Siam Tee Shop

I haven’t had a Sri Lankan tea in a while, let alone one from a semi-wild garden. The vendor recommended steeping 3-4 g of leaf in 100 ml of boiling water, so to use up the sample, I steeped 5 g of leaf in 150 ml of boiling water for 4, 5, and 7 minutes.

The dry aroma of these big leaves is of malt, honey, earth, and wood. Oof! This tea has a kick! The first thing I notice is briskness, followed by raisins, dates, malt, wood, honey, copper, earth, spices, and ugh, tannins upon tannins. This tea dries my mouth out like it’s its job. The second steep adds minerality, smoke, and yep, more tannins. I reluctantly undertook a third steep, which had notes of raisins, earth, grass, malt, wood, and tannins. This tea isn’t finished, but I think I’m finished with it.

I try to give every tea a fair chance, especially if it’s from a sustainable garden, but I didn’t enjoy this tea at all. The vendor usually gives great steeping recommendations, but using boiling water brought out all the flaws in this tea. I don’t know whether using less leaf at a lower temperature would have made an improvement. As it is, this tea was harsh, tannic, and metallic. Maybe people who like breakfast teas would have a better experience. I rarely throw out unspent leaves, but I don’t think I can handle any more of this.

I’ve had Si Ji Chun oolongs from Taiwan ranging from spicy and floral to grassy and unappealing. It will be interesting to try a Four Seasons oolong from Northern Thailand. I steeped 5 g of leaf in 120 ml of 185F water for 30, 25, 30, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 240 seconds, plus some long, uncounted steeps.

The dry aroma is of peanut butter and florals. The first steep has notes of peanut brittle, grass, daffodils, orchids, and herbs. I get a hint of spice, maybe nutmeg. The next steep adds almonds, butter, coriander, and faint citrus. Steeps three and four are similar, with nuts, butter, coriander, nutmeg, herbs, spinach, and grass. The next couple steeps continue to be nutty, buttery, herbaceous, grassy, and slightly floral. In the final steeps, the tea continues to have appetizing aromas of almonds, peanuts, and butter, but is increasingly grassy, vegetal, herbaceous, and sharp.

This is a decent Si Ji Chun, especially in the earlier part of the session. However, it gets grassy and vegetal easily. The vendor’s recommended temperature of 175F for Western steeping probably reflects this. I enjoyed their Thai Sticky Rice Oolong more than their Four Seasons.

I don’t recall seeing Bhakanje either. But the leaves are very nice!

I prepared this tea also gongfu, using all 5 grams in 100 ml. Steeps were 20/30/40/50 and a few longer ones.

In a first steep I got old-well-known Nepalese terroir aromas, those being woody, but also very aromatic herbals, malts (a little like dark, roasted malts) and tannins. Considering that I haven’t made any rinse, this looks good!

Second steep was very malty and adds baked bread notes, which are extremely pleasing to me. There is a little dryness, but nothing too much. I haven’t noticed that much of herbals and florals as Leafhopper, but in the major flavours we noticed the same.

Following steeps were pretty much similar as others, always with some note being more dominant and others were weaker. I would not consider it very drying, but I was drinking it rather fast, that’s true.

I really like this one. But I am a little biased towards Nepalese teas, so that’s why. But it is also just a delicious tea. I will definitely keep this one in my wishlist.

Note: As I go tomorrow for 3 days long business trip, I won’t post any new notes. It will be hard to catch up, but hopefully I can make it!

Bhakanje, founded in 2019, doesn’t have the name recognition of gardens like Jun Shiyabari, at least to me, and I don’t recall seeing its tea on vendors’ websites. It’ll be interesting to see what a supposedly gonfu-able fall black tea from Nepal is like. I steeped 5 g of leaf in 120 ml of 195F water for 15, 25, 35, 45, 55, 75, 90, 120, 180, and 240 seconds, plus some long, uncounted steeps.

