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drank Wild Garden GABA Oolong by Mountain Stream Teas
1604 tasting notes

Dry leaf smells remarkably of raisin toast with a muted cinnamon :)

Teapot time: 5g, 100mL porcelain, 195F. Rinse plus 10 steeps, starting at 10s.

The Spring 2018 harvest is a little different than 2017. Honestly, I can’t remember if it was 2017… I’m pretty dang sure. The 2018 tea is lighter in taste and darker in character like it was more oxidized. There’s also some astringency to this batch that shows up early and fades after a few steeps. I think most of the flavor of this tea comes from the aroma; there are never penetrating flavors on the tongue. The tea’s strong points are its round, fruity fragrance; medium-thick, pectic mouthfeel; a blossoming almost floral grape finish and an inability to be oversteeped once you get past the first several slightly drying infusions. It also performs well western and grandpa.

The taste is less pronounced but still fruity. Straightforward notes of plump, pliable purple raisin mingle with sweet red grapes, butter (sometimes funky), light brown sugar, that GABA bright tartness, minerals and a tone of baked bread. The fruitiness most closely reminds me of warm, rehydrated raisins in a curry — like when they pop in your mouth. Wood presents if I do a little swish. Like other GABA oolong, the tastes don’t exactly evolve. This one does move out into the sweet potato realm but not until the end, and even then it’s still raisin-grape in taste. Steeps out sooner than the 2017.

Giving the Spring 2018 harvest a 90. 2017 I had rated at 98 because it tickled me and had great longevity. Averaging the two gives 94.

Flavors: Bread, Brown Sugar, Butter, Cinnamon, Drying, Flowers, Grapes, Mineral, Nutmeg, Raisins, Round, Smooth, Sweet, Sweet Potatoes, Tart, Thick, Toast, Wood

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 5 g 3 OZ / 100 ML
2 comments
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Kawaii433
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Ever since I tried to sample you sent me, I’ve been seriously thinking of getting some. Thanks again for the sample and for this new review of the 2018 version. :)

derk
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You’re welcome. I have to get some more now that a winter 2018 harvest is available, see how that differs.

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Comments

Kawaii433
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Ever since I tried to sample you sent me, I’ve been seriously thinking of getting some. Thanks again for the sample and for this new review of the 2018 version. :)

derk
Delete

You’re welcome. I have to get some more now that a winter 2018 harvest is available, see how that differs.

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This place, like the rest of the internet, is dead and overrun with bots. Yet I persist.

Eventual tea farmer. If you are a tea grower, want to grow your own plants or are simply curious, please follow me so we can chat.

I most enjoy loose-leaf, unflavored teas and tisanes. Teabags have their place. Some of my favorite teas have a profound effect on mind and body rather than having a specific flavor profile.

Favorite teas generally come from China (all provinces), Taiwan, India (Nilgiri and Manipur). Frequently enjoyed though less sipped are teas from Georgia, Japan, and Nepal. While I’m not actively on the hunt, a goal of mine is to try tea from every country that makes it available to the North American market. This is to gain a vague understanding of how Camellia sinensis performs in different climates. I realize that borders are arbitrary and some countries are huge with many climates and tea-growing regions.

I’m convinced European countries make the best herbal teas.

Personal Rating Scale:

100-90: A tea I can lose myself into. Something about it makes me slow down and appreciate not only the tea but all of life or a moment in time. If it’s a bagged or herbal tea, it’s of standout quality in comparison to similar items.

89-80: Fits my profile well enough to buy again.

79-70: Not a preferred tea. I might buy more or try a different harvest. Would gladly have a cup if offered.

69-60: Not necessarily a bad tea but one that I won’t buy again. Would have a cup if offered.

59-1: Lacking several elements, strangely clunky, possesses off flavor/aroma/texture or something about it makes me not want to finish.

Unrated: Haven’t made up my mind or some other reason. If it’s puerh, I likely think it needs more age.

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Sonoma County, California, USA

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