612 Tasting Notes
high 4/5
It only makes sense that after trying some of Butiki’s Huangshan Mao Fengs I should try one of the flavored teas that uses some as a base.
This tea is a good example of how Steepster and drinking lots of fuller leaf, unadulterated teas this year has changed my preferences. My initial feeling here is, wow I’m impressed and glad that the flavor, while very good at evoking eggnog (particularly the real eggy-creamy quality as opposed to the easier-to-bring-but-harder-to-balance/tone down warm holiday spices), doesn’t drown out the taste of the tea leaves. You can still taste a lot of the lovely nuance the base possesses throughout the whole sip and cup. I think before I might’ve been hung up expecting to be hit by a truck with stuff like cinnamon and nutmeg and not finding it. But this is so much better, and fits with the style of the other teas I’ve had from Butiki—there’s a lot of fondness and respect for the tea leaves, and for gentler but dead-on authentic flavor. Really lovely.
Preparation
Now for a huangshan mao feng-athon! Both from Butiki, for this round it’s organic vs. wild. They are visually distinct which isn’t surprising, and both are pretty (the wild one a bit more so maybe), with gorgeous color and shape. They both smell awesome dry and while brewing, so much delicious vegetable savory-sweetness and roasty nuttiness going on, scrumptious. I smell artichoke again—yesss. I LOVE artichoke notes.
The organic HMF brews up a bit darker, with more rusty gold to it than the wild HMF. The aroma once steeped mellows, isn’t as intense as the dry leaves. I’m pretty amazed at how different these taste—the wild one is much sweeter, also smoother. The organic one’s slightly grassy (not offputtingly so) with more heft. There’s a crisp sweetness in that one too, namely sweet corn; it’s just the wild one is super sweet and in a more honey-like as opposed to vegetal way. Organic HMF also has a mouth-bursting juiciness to it I haven’t encountered before with greens that’s pretty neat. Both have buttery elements. The roasty nuttiness was more in the dry and steeping aromas; it recedes a lot once brewed, but faint traces do remain and go really well with the butteriness.
Really enjoyed both of these, finding it hard to pick one over the other as their qualities are surprisingly distinct. If you want veggie savory meal-like satisfaction, I’d go with the organic. If I wanted a sweet, delicate, nuanced treat that is more like being haunted by faint but lingering honey and buttery nut taste memories, I’d go wild. Both are excellent. I’m so happy Butiki exists so stuff like this is possible to try!
Preparation
Thanks for this excellent comparison! I now want to try both!
aw, no prob (i’m such a noob i never know if anything i get out of tea is useful to anyone else; seems i have kind of weird tastebuds relative to other steepsters), and thanks. (: if you do i hope you really enjoy them!
Now for a huangshan mao feng-athon! Both from Butiki, for this round it’s organic vs. wild. They are visually distinct which isn’t surprising, and both are pretty (the wild one a bit more so maybe), with gorgeous color and shape. They both smell awesome dry and while brewing, so much delicious vegetable savory-sweetness and roasty nuttiness going on, scrumptious. I smell artichoke again—yesss. I LOVE artichoke notes.
The organic HMF brews up a bit darker, with more rusty gold to it than the wild HMF. The aroma once steeped mellows, isn’t as intense as the dry leaves. I’m pretty amazed at how different these taste—the wild one is much sweeter, also smoother. The organic one’s slightly grassy (not offputtingly so) with more heft. There’s a crisp sweetness in that one too, namely sweet corn; it’s just the wild one is super sweet and in a more honey-like as opposed to vegetal way. Organic HMF also has a mouth-bursting juiciness to it I haven’t encountered before with greens that’s pretty neat. Both have buttery elements. The roasty nuttiness was more in the dry and steeping aromas; it recedes a lot once brewed, but faint traces do remain and go really well with the butteriness.
Really enjoyed both of these, finding it hard to pick one over the other as their qualities are surprisingly distinct. If you want veggie savory meal-like satisfaction, I’d go with the organic. If I wanted a sweet, delicate, nuanced treat that is more like being haunted by faint but lingering honey and buttery nut taste memories, I’d go wild. Both are excellent. I’m so happy Butiki exists so stuff like this is possible to try!
Preparation
4/5, and slightly higher than ATR’s Longjing.
Longjingathon! Pitting this one against ATR’s tonight. Truth is they’re both delicious. ATR brewed up a darker, slightly peachy hue but that’s to be expected considering the brewing instructions were 3 minutes as opposed to Butiki’s 2 minutes 30 seconds. The Butiki’s silkier and smoother, but they’re both very smooth and wonderful. ATR’s roastier and tastes more like cooked food, more vegetal (lots of sweet pea and general green-pod-veggie sugar); Butiki’s is sweeter, creamier, and more delicate. There’s more going on upfront, more busy initial whammy with ATR while Butiki’s is slower to develop, more subtly complex, and in the end more haunting. I think I like Butiki’s a touch more (and I’m not surprised by that either) but I certainly wouldn’t be bummed if ATR was my only option.
