New Tasting Notes
I was reminded that I had purchased this tea and never tried it when I saw a note from amandastory516. I’ve enjoyed all the teas I’ve had from Andrews & Dunham, so I’m not sure why this one got left out in the cold! Poor little thing.
It looks to be a mix of darker, smaller leaf and larger, golden-tipped Yunnan teas. Dry scent is very earthy. I saw the recommendation to steep in boiling water for 5 minutes and promptly ignored it for my own preferred parameters, because I’m arrogant like that. :P Maybe I’ll try their parameters in the future, just to compare.
I find this tea to be pleasant enough, but unremarkable. And really, in my experience with A&D, they do generally make very reliable, daily-drinking sort of teas. But in this tea’s case, I think it has a slight disadvantage, as I have tried many Yunnan teas in the past.
The dominant note here is a very mineral, earthy flavor, with a hint of smokiness behind it. I get a bit of wood and tobacco as well, which are nice complements to the main flavor. There’s perhaps a hint of dried fruit, like raisin or date, in the aftertaste.
I tend to love bready and sweet potato-y Yunnan teas, and I’m not really getting either of those notes here. For darker Chinese blacks, I prefer Fujian varieties. So this one just misses the mark for me a little as it’s fairly one-note without a ton of depth to it.
Ah well, it’s not bad! Just also not great in my opinion, especially compared to other Yunnan teas I enjoy.
Flavors: Dried Fruit, Earth, Mineral, Raisins, Smoke, Tobacco, Wood
Preparation
The first time I tried this tea, I found it a bit thin and boring, even bitter. Next time, I made sure to overleaf and steep it properly. I’m not a huge fan without adding milk, but with milk, it can be nice. It’s a sort of berries and cream flavor. I don’t get any pastry notes. I accidentally spilled the rest of the bag on the floor, so unfortunately, I won’t be having more of this one. But I did like the black base and found the whole combination to be rather pleasing.
While this tea has preserved most of its character over the last three years, I find that it is a bit more smooth and creamy now, with a light medicinal note in the aftertaste. The empty cup aroma also gives off a cooling forest floor impression – something I didn’t notice before.
Flavors: Bitter, Camphor, Coffee, Creamy, Forest Floor, Medicinal, Molasses, Salty, Smooth
Preparation
Plowing through the teas from White Antlers. This order was ‘Processed on 11/2015’ so it’s at least 5 years old.
The dry leaf is aromatic and smells of orchid and burnt, roasted peach. Prepared close to the directions on the bag which called for 1+tsp, 212F, 4-5min. One+ teaspoon for me ended up being 3g, so I went for my usual 1g:100mL and brewed the tea in 300mL of water off the boil for 4min.
Wow, that is strong! I can’t imagine brewing 1+ tsp for a standard 6oz cup for 5 minutes. Wow, bitter and tannic! Let it cool for a bit. Strong aroma of orchid, malt, complex dried fruitiness like cherry-peach-muscatel; wood, soy sauce, soft cinnamon. The taste is bitter, brisk, biting and tangy with malt, rosewood, oak wood, walnut skin, autumn leaf, mild earth. Finishes a touch umami with complex… long-lingering… slightly perfumey… aromatic tastes of orchid and bitter lavender, muscatel and buttery dried orchard fruits — blackberry, cherry, peach and apple; a hint of soft cinnamon. Second steep is much lighter and lemony!
I recently had a sample of What-Cha’s summer 2019 Benifuuki black tea from Martin Bednar. In comparison, this one hasn’t lost a step in it’s 5+ years of existence. It’s just as strong in presentation and a very unique tea, though too much for me. That said, I wouldn’t search this out but I do recommend it to experienced people who are comfortable with bitterness and playing with brewing parameters. I have another ~3g left and don’t know if I can be fussed to bring this closer to perfection.
Flavors: Apple, Astringent, Autumn Leaf Pile, Biting, Bitter, Blackberry, Burnt, Butter, Cherry, Cinnamon, Dried Fruit, Earth, Floral, Fruity, Lavender, Lemon, Malt, Muscatel, Oak wood, Orchid, Peach, Perfume, Roasted, Rose, Soy sauce, Stonefruits, Tangy, Tannic, Umami, Walnut, Wood
Preparation
Weird tea. I like it, but not for lemon nor lavender. Thank you derk, or White Antlers.
It is pretty nice, but lemon — I would expect more sour taste. But okay, at least it’s not terribly strong note. I don’t have sour face after drinking. It’s rather on sweet side. And lavender? Well, I don’t note that much. I notice way more lemongrass as of herbals, and apples as of fruits.
While it don’t have bad notes, I am rather sad about this tea. Adding fresh lavender would help for sure (gladly we still have some in the garden); but maybe few drops of lemon would be helpful as well. Certainly lots to improve!
Flavors: Apple, Lemongrass, Sweet
Preparation
ashmanra: that’s sad :( — but that happens. Not all plants are suitable for all places. It quite surprises me, as the weather looks similar to ours.
