Bitterleaf Teas

This is a queued tasting note.

Sadly I don’t remember much from this cup apart from the fact it was Western style and at work. My note keeping got gradually better over the week the more I was realizing it might be an extended period before I’d have a laptop again. This was the point in the week where all I wrote down was “sweet smoke” under the name of the tea in my little journal.

Thanks again for the journal VariaTEA; it was a life saver this week.

It’s been a very rainy day today – or rather, a very rainy week in fact. So today I took some advantage of that to enjoy some of my favourite rainy day/stormy weather teas before and after I had to do my cuppings for class today…

This is sort of a new “stormy weather” tea for me! I personally find the vegetal and smoky flavour notes come together in a way that makes me think of the smell of thunderstorms, and that beautiful petrichor note that comes afterwards. I’m actually currently drinking it; just a tiny little teacup though because I didn’t want the caffeine to completely fuck me over before bed. Sipping slowly, I find the vegetal notes are making me think of peas from the garden – you know, with that raw almost “dirty” sweet quality to them. The smoke trickles in afterwards slowly; I like the gradual build of flavours a lot.

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_aYibUx1B8

It’s the second Fleetwood Mac song I’ve picked out today; it’s just kind of been a Fleetwood Mac sort of day. And I’m finding the gravelly tone in Nicks’ voice matches perfectly with the smooth, smoky quality of the day.

This is a queued tasting note.

I’m like 90% sure the only company I’ve ever had purple tea from was Butiki, so when I saw that Bitterleaf was carrying this tea (which sounded fucking amazing) it quickly became the number one tea from Bitterleaf that I just needed to try. Fast forward to me placing my first, small, order with Bitterleaf for teaware and this wound up being the only actual tea I included in my order.

When my order arrived, this was the first tea I made the next day (’cause I got my order super late at night, and caffeine…) which meant I wound up drinking it at 6:30 in the fucking morning as my commute to work tea! Western style, given that it was a commute tea.

- Spinach/Peas
- Very vegetal first 1/2 of sip
- Second 1/2 is more smokey
- A very smooth, sweet smokey though
- Floral jasmine-y undertones
- Strong on the stomach; not one to drink before breakfast

Not totally sure what the name Dragon Blood come from, but after trying this is seems totally appropriate given the soft smoky notes of the tea and kind of magical quality of the different flavour notes coming together. But like I observed, it was a fairly harsh tea on my stomach given I hadn’t actually had anything to eat at that point in the day. I definitely recommend eating prior to drinking this one, going forward.

This morning I ate breakfast while I let this leaf do its thing as it breathed in life as it was just boiled dead/alive.

Ended up starting this session off and knew nothing about this leaf outside of the person who sent me it saying it was good. I decided to jus wing the brew not knowing anything about it because I’m trying not to buy anything new so I just go into tea with the hopes that it’ll not impress me enough to look into it… should have guessed that the person sending me 2016 Last Thoughts and Storytelling pt2 wouldn’t send anything mediocre.
This tea started out with a hue that was beautiful and I went into it as I said I would. After steep two I knew I was in trouble. This is some really good tea. I have become pickier as time has gone on so I say this with a lot of thought… This is in the top three spots for 2016 teas that I’ve had thus far and I don’t see it going anywhere. I put it right next to Tuhao by W2T.

Bitterleaf may only have 7 in stock so I suggest not buying it so I have a chance when my birthday rolls around; planning to buy the best three things I’ve had this year for new production and this falls into that category.

Brewed in a ceramic gaiwan. Ratio of 1g of leaf per 20ml of water. I followed Bitterleaf’s infusion instructions before switching to my own. Gave the leaf a 7 second rinse. As was promised, I got more than 10 infusions (14) even with a higher ratio: 10 sec, 10, 15, 22, 29, 36, 40, 60, 90; 2 min, 4, 7, 15.

This is my first experience with Moonlight White. While I’m unable to compare this other Moonlight Whites offered by other companies, I do know that I had a fantastic experience with this one.

First off, dat leaf: https://www.instagram.com/p/BIcp9kABWr5/

I was floored by how aromatic the dry leaf when I opened the pouch. Incredibly sweet with honey and a hint of blueberry! My kettle spent a good time reheating itself because I couldn’t tear my nose away. After resting in the pre-heated gaiwan bowl, the leaf smelled like – oh yes, it did – marshmallow fluff and toasted marshmallows. I thought for a second they may have added some marshmallow root the scent was that uncanny. When I rinsed the leaf, the aroma had more of a baked quality, resulting notes of blueberry crumble and gooseberry cobbler arising from the gaiwan. In spite of this richness, the aroma was very light. Later in the session, the wet leaf aroma became less complex and generally smelled of tart berries.