Think I’ll cold steep the leaves after maybe 1 more hot steep (if I kept hot resteeping tonight I’d never get to sleep, alas) and see how they compare that way too, in terms of cold steeping and staying power.
Preparation
4/5, with Butiki’s Hangzhou Dragon Well a bit higher
Longjingathon! Pitting this one against Butiki’s tonight. Truth is they’re both delicious. This one’s a darker, slightly peachy hue but that’s to be expected considering the brewing instructions were 3 minutes as opposed to Butiki’s 2 minutes 30 seconds. The Butiki’s silkier and smoother, but they’re both very smooth and wonderful. This one’s roastier and tastes more like cooked food, more vegetal (lots of sweet pea and general green-pod-veggie sugar); Butiki’s is sweeter, creamier, and more delicate. There’s more going on upfront, more busy initial whammy with ATR while Butiki’s is slower to develop, more subtly complex, and in the end more haunting. I think I like Butiki’s a touch more (and I’m not surprised by that either) but I certainly wouldn’t be bummed if this was my only option. Think I’ll cold steep the leaves after maybe 1 more hot steep (if I kept hot resteeping tonight I’d never get to sleep, alas) and see how they compare that way too, in terms of cold steeping and staying power.
Preparation
4/5
Fruity but in a true-fruit, refreshing, non-cloying way. Also, visually stunning in terms of the fruit pieces, and the tea leaves aren’t bad either. I dig.
Bet this would be really good cold steeped provided you timed it right, yum.
Preparation
4/5
Drank this all afternoon yesterday as I’m so smitten with Verdant Laoshan Bilochun I want to try all the bilochuns I can now, ha. Granted, my muddled understanding is Laoshan Bilochun is kind of unconventional somehow, like it features the “snail” rolling style but the way the leaves are grown or treated prior to rolling is different maybe (? I can’t remember…). So I know it might be off in its own spot anyhow. But this was very enjoyable, and thanks to my new set up making resteeps at the ideal temp a snap that’s instantly available I totally had like a bajillion cups. I can’t believe how much I love green tea now. I know it helps that it’s back to 100F here, bah.
Preparation
4/5
Smells amazing brewing, very true-peachy and freshly sweet. It’s hotter than hell here after a brief fall weather tease, so I’m miserable again (Mark Bittman’s ginger and sesame crusted tuna steaks and Dorie Greenspan’s strawberry caprese for dinner last night helped, but still, ugh), and I’ve been pumped about being able to use variable temp teas with my new kettle anyway. Also helps I’ve been feeling kinda funky lately so a sort of…healthy, almost medicinal-level tea sounds good about now. Normally I’m a bit wary of fruity tea but this one’s divine; the peach, carrot, and corn give it a natural sweetness that is refreshing and delicious (I love fresh vegetable/garden sweetness—snap peas, bell peppers—but tend to dislike candy-sweet processed sugar flavors, which always feel saccharine and “pin pointy” in the mouth, leaving a gross film, to me). I can’t wait to cold steep it. Really digging it. So of course now I’m sad DT appears to be discontinuing it. :(
Preparation
very high 4/5
Used this to break in my new kettle. (It’s finally here! Hallelujah! And provided it doesn’t break as soon as I blink I already LOVE it—it has all the right variable temp presets for the teas I’ve got, good accuracy—I tested the different temps—a keep-warm-at-set-temp function, loud enough beeps for me to hear in the breakfast nook, a small countertop footprint, and no plastic in contact with hot water…it was crazy on sale too, whee…going to be excellent for gongfu sessions!)
Today was kind of strange as all the working for Brewster in Animal Crossing and so hearing about different types of coffee and how villagers take their coffee drove me to brew a cup for myself this afternoon, something I haven’t done in ages, and it was amazing (manual pour-over, freshly ground cafe d’arte velletri alderwood roasted beans from our trip to Seattle, a smidge of almond milk…heaven, absolute heaven) but I’ve been jittery as all get out the rest of the day (when you don’t drink coffee or soda much, whew!—like being on hard drugs, I swear). Kinda worked out in that my husband decided last minute (like this evening) to throw a party Saturday to watch his copy of a new kickstarted synth documentary that finally came out, so I spent all evening menu planning (a big task, but also fun when I’m in the right mood for it, which I am).
So making this was sort of not the wisest idea maybe, but I don’t regret it—everything works just as it should, and this tea’s great. It is so roasty, probably the roastiest oolong I’ve tried so far. The bark, chestnuts, and cinnamon I definitely notice too. Can’t believe it’s so old (I was 9 years old in 1991!)! I could be imagining it but it feels like you can sort of taste that it’s aged somehow. It has a depth to it I can’t find words for right now.