White Antlers: I wouldn’t say bland, but certainly not those flavours which I was expecting. It is rather on sweet side than sour, it isn’t much lemony & lavender is quite weak, unfortunately.
Additional notes: This must be one of my favorite ripes. Even the leaves look different in the infuser: rustic, twistier, bigger, meaner, earthier. It’s hard to describe how it looks different! How could it be unique from other ripe pu-erhs? But I notice it every time. And really, how do the golden leaves end up looking so dark in the infuser and having such depth in the flavor? The biscuit flavor when I’m enjoying the mug out in the cold weather is even better. I would buy a cake, maybe possibly.
Monday off since I work this coming Saturday, and I felt in the mood to pull out the adorable tiny pumpkin and do gong fu. One Chinese black sampler from Dazzle Deer left, a sealed April 2017 harvest. Old, but it’ll do.
Dry leaf smells delightfully of orange rind and sweet potato. Filled my 180ml capacity pot just to 120ml to steep the 5g of leaf in the sampler.
120ml (of 180ml) mini pot | 5g | 205F | 3s/5s/10s/20s/30s/45s/60s
Wet leaf has an even stronger sweet potato/yam aroma, as well as something sharp and fruity… nectarine? First steep has a mellow smokiness, orange rind, a strong stonefruit presense at the back of my tongue, a bit of malt/molasses, and sweet potato. Much stronger smoky/malt/sweet potato notes on subsequent steeps, with the fruitiness becoming a little less pronounced, save an orange rind tang at the back of my throat in the aftertaste. In the fifth steep a lemon citrus flavor came forward in the sip. The citrus flavor became stronger in the final steeps, and the stonefruit notes that had emerged in that first steep never did reappear.
Overall, a very satisfying and enjoyable Chinese black, and a tea type I definitely will have to try out further in the future.
Flavors: Citrus, Fruity, Lemon, Malt, Molasses, Orange Zest, Smoke, Smooth, Stonefruits, Sweet Potatoes, Tart
Preparation
OMG it’s the cutest ever! I was thinking of yixing because I have seen some pumpkin-shaped ones, but this is even more pumpkin! So perfect for fall. ❤
Enjoying this one this morning – thank you to VariaTEA :)
This one is perfect for a chilly morning. I steeped this one then ran outside to shovel the front walk and sidewalk, and this was the perfect temperature when I got back in.
This one seems to be a perfect breakfast tea, minus any astringency. Just a deep morning flavour that goes down smooth.
Another tea company I may have to check out! I almost forgot how much fun swaps can be haha.
Second Pu-erh, first time packaged in a fruit like this. I poured boiling water over the entire thing after rinsing it quickly and let it steep for 3 minutes. It came out a color as dark or darker than my dark roast coffee. Immediately, it smells strongly like black pepper to me (without the spiciness). I like the wet earth and woodsy tastes and smells but the bitterness and pepper taste is too overwhelming for me to enjoy it properly. Not awful but not good. Will finish it and try a shorter steeping time :)
Flavors: Bitter, Black Pepper, Wet Earth, Wood
Preparation
I got special mail! A beautiful “Morticia Adamsesque” card and tea from Gmathis!
I have almost no knowledge at all of Japanese teas. I have tried a few Senchas, I have had genmaicha and probably houjicha. I do like matcha, and I have had an unusual Japanese black tea from Postcard Teas. But compared to Chinese and Indian black tea, my experience is almost nil.
We had a chilly morning with heavy fog which is heading into a very warm day with a warm week ahead. Youngest is an incredible artist and sent me some photos she took this morning in the fog. Maybe I can upload and share them!
This is my little tea break in the big leather chair in front of the fireplace with the candle lanterns lit before I make lunch for me and Sam the King of Dogs. We will be splitting a bag of broccoli. We are simple folk. But not too simple. Mine will have hollandaise. His will not.
The recommendation was ten minutes of simmering, but I got preoccupied in the garden and let it boil briefly before turning it down. It doesn’t seem to have hurt it.
This reminds me a little of a roasted barley tea with a bare hint of…chicory? It is VERY woody but in a sawmill sort of way rather than a puerh, petrichor, and damp wood way. The depth of woody flavor makes me want to say smokey but it isn’t actually smokey when you get down to it. There is a hint of bitterness that is not at all astringent to me, but the aftertaste lingers and even tingles a little. That might be the Juicy Fruit gmathis mentioned. And if you swish air around in your mouth after you swallow, there is a hint of vanilla.
I like it! I am not a coffee drinker but I would almost call this “ coffee lite.” It lacks the bitterness of coffee but has such a solid feel. It feels like something I would drink when I am preparing to roll up my sleeves and get down to a task.
Thank you, gmathis for the tea and card, and by the way, the card goes beautifully with my anniversary card which is beside it on the mantel!
I am in full support of Sam’s healthy lifestyle! “Food motivated” is the understatement of the century for my two pugs, LOL.
April 2016 harvest.
Dry leaf smells like rich chocolate syrup with undertones of black raspberry and faint wood. I went for the maximum recommended brewing parameters since it’s old: 2tsp (3g), 300mL, 180F, 45s
Steep 1, 45s: thin and watery with a hint of licorice root. Let’s go longer.