The dry aroma of these pretty, tippy leaves is of honey, lemon, lavender, and wood. The first steep gives me notes of honey, lemon, lavender, other herbs, florals, malt, tannins, and wood. The tea is also drying if held in the mouth for too long. The second steep adds baked bread and a fruity note I’ll call pear. In the next couple steeps, I get more distinct lemon, lavender, orchid, violet, and wood, while the tea remains drying. Steeps five and six have more malt, earth, grass, wood, and tannins, though there’s still lots of lemon, pear, orange, and florals. Subsequent steeps are less fruity, though the lavender, herbs, and florals persist. The final rounds of this tea have notes of wood, earth, tannins, minerals, and malt, and some remaining lemon and florality.

Not only can this tea withstand gongfu steeping, but it can perform this way really well. It reminds me quite a lot of the Floral Lapsang Souchong from Wuyi Origin, a light, lemony, floral tea from a very different region. It had some woodiness and was a little more drying than its Wuyi counterpart, but overall, it was very pleasant to drink.

I have to say that the previous reviews of this tea don’t fill me with enthusiasm. I’ve had Vietnamese oolongs long ago, including What-Cha’s famously good Red Buffalo, but don’t remember having any green teas from this region and hearing that they could get bitter. I steeped 5 g of leaf in 250 ml of 160F water for 2, 1.5, 2.5, 4, 5, and 7 minutes.

The dry aroma is quite floral, with hints of spinach and grass. The vendor describes this floral aroma as tea flowers, though my closest guess was orange blossom. The first steep has ethereal notes of orange, pomegranate, kiwi, magnolia, and orange blossom, with background notes of spinach and grass. The next steep continues to carry top notes of pomegranate, orange, honeydew, and florals, with the more vegetal green tea lurking beneath the surface. I get a nice kiwi and honeydew aftertaste from this steep. Steep three is still ethereally fruity and floral, but the green tea is beginning to show its teeth, with spinach, saline, beany, and astringent notes coming forward. Steeped for four minutes, the tea retains some of the magnolia, orange blossom, citrus, kiwi, and melon notes, though they’re becoming a bit soapy and the grass, spinach, and astringency are becoming distracting. The next steep is greener, with notes of spinach, grass, saline, and other veggies and hints of florals and tropical fruit. The final steep is predictably grassy, saline, mineral, and vegetal with slight fruity hints.

This is one of the most fruity green teas I’ve had in a while. I like the tropical and floral flavours, but the astringent, vegetal base gets in the way. I imagine the base would be even more assertive if I’d steeped it using hotter water. This was an interesting tea to try, but it’s not a daily drinker for me.

Also, in case anyone wants even more tea, this is the last weekend of my Black Friday sale. You can get 20% off if you buy three or more items, and a free pouch of Fushoushan Green for orders over US$150. My list of teas is here: https://www.teaforum.org/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=2847

Not long time ago I had my first sticky rice tea from Curious Tea and now a little other one, though named in very similar way.

I used 85°C water for all 4 steeps, starting with two minutes and doing minute incements but last steep was for longer time. And I have used only 2 grams in my 100 ml gaiwan.

First of all, it is strongly aromatic in pouch, so I know exactly what to expect.
First steep was a little bland, though. Definitely some sticky rice notes, maybe a little of milky and floral notes are there too.
But then it started! Second one was very, but very strong and thick tasting. Amazingly long mouthfeel, with sticky rice notes and that floral bomb in my mouth! A little astringent, though. I guess a little shorter steep would be better.
Third steep was milky, rice, and florals were much lower. And last one was… just a little too “oolongy” with a little of sticky rice.

So, I need to find a way, how to make first steep so good as a second. Maybe I just need to be patient enough?

In conclusion: I like this one more than Curious Tea version. By a tiny bit.

I made a separate entry for this oolong because the existing one mentioned green tea from Myanmar (Burma), which is not what the website says this is. I believe I had some sticky rice oolong from What-Cha eons ago, but I don’t remember much about it. I steeped 2.3 g of leaf in 150 ml of 185F water for 2.5, 3.5, 5, and 7 minutes.

The dry aroma is of sticky rice, nuts, milk, and florals. The smell of this tea steeping made me hungry! The first steep tastes distinctly of nutty sticky rice; I also get faint floral, milky, and grassy notes, but the rice is really the main flavour. The second steep is nuttier and slightly more astringent, though the rice is still very prominent. The third steep is remarkably similar. By steep four, the tea is becoming more grassy and vegetal, though the rice persists.