Seems very forgiving when done western-style, but maybe that’s just my new kettle doing all the temp work for me that I’m noticing, ha.
EDIT, 2nd infusion: even better than the first, yay oolongs. The minerality is coming in now, and I didn’t think it possible but even more roasty toasty deliciousness. This is a really fantastic oolong; maybe the age is what sets it apart, I don’t know, but it’s not wispy and straightforwardly peachy like others I’ve had, but silky smooth while also full of deep rich roasted chestnut and wood flavor. Love it.
Preparation
Oooh, can you tell me more about the kettle you chose? would you say the temperature settings were easy to use? or is it like a touch screen thing where if you look at it the wrong way the whole thing will explode?
Have fun working out the menu for tomorrow’s party; it sounds like a lot of fun, actually. And I love documentaries!
it’s a kalorik that retails for around $80 but for some reason was $30 when i checked on amazon. i found out about it from a steepster in a thread somewhere (they said they got one for $50 with sales) and it fit the bill for right now—i probably ultimately want to spring for a breville one touch, but it’s gonna be quite a while before i can afford that, and in the meantime i’ve got all these greens, whites, and oolongs that need variable temp brewing and my method until now has been kind of a PITA (use a simple old thermometer and stand there waiting and watching many minutes for boiling water to cool, repeat for every single cup of tea). i didn’t think i wanted a kettle that does that without having a thing for keeping an entire brewed pot warm (which is what i had before)—seems like the jump to variable temp kettle means a jump in price too, and i thought i’d rather just wait and jump all the way to the breville—but honestly steepster’s changed me a lot this year and i’m now more into gongfu sessions, not just british-y pots o’ black, and an affordable variable temp kettle is where it’s at for that sort of thing.
sorry to ramble, ee. BTW, welcome! (: i’m not sure where all the old guard regulars went—they seemed to all go AWOL at the same time a month or two ago after being here for years—but it’s nice to see enthusiastic new folks (i’m pretty new myself).
anyway, the kettle’s here: http://www.amazon.com/Kalorik-Cordless-Electric-Kettle-Stainless/dp/B003FGWA5O
not the prettiest thing but so far i love it for how useful it is for all possible temps. the settings aren’t crazy intuitive—you turn the power button on and “212” flashes for a bit and while it’s flashing you have the option to lower the temp and turn on the keep warm function, gotta do it somewhat quickly before it just automatically stops blinking and starts boiling—but it’s fine for me. physical buttons, slightly raised/bumpy plastic not distinct pieces.
between the crazy cheap price (it’s cheaper than the POS wrong replacement model customer service sent me free when my first one broke), a steepster mentioning they had it and like it, and kalorik being a brand i’m pretty happy with (my blender’s from them, heard about it through cook’s illustrated, and was a similar tale of "crazy cheap but built better than any of the others i’d tried, ones $50-100 more, at actually crushing ice and not burning out).
i’ve thought long and hard about different options for this sort of need—keeping a lower-than-boiling temp for greens etc. readily available/warm and fresh for multiple cups/gaiwan sessions—and if kettle options are too overwhelming another idea i had was getting one of those crazily engineered thermoses that will keep things at temp. for hours and hours (something like the thermos king model). so there’s another possibility.
oh, and thanks much about the party! it’s tonight. :D i’d invite ya and we could have tea while everyone else drinks beer, ha.
Thanks for such a detailed response! I’m glad it’s worked out so well for you, and it sounds as though it might actually be accessible for a visually impaired person (that’s me :)). Thanks also for the warm welcome. I’ve only been on steepster for a few weeks and I already feel as though I’ve learned so much (actually, I feel as though I know so little—there are just so many teas and I don’t think it’s even possible for me to be able to tell the difference between all of them!). For another variable temp option, I was also looking at the one made by adodgio called the Utilitea (it just has a knob that you can turn). I’m so, so close to just giving in and just buying it, but I’m waiting to see just how far into the future my tea obsession lasts—I don’t want to really furnish it with like everything expensive only to find that my interest is fleeting (I suspect it won’t be that way, but you never know with me LOL). I hope you had fun at the party! It’s too bad I couldn’t join you for some quality tea time!
Ah, I didn’t realize you were visually impaired—I’m not sure it’d be ideal then honestly; the buttons are softly raised bumps, so there is something tactile to work with, but they’re also pretty small, close together, and indistinguishable from each other aside from just memorizing placement. And to set temp there’s a plus button and minus button, and you hit them until the digital temp screen (which isn’t tactile) flashes the temp you want.
I’m not familiar with the Utilitea but I know Adagio’s Ingenuitea tends to get rave reviews as a good intro kettle so I wouldn’t be surprised if their other products were good too! And you are so smart for checking to see if this is a temporary obsession; I tend to get obsessed with something for maybe a year or two and then switch it out for some new thing, so I totally get that impulse, ha.
And it was fun. Thanks for your good wishes. (:
