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Okay, this was the last of the teas I drank in June. Fortunately, I do not have many reviews left from July and August, so I should be able to get things caught up fairly quickly from this point forward. I recall drinking what I had of this tea the day after I finished the last of the China Guizhou ‘Dew Drops’ Green Tea, and I have to say that I found this tea to be the more impressive of the two. Both were very good, but if I could only have one of the two, I would choose this one.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a brief rinse, I steeped 6 grams of green tea pearls in 4 ounces of 176 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was chased by 14 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, and 3 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry pearls emitted aromas of hay, grass, malt, and corn husk. After the rinse, I detected new aromas of bamboo and spinach. The first infusion offered nothing new on the nose. In the mouth, the tea liquor presented delicate notes of hay, malt, grass, and corn husk that were chased by subtler impressions of smoke, apricot, and sugarcane. Subsequent infusions saw sugarcane and apricot make themselves known on the nose. Stronger notes of smoke, sugarcane, and apricot appeared in the mouth alongside belatedly emerging bamboo and spinach notes and new impressions of minerals, sour plum, asparagus, cream, and lettuce. The final few infusions emphasized soft mineral, cream, grass, asparagus, and bamboo notes that were balanced by impressions of stone fruits and malt as well as a faint pear-like note that came out at the very end of the session.

This was very much a straightforward, easy-drinking green tea equally suited to solo consumption or pairing with a variety of foods. I could see it making an excellent introduction to Guizhou green teas or a fantastic daily drinker for those who like heartier, less subtle green teas. I would love to see how this particular tea pairs with jasmine because I bet it would make a knock-out jasmine dragon pearl green tea. Anyway, try this one if you are looking for a regular drinking tea and/or are curious about the green teas Guizhou Province has to offer.

I reviewed an earlier harvest of this tea back around the end of 2016. I think that version was either a 2015 or 2016 production. I greatly enjoyed it then, but at the time, I was not used to autumn flush Darjeeling black teas and had not reached a point where I was fully comfortable identifying subtle aroma and flavor components. Fast forward to the spring of 2018 and I ended up with a free sample pouch of the 2017 version of this tea with a What-Cha order. I then set aside some time at the end of July to try it. I found this more recent production to be more complex and challenging than the earlier version, but of course, I think a lot of that was probably due to me simply being more used to Gopaldhara teas and autumn flush Darjeeling black teas in general.

I prepared this tea in the Western fashion. I steeped 3 grams of loose leaf material in approximately 8 ounces of 203 F water for 5 minutes. I neither rinsed the tea nor attempted any additional infusions.

Prior to infusion, the dry leaf material produced subtle aromas of raisin and prune that were underscored by ghostly hints of cocoa. After infusion, I noted new aromas of roasted almond, butter, malt, toast, rose, and Muscatel. In the mouth, the tea liquor presented notes of herbs, straw, malt, butter, cream, toast, lemon zest, Muscatel, orange, rose, dandelion, black cherry, and wood that were balanced by subtler impressions of cocoa, prune, grass, and raisin. The finish was very pleasant, offering lingering impressions of orange, black cherry, Muscatel, dandelion, rose, and toast that were chased by fleeting herbal notes.

Overall, I found this 2017 production to be just as enjoyable as the earlier version of this tea. It was fruitier and more complex, but again, I likely feel that way because I have gotten much better at picking out aromas and flavors over the course of the past two years. Much like the other teas I have tried from the Gopaldhara Estate, this one had a ton to offer, though it was often subtle and hinted at specific impressions more than it actually presented them. I’m sure that experienced autumn flush Darjeeling drinkers would love this tea, though I also think that newcomers to such teas should probably start with some of the more robust and accessible autumn flush black teas. The more of these teas I try the more I concur with the general consensus that the Gopaldhara teas are probably not ideal starting points for beginners.

Actually, I may as well post another of my backlogged tea reviews while I’m at it. This was a more recent sipdown since I finished what I had of this tea around the end of July or start of August. I found it to be an excellent Rou Gui, and that is really saying something since Rou Gui is not usually one of my things.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a quick rinse, I steeped 5 grams of loose tea leaves in 3 ounces of 203 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was chased by 17 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes, and 10 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves emitted aromas of cinnamon, pine, char, rock sugar, blackberry, and black cherry. After the rinse, I detected aromas of roasted almond and roasted peanut to go along with a stronger rock sugar aroma and a slight smokiness. The first infusion saw the bouquet turn spicier and citrusy as aromas of candied orange peel and ginger emerged. In the mouth, the tea liquor presented notes of cinnamon, pine, black cherry, smoke, char, rock sugar, and blackberry that were balanced by notes of cream and roasted nuts on the swallow. The subsequent infusions introduced aromas of black raspberry and pomegranate. Notes of candied orange peel and ginger belatedly emerged alongside stronger roasted peanut, roasted almond, and rock sugar notes. New flavors of minerals, pomegranate, black raspberry, and ginger emerged. There were even very subtle notes of popcorn, grass, tobacco, roasted barley, black pepper, nutmeg, and red grape in places. The later infusions emphasized impressions of minerals, cream, roasted nuts, and rock sugar that were backed by hints of pine and smoke.