Steep 1.1, 90s: brisk with faint wood and malt. Let’s go longer.
Steep 1.2, 180s: fuller body, brisk, mostly wood, a little bit more malt, fleeting grass, hints of black raspberry and chocolate, lightly cooling. Aroma is noticeable now, with chocolate and black raspberry undertone like the dry leaf. I think I’ll stop here.
This was my first Korean black tea and I have no reference with which to compare. It reminds me a bit of Japanese black teas. Based on my limited experience with Korean green teas and tisanes, I would’ve expected a simple warm and roasty flavor profile. It has nailed simple; I’m guessing age hasn’t favored this tea. I’d be interested in trying a fresh harvest.
Thank you, White Antlers, for the opportunity :)
Flavors: Astringent, Chocolate, Grass, Licorice, Malt, Raspberry, Wood
Preparation
I wasn’t particularly looking forward to this one after I had such a bad experience with T2’s Matcha Berry Ripple, which was pretty much a week straight of Torture Smoothies to finish off. But, I loved the Mint Chip Matcha, so… maybe better luck here?
Whisked in vanilla oat milk, then sampled before adding to my breakfast smoothie. So… definitely better than the Berry Ripple. I think both the Mint Chip and this one have cocoa powder, maybe that’s the secret. This one isn’t as good as the Mint Chip, because the orange still has a bit of that artificial, chemical bite that the Berry Ripple had to its berry flavor, but mixed with the chocolate, its smoothed out enough to almost be inoffensive… it is, at least, drinkable. The Berry Ripple flavor was so bad that even tossed into a smoothie with ample real fruits, that chalky, artificial berry flavor overwhelmed everything, including the real fruits. I at least get the feeling that isn’t going to happen here… guess I should find out?!
Tossed the cup o’ matcha latte into the blender with a cup o’ frozen tangerine slices and a few spoonfuls of yogurt (my typical “Sara hates nanners and needs to smooth out the smoothie” option). Delightfully chocolate, the artificial orange flavor is still pulling through a bit, but is tamed a bit more against pulverized tangerine, which I didn’t get with the Berry Ripple. The chocolate definitely helps a lot.
Not the chocolate/orange experience I was hoping for, but not as bad as I was fearing after the Berry Ripple debacle. No Torture Smoothies here.
Flavors: Artificial, Chocolate, Citrus, Cocoa, Orange
Preparation
This year I am really digging this tea. It is Hot Cinnamon Spice touched with a little mellow sweetness, and I have been moving towards it just about every morning. It’s giving me a lively little jolt, just what the doctor ordered.
Always a delight at this time of year! Buttery, cinnamon-y, warming, earthy. Using rooibos as the base is a stroke of genius because it offers a caffeine-free alternative to the pumpkin spice chai lattes that abound from Sept- Nov. I think the earthy rooibos works better with pumpkin spice mixes than astringent black tea, too. Personal preference.
I got the last tin of these sachets at Target though, so I’m definitely not alone with these feelings!
I have received this tea from postcrossing in the end of September. It is limited edition and I am afraid I will be only one who writes few lines on this site. This tea is overall well accpeted and reviews were saying it’s nice. Let’s see what thinks non-russian citizen.
It is flavoured black tea. When I took a sniff on pyramid sachet, a blueberry hit my nose. The leaf is broken, but nice size, not a fannings nor dust. Brew after 5 minutes (recommended time) is clear and copper colour.
The aroma of tea (brewed) is way more berry-like; raspberry and black currant. Taste is more mediocre. it is berry, but quite muted and only little of mint — rather just some cooling effect.
Overall, I have expected more fruity notes, especially when the aroma of pyramid sachet was so nice and pleasant; but it doesn’t transfer much to taste. The tea is probably Ceylon (as usual in Russian teas) because it is bit citrusy base, quite light and certainly there are no malty and robust flavours.
Flavors: Black Currant, Blueberry, Citrusy, Mint, Raspberry
Preparation
This is another amazing old tea. From White Antlers.
I am on the same boat as derk, trying this tea fresh would be so awesome. I used two teaspoons in a mug, but I assume gong-fu would be much better.
The dry tea was visually almost perfect, small, like spuce long needles and even it looks pretty much same. Or maybe larch needles? Just they are dark green → black instead of green fresh colour. But if it is 7-8 years old, it’s no surprise.
It was mild, sweet grass. It was even quite thick, mouthcoating and little mineral and citrusy.
Flavors: Buffalo Grass, Citrus, Mineral, Smooth
My gosh, I forgot about this company since I’d been mostly absent from Steepster for a while. There was one from these guys that was quite popular a few years ago.
I remember seeing Caravan, Red-tailed Hawk, and Tiger Assam rather often a few years back.
You’re not arrogant to know the steeping parameters you like! I can’t imagine any black tea tasting decent steeped for 5 minutes at boiling.
@tea-sipper – I think a Chinese black tea like this one would be fine, I just can’t imagine it would be better?