I managed to purchase one of Bitterleaf Tea’s Lucky bags during their last Black Friday sale. They always sell out of Lucky Bags by the time I get around to ordering. Normally, I don’t have time for random tea, but I was close in my spending to the next discount point, so I decided to try a $5 Bitterleaf Teas Lucky Bags instead of another sample of Alter Ego.
Inside the Bitterleaf Lucky Bag, I got 4 unmarked bags, clocking around 17- 25g each. Who knows what these teas are – rejected sourcing materials, leftover blending teas, or personal stash?
Tea #1 from the Bitterleaf Teas Lucky Bag
First up is what looks to be some sort of loose leaf shou. It smells of honey earth before and after the rinse.
I am confident that this tea is a shou. The flavor is sharp, sugar-sweet, dark chocolate, with a touch of earthy nutty funk. It is like melting chocolate with some forest acorns and leaves starting to ferment in the earth. This shou is pretty consistent tasting through each infusion holding onto the sweet chocolate flavor. As the flavor slips, it gets more rock sugary.
Tea #2 from the Bitterleaf Teas Lucky Bag
This looks like long leaves of sheng. It has a warm fruity scent.
After a rinse, the smell is of hot sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves.
This sheng is young and fruity. It is softy flavored with a zesty sweet pomelo note and a finish of citrus floral. As it steeps, it developed a stronger grassy flavor with osmanthus bitter floral.
Tea #3 from the Bitterleaf Teas Lucky Bag
Another maocha sheng! This one has a bitter vegetal scent.
After a rinse, this tea has a bitter sourness that is pulling my nose hairs.
Tea #3 is bitter cucumber melon, with a green pepper finish, though on the light watery side. The texture is a little silky. This sheng steeps out fast, the flavor is so light, so I kept pushing it, which made it go stewy bitter. The bitterness pays off, paving the way for a jasmine floral aftertaste.
Tea #4 from the Bitterleaf Teas Lucky Bag
Most certainly a white tea, let’s gooo! This mystery white has a dark raisin scent. Appears to be a broken up cake.
This white tastes of sweet coconut and golden raisins. As it resteeps, the flavor opens to toasty coconut shells, dark raisins, bruised pears, driftwood, and milk. The last steeps are more wood and old books.
The Bitterleaf Tea’s Lucky Bags are excellent value for the teas you get – only $5! I quite like the shou and the first sheng, but all the teas were perfectly fine. If you are flexible and like different teas, or desire to expand your palette on the cheap, keep your eyes out for these Lucky Bags.
