Featured & New Tasting Notes

This is actually ‘Seeyok Classic Autumn flush’ according to my package, but this seemed like the most likely place to review it. Also it doesn’t look like Vahdam carries the classic version any longer. It’s about time I started sipping this one down, darjeelings are not a favorite of mine so I tend not to reach for them too often . I don’t think I’ve had a bad darjeeling from Vahdam, and this one is okay. Its nutty to start and floral to end, a rather light cup but still enjoyable. As it cools, its becoming a bit more floral, but not cloying like some darjeelings taste to me. The second steep adds a bit of bitter dark chocolate aftertaste and is less floral. On the whole, its a nice cup of tea, I might add a bit of assam to my next brewing to make it a more interesting blend.

SIPDOWN

I ad just a teaspoon left, maybe one and half, I don’t know. I wasn’t measuring, and I just decided to drink what I had left in grandpa style.

Turned out like a liquid freshly baked bread, with hints of roast, nuts and honey-sweetness. Luckily it wasn’t very sweet.
I am not sure about the vanilla I recalled last time, certainly I noticed it – but I had as well vanilla flavoured ice cream, so… rather it wasn’t in the tea :D

Sad to see it go, it was indeed a nice surprise to pick this one and it was very tasty.
82 → 88

Many moons ago, TeaSource had this AMAZING tea called Golden Mao Feng that was the best black tea I’ve ever had in my life! Since then, I keep trying every tea they put out with “golden” in the name, trying to recapture that magic. While this one isn’t the holy grail, it is a smooth, sweet, easy-to-drink black tea with delicious notes of brown sugar and sweet potato. Also re-steeps beautifully! Sad to be finishing it off today.

Oof, yesterday. I tried to keep my spirits up but I was beaten down. Searching my aresenal for comfort, I tried letting the F-bombs fly in a phone call with a friend, music, a nap (sleep never came), a disgusting amount of pizza, half a 22oz bottle of double IPA. Nothing worked. Bring in the shou — a freebie from Yunnan Sourcing.

First time with cha tou, or ripe puerh tea nuggets, or what’s left at the bottom of the fermentation pile, or trickle down tea.

Dry leaf smells nice — malty, damp sweet earth, vanilla cola. Some camphor comes out when warmed, baked bread, cola impression. Long rinse (because tea mountain dregs) yields baked bread, forest floor, camphor, almond.

I used only 8g in a 190mL pot expecting a beast of tea. The tea is warm and spicy, earthy and oxalic acid tart, Togo mentions sorrel. Rather light flavors of forest floor, baked bread, nutritional yeast, camphor. It’s drying early and catches strongly in the throat. Later it’s dusty, nutty and woody cedar. Light bodied no matter how much I push it.

Overall, it was an okay first foray into cha tou. I was expecting something a bit heavier with fuller flavors and bigger body. I’m not sure why. I wonder if more years of storage will smooth out the prominent sourness. In its current state, nothing about it makes me want to recommend it to others. However, it did bring some comfort. Hail Tea.

Now if I can embrace what made me so happy earlier this week, everything will work out.

This tea has become an old favorite. It’s nice for those times when I want something but I’m not sure what it is and so I just grab this one off the top of the tea cabinet. It’s predictable but in a very good way. A fine, strong strawberry tea.

Thank you teakruthi for this sample. The plan was to write a Sororitea Sisters review for this but then my sister asked me to do something with her so that didn’t really happen. However, I sipped on this while talking with her and it was really good. I wasn’t paying it much attention but it made for easy drinking and went down real smooth. I hope to revisit it soon as clearly I enjoyed it.

Additional notes: Only an 83 rating from me? Psssh. This deserves a much higher rating. I’m raising it. I could hardly find a more delicious pear tea, and the flavor is really holding up. Next time it will be gone. Maybe I didn’t use two teaspoons last time or something. I probably steeped it wrong somehow. So many actual little pieces of pear! Who actually puts pear in tea? Probably only 52Teas. Your teas are being appreciated in these times, Anne — hope you and yours are doing okay.
Steep #1 // 2 teaspoons // 29 minutes after boiling // 1 minute steep
Steep #2 // TBA
2020 Sipdowns: 28 (52Teas – Frank’s Ginger Pumpkin Cheesecake Honeybush)

It is 49 degrees out there today, and partly sunny. I am SO MUCH ready for spring. I went through my teas, looking for something spring-like. Found this one and made a cup. Very light in color and lilght inflavor, but pleasant for an afternoon cup.

I had a doctor visit over webEX. Like, online. Weird, huh? She believes my sore bottom is Ischial bursitis. That is bursitis of the sit bones. It is probably the result of too much sitting. Her treatment plans includes avoiding sitting, applying ice to the area and taking aspirin.