This was an incredibly complex Rou Gui with tremendous depth and a wonderful body in the mouth. I also loved how crisp and pronounced the mineral impressions were. Honestly, this was the sort of Rou Gui I had been looking for since I first started trying them a couple years ago. Definitely give this one a shot if you are in the same boat. I doubt it will disappoint.

Okay, here is the third and likely final backlogged review for the day. This was yet another mid-late June sipdown. At the time I was working my way through what I had of this tea, it was very likely the first tea from Guizhou province that I had tried. Regardless, I found it to be an extremely pleasant green tea with some interesting herbal undertones.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a brief rinse, I steeped 6 grams of loose tea leaves in 4 ounces of 176 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was chased by 14 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, and 3 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves emitted aromas of hay, lemon, seaweed, and malt. After the rinse, I detected a subtle cream aroma. The first infusion then brought out scents of grass and straw. In the mouth, the tea liquor presented delicate notes of hay, lemon, seaweed, grass, straw, and cream that were chased by hints of honey sweetness. The bulk of the subsequent infusions brought out scents of toasted rice and umami along with subtle mintiness and nuttiness on the nose. In the mouth, I detected subtle, belatedly emerging malt notes as well as impressions of chestnut, barley, toasted rice, bamboo, minerals, and lettuce. When I really focused, I could also detect very subtle spinach and mint notes, though the mint presence did eventually strengthen to a limited extent. The later infusions emphasized mineral, grass, seaweed, and spinach notes that were underscored by vague umami. There were also traces of mint and honey on the swallow.

I found this to be a very unique Chinese green tea in the sense that I did not find it to have much in common with many of the other Chinese green teas I had recently consumed. It may have just been me, but this tea’s body and texture coupled with some of its aroma and flavor components reminded me a little of some Japanese green teas. Overall, this was an interesting and very satisfying green tea, one that I am fairly certain fans of subtler, more mellow green teas would enjoy.

This was yet another June sipdown. I only had a 10g sample pouch of this tea, and if memory serves, I drank it sometime around the end of the third week in June. I’ve developed a greater appreciation for Taiwanese black teas over the course of this year, and I was itching to try this one because it was a black tea from the heart of Baozhong country. I found it to be an excellent if often subtle black tea, one that was more or less perfect for afternoon or evening sipping.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a brief rinse, I steeped 6 grams of loose tea leaves in 4 ounces of 205 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was chased by 15 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, and 5 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves emitted aromas of honey, wood, and straw. After the rinse, I noted new aromas of baked bread and roasted almond. The first infusion then introduced a definite scent of pine as well as roasted peanut. In the mouth, the tea liquor presented notes of honey, straw, pine, roasted peanut, baked bread, and roasted almond. Subsequent infusions offered new aromas of butter, cream, and caramel, though later in the session, I began to note a clean mineral presence on the nose coupled with a petrichor-like quality. Notes of minerals, cedar, and cinnamon appeared in the mouth along with subtle hints of date, raisin, and sweet potato. The later infusions emphasized mineral, pine, cream, and roasted almond impressions that were underscored by lingering honey and raisin hints.

This was a smooth black tea with particularly pleasant woody, nutty, creamy, buttery, and fruity qualities. Due to it being so mellow and lacking noticeable bitterness and astringency, I could see it making a wonderful introduction to Taiwanese black teas for the curious drinker. Though some of Beautiful Taiwan Tea Company’s recent black tea offerings have been hit or miss for me, I was impressed by this one.

Here is another review from the incrementally shrinking backlog. I polished off a 50g pouch of these snow chrysanthemum buds back in June, but of course, I am just now reviewing them on Steepster. I had little experience with pure chrysanthemum flower tisanes prior to trying this one, but I do have to say that I found it to be tremendously enjoyable. Even if tisanes, in general, are not things I consume regularly, I would be very willing to try this one again at some point in the near future.

I prepared this tisane gongfu style. Honestly, I had no clue how to brew it, so I just went with my gut. After a brief rinse, I steeped 6 grams of snow chrysanthemum buds in 4 ounces of 212 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was followed by 19 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, and 20 minutes. I cut this session off when I did because I was long past the point where I would have needed to use a warmer to get anything else out of this tisane.

