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2000 Gold Dust Fuzhuan Anhua Heicha from Bitter Leaf Teas

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I love moldy Fuzhuan (aka Fu Brick) teas. When Bitterleaf Tea came out with the 2000 Gold Dust Fuzhuan Anhua Heicha, I bought a full 250 gram bag. During the 2019 NW Tea Festival, this was the tea in my Fu Zhuan focus tasting class. As much as I love owning stupidly large bricks of Fuzhuan, Bitterleaf Tea’s broken bag makes it more convenient to drink. My package had three large chunks with some dust on the bottom to even out the weight. Leaf and Steeping Method Confirmed mold! Fu Bricks has a distinct scent, which Gold Dust also has.… Continue reading, hoot!

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2019 July White2Tea Club feat. Lapsang Souchong Selection

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It is Hongcha day! July’s White2Tea club was a collection of new lapsang souchongs. Lapsang Souchong comes in many models, not just smokey tire fire. Some of these black teas are for sale on White2Tea’s site without having to be in the club. Others, like the Guizhou Hongcha, are exclusive to the monthly tea club. For my own sanity, I’m just drinking the Lapsang Souchongs today – Traditional Lapsang, Herby Lapsang, Pine Sap Lapsang, Smoked Lapsang, and Fruit Bomb Lapsang. With each tea, I used 1 gram of tea per 15ml of vessel size, brewed gongfu style in boiling water.… Continue reading, hoot!

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2019 WTCCCTV Black Tea from White2tea

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Fall is here and it is perfect black tea drinking weather! Today I’ll be checking out White2Tea’s 2019 WTCCCTV black tea cake sample I purchased with my last White2Tea order. 2019 WTCCCTV is a puer varietal large leaf tea, sun-dried to black tea, then compressed into 200 gram cakes. Leaf and Steeping Method The black tea has a sweet, malty, and fruity scent. With a rinse, the leaf smells like grapes. I used 1 gram of leaf per 15ml of vessel size, gongfu steeped in boiling water. Tasting of White2Tea’s 2019 WTCCCTV Black Tea First and Second Infusion: 2019 WTCCCTV… Continue reading, hoot!

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Alishan and Sun Moon Lake Black from Song Yi Tea

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Today we are checking out Song Yi Tea, specifically their oolong and black teas. They have a website, but the shop redirects to their Etsy storefront. Song Yi Tea mostly sells Taiwanese oolongs but they also have some Taiwanese black teas and Yunnan puer. Song Yi Tea’s Exquisite Alishan Oolong Tea Exquisite Alishan is a Qingxin cultivar High Mountain Taiwanese Oolong. The leaves are vibrant green with a milky, nutty and floral scent. I used 1 gram of leaf per 15ml of vessel size, gongfu steeped in boiling water. Interestingly, Song Yi Tea has the same instructions on their site. Thumbs… Continue reading, hoot!

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Viridian Tea Company Fantasy Tea Blends

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I encountered Viridian Tea Company while at World Tea Expo. The owner is also a Fantasy novel writer, and that excites me as I read all sorts of goth, vampire, time travel, fantasy romance stuff with a side obsession with Star Wars THRAWN. I had planned to read her books, but I am still going through the massive Black Dagger Brotherhood and this poor tea is still sitting here. Today I got Goth Librarian, The House of Byzantium Blend, Kel Nira Herbal Blend, and Harlem Muse Blend. Goth Librarian from Viridian Tea Company The ingredients in Goth Librarian is Assam tea, whole cloves, whole allspice.… Continue reading, hoot!

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2019 Skinnydip White Tea from Bitterleaf Teas

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2019 Skinnydip white tea is a 200 gram pressed cake with Simao material from Bitterleaf Teas. What attracted me to this white tea is the price, at this time, $14.50 for a 200 gram cake, so I couldn’t resist purchasing a cake. Skinnydip is flat out a budget tea for daily drinking or inexpensive aging. Leaf and Steeping Method Skinnydip has a strong scent of a sweet mowed lawn. The cake is a looser compression, making it easier to break off pieces, but also a bit messy as the leaf shatters. I used 1 gram of leaf per 20ml of… Continue reading, hoot!

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2019 Smooth Water Baozhong Oolong from Floating Leaves Tea

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2019 Smooth Water Baozhong is my favorite Taiwanese oolong this season from Floating Leaves Tea. I sampled it in the shop (already going in knowing I’ll love it as I enjoyed last year’s Nangang Baozhong), purchased, and I keep reaching for it. Smooth Water Baozhong is from Nangang, the birthplace of Baozhong. Modern Baozhong has gone very floral compared to the traditional old school Nangang style. I know many dislike Baozhong as it drinks like perfume, but this classic Nangang Baozhong is different. Leaf and Steeping Method Smooth Water Baozhong ‘s leaf has a milky floral scent. For today, I… Continue reading, hoot!

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Comparing Silver Teapot to Silver Teacup and Regular Teaware

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From my previous experiments, I found silver teaware produces an effect to change the taste of tea, especially with sheng, black, and funky teas. Silver cuts down the bitterness and other harsh elements such as over roasting, funky storage. The effect also works with silver-lined teacups. Silver teapots are expensive, usually at least $300, but a silver teacup is priced around $50 (sometimes as low as $20). That said, we are going to compare a silver pot to a silver cup and why not mix it up with silver on silver action too. Comparison Tasting Method I am using a… Continue reading, hoot!

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2018 Beneath an Emerald Sea Sheng Puer from Crimson Lotus Tea

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2018 Beneath an Emerald Sea is a sheng puer by Crimson Lotus tea. My experience with the 2016 version was it was very shengry, causing a party of people to eat an entire tray of rice krispies at my BBQ party. I sampled the 2018 version of Beneath an Emerald Sea with Crimson Lotus Tea right before I left for my Europe cruise. I enjoyed it so much and felt it had potential, so I bought a cake then I went cruising with this tea. Looking back, I enjoyed 2018 more than the 2016 tea. Leaf and Steeping Method Here… Continue reading, hoot!

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2018 Lucky Accident Oolong from Old Ways Tea

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2018 Lucky Accident Oolong is a blend of Huang Guan Yin and Qi Lan. The blend, like its name, is an accident as Old Ways Tea’s aunt accidentally mixed the two teas together, birthing a surprisingly good blend of tea. I’ve had both teas separately, and both teas are good teas. I purchased this tea after hearing a number of my tea friends raving how good it is. It is sadly one to easily miss or skip as you see “oh a cheap blend, whatevs,” and go for the Rou Gui. Leaf and Steeping Method Once I opened the little 8… Continue reading, hoot!