
Oh, this is honey sweet and so good. Bug bitten oolong goodness, rendering liquified pastries.
Cookie dough.
Floral mouthfeel, with a touch of spice, clove mostly.
I’m using a GIGANTIC 320ml yixing clay pot, so I went all in with the large sample I got from Green Terrace.
Zero astringency, so smooth and delicious.
I am impressed, thank you Green Terrace!
Whoa! Port in a little pot.
Ambrosia, liquid gold for the gods.
So I now have this little yixing clay pot seasoned especially for Whispering Pines’s Vanilla Dreams collection.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/laafeevertee/14709714692/
Though it is hard to decide, Port is probably my favourite in that collection.
It’s got such distinctive notes of eucalyptus and camphor that marry so well with the saffron and the vanilla. I love that you can definitely pick up the saffron, it brings the flavour to another level, hard to describe…almost savoury, umami…
Not easy to go back to regular stuff once you’ve experienced that. This tea is like no other, and though it might not be for every palate, it’s a must try.
Every time I have it, I’m loving it a little more.
(I’m at infusion six right now, and it keeps on giving…)
It was hooooot in here today folks!
I had cold brewed a 3 litre pitcher of this baby and it’s almost gone.
Best cinnaNOM treat ever… (Yes, Sarsonator, we call it cinnaNOM ’round here!!)
There’s a such a smooth cinnamon balance in this blend. You also get a nice earthy fruitiness from the elderberries. It taste so naturally sweet, and a little roasty and chocolaty, probably from the chicory.
What makes it such a lovely cold brew is the lemon balm. It just adds that little je ne sais quoi that makes it perfect. So good!!
Also, I know it’s getting late…but I’m listening to the Black Keys’s new album full blast, and it makes me happy :-)
Thank you friend who gave me an iTunes gift card a little while ago ;-)
cinnaNOM!!!
Ooh, how did you cold brew it? :3
Yes, cinnaNOM makes everything taste better!!
Cameron, I did about 1 full tbs per litre of water for 18 hours, it was perfect :-)
Will definitely try that! :D Thanks dear!
I came by to say cinnaBLARGH!!!!!!!!
You cannot say that here Sars….you kinda like this tea…just saying.
I liked this one hot because I didn’t feel like the cinnaBLARGH was kicking me in the shin. I’ll try it as a cold brew, too
But you’ll never get me to love cinnaBLARGHS! I only like it when it’s part of a nice medley, not when it’s waving it’s arms around yelling: “ooooh look at me!!!!”
Why did no one tell me to add this to my order? How did I miss this? Why didn’t I order it?
(Sars, me think you are slowly becoming a victim of irresistible sneaky cinnaNOM!!)
Haha! Dexter, no worries, I’ll put some in your box :-) in the mean time…..drink some or your EXISTING WP tea!! I can’t wait to find out what you think!!!
I’ll concede this battle to you in the following way, Foxy
The following are cinnaNOMs: pumpkin pie, pumpkin beer, spiced apple cider, any spiced teas where cinnamon isn’t the main event.
If cinnamon is the star of the show, it will be referred to as cinnaBLARGH and I’ll run screaming for the hills. :p
Awww, Thanks for meeting me half way Sars :-)
Lol
Anything for you, sweet pea!
Good morning Steepster!
When I woke up earlier, I had a lychee craving. I happen to have some in the fridge. And I happen to have these delicious lychee pearls, so why not create a lychee feast?
This tea is very unusual. I personally don’t know any other lychee Dragon Pearls.
They are big and fragrant, but not soapy. The taste is so juicy, just like plump lychee. I get this lovely chocolaty smooth and malty Yunnan taste which makes this lychee tea so different than all others out there. I get none of that heavy perfumed lychee after taste you get in most black lychee flavoured teas.
It’s like drinking chocolate lychees. Not that I ever had any, but I’m sure there must exist some chocolate lychees somewhere. After having this tea, I can totally see their sweet floral taste work perfectly well with dark slightly bitter chocolate.
(And I just realized I wrote the word lychee way to many times in this review)
I other news, today I’m seasoning another one of my Yixing clay pots. Fun times!
I LOVE lychees. I wish I had some in my fridge right now. I haven’t had any lychee tea yet, but I did recently acquire some Lychee Oolong from Butiki I need to try. I’m going to season a Special Dark pot and I think maybe do my other pot for shous that are not SD today and when my purple pot comes, have it for my straight blacks. The SD pot will be that new Mandala one with the bamboo design.
