1409 Tasting Notes
2025 sipdown no. 15
This tea is very cream-forward with sweet hay-like undertones. Florals come out more in the second steep (though not nearly as floral as Four Seasons). There’s still a creamy smoothness, balanced with the floral aspects. As it cools, more vegetal flavours come forward.
This one resteeps really well (I regularly did 4x Western steeps) and I’d happily re-order.
2025 sipdown no. 14
I made this both hot and cold steeped. I always managed to enjoy the hot version without making any notes. Alas, I do remember it was very tasty and easy to drink. The last cup, cold steeped, was absolutely delightful. The juiciness is apparent even in the scent, and the taste does not disappoint. The taste is just as sweet and juicy with flavours of blackcurrant, strawberry, and elderberries coming across. The base is great too, not adding any real flavour of its own, but supporting the fruits. Thank you Martin for such a great tea!
I find this tea quite refreshing both hot and once it’s cooled (ahem, mistakenly forgotten). The floral aspects are smooth and linger in an understated way. There is a subtle undercurrent of creaminess and a bit of sweetness. The entire cup is very balanced and delightful. I also find this tea holds up to oversteeping, never becoming astringent.
Both the second and third steeps had just as much flavour. A really lovely tea!
Harvest: Spring, April 2024
Hopefully as I explore more oolongs, I will be able evolve my palate and add more depth to these notes. :)
2025 sipdown no. 11
I adored the Iceberg tea from Dark Tickle, and was thrilled to find two sachet options from this company handy to me. Sadly, this one was not a winner (I had my suspicions with the sachet). The Ceylon base, in my opinion, wasn’t the best choice here due to the metallic bitterness it imparts, overtaking any berry flavour. Ah well, onto the next!
2025 sipdown no. 10
From across the room, this was all maple in scent. Up close, the scent was very reminiscent of pumpkin pie. The taste was a fairy equal balance of both maple and pumpkin, with hints of cinnamon and perhaps some warmth from ginger in the background.
I had the resteeped leaves cold brewed and the flavour was all pumpkin, little to no maple, with a gentle yet clear ginger heat. Quite a tasty tea overall.
Thanks Martin for sending this my way!
The P&T website says 7 teas make up this blend. The flavour is relatively smooth, no astringency, and light-bodied. There are very subtle hints of floral and an even more subtle sweetness in the background. The second steep is remarkably similar to the first, which is a point in its favour. This tea is nice, but not as special as I had anticipated.
Ehh, the pu-erh mixed into the base makes this a pass for me. It’s not super noticeable and doesn’t have any pu-erh weirdness, but something just seems off. This one started strong and I made it through maybe 1/3 of the 50g, but now I can’t even open the bag because the smell bothers me. I’ll try to rehome, but it may be another compost-down.