This is by no means a complex tea, but the Jin Xuan conveys the sticky flavour really well and it was enjoyable to drink. If I end up ordering Thai food later today, this tea will be to blame!

It’s been a while since I’ve had a Ya Shi Xiang. Sometimes they’re floral and fruity, and other times they’re roasted to a level that obscures most other flavours, and you never know which type you’re going to get. Though the vendor’s steeping instructions seemed a bit odd for a Dancong, I decided to follow them because their parameters for their other teas have been solid. I steeped 5 g of leaf in 120 ml of 190F water for 40, 30, 40, 50, 60, 75, 90, 120, 180, and 240 seconds, plus some long, uncounted steeps.

The dry aroma is of honey, vanilla, and florals (I’m guessing gardenia, violet, and orchid). The first steep of this Dancong is an aromatic treat: honey, vanilla, orange, milk, jasmine, orchid, violet, and gardenia. In the mouth, I get hints of the roast, minerals, and tannins that are characteristic of Dancongs, though I also get many of the florals, especially jasmine. Jasmine, gardenia, and orange are prominent in steep two. Jasmine is the star in the next couple steeps, combined with vanilla, milk, caramel, and minerality, plus other florals. Steeps five and six feature jasmine, gardenia, milk, and banana, but the minerality, roast, and tannins are starting to assert themselves. The next couple steeps are a bit grassy and vegetal, but continue to deliver that lovely jasmine taste and aroma. It’s only near the very end of the session that the tea becomes roasty, mineral, and fairly astringent, though the jasmine and sweetness persist.

This is exactly the kind of Dancong that keeps me interested in exploring these often disappointing teas. It’s no secret that I like florals, and this Ya Shi Xiang has them in spades. It also has incredible longevity. I have a feeling that babying this tea with regard to temperature had a lot to do with mitigating the astringency. Some people might find it too perfumey and not sufficiently roasted, but while I respect traditional tea making, this very floral Dancong was a pleasure to drink.

This is my very first experience with “Duck ßh*t aroma” oolong and while I always wanted to try this mysterious tea, I am not sure I really wanted to try it today after very awful day at work.

That’s why I acutally started with La Via del Té one, but this comes after a little nap.

I steeped as suggested by vendor, 40 seconds being first steep using all 5 grams today in my 100 ml gaiwan, second a little shorter and then steeps with shorter, approx. 10 seconds increments.

The leaves were wonderful to look at, twisted, glossy and long, with no particular aroma detected, even though I have used a preheated gaiwan. Maybe I was just too tired or unfocused.
However, the aroma after first steep is very strong and fragrant. It tickles my nose, with something I am not able to describe well, but I think it can be that English name of it. It is very specific combination of mineral notes with fruits and florals.

As of taste of first steep, I am again pretty much clueless, but it is smooth and not bitter or astringent, very mouthcoating, but what the flavours are?

Second steep was 25 seconds only. Used leaves became more mineral, and a little salty maybe? The liquor is again very mouth coating and I do notice gardenia as in the oolong I had which was with those flowers. But this one was more intense, almost like an incense stick. Also it reminds me Pardubice Dobra Cajovna tearoom in such a way. After cooling a bit more, it is a little soapy to me… so that floral note is too strong for me.

In third steep I have noticed florals combined with some stonefruits, which are very ripe, almost melting like. Maybe it is a little like mirabelle plums? That aroma of this tea is very distinctive! A little less soap-y.

Fourth steep was approx. 50 seconds long as I needed to clean spilled water a bit and turned on the countdown a little later. But seems to be best steep? The soapy notes are gone and instead I got a nice, somehow fruity, notes.

And I steeped it a few more times, but let’s finish this tasting note here.

Do I like it? Well, I am not that sure. It was interesting and the mouthfeel was nice and long-lasting, however… well, it seems it is indeed taste to be acquired. And for that I would need more than 5 grams. Also 5 grams seem to be a little too strong, but I didn’t wanted to keep an awkward amount left. I may get a small bag when I place another order there.

