87
drank Jin Guanyin by Verdant Tea
1445 tasting notes

After the last three Verdant oolong offerings, this one’s a real treat! Now this is something I’d order again.

If you’re planning to drink this tea I advise not to be like me and pair it with strong foods, like sharp cheddar, balsamic vinegar, or salmon burgers. The first steep is lilac butter, and while it does feel “fat thick” it’s still a delicate flavour profile.

Second and third steep offer lighter floral notes, with a touch of cream gaining ground on that butter note. Lingering aftertaste reminds me of an uncooked plantain, or soaked rice; it’s subtly starchy, and creamy-sweet from it.

Fourth steep smells of spiced flowers and lime fruit. There are a lot of things going on that I can’t pinpoint so I will sum it up as “floral fruit juice cream.” It’s like eating mango-flavoured tofu desserts (texture), while walking through a flower garden and sniffing all the violets.

Fifth steep is starting to get tired, so we’ll call it quits here.

Steep Count: 5 (x2)

I was drinking a gongfu cup (180-190F, 15sec), alongside a less impressive western style (185-190F, 3min) cup, which I didn’t make a note of here. It was generally flatter than the gongfu method, but the third steep was distinctly citrus-lime; the added cream and malt notes made me think of key lime pie.

(2016 Fall Harvest)

Flavors: Butter, Cream, Floral, Lime, Malt, Mango, Rice, Violet

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 4 g 4 OZ / 118 ML
Daylon R Thomas

Definitely up my alley then

Evol Ving Ness

mmm, I’m thinking wow too.

Crowkettle

It’s good, especially if you like tieguanyin varieties! I found my steeping preferences for it yet though; it’s so light.

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Daylon R Thomas

Definitely up my alley then

Evol Ving Ness

mmm, I’m thinking wow too.

Crowkettle

It’s good, especially if you like tieguanyin varieties! I found my steeping preferences for it yet though; it’s so light.

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Bio

I started my Steepster loose leaf adventure back in 2012. I can’t say I’m completely new anymore, but I still view oolong as a magical, extraterrestrial creature that unfurls in water.

My favourites are teas like Milk Oolong, Silver Needle,and Japanese Sencha/Gyokuro, or fruity and floral flavoured ones. However, I generally enjoy ALL the teas, including a good old cup of Earl Grey or Breakfast blend.

FAVOURITE INGREDIENTS/NOTES:

DESSERT FLAVOURS
Vanilla, Maple, Caramel, Butterscotch, Cream, Toffee, Nougat, Marzipan, Butter

FRUIT & BERRIES
Citrus Fruits, Passionfruit, Banana, Pineapple, Melons, Blackberry, Raspberry, Currants, Elderberry, Persimmon, Rhubarb..

SPICES
Ginger, Turmeric, Clove-forward chai, Cardamom

AROMATIC & HERBACEOUS NOTES
Sandalwood, Frankincense, Juniper, Eucalyptus, Mints

FLORALS
Lavender, Jasmine, Rose, Lilac, Violet, etc.

VEGGIE/GRAIN NOTES
Spinach, Grass, Hay, Cucumber, Rice, Sweet Potato

Less Preferred Flavours/Ingredients:
Stevia, Apple, Cocoa Nib, Almond, Licorice, Cinnamon-forward blends, Chinese Sencha

Subjective Rating System:
I don’t give a lot of low ratings out, since a) I tend to grab tea I know will appeal to me, and b) I don’t have a lot of strong dislikes.

90-100: Favourites. The Desert Island Teas.
80-89: Loved teas. Possibly staple-worthy.
70-79: Good teas, but I’m less likely to repurchase. Minor quibbles.
60-69: Ok teas. Likely a few preference and/or quality issues.
50-59: Cup of meh. Will do in a pinch.
11-49: Varying levels of undrinkable tea.
1-10: Nightmare tea from the chaos realms. This tea is the embodiment of the primordial swamp, an unholy abomination. It’s very gross and I’m almost positive it doesn’t exist.

Location

BC, Canada

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