Tag: oolong tea

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2022 March White2tea Club feat. 2020 Fortune Teller Sheng Puer

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Well, I’m lost in a time warp. April and May have been so busy that I’ve been running on fumes. I posted April’s White2tea Club last week and forgot I had March already sitting in my folder, with most of all the teas long consumed. This is the 2022 March White2tea club, which has a Tieguanyin, Hongcha, but also a sample of White2tea’s 2020 Fortune Teller. Fireside Tieguanyin The leaves have roasted woody honey scented. It is a simple yet comforting smell. I used a gongfu ratio of 1 gram per 15ml (for this tea and all teas in this… Continue reading, hoot!

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2022 April Old Ways Tea Club feat. Comfortable Teas

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It is time for the 2022 April Old Ways Tea Club! In this box, Tian Geng “Comfortable” Zhengyan Rou Gui, Winter Tea (2021 Da Hong Pao), and White tea cakes! Let’s dive in. Tian Geng “Comfortable” Zhengyan Rou Gui A friendly Rou Gui – this sounds up my alley these days as I drink a lot of my teas on the go or I get distracted with knitting. The leaves smell of fruity rambotan and roast. I used a gongfu ratio of 1grams of leaves per 15ml of vessel size, steeped at a boil. The rinse opens up a fruity… Continue reading, hoot!

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February 2022 White2tea Club Feat. Yancha Sample Tasting

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It’s White2tea club time, and this is February 2022’s box. Oh boy, this is “sample all of White2tea’s newest yanchas” month, so all of these are available for purchase. I’m skipping the Dahongpao this year – it’s a basic intro yancha – let’s get into the more interesting ones. For all teas here I used a gongfu ratio of 1gram of leaf per 15ml of gaiwan size, steeped at a boil with no rinse. Stone Sparrow The leaves have a roasty and dried fruit sweet scent. After a steep, the leaves smell like a powdery fruit cocktail. Stone Sparrow is… Continue reading, hoot!

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2022 February Old Ways Tea Club feat. Huang Mei Comparison Tasting

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As usual, the Old Ways Tea club delivers a strong selection of teas to comparison taste and a special gift! The special gift is a teacup with a fruity branch design. I eventually saw all the designs through my other tea friends’ boxes, and they are all awesome cups! Jin Xuan from 2022 February Old Ways Tea Club I’m diving into the Jin Xuan first. Yes, Jin Xuan is just a cultivar, but all the ones I’ve had tend to be Taiwanese style rolled oolongs, so this version is a fun change of pace. The leaves smell toasty and nutty.… Continue reading, hoot!

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2021 October White2tea Club feat. Liu An and Shou Samples

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Finally, the 2021 October White2tea club! This month is a sampling extravaganza of White2tea’s latest teas. (yes yes, I’m behind a few months on the White2tea club as it is February – I’m catching up!) 2021 Liu An Gongjian I’ve had Liu An only a handful of times and half the experiences I wasn’t brewing it. This is also the youngest Liu An I’ve tried. The leaves smell nutty and sweet. I went with a 1g per 15ml ratio, steeped at a boil. This tea commands to be rinsed at least once or twice as the flavor is very low… Continue reading, hoot!

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2021 December Old Ways Tea Club

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Old Ways Tea club, let’s go! December’s box has 2021 Yua Hua Dong Rou Gui, Zhang Ping Shui Xian, Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong, and Persimmon slices. The persimmon slices did not last long. Last year we got them. In anticipation of said persimmon slices, I went on a rampage buying 12lbs of persimmons, dehydrated and ate them all. Yua Hua Dong Rou Gui from 2021 December Old Ways Tea Club The leaves have a soft woodsy plum scent. For this tea, I went with 1 gram of leaf per 15ml of vessel size instead of the usual over leafing. After… Continue reading, hoot!

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Tieguanyin, Wuyi Rock Oolong, and Silver Needle from Hence Tea

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I have more teas from Hence Tea today. This vendor is based in Los Angeles, California – so another US source for Chinese teas. On the tea menu are Tieguanyin, Wuyi Rock Da Hong Pao, and Silver Needle white tea. Hence Tea’s Tieguanyin Just from the scent alone, this is a heavy floral Tieguanyin. For this tea, I used boiling water and a leaf to gaiwan ratio of 1 gram per 15ml. Tieguanyin sips in buttery, sweet, powdered honey, with a vibrant floral carnation and orchid flavor. Each steeping dives deeper into the floral notes, adding some buttered popcorn to… Continue reading, hoot!

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2021 October Old Ways Tea Club feat. Rougui Tea Master’s Set

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2021 October Old Ways Tea Club – Issue 7! Gosh, it’s been a year on this tea club and it doesn’t feel like it. This month is a Rougui Tea Master’s Set – Maocha, First Roast, and Second Roast. Rougui Maocha from 2021 October Old Ways Tea Club Rougui Maocha is biscuity and floral scented. To make a 5g serving I pulled out almost a gram of sticks – it is worth sorting as sticks don’t add much flavor. I went for a lighter gongfu ratio than I usually do for these oolongs, so 1 gram of leaf per 15ml… Continue reading, hoot!

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Furry Crab Oolong from Floating Leaves Tea

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Floating Leaves Tea’s Furry Crab oolong is a special reserve high mountain oolong grown in Wuliang Shan, Yunnan China, but by Taiwanese Farmers. Furry Crab was an oolong I bought as a tea newbie because of the inexpensive price – I recall the leaf being so broke and full of holes. Many years later in a tea industry convention, a trusted vendor told me the secret that many purchase Furry Crab and sell it as TieGuanYin, as it is cheaper and western drinkers can’t tell the difference. However, Floating Leaves Tea’s Furry Crab isn’t a low-quality tea, clocking at $1… Continue reading, hoot!

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2021 August Old Ways Tea Club feat. Wuyi Black Teas

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Old Ways Tea’s August Tea Club has us ready for superb autumn tea drinking! Inside, two black teas, 2021 Wuyi Jin Jun Mei, 2021 Wuyi Hong Cha, and 2020 Chunzhong Da Hong Pao oolong. 2021 Wuyi Jin Jun Mei from August Old Ways Tea Club Fancy fancy Jin Jun Mei and only got 4 packets so make it count! The leaves smell like sweet cinnamon. A tea like this you drink the rinse you don’t want to flush down cash. For both black teas, I used 1 gram of leaf per 15ml of vessel size, gongfu steeped in boiling water.… Continue reading, hoot!