Category: Tea Reviews

Tea reviews and tea tastings

No comments

2019 Gore of the Forest Sheng Puer from White2tea

  By ,

2019 Gore of the Forest is promised to be a complex and pithy sheng blend. I didn’t hesitate to purchase a sample of this tea with my last White2tea order as I tend to enjoy this price bracket. Leaf and Steeping Method The dry leaf has a powdery fruity sweet scent, like peachy fruit leather. Nothing new, I used a gongfu ratio of 1 gram of leaf per 15ml of vessel size, steeped in quick boiling water infusions. After a rinse, the leaves smell like rice porridge. Tasting of White2tea’s 2019 Gore of the Forest Sheng Puer First and Second… Continue reading, hoot!

No comments

19 Year Old Lishan High Mountain Laocha from Tributary Teas

  By ,

Among the other Taiwanese High Mountain teas, Tributary Teas has an aged 19 year old Lishan. Not often do I come across aged high mountain teas, so trying this Lisahn Laocha will be a treat. My sample package says 18 years as I got this tea in 2019. Leaf and Steeping Method Leaf smells like roast and cherry wood. I used 1 gram of leaf per 15ml of vessel size, gongfu steeped in boiling water. Steeped up, the leaves have a creamy nutty scent. Tasting of Tributary Tea’s Lishan High Mountain Laocha First, Second, Third, and Fourth Infusion: Lishan High… Continue reading, hoot!

No comments

2019 Eden Manzhuan Sheng Puer from Bitterleaf Teas

  By ,

Eden is a Manzhuan blend which is an ongoing tea in Bitterleaf Tea’s lineup. A number of my tea friends quote Eden as being one of their favorite Bitterleaf teas, whereas I’m the loon that likes The Bitter End LaomanE cake. I have to admit, 2019 Eden is my favorite wrapper artwork from Bitterleaf Tea’s 2019 lineup. Leaf and Steeping Method The dry leaf has a fruity tart cherry scent. As usual, I used a gongfu ratio of 1 gram per 15ml of vessel size, steeped in boiling water. After a rinse and a steep, the leaves smell of floral,… Continue reading, hoot!

No comments

2019 Builders Black Bamboo Roasted Tea from White2Tea

  By ,

The Owls and I were in the mood for a hearty black tea, so today let’s have White2tea’s 2019 Builders. The 2019 Builders is a Yunnan sundried black tea smashed into bamboo then hand roasted over a fire. I am expecting a strong session, similar to a UK Builders Tea. My curiosity about the combo of Yunnan black tea in bamboo got me to purchase a sample with one of my White2Tea orders. Leaf and Steeping Method The scent of the dry leaves is sweet, fruity, and tannic. Above is a 23 gram chunk, with 2 grams of crumbs to… Continue reading, hoot!

No comments

Aged Pomelo Oolong from Wang Family Tea

  By ,

Wang Family Tea’s Aged Pomelo Oolong took the 2019 Northwest Tea Festival by storm! It is a Shan Lin Xi (Qingxin cultivar) High Mountain oolong stuffed into a Pomelo then aged for 8 years, though now maybe 9 years as it is 2020. Leaf and Steeping Instructions The leaf is very fragrantly orange despite my crap storage treatment. At the tea festival, Wang Family Tea put a tea sample in a paper box, which I left in for months, so it has been exposed to more airflow than optimal. For steeping ratio, I used 1 gram of leaf per 15ml… Continue reading, hoot!

No comments

2020 January White2tea club feat. 2019 Charlie Shou Puer

  By ,

Back in February 2019 White2tea club, it featured a new club exclusive shou puer – 2018 Charlie. Charlie is back for the January 2020 White2tea club! 2018 Charlie was one of my favorite shous for its earthy creamy quality. The 2019 Charlie is a bit different adding 1 to 3 year old+ material to the mix, though pressed in 2019. It took me a couple of months to try my shou cake, so it is fairly rested from travel. Leaf and Steeping Method The cake has an earth and paper scent. My gongfu ratio was 1 gram of leaf per… Continue reading, hoot!

No comments

2019 Spring Gao Shan Rou Gui Oolong from Old Ways Tea

  By ,

The tea review for today is Old Ways Tea’s Spring 2019 Gao Shan Rou Gui. This Rougui sports a lighter roast and tea material from one of the higher altitudes in Wuyishan. Leaf and Steeping Method Gorgeous leaf, look at those fall colours! Far away, the tea smells like peanut shells, but when I jam my face in the leaves it smells like fruit leather. For gongfu ratio, I dumped the entire packet in my gaiwan, clocking in at 1 gram of leaf per 12.5ml of vessel size. From there, I steeped with boiling water. The hot leaf smells like… Continue reading, hoot!

No comments

2019 White Tea from Denong Tea

  By ,

I was incredibly excited to see Denong come out with white tea. This tea is from their own tea gardens, I’m assuming puer material. At the 2019 PDX Tea Festival, I purchased a box of the 2019 White Tea without any hesitation. Leaf and Steeping Method Hands down, this Denong White tea is gorgeous looking with lots of fuzzy buds, looking moonlight white in style. Strangely, this tea smells just like my bunny Benson’s fur. When I got this tea it smelled strongly floral. I went with my usual white tea gongfu ratio of 1 gram of leaf per 20ml… Continue reading, hoot!

No comments

Rehoot Review – 2016 Menghai Golden Fruit Shou Puer

  By , ,

Back in 2017, I purchased and reviewed the 2016 Menghai Golden Fruit Shou Puer off Yunnan Sourcing. The description of this tea sucked me in promising a fruity peachy shou flavor experience. However, when I drank it in 2017 is was thin and funky, giving me stomach cramps. I’ve been in a shou mood recently, so I dug out this fruity shou from the back of my shou pumidor to give it a try. As I said above, I’ve had the 2016 Menghai Golden Fruit Shou since 2017. My shous are kept in an unplugged fridge with natural, but slightly… Continue reading, hoot!

No comments

2019 Low Rider Sheng Puer from Crimson Lotus Tea

  By ,

2019 Low Rider is a Crimson Lotus Tea custom blend of 2019 Spring material. Back at the 2019 NW Tea Festival, I tried Low Rider sheng puer and blurred in the background vs the heavy hitters of Altered State and Dangerzone. I felt Low Rider needed a test drive away from all the other flashy teas, so I was happy I was given a 200 gram cake to play with. Leaf and Steeping Method The dry leaf has a soft and gentle floral scent. As usual, I went with a gongfu ratio of 1 gram of leaf per 15ml vessel… Continue reading, hoot!