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Scheherazade drank Mi Xian Black by Butiki Teas

2238 tasting notes

So, after achieving a good number of sipdowns this week, I decided to spend the last day of my holiday drinking teas I’ve been holding back on. I brought out the “I Love Leafhoppers” sampler I got a while back, and this was the first one I tried! From the very first sip, I can see why this one gets so much love on here.

For my first cup, I followed the recommended parameters on the pouch , and gave 2tsp of leaf 4 minutes in boiling water. The most difficult thing was measuring a teaspoon — the leaves are so big they don’t really fit that measure particularly well. In appearance, this reminds me of other taiwanese blacks — the leaves are a very dark brown, almost black, and are very long and twisty.

Brewed, the liquor is a medium golden brown, and the scent is sweet with an edge of malt. The first sip is sweet too, and I can detect flavours of honey and a light fruitiness. This develops into quite rich, grapey flavour with the tiniest hint of high-cocoa chocolate. It lingers sweetly on the tongue, and has a sliky smooth, almost creamy mouthfeel.

I really am starting to love plain blacks, now that I have some tea experience, and feel better able to judge the flavours. This is a lovely one — not quite my favourite of those I’ve tried so far, but definitely up there! I can see many a happy hours before me with this tea.

Preparation

Boiling 4 min, 0 sec 2 tsp

11 years ago

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Hi :) I’m Sarah, and I live in Norfolk in the UK. My tea obsession began when a friend introduced me to Teapigs a good few years ago now. Since then, I’ve been insatiable. Steepster introduced me to a world of tea I never knew existed, and my goal is now to TRY ALL THE TEAS. Or most of them, anyway.

I still have a deep rooted (and probably life-long) preference for black tea. My all-time favourite is Assam, but Ceylon and Darjeeling also occupy a place in my heart. Flavoured black tea can be a beautiful thing, and I like a good chai latte in the winter.

I also drink a lot of rooibos/honeybush tea, particularly on an evening. Sometimes they’re the best dessert replacements, too. White teas are a staple in summer — their lightness and delicate nature is something I can always appreciate on a hot day.

I’m still warming up to green teas and oolongs. I don’t think they’ll ever be my favourites, with a few rare exceptions, but I don’t hate them anymore. My experience of these teas is still very much a work-in-progress. I’m also beginning to explore pu’erh, both ripened and raw. That’s my latest challenge!

I’m still searching for the perfect fruit tea. One without hibiscus. That actually tastes of fruit.

You’ve probably had enough of me now, so I’m going to shut up. Needless to say, though, I really love tea. Long may the journey continue!

My rating system:

91-100: The Holy Grail. Flawless teas I will never forget.

81-90: Outstanding. Pretty much perfection, and happiness in a cup.

71-80: Amazing. A tea to savour, and one I’ll keep coming back to.

61-70: Very good. The majority of things are as they should be. A pleasing cup.

51-60: Good. Not outstanding, but has merit.

41-50: Average. It’s not horrible, but I’ve definitely had better. There’s probably still something about it I’m not keen on.

31-40: Almost enjoyable, but something about it is not for me.

11-30: Pretty bad. It probably makes me screw my face up when I take a sip, but it’s not completely undrinkable.

0-10: Ugh. No. Never again. To me, undrinkable.