The first couple infusions produced a pale yellow soup with a light body, delicately tasting of hay and marshmallow root. Following the third infusion to the end, I was hit with a creamy, thick, and medium-bodied soup. It was so rich with a honey!!! Plus the marshmallow root note strengthened (though it didn’t even come close to the same intensity as the honey). I was so surprised how sweet this tasted and how creamy it felt. I let my piggy tea pet Georgie Pie down this session because I was so stingy xD (I did eventually pour some on him)

Also, the color had changed to bright orange and continued to deepen in shade. Beautiful in a white porcelain cup no matter the color.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BIdXXHdh4Vl/

I’m not much of a white tea drinker (can’t remember the last time I drank some). Moonlight White blew me away. Or keeping Bitterleaf’s elephant theme, swept me up and charged away!!!

i haven’t been drinking a lot of oolongs lately, so i can’t really frame my notes on this one very well. however, i can offer some vague notes from today’s workday session.

did 5g leaf in 100ml glazed gaiwan. flash rinse, then starting w/ 3sec steeps and adding a few sec each time.

first steep smelled [while pouring gaiwan → cup] like… IPA! distinctly. the leaf, gaiwan lid, and liquor all did not have this smell, but the aftertaste is definitely hoppy-malty. i’m intrigued! i hate IPAs and hoppy beers but it somehow isn’t bothering me here. it’s like all the things i might like about hoppy beers without whatever it is that makes me not like them?

the IPA-y aftertaste continues; i think the floral-“citrusy” combination is what does it for me, with some mild roasty-grain flavour finishing out the trifecta of beery notes.

my main takeaway is that this tea is quite pleasant, and i may order more. i may need to try more oolongs, too; there is more complexity in this tea than i expected, and i like it. and i love the notes here that i can only imagine fit under the “florals” umbrella.

Got a sample of this thanks to Liquid Proust. I found it very smooth and enjoyable. Another reviewer has it pegged when they said topsoil. The longer you steep this, the more earthy flavors come out. I was able to get about 12 infusions before the flavors faded. For the price this seems like a good value.

Excessive length warning
Also – if you’re reading this, shah8, don’t.

I walked into the office. Still no messages, no work, no anything. I lift the lid off the pot – nothing inside. I know the landlady will be by again soon, asking about the last two months worth of rent. Going to be another long day.

Suddenly there’s a knock at the door. I don’t really want to face her, but she has a key anyhow, and I’ll just look silly standing here not having answered. I prepare a conciliatory face and throw the door open.

It doesn’t take me long to realize that I’ve misjudged the situation. Leaf like this – she shouldn’t even be in this part of town. A gentle scent wafts to my nostrils. It’s going to take me a minute to bend down and retrieve my jaw from the floor.

When I finally manage to make eye contact, two things are clear. One, this is a reaction to which she is totally accustomed. Two, she has done a much better job sizing me up in the interim than I’ve done of observing her. Her eyes are penetrating, and she knows everything at a glance. Even more shockingly, she hasn’t cut and run.

“Are you going to invite me in?” she asks. I move out of the doorway and beckon her in, not trusting my voice yet. She makes herself at home, clearly in command of the situation. It seemed as if she would always be in charge, no matter what the situation was. But with that aura, men and women alike would follow.

“Did you make a wrong turn, Miss…?” I manage to choke out. She turns a wry smile on me that is clearly designed to turn off all rational brain capacity, and it’s working well. “Hugin sent me,” she said simply.

Ahhh, Hugin. Her name is legend around these parts. Nobody had ever made it out of this part of town – until Hugin managed it. Nobody seemed to know how’d she managed to break out of here, but rumors placed her in an impossibly nice part of town, drinking 88 Qingbing from a diamond encrusted gaiwan. An exaggeration, I had assumed, but if she could afford to pass something like this my way, perhaps I’d underestimated her meteoric rise of fortune.

“…and you are?” I probed, trying to gather necessary info without driving this opportunity away. “They call me the Ice Queen,” she said, gazing at me to judge my reaction. But I knew what had happened to my predecessor in this chair when he was unable to contain his mirth at a man who glossed himself the “God of Night Sweats”. He wasn’t seen for weeks, until the fishermen down at the bay started bringing him up piecemeal. I didn’t flinch or crack a smile.

“Shouldn’t you offer a lady a drink?” she asked, in a manner that answered the question. I decided I needed one too, to calm my nerves. I found in her presence that it went down immensely smooth, with a flavor that lingered in the back of the throat. After a few rounds it was becoming clear she’d still be going strong when I’d fallen under the table. It was time to cut to the chase.

Our discussions were lengthy, and frankly, none of your business. I was immensely comfortable in the lady’s company, but I didn’t have the resources to bring to bear for a situation of such magnitude. She left a memento “for me to remember her by,” and the taste even now lingers on my lips.

It killed me to watch her walk out my door, but I simply don’t have the assets to take care of a lady who’s grown accustomed to such a comfortable lifestyle. She’s totally worth it, but I’m just a man trying to make it in the cold, uncaring city.

If she knocks on your door, however, you should let her in. Treat her nicely, and you won’t regret it. As you sit in your chair, thinking of the unusually fine times in your life, if you don’t have riches or power, a day like that can bring a smile to your face when nothing else will.

And you can’t put a price on that.

Short note, more later!

Also swapped/gifted by CWarren.

Reminds me of chocolate mousse. Very sweet, chocolaty, light, smooth, malty, and rich. All the nom noms.