Prior to the rinse, the dry flower buds emitted lovely, spicy chrysanthemum aromas with some herbal and vegetal hints. Oddly enough, smelling the dry buds reminded me of my time working as a vocational rehabilitation instructor at a local community health agency. I led classes at a garden center, and in late summer and early fall, my clients and I grew chrysanthemums. The area around my greenhouse used to smell like them all the time, and the smell of chrysanthemum blossoms quickly became one of my favorite smells. After the rinse, I detected more even floral aromas with some hints of black pepper. The first infusion was then slightly more peppery on the nose, but still very floral overall. In the mouth, the liquor offered delicate, peppery chrysanthemum notes with hints of vegetal and herbal characteristics that I could not quite place. Subsequent infusions retained strongly floral aromatics and remained mostly floral in the mouth. Some defined notes of dill, grass, green bell pepper, minerals, and pickle brine also appeared. Caramel sweetness and hints of black pepper then came out on the finish. There was not a ton of difference in terms of aroma or flavor in the later infusions. The chrysanthemum notes were more muted, and the notes of pickle brine, minerals, and green bell pepper were a little stronger. Impressions of caramel and black pepper were still evident on the swallow.

This was a fun and very satisfying tisane. I would imagine that fans of floral concoctions would absolutely love it. I especially appreciated its longevity. No matter how hard I tried I could not exhaust these little buds. Overall, this was definitely a quality tisane at a more than reasonable price.

This review marks something of a step into unknown territory for me since I do not recall trying a Yunnan Bai Mu Dan prior to this one. Obviously, Bai Mu Dan is nothing new to me as, even though it is not a type of tea I drink all that frequently, I have had it before. Still, I am pretty sure that the only other teas of this type I tried prior to this one came from Fujian Province. Anyway, I recalled being impressed by the Spring 2017 Jing Gu Yang Ta Silver Needles Yunnan Sourcing offered and rushed to try this tea, polishing off a 50g pouch earlier in the month (yes, I am actually managing to review a tea in the same month I drank it for once). I found this to be a very solid, likable Bai Mu Dan, though I did not feel it was on par with the Silver Needles sourced from the same producer.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. I decided to work with a lower water temperature than Yunnan Sourcing recommended as I like my white teas in the 175-180 F range. I went with 176 F for this session. After a brief rinse, I steeped 6 grams of loose tea leaves and buds in 4 ounces of 176 F water for 10 seconds. This infusion was chased by 15 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes, and 10 minutes. Even though the tea seemed to have a little life left in it, I cut it off at the 10 minute mark because it was starting to get a little astringent, and I felt that I would have had need of a warmer to actually get any more out of it.

Prior to the rinse, the dry leaf and bud mix offered up aromas of hay, grass, eucalyptus, sugarcane, and cedar. After the rinse, I noted new aromas of peanut, malt, and straw that were supported by a stronger grassiness and hints of butter. The first infusion introduced a scent of lemon rind. In the mouth, the tea liquor presented notes of grass, hay, straw, cedar, sugarcane, peanut, and butter that were backed by hints of cream, lemon rind, menthol, eucalyptus, and vanilla. The subsequent infusions saw the nose turn creamier with some odd tree bark scents coming out here and there. Stronger notes of cream, butter, and vanilla appeared in the mouth, and impressions of malt emerged as well. New notes of minerals, tree bark, oatmeal, watermelon rind, almond, and peach made themselves known. I could even detect some underlying hints of sour plum and honeydew in several places. The final few infusions offered soft mineral notes balanced by impressions of malt, cream, grass, hay, and butter. Fleeting impressions of stone fruits, watermelon rind, straw, peanut, vanilla, and sugarcane were evident on a finish that gradually turned a bit bitter and astringent, but not to an overwhelming or distracting degree.

I recall reading somewhere that grassy aromas and flavors in a Bai Mu Dan were unwelcome and considered the mark of a lower quality picking. If that is true, whoever produced this tea either must have not accepted that as fact or simply not cared. Anyway, I doubt I should judge a tea that is produced in a different province from an entirely different type of tea plant according to classical standards. For what this was, I found it to be very enjoyable. I would not call it outstanding, but I had few problems with it. I would recommend it to adventurous white tea drinkers who are looking for something a little different.

This is yet another review I have put off posting for some time. I have been sitting on this one since mid-late July, but oddly, this was a review I was looking forward to posting. Aside from the fact that I kept finding older reviews I needed to post and ended up prioritizing them, I did not have much reason to keep this one waiting in the queue. I know that Verdant Tea’s Dancong offerings get a bit of a bad rap these days, but honestly, I did not find much wrong with this one. I cannot say that it was one of the best Mi Lan Xiangs I have tried, but it was very good nonetheless.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a quick rinse, I steeped 6 grams of loose tea leaves in 4 ounces of 208 F water for 6 seconds. This infusion was chased by 14 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, and 5 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves produced aromas of orchid, honey, lychee, and citrus. After the rinse, I detected stronger orchid and honey aromas as well as more defined scents of pomelo and candied orange peel. The first infusion then brought out some woody scents as well as aromas of caraway and baked bread. In the mouth, the tea liquor offered notes honey, wood, baked bread, and orchid that were chased by a pleasant creaminess. The subsequent infusions brought out aromas of violet, roasted almond, and cream on the nose. Notes of candied orange peel, pomelo, lychee, and caraway belatedly appeared in the mouth along with interesting impressions of sandalwood and wholly new notes of minerals, malt, violet, roasted almond, pear, caramel, and grass. The final few infusions offered notes of minerals, malt, cream, roasted almond, and wood backed by caramel and grass impressions.

