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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Hou De 2007 Spring Zhen-Yen "Bai Mu Dan" Wuyi Oolong


Bai Mu Dan is a cultivar of tea known for producing white tea, its English name is White Peony. But it sounds like a clone was made off a Bai Mu Dan plant and transplanted in Wuyi and this tea was proccessed like a typical wuyi yancha.

1: Boiling 25 seconds.
Nose: Mild Coffee notes, Bananas, mango, and light hints of wood (camphor?).

Palate: Woody notes, almost cork like-- no real fruits notes available here.

Finish: Coffee like but slightly more woody.


2: Boiling 15 seconds.

Nose: Same as first brew, but this time much more lighter and fruitier.

Palate: the wood is more subdued, and its taken on a coffee like quality to it. Still almost one dimensional.

Finish: Dry and leaves you wanting more.

3: Boiling 30 seconds.

Nose: Now its almost full fledged fruit smoothie.

Palate: A tinge of astringency, a very mouth filling taste, sorta invades everywhere, but still just about all wood.

Finish: Dry, and dusty.

As a note I usually stop at 3 brews in my tasting notes, as I've found with most teas besides puerh, the tasting notes start to get very redundant the more brews you have. While certain things may come to the front, its mostly all the same notes there.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Hou De 90s Aged Mu-Zha "Si Ji" Oolong

This is an aged Oolong harvested in the early 90's. It is from Mu-Zha Taiwan, and is said to be 30% roasted with a medium wood fire. This will be my first Hou De tea, but I do like the speed of shipping to the united states, and the amound of information they give on the packages.

Aged oolongs are known for having a plum flavor, and a great chaqi. Chaqi being a warming energy/ buzz from tea.

1: 25 seconds Boiling
Nose: The wood smell comes through from the wood fires, almost sawdusty, light hints of fruit (banana?).

Palate: slightly sour, hints of plum, maybe apple cider, banana, cinamon

Finish: Slight sourness, and a dry toast like feeling.

2: 20 seconds Boiling
Nose: More toasted sawdust, hints of plum.

Palate: Alot more sour punch right at the beggining, hints of the wood are comming through, alot more of the roasting is evident in this.

Finish: Sawdust, and sour candy powder's aftertaste ( a dryness, that has a slight sour flavor to it)

3: 40 seconds Boiling.
Nose: plum, and sour berries.

Palate: Sour with toast, rubarb.

Finish: Lingering dryness, with a slightly smoky flavor.

This is a very interesting and pleasing tea. I'm enjoying it emmensly.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Teasprings Wu Yi Cha Wang Da Hong Pao


This is the last of my new teas till I get some more. This is another one of the "fancy" Da Hong Pao's from Teaspring, coming in its own tiny packet, and box. I will be sure to try and get more teas to review shortly, and look at my postings on my other sites for reviews on Coffee, and coming soon Whiskey.

1: 30 seconds boiling.
Nose: Vanilla, Burnt Toast, Hints of coffee, and blue berries.

Palate: Strong bitter begginning, only getting more bitter as time goes on. Very reminiscient of a strong espresso. It also has hints of chocolate, and a slight burt toffee sweetness to it.

Finish: Lingering toast, with a nice hint of sweetness.

2: 20 seconds, Boiling.

Nose: Burnt Toast, A lot more lighter scents now, hints of banana's and citrus, still a slight coffee aroma.

Palate: Molassas, charred toast, possibly a hint of sour apple.

Finish: lingering dryness, leaves you wanting more.

3: 30 seconds, Boiling.

Nose: Well done toast, with hints of cherries.

Palate: Toast,

Finish: lasting coffee.


This one did not impress wholly on the taste, but it was definitely a well roasted DHP, with a wonderful aroma, and interesting finishes.

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