Peony Tea S.
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Today in class we had Pu er tea. I think it is a black tea. We learned that the older the pu er tea is, the better the quality, higher the price, and happier the person drinking it (typically). We gave it a strong taste when we brewed it, It also tasted of earth, like the oolong teas.
9/14/18
I came home from work, still super sick. And I really really wanted an oolong. This one seemed like it’d do, so I got everything together and brewed up the sample. Thank you, Kittenna, for sharing!
I’m afraid I can’t really taste/smell right now, but it’s just what I wanted. It’s a complex floral tea. Tastes and feels like an oolong. I’m having fun watching it expand, too, which is honestly part of why I wanted to drink it.
Yum. Definitely something I’d try again if I came across it.
(Flash steeping at a high temp today.)
Preparation
Sample from Kittenna! Thank you. :)
There are no steeping instructions here on Steepster, so I did just over 1 minute at 185F for this first steep. The leaves are not fully open yet, so I expect it’ll last 2-3 more steepings.
It’s supposed to smell really cinnamony, but it doesn’t. It smells toasted, which isn’t really my favourite for an oolong. Sipping, it’s actually really sweet. Wow. I wasn’t expecting that. Goes great with my cookie. :)
Preparation
Sorry :( I stopped writing instructions on baggies when I stopped using them myself (a long time ago). The package did have instructions, though I can’t recall what right now.
Oh, it’s fine! I did a bunch of steeps and then saved the leaves for the next day, but I accidentally threw them out. :( I really liked how this tasted so sweet when it smelled a bit toasty.
I think I’ve had this one sitting around in a Ziploc a bit too long. I was very disappointed in this cuppa. The first sip was surprisingly flavourful, almost like a blend instead of a straight tea – reminded me of Christmas. That taste quickly settled into a sort of musty flavor, faintly vegetal, very flat and uninteresting. Sad.
Preparation
Another sipdown, this one from KS.
This is the 3rd dong ding I’ve drank in 2 days. They have all tended to be more savory & less floral than the TGY I had awhile ago. They also all look very much the same, & for the most part, they have tasted about the same, with a lightly roasted veggie & sourdough bread kind of taste. This one is the sweetest of the 3, or at least it seems that way right now.
294
I have got to get myself a good inexpensive cake of shu for at work. And home. When I get tired of the same black teas, I tend to refresh my palate with a cuppa shu. However my options are extremely limited to mostly samples and oftentimes things I have not yet reviewed so I don’t want to take them to work where I don’t focus on them. Then I forget what I thought and how to steep and don’t know what to order. I still have three samples from Mandala to try, but I need to have time at home with hubby so we can both get our impressions and decide which (if any) is worth stocking.
So.
I went through the stash Monday night and brought in some samples that I had dupes of so I have options at work. While doing that, I unearthed the remains of this sample which was provided to me for free several years ago. I didn’t really see much from this company but the three samples I had were good quality but a bit pricey, if I remember correctly.
This makes a really nice cup that I don’t have to focus on but can still enjoy. No bitterness, not too dark or roasty which I don’t like. There is a full flavour which reminds me of wood and rain and clean barns. It’s not fishy or dirty, but is earthy and warm. Delish!
I drink new teas at work all the time and feel badly about it that I can’t write good reviews a lot of the time. Sometimes I remember to jot notes down, but a lot of the time I forget.
It bugs me when I can’t remember what I thought of a tea and that happens a lot if I have a new one at work. Then I need to try it again to get real impressions. Thus, favourites or tried and true ones tend to end up at work for me.
Whoops. I got this one quite a while ago and tried it and thought I reviewed it. Obviously not, as I discovered when I came here to see what my thoughts were back then. I have tried a few more puerh in the interim and find myself enjoying shu more than sheng, for now at least. I want to love puerh as it seems like the next logical step for a black tea lover like myself but sometimes I strain to find the flavours that others get – I seem stuck at wet wood and barn. Enjoyable, but hardly full of nuance.
Today I steeped this up with the beau after failing to see Thor (they sold out while we were in line!) and a delicious supper of ginger chicken. I ate too much and am hoping that pu will work it’s magic and keep my tummy happy.
I steeped this in a pot for convenience rather than gongfu style, but it still came out fairly well. I was afraid of accidentally making it too potent so I went a bit lighter on the leaf (one heaping “perfect” teaspoon at 2.5 minutes). This made just enough for each of us to have one cup and it was pretty darn good. The aroma at first was much like the dry leaf, with the wet wood, hay and leather aromas I associate with puerh. The taste had a bit of that at the start but in the aftertaste there was a lingering sweetness and it was very clean with no bitterness. I probably could have pushed it a little more on time or leaf, but this was a really easy drinking cup and it stood up to the western style brewing very well. I look forward to trying it in different ways.
Definitely a nice smelling tea but tastes good too. There’s no way to do multiple short steeping before work in the morning unfortunately so I have yet to try that way. Still this is a warm, toasty tasting tea. Even if I forgot it steeping while I was getting my lunch packed for the day it came out without bitterness. It’s tasty all by itself.