We have decided with Leafhopper to make it in the very same way — those were parameters: 195°F (90°C) water, 3 steeps: 120, 90, 180 seconds. Prepared 2.5 grams of tea in 150 ml of water.

While I really liked first two steeps, they were very delicate, smooth and floral, the third was somehow heavy and cloying. As of flavours, I detected hay, florals and grapes. The aroma was very nice, too — in the two steeps, mostly again floral (meadow flowers), combined with delicate grape and hay notes as in taste. It was surprisingly similar!

Not a tea I would need to keep in my cupboard, but tasty enough to try now and then.

I remember trying this tea many years ago and not having a favourable impression. However, I like Doke’s commitment to sustainability and hope that they may have refined their processing (or my preferences may have changed). I steeped 2.5 g of leaf in 150 ml of 195F water for 2, 1.5, and 3 minutes, plus a couple uncounted steeps.

The dry aroma is of honey, grapes, nuts, florals, and hay. Brewed this way, the tea is very delicate. I get notes of honey, chamomile, muscat grapes, hay, nuts, meadow flowers, and herbs. The tea has a dryness in the mouth that isn’t totally in keeping with all of these nuanced flavours. The sweetness builds as I drink the tea, with the grapes and honey becoming more prominent. The next steep features grapes, honey, lemon, oats, chamomile, and herbs, with some noticeable astringency. Steep three has notes of herbs, grass, and honey, but is getting vegetal and kind of metallic. I understand why the vendor advises calling off the session here. My final two steeps retained the honey sweetness but were not as polished.

I enjoyed this tea a lot more this time, possibly due to the steeping parameters. Its honey sweetness and fruitiness remind me more of a very high-quality first flush Darjeeling than a Fujian silver needle. I wonder if the lurking astringency is due to this tea being made from Assam leaves. I admire Rajiv Lochan and the Doke estate for their innovation in Indian tea making, and they’ve produced an interesting take on white tea that I enjoyed revisiting.

It seems we had this tea in the very same time with Leafhopper but I am writing a note a little later, as I went distracted a bit. Also we did very similar steeping parameters. It would be fun to prepare it together and share the impressions with each other right away.

Well, I have to agree that vendor’s notes about aromas are just right. Honey, fig, little smoke, wood. I would add another description and that would be tobacco after making the leaves wet.
The flavours are pretty much similar and it was nice and fruity and while I couldn’t point out the fruit on the first sight, it was the fig. I need to have more experience with this fruit apparently. It was very round and sweet, however a bit longer steep turned it a little drying, exactly how Leafhopper notices too.

In conclusion, it was very tasty and enjoyable tea from a little less common terroir of production and maybe just because that I am biased — and raising a rating because of that. I have used all 5 grams for 100 ml gaiwan.

This could very possibly be my first tea from Laos. I know One River and maybe The Steeping Room sometimes carry tea from this region, but I don’t think I’ve ever tried any. I steeped 5 g of leaf in 120 ml of 195F water for 45, 60, 75, 90, 120, and 240 seconds, plus some long, uncounted steeps.

The dry aroma of these long, dark leaves matches the vendor’s description: honey, fig, smoke, malt, and wood. I get notes of malt, wood, honey, fig, smoke, grain, and caramel. My relatively long 45-second steep brought out some tannins, even though I was using five grams instead of my usual six. Also, fig is a great description for the round, fruity notes I often find in these types of teas. The next steep has hints of fig, but more notes of honey, hay, malt, and especially wood. It’s a bit drying if held in the mouth for any length of time. Steeps three and four are still round and fruity, with some apple hints as the tea cools. Subsequent steeps feature honey, malt, hay, wood, tannins, earth, and smoke. The tea fades into earth, malt, smoke, tannins, and wood.

I could easily mistake this for a Yunnan black tea. Its rustic, fairly uncomplicated profile was pleasant on this cold winter day. It got a bit too drying for me on occasion, but the flavours were nicely balanced and those leaves were beautiful.

As I was very pleased last year with Siam Tee shop Advent Calendar, I have decided to get it again this year. And I am happy to see that this tea wasn’t here last year, so Thomas picked up different teas this year.

I preheated my gaiwan and added 3 grams of tea to it. I got mostly grass and green bean notes when dry, but when steeped, other greens appeared as well as the nutty (chesnut?) notes which were very pleasing.

