Cameron B. select Send Message

349 Followers / 246 Following

Recommended

Cameron B. drank Golden Flower Heicha by The Tea Practitioner

4330 tasting notes

The Tea Practitioner Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 22

Aha, and finally we got a ripe pu’erh ha ha. Well technically this isn’t pu’erh, but same difference.

Thankfully, this is quite mellow. It’s not overwhelmingly earthy like some shou pu’erh can be. It’s smooth and somewhat creamy, with soft and sweet wood and musty hay notes alongside toasty grains, dark honey, and syrupy dried fruits like dates or jujubes. There is definitely a mineral earthiness to it, but it doesn’t taste like dirt and that’s a win for me heh heh. The color is also quite light and orangey compared to most ripe pu’erhs I’ve had.

Surprisingly very enjoyable, especially in the cold snap we’re having.

Flavors: Creamy, Dates, Dried Fruit, Earthy, Grain, Hay, Honey, Mineral, Musty, Smooth, Sweet, Syrupy, Thick, Toasted, Tobacco, Woody

Preparation

Boiling 5 g

I Like This

16 likes

0 comments

People who liked this

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… ;)

~ 2025 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- February sipdowns: 5
- Total 2025 sipdowns: 39

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 (or monkfruit, etc.).

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