Ohhh this is nice, it seems a lot bolder than the other huang shan mao fengs I’ve tried so far. It almost smells like a Dragonwell.
Definitely sweet, almost reminiscent of a green oolong with the way it is so floral. There’s also a bit of vegetal notes to it too, not really sure quite what.
Thanks to Kittenna for the sample! a dark roasty oolong, just the way I like it. I get a very slight bitter edge to it as well, but so barely noticeable that I almost missed it. There is natural sweetness there to, as is expected with a darker oolong. Coffee. Yes this def reminds me of coffee. I think it is partially the aroma. Mmmm. I love the depth in this!
Rating: 85
Not sure whether this was from Sil or Kittenna but either way, big thank you!
This was tasty green. Vegetal and sweet like Gyokuro, but lighter. Tasty!
Rating: 85
Totally kittena :) and I dunno why you’re having trouble sorting samples…you got like 10 haha
cuz we bagged them on the spot, so I wasn’t sure lol
Hahaha, Sil’s were all nicely packaged into the little bag! This one was from me, yes :P
yep I realized that while I was sleeping. Was super tired when I wrote that!
Tastes more like a Taiwanese oolong, its great! Full review here: http://www.examiner.com/review/peony-tea-s-phoenix-dancong-heavenly-fragrance-review
Preparation
Many thanks to D. Chew for sending me this and other samples of their tea to try and review. They were delivered to work right after a HUGE lunch so this was a perfect way to settle my tummy and unwind. There is a distinct sweetness to this tea and a slight light maybe spinach quality to it. I won’t rate yet becasue I want to give this tea proper attention later.
So I’m fairly certain that this was from kittena judging by the tasting notes. While this tea isn’t bad, it goes into my “oolong” bucket. That is to say, the type of tea I just don’t often care for. There’s nothing wrong with this tea but it carries that distinctive taste that says OOOoOoOoOoOooooOoolong! To me ;) which means that’s all that I can focus on. That being said this tea has a beautiful golden colour when steeped and there’s a taste behind the oolong that is quite nice. I’ll withhold rating it though as my dislike of oolongs would bring it down.
Appreciate the chance to taste it though :)
So for you it seems it is Ooowrong.
LOL I love Oolong but I can see how some would totally dislike it.
Yeppers, Indigobloom didn’t get in on Peony Tea S.‘s promo, so it was from me. I don’t recall if I liked it, but given that I do enjoy dark oolongs… probably!
You did like it heh
Azz-lol
nope nope not from me. But it was tasty as far as I can recall!
Azz- baha! you made me giggle :P
Haha, I was clearly too distracted for Azzrian’s comment to even register with me! That’s funny!
Thank you CK for this lovely tea.
It is very different than any other green than I have had. Before I looked it up here on Steepster, I thought maybe it was a white tea, though it tastes different than the whites I have had too. There is something sweet that lingers in the background, but I can’t say what it is. It is delicate, yet full of flavor at the same time (sometimes less is more :) )
I will definitely be re-steeping this one as soon as I finish my cup. ｡◕‿◕｡
Preparation
Thank you LiberTeas for sharing this one with me!
A very nice naturally sweet green!
Full review will post Feb 4th on SororiTea Sisters but here are my snippits:
As I lifted the cup I picked up a lovely buttery aroma, almost like butterscotch candy due to the sweet aroma being also quite strong. Such an inviting sensation!
There is a wonderful silkiness to the mouthfeel which is brothy and thick.
The color of the steeped leaf is the palest hue of gold.
Dry leaf: Dark, toasty. Slight greenness like a tgy. Slight burnt smell. Very tightly rolled.
Wet Leaf: A lot of the toasty smells disappear and the aroma turns into a darker tgy smell
Taste: This tea is much like a tgy. It may be slightly darker and the flavor is stronger. There are also less floral notes. Overall a nice oolong, with stronger flavor than some other low fired greens.
This is wonderful. I am sort of in love with it which is a surprise because so far I had not really loved white teas.
The leaf itself is beautiful and slightly strange – so silvery, so long, the strangeness that is the blossom. It smells wonderfully, an essence of tea smell with notes which remind me of raisins and yes, vague flowers (I have no idea what peonies smell like!).
I could not control temperature too well, so keep in mind the desired 80C are probably just an approximation. But regarding the liquor, brewing this at the advised amount with bottled water, at close to the advised temperature, and at 2 minutes per steep:
1st steep – very pale, very light golden with no hints of red (yet). Surprisingly full of body and tastes fruity and slightly floral at the same time, a taste which reminds me a bit of grapes – tiny grapes with a lot of skin but sweet table grapes just the same (comparing anything to wine grapes would not be a compliment!).
weirdly I do not like at all the smell during the steep, it smells very grassy and almost minty, I worry if I am using too hot water. But it does not translate to the taste of the steep
2nd steep – no worries after all. A deeper color, and flavour much richer, with perhaps even more body. No bitterness or astringency. Absolutely wonderful.
3rd steep – ah, now it has decided to remind that yes indeed this is related to black tea. The color now really has reddish tones. Just as sweet if not even more, with even more body, and the taste has now moved fully to raisins. I try to decide if this or the 2nd steep is my favorite, I decide the 2nd probably but it is close.