I did 3 counted steeps, starting with 55 seconds, 75 seconds being second and third was 90 seconds long. Then a few longer ones, but without measuring.

All of them were very smooth, grassy and nutty, as I do like it, with a few veggies. Leafhopper said beans and peppers, my palate seems to be not refined enough for saying it clearly. The aroma of leaves turned a little into orchids and citruses, which I find interesting — my previous experience with Anji Baicha does not had those.

I also really liked the visual of the tea when dry, but also when wet; those pine needles color as well as the shape is somehow relaxing to me and the color says to me it is a good tea. Very fresh, no signs of fading or getting yellow. Remaining 2 grams will be worth another session, maybe with a little less water.

A nice start of the Advent season as well!

Advent Calendar Day 1

I finally decided to do an Advent calendar this year. Thanks, Martin, for suggesting this vendor. Including a Mingqian Anji Bai Cha for the first day is a good indication that they’re dedicated to providing higher-quality tea. Following the instructions on their website, I steeped 3 g of leaf in 120 ml of 195F water for 55, 75, and 105 seconds, plus some longer, uncounted steeps. Suggesting this steeping method shows great confidence in their tea, as greens typically get bitter at higher temperatures.

The dry aroma is of green beans, orchids, grass, and soft citrus. The first steep has notes of green beans, green pepper, asparagus, grass, orchid, orange, and umami. There’s a touch of bitterness, but it’s not overwhelming. The next steep features asparagus, green pepper, butter, and grass. Steep three is a little softer, emphasizing buttered green beans, green pepper, asparagus, florals, grass, and minerals. Later steeps lose some of their complexity, becoming grassier and more vegetal but not bitter.

This is a nice, sweet, floral Anji Bai Cha. I’ve been kind of spoiled by offerings from specialist tea vendors, but this holds up really well for the price. Everything is in balance and it takes hot water like a champ!

I do have a new gaiwan, as the old one suffered an accident and lid shattered into a milion pieces. So, I took this a freebie sample from my last Siam Tee Shop order (of Advent and Vietnamese oolong) — Thank you! to test it. It is a little smaller (just 100 ml) but it seems it works same, or maybe even better; considering that the lid is a little more sunken than the other one. Of course, I feel bitter about that gaiwan, but a new one is also very nice.

I am writing this note two days later, as Steepster was rather funky, not mentioning my busy life and no time to write it before.

I wonder if Leafhopper is aware about TaiTung oolongs?

Anyway, to the tea. I think you will be surprised it tastes quite like a black tea? Strong malt notes were there, followed with ripe fruits and brown sugar. Smooth as a honey, so does tastes like it; and it was very aromatic dry and wet too.
Although it is heavily roasted, there are just a little roasty notes for me, and definitely no bitterness or rough notes from this process.
It has got a wonderful mouthfeel, as already mentioned and very long-lasting.

I just wish to have more than this 5 grams sample.

Steeped roughly 40s/30s/40s/40s/60s and some random steeping times.

ADVENT DAY 24, tea 1/3

If you feel that I have missed one tea from day 23, you’re absolutely correct. I didn’t drank it yet, in the time I am writing this note. And as I wanted to use my new tea pot… and enjoy a tea I can share, decided to skip that tea and prepare this one.

It has been phenomenal and there were just loads of flavour and complexity. Honey, spices, baked fruits, malt, brown sugar, you name it. Just a lot and not clashing each other at all… and the cups were great for sniffing and drinking.

Incredlibly smooth and mouth coating, with long and long mouthfeel and aftertaste; definitely, worth more steeps than this single one, but alas, I didn’t had time. But yes, it will appear in my next order at the Siam Tee Shop; once I finish lots of other black teas I have.

My father, who enjoyed this tea with me, said it is great tea and liked it very much and always asked for more once he has finished his cup. That’s something very uncommon from him. And I guess, it is a proof of very good tea.

New teapot (quick picture from phone: https://www.flickr.com/photos/152410333@N04/54226080868 ; including 4 cups (2 pictured))

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

ADVENT DAY 23, tea 2/3

A tea I drank yesterday too; steeped western, in a busy environment. Not a best setting for such a good tea.