I work 10 hours a day. Sitting at the computer. When I’m not sorking, I am generally sitting and reading, knitting, spinning, sewing ,etc.

I ordered one of those extendable desk that you can work at standing. It won’t arrive for 10 days.

So, off to lie on the floor with a family sized bag of frozen peas on my bum. Excuse me

[Spring 2019 harvest]

An elegant Yunnan black tea with a smooth, creamy texture and a nutty/woody profile. In particular, the flavour reminds me of walnut shells, cocoa beans, bread, and cedar wood. There is a nice brown sugar sweetness that comes to the surface especially in the aftertaste. The aromas are not too pungent and besides the classic malty ones include notes of strawberries and fir trees. I also found the cha qi to be quite warming and strong for a black tea of this kind.

Had one tea bag in my cupboard (to drink it earlier than from huge bags section)

It was just same, boring, black tea. Shorter steeping time (2 minutes only) was a clever idea, but as I said, the tea was just boring. Just basic black tea flavours, especially the tannic and somehow bold flavour.

Additional notes:  Nothing to do for my crappy mood today but get tea spoiled.  Having some delectable favorites today:  52Teas – Berried Treasure, B&B’s Rice Moolong and this one.  I think I’ll be revisiting some very favorites in the coming weeks while also trying some new-to-me teas. I’m savoring this tea once in a while because not only is it discontinued but the flavor is still amazing.  Sure, it’s not as good as it was when fresh, but that tea magic doesn’t exist yet, of keeping teas fresh through any amount of time.  The hugest dried cherry I’ve ever seen went into the infuser. It was much bigger than a teaspoon.  This is a tea where the parceling of ingredients must be very careful. Otherwise you get all these cherries in the infuser!  CHERRY.  CHOCOLATE. COFFEE. Perfect blend. Perfect for today.

I also finished organizing my teas that I’ve been doing slowly over time.  That was fun.  What’s next? A calming yet haunting song for today: Ed Harcourt – The World is On Fire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xlo9aQFUlyo

Drank this one at work. Didn’t bother measuring or timing anything and just winged it for a change. This is almost a year old but it has kept well in the fridge. Slight fruity with vegetal notes of zucchini, soybeans, and aloe.

With this sip down, I’ve officially cleared out my once massive stash of Verdant green tea. I’m now down to just a few teaspoons of Japanese greens and a YS green tea that hasn’t aged well. As someone who drinks green tea daily, I’m a little nervous about running out soon. Looks like I’ll have to reach for my oolongs, whites, and blacks more frequently until new spring greens are available.

This tastes a lot like hot cinnamon spice. The main flavor is the spicy cinnamon. I don’t really notice the apple. Really it’s pretty indistinguishable from the other blend, though I haven’t had that one in a while. Not really a tea I would drink often since it’s pretty one dimensional to me.

Birthday surprise from my husband, whose love language is good gifts. Not necessarily pricey ones, but proof that after 34 1/2 years, he knows me better than I do.

I went ahead and made a separate entry for this one, as it’s a sachet rather than loose leaf and makes no mention which-flush-is-which on the packet. The sweet notes come through first—a little fruity; a little like honey-wheat bread. I’m not getting strong malty flavor, but it leaves a little buzz on your tongue after you swallow. Extremely drinkable—my first tumbler is already gone!

Still around, just drinking less tea as i really don’t have many left lol.

Spring in a cup. For Easter.

I had some 2017 Qi Lan gongfu this morning while watching service so I didn’t take notes. It was good but nothing that blew me away.

Right now I’m drinking the last 3.5 grams western and I like it better this way. It tastes like a specific Easter candy — those small, candy shell coated chocolate eggs. Like those are mixed with roasted almonds and a touch of caramel, sitting on the damp mineral soil and overgrown tender grasses in one of our raised beds. And of course, orchids. Those are in my backyard, too. Gentle tangy-fruity, creamy aftertaste. Some bitterness. Tea oil coating, tingling. Not necessarily sweet tasting but rather dry with sweet aromatics. That’s what I like about a lot of Wuyi yancha.

Like the 2016 Qi Lan from Old Ways Tea, still too green/floral for me to go crazy over but today it makes me happy and that’s what matters.

Based on my previous notes, I must have subconsciously dubbed this one as a holiday tea (Thanksgiving, Christmas)… it just seemed like the perfect Easter morning accompaniment to the basket of gratuitous sugar the Xmas Bunny (long-standing family joke) left for us this morning. No, we have not grown up yet.

I want my chocolate teas to taste like hot fudge straight out of the dispenser (a throwback to first Dairy Queen job in high school). Unfortunately, few of them do. However, the orange peel in this nice blend complements the tea-flavored chocolate—a really nice balance.