Brewing the 4th steep I am wary, I think the leaves are probably gone.
4th steep – but no, still alive and kicking. Slightly less rich than the 3rd steep, but still great and full of body. Lovely. I am going to go for a 5th steep but decided to stop the review right here since Peony Tea S only advises 4 steeps, not fair to take it further and risk finding fault on it when it´s me taking it past its limits.
I received this tea from Peony Tea S a few months ago, when they were asking for volunteers to test their shipping services, thank you so very much for your generosity! They selected the teas and I took my time getting to them. This was a weird psychological thing: a mix of weather, me being slightly intimidated by the tea´s obvious quality and wanting to try them for the first time when I could give them their due attention. I left this for last because well, silly me, thinking I was not fond of white tea. I was wrong, of this I am very very fond indeed.
Ah, a note, as advised by Derek, I kept this (and the green tea) in the fridge, sealed and double sealed from the rest of the fridge. I think it is more than worth that small effort!
Preparation
That’s so interesting that takes on reddish hues! I’ve always neglected white peony for silver needles but this sounds so complex and lovely. You had me at “grapes”.
It does indeed take reddish hues but most noticeable at third infusion – I think third infusion really reminds you that hello, it´s the same plant as black tea after all!
About grapes, ah, it´s probably my cultural bias. I never smelled peonies in my life but can mentally file 10 or 20 different grape tastes ;) It goes a bit like little sweet ripe grapes to those grapes left in the vine which get all dried up and are oh so sweet but not dry enough to be raisins yet.
And do not tell anyone, but am drinking the 5th steep so far and it is lovely! Not as good as the previous ones but far better than any white tea I ever had. Weird, I like this bai mu dan much better than the silver needles I tried before.
I envy your ability to distinguish grapes. The greater complexities of grapes, and in extension, wine, are almost entirely lost on me. I’m at the level where I can say this one’s sweet, and that one not so much, and ice wine is very sweet.
It’s been a while since I’ve smelled peonies but the ones I did come across were of the variety with little to no scent. Faintly sweet, almost like a lily, if they did produce an odor, if I recall correctly. I’ve heard different variety of peonies can smell completely different too, and that certain teas have grape-like qualities to them, so your description is helpful. It definitely makes me want to pick up some of this.
Five steeps is great and marks a good tea! I rarely manage to get that many in.
I love peonies, the flowers, but almost have only seen them in florist – no scent, and the ones I have seen growing had very little! So no idea. But it might be like roses, a lot of roses you see grown ornamentally or particularly sold in florists have hardly any scent and can give only a pale idea of what truly old roses or roses grown for oil smell like. A rose garden of old species roses can be an incredible revelation.
Wine is everywhere in this country. It´s something I compare with tea a lot and which has a lot in common with tea.
I even made a sixth steep but the fifth was the last great one. Still five steeps, incredible.
peonies are my fav flowers (in light pink)- the smell is so wonderful really. I should try in a tea as well. Florist now have often “frozen” flowers…which leads to less perfumed flowers unfortunately
Oh I think white peony tea is usually not really scented with peonies (though I got a black blueberry tea which includes peony scent reportedly). These white peony tea is just, I think, literal translation from the Chinese bai mu dan ou tai mu pan or something like that. But it is just the name of this type of white tea, no peonies involved though sellers description mentions it is supposed to have floral notes similar to peonies.
okay so I’ll have to blend real peonies myself (!) oh lord it would be terrible if I blend a tea myself :D
No, it would be fun to “blend” a tea yourself! Well with some considerations, that it would be more like mixing or infusing, not really blending with oils. But it would depend on what you would mix – confess to sometimes mixing different loose teas! I got a very strong violet tea which is lovely if I mix it would something simpler and plainer. And made my own chai mix which turned out pretty OK! I think somethings, particularly already dried herbs and spices or flowers might be easier to work with – lavender, dried roses, cinnamon, etc. Lavender is so strong I guess it would work well (or perhaps too well!). But be careful with fresh flowers or fruits, they might rot in the tea and/or make the tea rot as well – I got a melon flavoured white tea which I swear tastes of rotten fermented melon, urgh. But if you are ever in London check Yumchaa´s Blueberry Hill, blueberries, cream and peonies.
Beautiful emerald green, twisted leaves with a strong vegetal aroma. This tea is naturally very sweet, highly vegetal with hints of creaminess. There’s nothing spectacular about this tea, nothing fancy about this one. I find it is a good everyday green tea, especially if you like the strong vegetal notes.
Preparation
I love Emerald green ! it’s so beautiful. Unfortunately I am not very fond of too strong vegetal green teas.
Ooooh, I loved this one. Apparently that chewy vegetal flavour is quite appealing to me!
It’s also very pretty to look at but it is definitely a vegetal tea, which I like!
Puerh is actually its own classification of tea – sometimes called dark tea.
The ripe version (called shou puerh) is more similar to black tea while the raw version (sheng puerh) shares some characteristics with white tea.
Oh I see, thanks for clearing that up!