This was not all that deep of a tea, but it was very pleasant and easy to drink. I could see it making a fine introductory Mi Lan Xiang or a very nice daily drinker if the price were a little lower. I loved the way the honey and orchid aromas and flavors popped in this tea. Check it out if you are looking for a more approachable Dancong oolong.

Here is yet another tea review from the backlog, this one coming to you from mid-late June. Like many of the black teas I have tried from Beautiful Taiwan Tea Company, I found this to be a quality offering, though I do have to admit that I have had better and more memorable teas of this type. I found this particular tea to be very mild, mellow, and smooth and unfortunately somewhat lacking in the expected assamica punchiness.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a brief rinse, I steeped 6 grams of loose tea leaves in 4 ounces of 203 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was followed by 15 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, and 5 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves emitted aromas of malt, honey, toast, and sweet potato. After the rinse, I detected new aromas of roasted nuts, butter, and cream. The first infusion introduced a more definite roasted peanut scent and a little woodiness to the nose. In the mouth, the tea liquor presented notes of malt, cream, toast, butter, honey, roasted peanut, wood, roasted walnut, and sweet potato. Subsequent infusions brought subtle aromas of cocoa, brown sugar, and molasses to the nose. New notes of molasses, orange zest, raisin, brown sugar, cocoa, and minerals appeared in the mouth alongside a subtle earthiness and hints of fig. The final infusions emphasized lingering malt, mineral, cream, wood, and orange zest notes that were underscored by traces of cocoa, roasted walnut, and brown sugar.

As mentioned in my introductory paragraph, this was a very mild, mellow black tea. It lacked bitterness and astringency in the mouth, making it very easy to drink. I also noted that the leaves were gorgeous; indeed, this tea was obviously the result of a high quality picking. Unfortunately, this tea was also just not that memorable to experience. It failed to leave much of an impression on me. I enjoyed it while I was drinking it, but aside from its ridiculous smoothness, it did not stand out much from some of the other teas of this type I have tried.

I have been going crazy with Wuyi oolongs since at least late July, and quite frankly, the offerings of Old Ways Tea are almost entirely responsible for that. I think I placed my first order there back in February, and since then, Old Ways Tea has become one of my go-to sources for quality Wuyi teas at reasonable prices. For some reason, I just got the urge to start drinking more Wuyi oolongs in July and have been going through at least one pouch a week since that time. That fact also makes me wonder who the hell decides to drink roasted oolongs during the hottest months of the year. Apparently a weird guy like me, that’s who. Anyhow, this was a very nice Wuyi oolong. Like several Qi Lans I have tried, it was softer and more delicate in the mouth than teas produced from some of the other Wuyi cultivars.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a brief rinse, I steeped 5 grams of loose tea leaves in 3 ounces of 203 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was chased by 16 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, and 7 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, I detected aromas of cream, baked bread, blackberry, and orchid coming from the dry tea leaves. After the rinse, I detected subtle char, smoke, rock sugar, and blueberry scents along with a more defined aroma of roasted peanut. The first infusion presented slightly stronger roasted peanut, rock sugar, and orchid scents. In the mouth, the tea liquor offered notes of blackberry, blueberry, char, smoke, rock sugar, roasted peanut, and orchid that were backed by impressions of baked bread, tart cherry, and pomegranate. The following infusions saw the tea present new aromas of cedar, cherry, plum, cinnamon, and orange zest. New impressions of minerals, orange zest, grass, cinnamon, roasted almond, parsley, roasted grain, and plum appeared in the mouth. By the time I got to the last couple of infusions, the tea liquor was emphasizing a belatedly emerging popcorn note and lingering notes of minerals, cream, char, cedar, and rock sugar that were backed by roasted grain, roasted almond, and orange zest.

An approachable, but also satisfyingly complex Wuyi oolong, I could see this tea making a fantastic introduction to teas of this type or a highly enjoyable daily drinker for those who have an all-consuming love of Wuyi oolongs. One thing I especially appreciated about this tea was its smooth, creamy texture compared to some of the other teas of this style that I have tried. I also appreciated its lack of prominent bitterness. In the end, I would have no difficulty recommending this tea to curious drinkers or established Wuyi oolong fans. At least consider checking it out if you happen to fall into either of those groups.