1945 Tasting Notes
Sipdown no. 4 of August 2019 (no. 90 of 2019 total, no. 578 grand total).
This became my take it to work tea for the last couple of weeks using the “shake it in the thermos” method.
It was a very matcha matcha. Nothing that stands out as particularly different from others, but everything I would expect. Which is a good thing.
Sipdown no. 3 of August 2019 (no. 89 of 2019 total, no. 577 grand total). A sample.
I haven’t done a proper tasting in a while. Too hot, too stressed, too busy on the weekends.
I had rinsed this one weeks ago and never got to it — I let the leaves dry out and started over today with a rinse, then a 15 minute wait.
Then: gaiwan, boiling 5/5/7/7/10/10/20/30/40/60
The description says this sample is a 2007 vintage.
I was a bit disappointed, but I don’t think it is the tea’s fault. I have a feeling my water may have been stale — I just used what had been sitting in the kettle.
The tea had a very dark, clear amber liquor which persisted through 10 steeps. It did not give off the usual strong buttery aroma of white chocolate. Instead, though that was present it was somewhat faint.
Instead I got something spicy. I identified it as cinnamon, but then I wondered whether that was because I’d had some Prince Vladimir before. I felt vindicated when I read that others also got cinnamon. I also identified a sort of mustiness which I attributed to my mistreatment of the tea and the possibility of not great water, like maybe I had boiled some algae, but then I read that others got that as well.
I also found espresso and toffee notes. But I missed the white chocolate, buttery, coco-ness I have found in other shengs.
Flavors: Butter, Cinnamon, Cocoa, Espresso, Musty, Toffee, White Chocolate
Sipdown no. 2 of August 2019 (no. 88 of 2019 total, no. 576 grand total).
To the original note on this, I’ll add that it was quite nice cold. So much so that No. 1 pretty much drank up every pitcher I made before I could have more than a glass or two.
And with that, the cupboard is down to 18 pages. Yahoo!
Sipdown no. 1 of August 2019 (no. 87 of 2019 total, no. 575 grand total).
It was surprisingly OK cold, but the more I drank it the less enamored I became. I am bumping it down a bit more.
I don’t know if it’s the smoke and summer not mixing or that as smoky teas go, this has more ash and less sweetness than I tend to like.
Sipdown no. 4 of July 2019 (no. 86 of 2019 total, no. 574 grand total).
This is an illusory sipdown, because I bought more of this as part of the Lupicia panic order — but I am counting it since it was a sipdown of the original purchase (with some of the new mixed in).
I rated it too low, I think. It’s a very enjoyable flavored green with a tart but sweet and not bitter grapefruit aspect. I liked it in the original note, too. I think I was trying to be respectful of the amazingness of the white melon by rating it high and tamping others down. But this needs a bump, for sure.
Sipdown no. 3 of July 2019 (no. 85 of 2019 total, no. 573 grand total).
I liked this one quite a bit, but in its dotage it tasted more fruity than almondy. The original note tells a different story, so likely this one did change in its old age.
In retrospect I am bumping the rating, as I could see buying this again.
Sipdown no. 1 of July 2019 (no. 83 of 2019 total, no. 571 grand total).
Wow, it’s more than halfway through July and here’s my first sipdown. It was a big container. Does that count?
I was away for a couple of weeks doing a family reunion plus Disney/Universal Orlando, and drank no tea during that time. It was very hot in Florida. Not tea weather, though I was swilling water.
Anyway, I don’t know whether this really makes one bit of difference for weight loss — I’m inclined to think not, unless drinking it as a dessert substitute counts. But it is pretty tasty. More like a fruit blend with a minty aspect than anything else, though the puerh gives it an underlying earthiness and the oolong a bit of a sharpness. It’s was good cold, too. No. 2 quite liked the cold version.
In returning to this tea (as I’m now up to the 81-82 rated non-tisanes in my cupboard) I am thinking it is more good than great. Maybe it’s that smokiness and summertime don’t mix all that well for me, or maybe it’s that compared to the other 82 rated teas I’ve been drinking it isn’t my favorite. In any case, bumping it down — which also makes it a prime sipdown candidate.
Sipdown no. 10 of June 2019 (no. 82 of 2019 total, no. 570 grand total). A sample.
With this, I just squeaked to my June sipdown goal. Even with summer and much cold brew, I’m finding it hard to sip down 10 remainders of the tins in my cupboard in a month. But as long as my samples hold out I should be able to meet my monthly goals. And right now there is no danger of them not holding out.
One of the earthier, shroomier shus that I still had (until today). It’s a flavor I’m ok with, but I prefer the sweeter ones where the molasses/brown sugar flavor predominates. So I didn’t really regret sipping this down Western style.
In looking back at my original note, I get the cedar note and the leather, again, and something that has a cooling aspect in the mouth. Lots of soil, not really mineral. Again, the original note was pretty accurate.