We took the long way to a favorite mom-and-pop Mexican restaurant today for carry out—down weaving county lanes that make “tree tunnels” as you drive through them. Dogwood and redbuds in full bloom and fresh, moist, green vegetation of every flavor. Just a lovely nature-y reminder that hope still abounds. ..y’all be joyful, in spite of everything.

Additional notes: Of course I’m drinking this favorite. I’m not sure I have any other Easter teas? Trying to wrack my brain… it’s toasty sweet deliciousness. The anxiety of this is getting to me on top of the normal anxiety and other things happening with relatives that need worrying about and that I don’t have control over, like everything. I hope you and yours are all doing okay. <3
Fantastic underappreciated music of the day: Jesca Hoop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-ezZKt7_es and another one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPYHM4Gy6KU and another: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnRnseRe64I but the entire 2019 album is really really good.

Latte Sipdown though I never added this to my cupboard so the number of teas stays the same.

This was on of the bajillion teas Roswell Strange shared with me back in December when we finally met and it seemed like a fitting tea today given its Easter. Thank you, Roswell Strange and Happy Easter, Steepsterites!! Hope everyone is able to celebrate in their own way, despite all the crazy.

I decided to make this as a latte because chocolate-y blends often make for nice lattes. I also decided to top the latte with a touch of whipped cream and some festive and colorful flower sprinkles. However, as I tried to take my #365daysoftea photo, the whipped cream kept sinking so I kept adding more so that touch became more like a dollop+. Oops. So this became a latte with a bunch of whipped cream.

It is a bit thin but overall has good flavor. I get a slight roastiness and a lot of chocolate. It’s nice. Similar to Snowball but maybe a bit lighter in flavor. It’s made for a nice treat but I won’t go out of my way for this.

Another one from the ggmathis box! Made a thermos of it before braving the crowd at Aldi on Saturday morning in the middle of a pandemic. Steeping time was the equivalent of one straight minute of aggressively dunking the bag up and down into the water until it looked nearly opaque in a tall porcelain vessel. Didn’t get to try it until after I emerged from Aldi with a few bruises from getting hip-checked by shopping carts in the produce aisle, but mmmmm. It’s a very light black base with just the right amount of sweet dark cherry flavor. If I manage to find this anywhere in a store, I’m grabbing a box. Very pleasant for being what appears to be a cheaply produced bagged tea dust. I’m used to those tasting like sorrow and a waste of $2 for the box.

I don’t love this one. It’s got a briskness that for my tastes is drying. It’s fuller bodied and more sharp so based on my preferences, this is not for me. It’s not bad, just not my cup of tea.

Sipdown (308)

I have been tricked by this tea twice now. I bought this back when it was still Spiced Apple and then realized it had ingredients I usually avoid. I rated it a 47. Then, for some reason, I bought it again under the name Baked Apple Chai at the end of last year. So, that was dumb. Thankfully, I only bought a sample and this tea is so heavy that I just dumped the entire bag into one Nordic Mug.

I honestly would have kept avoiding this blend forever but today I kept wandering into the room where my teas are and just struggling to pick one to drink. So I decided to utilize my excel inventory and randomly select a tea that way. After putting in the formulas to randomly select a tea, strawberry matcha came up but I literally just finished the mango matcha so I did it again and this tea came up. I highly considered doing it again but decided to commit.

This hot cup is not good. It’s just not a good tea. My preferences are obviously factoring into that decision. It’s just waaaaaayyyyy too sweet, but with a spice note trying to break through. Honestly, I am just kicking myself while also hoping this doesn’t get another name change and I stupidly buy it again. I hoped the rating would improve but it’s staying at that 47.

Thanks so much, AJRimmer!  I always wanted to try so many of the blends you sent!  This one included.  I envisioned a dark forest with this — maybe plums? I guess dark fruits, which sounds like a divine blend.  Looking at the ingredients, not really plums — grapes!  And not many more fruits here… which is misleading, other than apple.  The blend of ingredients LOOKS dark anyway.  I can’t really taste apple.  Mostly rosehips with a hint of mint.  I really wanted more here, but at least the rosehips aren’t overpowering.   The second steep is lighter, even with a longer steep, but again, I’m just glad it isn’t overpowering rosehips.  Hopefully the other Teavivre herbal blends are also able to tame the rosehips.
Steep #1  // 1 1/2 teaspoons for full mug // 7 minutes after boiling  // 2 minute steep
Steep #2  // just boiled //  6 min

How weird Easter holidays. Chuch meeting via Internet. It’s nice to hear all the people I know, but unfortunately we can’t shake each other hands. I miss it.

Anyway, this should be about the tea.
I took smaller amount than last time, shorter time too.
It was less tea-like, more citrusy, not only bergamot. Zest of different citrus fruits. Very aromatic, but just light and right. And nicely malty.

Good cuppa! (93→95)