This one was unusual. Definitely green with a bit of the bitterness that I associate with a sheng, but a lot sweeter with the kind of sweet woodsiness you get from a clove cigar. It does not taste like clove exactly, but that’s one of the few things that I thought of. Definitely more approachable for a newbie with the sourness that you may or may not get from apricots (which could just be me). Interesting.

dry leaf is gorgeous. large dark leaves, on the looser side of compression.

hints of hay, metal in the gaiwan lid.
the minty throat-cooling is real, starting with the first steep.
in steeps two and three, noticing a splotchy film on the surface of the liquid; not sure whether it’s from the tea itself (oil? particulate matter? both? other?) or a contaminated environment (though it is the same place in which i usually tea).
i’m not doing a good job at identifying other elements of this tea right now. hopefully in a future session i can be more attentive. #workdayteas

15s rinse, few minutes’ rest.
1, ~5s — savoury, hints of grain, butter, vegetable, hint of floral in the aftertaste. mouthfeel smooth and rounded — creamy? no astringency.
2, ~10s — similar, with a bit of tongue tingle coming in, and a slight bit more floral.
3, ~15s — more tingling, still creamy. i think i really like this tea, despite it being more savoury than i usually think of my preferences as. there’s also a chance i’ve cooked it somewhat — my temperature control is not fantastic at the moment. bitterleaf is becoming fairly dangerous to my wallet.
keeps going along the same lines; a bit more astringency creeping in but nothing massive. some fluffy dry mouth afters, with some mouth&throat cooling/mintiness.

I was going to let this tea settle, but the aroma pulled me in. This tea is fragrant! The cake gives off an enticing scent of honey, warm wood, steamed greens, and heavy floral tones. I really was caught up on it. I broke off a chunk and prepared my yixing for brewing. I placed the leaf inside and allowed it to warm up. After a few shakes, I lift the lid, and I’m again enthralled by the aroma. A heavily candied texture rises into the air. I catch thick aromas of honey, wispy lilies, and caramel. I can taste a slight burnt sugar tone steaming from the pot. I imagine sugarcane, buckwheat honey, and pancakes…bliss. I wash the leaves once and prepare for brewing. Now, this tea was not bad at all, but the ’scent’sational foreplay may have gotten me a little too over-excited. The cuppa began as fresh and inviting with some lemon zest and sugarcane at the forefront. The brew soothed into a candy-like sweetness. I described the sweetness as alpine fresh, like mountain spring water, in my notes. This brew is very calm and holds only a slight bitterness. The huigan was very light and almost hard to spot. The qi began as a cooling sensation and gave slight ripples outwards from the chest. The soothing qualities were alike menthol. I enjoyed this tea, but it was very soft and very calm. Almost too calm, in my opinion. I prefer a tea with a strong back bone and some character. This is a definite crowd-pleaser, and I highly recommend it for the new puerh drinkers who wanna dip a toe in the icy sheng waters, but it is not something I would seek out. Now the scent, that’s something I could sit and sniff forever!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHp83RBgr_y/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel&hl=en

this is quite pleasant. i’d forgotten how much i like bamboo notes… and the tea itself is low-astringency and has a nice amount of flavour. hint of floral-ish and dry aftertaste.

From PTTB-5. Thanks for the donation.

I set aside samples of the three Bitterleaf teas before mailing out the box. I needed a treat tonight so decided to try one. I was a bit nervous due to the name: I’m not a fan of bitter tea. Turns out I didn’t need to worry.

Here I screwed up. I got distracted, so my 4th steep lasted 2 minutes. I was surprised that it was drinkable: It had a much darker color. Very woody, but only slightly bitter. Surprisingly drinkable! The 5th steep was the biggest surprise. Despite my brutality on the previous steep the tea was sweet and smooth, with pretty good mouth-feel and complexity. Still quite fruity. At this point I’ve gotten 15 ounces of tea out of a 3 gram sample (including the over-steep), but the tea is still going strong.

My overall impression is that this is a tea that is very approachable in its youth, but has reasonable complexity and the sort of good texture in the mouth that I’d expect from a quality Yiwu.

4g in 60ml porcelain gaiwan. compression on the tighter side. lots of big leaf pieces.
starts off sweet, then other flavours join in. some minty feeling in back of mouth after the sip. liquid itself has a nice smooth sweet mouthfeel.

it’s a workday, so my session is not full of detailed notes; however, i find it a pleasant tea, gloriously (to me) sweet with a gentle complexity that comes in. i am liking it a great deal.

This is a splendid tea with which to have a most relaxing session.

While often I look for more of an iron fist, this tea is the velvet glove. It retains enough bitterness to lend the tea character, but is resilient to steep variations, and good for ten steeps, just like it says on the box.

It would be ideal here to pontificate on the differences between this and other pure huangpian, and/or other DXS material. As I have no experience with either, my comparative uselessness renders this paragraph comparatively useless.

All in all, however, if this is what huangpian offers for the money, sign me up. It may have stayed past its welcome. it could have seen things you people wouldn’t believe, but in the end, it’s very much a comfortable slipper of a tea.