4170 Tasting Notes
From Meowster a while ago! Thank you! Despite its age, this is a flavorful oolong. Neither too delicate and light or too roasted and harsh. I actually steeped it four times (rather than my usual three with most oolongs) as I was getting along with it so well. The flavor notes are hard to find, but it’s agreeable and tasty. It’s GOOD OOLONG.
Steep #1 // 23 minutes after boiling // 1 minute steep
Steep #2 // 10 minutes after boiling // 2 min
Steep #3 // just boiled // 2 min
Steep #4 // just boiled // 3 min
additional notes: I had to check my other notes to make sure I hadn’t already said that I seem to forget about this GEM in my tea collection. It is aging so so well. I really wish more of you were able to try this one. I think it is one of Anne’s best creations. Though I know the problem with that is since it is a mix of white tea/houjicha it will probably never find its way into an advent. It’s so so good though. Even still, it tastes just like a maple cream filling of a candy. A perfect blend. Raising the rating from 89! (I think I raise it every time I have it!)
One of Martin’s notes reminded me of the stash of puerh from Michelle that I should be trying! Thanks again, Michelle! Looking through the samples, I was looking for “golden buds” specifically, as I recently realized that might be the trick to my favorite shou. Put a big chonk in the infuser. To be fair, the leaves don’t LOOK golden at all. It’s all quite uniformly dark. The flavor is lovely! Sweet, so sweet. No negative qualities here. I almost want to call it the most breakfast shou? But that is odd, since I would consider most shou for breakfast… and it could be lingering cinnamon from the last tea in the infuser. The second steep is the same, quite deep, quite sweet. Coffee, bittersweet chocolate, rich. Everything I like about a shou. Four solid steeps, a very slow unraveler. I love it. I actually tried a FIFTH steep, for 20+ minutes, but the brew was relatively weaker, so I don’t think I would bother with a fifth steep again. This cake really does support my theory that it’s all about the “golden buds”. Sadly, I can’t find a cake of this anywhere (I suppose streetshop88 doesn’t exist anymore either.) Interestingly, Rich’s original note from 2015 says he paid only $20 for it!!! Rich also originally noticed a lot of golden buds in the cake which must have changed color by the time it arrived to my infuser!
Steep #1 // 23 minutes after boiling // rinse // 2 1/2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 10 minutes after boiling // 2 min
Steep #3 // just boiled // 3 min
Steep #4 // just boiled // 10-11 min
Steep #5 // just boiled // 20+ min
Album: Gaz Coombes – Turn the Car Around
Song: Not the Only Things https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl2NQ8lK0k0
This is from MiepSteep, thanks very much! This flavor type was calling to me today, so here we are. The leaves are absolutely lovely, a rainbow of colors. Huge and twisted. The flavor is what you might expect. Sadly I have already had this sitting for another year since MiepSteep has sent it over, so the flavor notes will not be as distinct as they could be. I bet it was real flavorful back in the day. I wish I could be more specific! I will just have to appreciate its greatness from a distance of time….
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a mug // 21 minutes after boiling // 1 minute steep
Steep #2 // 10 minutes after boiling // 2-3 min
additional notes: I’m really enjoying this one and then remembered that it’s one of the blends that B&B took out of their rotation. Dang it. Why. I remember they culled so many of my favorites back then, and I’m less thrilled with the blends that have stuck around on the tea wall. meh. I guess David’s blend is quite similar to this, and I do have some of that left.
I have some lovely Coffee PU’erh from Teamaze should you need a fix. (Not a recent buy, but it holds up nicely.) Send a message if you’d like to try!
https://teamazeshop.com/shop/coffee/?doing_wp_cron=1711232698.0827438831329345703125
additional notes: Wow, this one is ancient is aging so so well, that last sip of the SECOND steep was perfection – peaches and cream. Heavy on the cream. Heavy on the vanilla. I would definitely restock this one whenever I order from DF….
Flavors: Cream, Creamy, Peach, Vanilla, Whipped Cream
From Daylon R Thomas! Thanks very much! The first time I steeped this, I expected it to be light and tame, used two teaspoons and WOWZAs was that too much. Too astringent. I should have read Daylon’s notes before steeping it up! (I tend to not do that though, so my flavor notes aren’t influenced by the power of suggestion…) So I vowed to try it again with one teaspoon and here we are. MUCH better. The leaves are so big, hints of gold, nutty scent almost? Could be the cashews I had. I didn’t expect it to be so rich, with such huge leaves. The flavor in the first steep is wonderful and just dark and deep enough: Plummy, fruity, a combo of sweet strawberry, fig. But then a spice to it, a kick. Sweet like a pastry, cinnamon roll maybe. I mean, the flavor notes seem so light and sweet but it’s a STRONG tea at the same time. But then I’m wondering if it’s contaminated from the tea in the infuser before. Very drying to the mouth. The second steep it’s like impossibly, beyond dark maple syrup which sets my teeth abuzzin. Syrupy both in flavor and mouthfeel. Quite astringent even with a tame steep. It’s quite unique. Like a stronger Premium Taiwanese Assam. Note to self: ONE TEASPOON.
Steep #1 // 1 teaspoon for a full mug // 20 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 3 min
Album: Bettye Lavette – LaVette
Song: Don’t Get Me Started https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n04sbZXctjA
Flavors: Fig, Maple Syrup, Plum, Strawberry
additional notes: Just a note to say, at six years old, I did not expect this tea to age so well. A surprise, because when I originally tried a sample from a teabox, I thought it was terrible because of the age of the tea. I acquired this sample because it was in the holiday box, so now I’m glad I was forced to give it a second chance! It would definitely be a S&V restock, simply because it has aged so gracefully. (I have quite the list forming.)
2024 sipdowns: 28
Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – March 2024 Tea #7 -March 14 – Pi Day and Einstein’s Birthday
Had to go with a cake tea for all those Steepster bdays! I hope everyone with a March bday has or had a great day! As usual, I’m about a month behind on reading tasting notes, so probably won’t get to wish you well on your own day! This tea is hanging on strong somehow, with a best by date of 2013. Yowzers. Next time will be a sipdown of this particular pouch.
I started drinking and acquiring tea seriously around 2016, so I have a few teas that are almost as old. Glad this has stood the test of time!
We could have an “oldest non-puerh/intentionally aged tea” contest! But we would be brave enough to drink the very oldest ones?
Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – March 2024 Tea #6 – Your tea with the longest name
Thinking of a tea with a long name, I thought of this one which always made me laugh at how absolutely specific and long the name is. So I’m glad to finish it for this prompt today. A touch of flavor remains in this old tea, but it was never my favorite to begin with.
2024 sipdowns: 26
Album: Raze Regal & White Denim Inc
Song: Don’t Laff – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpYl6j5PkhI