88
drank Zhen Qu by Butiki Teas
4120 tasting notes

Good morning, Steepster! Yes, I know it’s almost noon, but I still have 8 minutes to write this before that happens! I figured I would choose the only Yunnan from my Butiki order as my tea of the morning, since I generally like to drink a Yunnan first. The dry leaves are adorable! Fairly short, small black leaves mixed with cute little fuzzball golden tips. It left lovely golden Yunnan fairy dust all over the teaspoon I used to measure! Aww! Dry scent is sweet, musty hay with chocolate and a slight herby spice note.

Mm, tea is so lovely. The brewed tea smells quite bready, with honey notes along with light floral and fruity scents. At first, I thought this tea was a bit too light, but it seemed that as I kept sipping it, I stopped thinking so. Maybe the flavor builds with this one? Anyway, it’s definitely light for a black tea, or even for a Yunnan. The taste is very grainy in the chewy raw grain sense, not in the bread sense. I was surprised to taste an interesting hint of cinnamon, which I loved! There’s also a wee bit of floral here (less excited about that one) and it makes an intriguing mix when combined with the cinnamon. Lastly, some cocoa notes and a very smooth, mellow texture round out the end of the sip. This tea is very lovely, and definitely different from any other Yunnan I have tried! :D

Flavors: Cinnamon, Cocoa, Floral, Grain

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
boychik

I went back to my notes. 2tsp for 8oz was great for me. Otherwise too light

Cameron B.

Thanks, dear, I’ll try that next time. :)

mj

You and Tealizzy are tea twins this morning :)

Tealizzy

mj – I thought that was totally funny!! :)

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Comments

boychik

I went back to my notes. 2tsp for 8oz was great for me. Otherwise too light

Cameron B.

Thanks, dear, I’ll try that next time. :)

mj

You and Tealizzy are tea twins this morning :)

Tealizzy

mj – I thought that was totally funny!! :)

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Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- September sipdowns: 9
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 128

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing

Location

Austin, Texas

Website

https://www.instagram.com/tea...

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