57 Tasting Notes
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Flavor is mildly complex but too light and eventually quite astringent. Fuller body notes than the other Tea Urchin teas I’ve tried but still quite weak.
Flavors: Apricot, Astringent, Caramel, Leather, Menthol, Plums, Rose, Spices
Preparation
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Very tropical and floral green tea, with definite notes of mangosteen and lychee, as well as a viscous honey sweetness. Very slight astringency, but even with overdrawing the tea does not get bitter. $27 USD / 100g.
Flavors: Eucalyptus, Gardenias, Honey, Lychee, Thick, Tropical
Preparation
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Delicious, savory black tea. Smooth and balanced with considerable complexity. Miso soup, cacao nibs, and melted butter. $71 USD / 100g.
Flavors: Butter, Cacao, Cream, Dates, Dried Fruit, Honey, Molasses, Pleasantly Sour, Rose, Smoke, Spicy, Umami, Wood
Preparation
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This tea has many of the characteristics of sheng pu’erh without the bitterness (it is a black tea after all). Dried apricots and complexity from the wild growing environment. Relatively complex and nice layering of flavor. Not the most impressive black out there, but a great value at $20 USD / 100g.
Flavors: Apricot, Fruity, Malt, Marine, Nutty, Pleasantly Sour, Red Wine, Soybean, Thick
Preparation
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Sure, it’s a pricey tea ($92 USD / 100g). But I can say without reservation that Song Tea’s Buddha’s Hand is worth every cent. An incredibly unusual crafting method for Taiwanese oolong – this tea is from Alishan (Mount Ali, like the ubiquitous lightly oxidized “high mountain” oolong from the same peak), but unlike most Taiwanese oolongs (which use the Qing Xin cultivar), this tea comes from plants of the Fo Shou or “Buddha’s Hand” cultivar. While it is ball rolled like other high mountain styles, this tea is a dark oolong (very uncommon in Taiwan aside from Taiwanese Tieguanyin and Bai Hao Oolong), achieving its richness of flavor and color through extended oxidation (>60%) and a full week of low temperature convection roasting. The resulting flavor is luxurious and absolutely delicious. Notes of dark chocolate, brown sugar, and malt are balanced by citrusy brightness, and all held together by a mouthfeel that’s as smooth as it gets in the world of tea. A must try!
Flavors: Berries, Blackberry, Brown Sugar, Char, Cherry, Citrus, Dark Chocolate, Earth, Lavender, Malt, Roasted Barley, Sweet Potatoes, Toast, Wheat
Preparation
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Great aromatics and reasonable complexity, with nice, persistent 回甘 (sweet finish). However, there is a strange baking soda minerality and an unusual cooling sensation (think ripe brie rind) in the throat that I don’t really like. I also found a dry bean in the leaves once, so not enough care has gone into sorting the tea and keeping it separate from contamination (sadly very few teas are processed in as clean an environment as they should be).
Flavors: Apricot, Cream, Fruity, Mineral, Mint, Nectar, Smoke, Vanilla
Preparation
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Representative of the modern, obnoxiously floral, green tieguanyins. Über-floral with a thick butter flavor – an overwhelming and slightly unpleasant combo. Not my thing, so I don’t recommend it, though this style is the most popular nowadays in China. I much prefer the traditional, darker roasted styles of tieguanyin – they’re much more complex and balanced. This modern green style just seems like its trying (and failing) to mimic the delicious light oolong styles from Taiwan.
Flavors: Butter, Floral
Preparation
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Great value sheng pu’erh. Nice and balanced, great as a beginner’s sheng, but very satisfying. Sweet and airy.
Flavors: Dirt, Dry Grass, Hay, Lavender, Mineral, Nectar, Stonefruits, Sugarcane, Sweet, Wet Wood
Preparation
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Very complex and unusual green – HIGHLY recommend.
Flavors: Cacao, Chestnut, Citrus Zest, Cloves, Grass, Jasmine, Leather, Mineral, Ocean Air, Smoke, Spinach, Sugarcane