Very floral, from mangolia as well as from tea itself. Very smooth and refreshing, I will probably buy a small qty to try it gongfu and in more calm place.

It would be much better if earlier in the advent; but that’s just my wish as I just couldn’t focus on this tea that much as I would like to.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

ADVENT DAY 22, tea 2/3

If I didn’t had so busy day, I would prepare this tea gongfu. Instead, I prepared it western and steeped twice. Luckily, this tea seems to don’t have a trouble with it and both infusions were equally tasty.

First steep was 4 minutes long and I got lots of, as I have read, typical #18 flavours. That’s robust full-bodied strong tea, with flavours that can be spicy — cinnamon mostly, woody notes (but in such a good way) and complexity. I haven’t noticed any freshness of mint; but I was completely okay with that.

The leaves expanded in my strainer so well, so I immediately thought that I have to try it for second time.

Second steep, which was 5 minute long brought very similar impressions, though a little bit weaker, that’s definitely real fact; but definitely still very flavourful. I assume it was more woody, instead of spicy, but I didn’t find it as a flaw.

Definitely, I will have to buy more of this one day, to give it chance steeping gongfu and overall… it is just so damn good tea and distinctly different from Nepalese or Georgian teas that I like, by a lot, too.

A sipdown! (M: 1 Y: 17) prompt: February 2 – Groundhog Day – drink the same tea twice!

Well, as I finished a whole pot by myself; it passes this prompt I guess.

My impressions are very same as during advent season, very mellow jasmine tea with long mouthfeel. Just steeping time needs to be longer and hotter water doesn’t hurt it (used 90°C today) at all.

ADVENT DAY 21, tea 2/3

I have decided to brew this grandpa style and using one heart (I have received two).

Well, it wasn’t the cleverest thing to do, as leaves here are qute small and they are all in the mug. However, taste-wise it was fine, mostly jasmine (obvious) and fine white tea, sometimes a bit tends to white grapes; hay and meadows. Smooth and tasty, not bitter at all and again here we got a long mouthfeel.

Nothing I would purchase myself, but as a gift to someone — why not.

ADVENT DAY 19, tea 3/3

Hmm, an oolong. Alishan oolong.
Gaiwan time again; so 5 grams / 125 ml and boiling water.

So yes, gongfu with rather longer steeps… first three were 60/40/70 seconds long and then I just steeped it as long as I thought it is just right.

Definitely it is a floral bomb, lilacs and orchids… and in flavour a very mild, slightly green oolong notes (grass and meadows) and as well as some milkiness.

I believe I had better oolongs, but this is a very fine example for daily drinking. Or, maybe rather, a no fuss drinking. I have no comparation if it is not too expensive for that, though.

ADVENT DAY 18, tea 3/3

I am still behind. I am glad I finished the day though; there was rarely time for 2 cups. But I managed it.

This tea looks visually very nice. Lots of golden needles, some black ones and smells wonderfully. I regret I didn’t had time to brew it at work (on time), because I believe, based on my experience today with western brewing; that it could survive grandpa brewing.

Today late afternoon/early evening sessions were wonderful and I am glad I had two.
I couldn’t point out the aroma when sniffing first steep, I thought about honey but my brother disagreed. But it was familiar and so cozy.
When sipped, there were lots of flavours and I am not able to pin them all. But wihout any more ado, here are a few that comes to mind when drinking second steep: bread, freshly baked bread or bread crust; yams; malt; cocoa and chocolate — that goes well to the coconut balls we were making; a little of spicy notes, and again, I do notice that honey-ish note, especially when a little colder.

High chances to buy a bigger pouch of this.

A sipdown! (M: 2 Y: 42): prompt: your freshest green tea.

I have used remaining 2 grams in my teapot; which was a maybe too little; but 90°C water (which is in my opinion a bit too much) and 3 mintues steeping time produced a good cup.

My impressions were pretty much same like last time, nice grassy sencha without a note of seaweed. It has faded a bit and it’s past its time of “freshly cut” grass, it is “just grassy”. A huge change of flavours for me as I got it after I finished my gongfu session I wrote about in my previous tasting note.