Chocolate lychee sounds really good!
MzPriss, Butuki is my favourite lychee tea ever! That oolong she’s using is spectacular on its own…and yay! You seem to have a good plan fir your pots :-)
Ck, I guess having this tea is the closest I can get to chocolate lychees for now!
I don’t think you wrote “lychee” too much – it’s a word I love to SAY leeeeeecheeee
Lol, it’s one of those words that will have me make funny noises too ;-)
Lycheeeeeeeeeeeee! Yum!
Which pot are you seasoning, TTF?
Also, good morning, my lovelies!!!!! I am making Alia for breakfast in my new black tea pot wheeeeeeee!!!!
I just finished some Snaily. I think I’m going to give the Dragon Balls another chance and try them the Stephanie way to see if I like them better
Mmmmm, will most certainly catch a cup of Aila soon as well! Let me how it turns out in your newly seasoned pot!!
I will season my green oolong pot. It’s much larger than my other pots, that’s why I chose it for oolongs.
Which ones MzPriss?
The Teavivre ones
We call those dragon poop.
It’s deeeeeeelish in the new pot, but was there a doubt that Alia would be good? :p
I’m trying to learn to love this dragon poop – but I’m not there yet. And of course there was no doubt the Alia would be good :D
OK the dragon poop is tasting a little fruity to me at the moment – I’m getting zero chocolate and zero malt. Maybe zero chocolate because I’m eating toast with chocolate almond butter?
Sars – does it taste different to you in the pot? And if so, how?
Well HoneyBelle, I’m not sure. I got enough for two cups from Cam, and I tried the first round in the new pot, yesterday. I liked them! I am really starting to think that there’s something to this whole thing about the clay influence. It was very smooth. I definitely found malt and cocoa.
Mmmmmmmmm choco almond butter!
The choco almond butter is new obsession. I was in my little hippie co-op grocery and you know those machines they have that are full of peanuts or almonds and you grind your own nut butter? They had one with chunks of roasted almonds and dark chocolate chunks. OMG – blissful. I’m having it on my Canadian Squirrely Bread – it’s full of nuts and seeds and is so good toasted. It’s in the frozen section at the co-op.
Squirrelly bread??? OMG. I want a hippie co-op.
Speaking of squirrels and Canada… Have you ever been and seen those huge black squirrels they have? The first time I was there, I saw one near the water out if the corner of my eye and couldn’t tell if it was a squirrel or a beaver. So I decided it must be a hybrid: The elusive Canadian Squeaver.
TTF: do they have these in your area?
I have never been to Canada. Yet.
Well when you go… Beware the Squeaver!!!!!
LOL I will be on the lookout
Haha! Sorry I was off the computer for a bit…dragon poop. And Squeavers!!!
Lol, yes, we have huge squirrels! And I have a thing for them. I even name them. This is the most special one. Mr. White. Very rare. Been around for the last four years.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/laafeevertee/11969474573/lightbox/
WHITE SQUEAVER!!!!!
this is especially awesome, Foxy, b/c the unofficial mascot of my mom’s town (Palmyra, PA) is an albino squirrel. They call him whitey and it’s quite the honor to see him frolicking in your yard. I see you’ve met his cousin. :p
Haha! So awesome :-)
What does lychee taste like?
Very hard to describe hippiechick. It’s very sweet and juicy, a bit like grapes can be, but a lot more perfumed.
Dragon Lychee Pearls…this sounds amazing!
I have to agree, Butiki’s lychee oolong is the best lychee tea I’ve had so far.
SQUEAVERS!! ROFL
It makes me think of the Anthony Bourdain episode in the bayou where they ate “sqweazel”.
(just for the record – considering some of you think I eat eat weird – or least unheard of things – squeever and sqweazel are not on the menu in my house)
Thanks teafairy, for the description. :)
Dex you can cover anything in yumyum sauce and make it good. :)
Squeavers are no laughing matter! They’re bloodthirsty beasts! They’ll bite your ankles off!!!! :p
Woop Woop Woop! This is the tea police. Put down the gaiwan and come out with your hands up.
Lol, maybe that’s what we need around here, a real tea patrol!!
Maybe I’ start the Stacy birthday party with this one. I have some and I haven’t tried it yet
Missy do try it please…not many people have tried this one, want to have your opinion, am I crazy to like it so much?