30 Tasting Notes
Dry tea gave me overwhelming scent of pipe tobacco and lots of nostalgia with that. Later malt – lots. Then even later some of the scent of a struck match, but not at all in a bad way, not sulphurous.
It’s hard to pinpoint what’s going on so I suspect I’ll edit in future.
Flavors: Burnt Sugar, Malt, Molasses, Tobacco
Preparation
A——— at What-Cha added this as a sample in my latest order, presumably based on my like for strongly flavoured, well roasted Oolong. Hot and at first steep I got lots of seaweed and iodine. As it cooled and in subsequent steeping there’s pear as suggested on the supplier’s site, and also I got a nutty green flavour not unlike roasted acorns.
H tasted turpenes — how to put this delicately? — of the sort smelled when wandering out of Camden or Brixton tube stations. But I didn’t get that at all.
Flavors: Green Wood, Iodine, Pear, Roasted nuts, Seaweed
Preparation
First oolong. First grandpa-style brewing. Overwhelming tastes of butter. There’s butter popcorn down there somewhere, and buttered veggies. But mainly just butter and it’s delicious.
Flavors: Butter, Popcorn, Vegetables
Preparation
(This is a very personal review unlikely to help another reader.) H’s note on the bag says, “Nope”. Mine says, “sour”. My first white tea and this wasn’t to my taste at all. It was woody and bitter and set off my stomach ulcer. I tried brewing a few ways and temperatures but it’s not for me.
Flavors: Bitter, Sour, Wood
Preparation
H’s note on the pack says, “Tastes like a hug.” It’s more jasmine than tea for me, but none the worse for that. It’s floral and exotic and relaxing all at once. (Spring 2017 harvest)
Flavors: Floral, Flowers, Honeysuckle, Jasmine
Preparation
This might be one of the most refreshing things I’ve ever put in my mouth. Loads of green acidity and bitterness, but only in a good way. The complexity isn’t lost at all. Like many shades of green. Repeated steeping lost some of the zing but added to the breadth of flavours.
(H score 6/10, Autumn harvest Sept 2017)
Flavors: Citrus, Cucumber, Cut grass, Grass, Green Apple
Preparation
2nd flush, late May 2017. Brewed in and poured from a pyrex jug. My notes on the bag say “fruity, honey, malt? 7/10”
Edit: revisiting this I like it more, and taste loads of candy-floss.
Flavors: Cotton Candy, Fruity, Honey, Malt
Preparation
Bit of a gateway for me. The first tea I tried after reading the faq on reddit/r/tea, linked articles and finding a supplier. At first it just tasted like astringency and chlorophyll. It took a little time for my head to adjust to the tastes of teas. Then suddenly I got tastes of hay and meadow scents and huge refreshment. Hooked me.
Flavors: Astringent, Grass, Hay