Roasted TGY from Muzha, Taiwan from eco-cha. 2020 spring harvest

Info from vendor:

This farmer manages his own small plots of Tie Guan Yin, also known as "Iron Goddess", tea plants and processes the leaves in his home factory. This batch is 75-80% Tie Guan Yin tea leaves blended with a batch of Jin Xuan Oolong that he processed in the traditional Tie Guan Yin fashion.

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By the even, dark color of the balls, the roasting was consistent

Ball size is a bit heterogeneous. Also, stems are prominent

Almost no particles after wash. Overall quality is good.

Dried leaf smelled of raisins and toffee

Did 9 grams in 170 mL pot with boiling water. 45 sec and then +5 sec for subsequent steeps.

First steep had lots of dried fruit as well as medium smoky character that lingers for a long time. Smoke has a herbal/medicinal quality and reminds me of TGY from the 80s.

Second steep was a bit too smoky, bordering smoked lapsang souchong quality. Jin xuan butteriness comes through at this point. Would recommend shorter second steep - maybe 30 sec. Lingering aftertaste of heavily browned butter.

Third steep was less smoky but also less fruity. Some floweriness is more obvious. Has a subcontinent quality.

4+ steeps: lighter and lighter echoes of third steep.

Produced a good quality tea high in me half way through second steep.

Second session tasting noted:

This TGY is beautifully roasted with wonderful herbal and refeshingly cooling menthol notes. It is malty and fruity, with notes of sultanas, dried pineapple and coconut. The leaves are stemmy and rough, as consistent with the traditional character.

Steeped in both glass and lin's ceramic purion mug (picture). Smokiness is subdued in the mug

Comments

Hojo's da xue shan 2019 mao cha (wild tea)

Opening the bag, I was greeted with a thick fruity aroma like grape juice and ripe melons! Brewed 3.5 grams in my 110 mL late 70s hqsn. Flash brewing of course. Wow is this green tea or sheng? Very juicy fruity flavors like white grape juice and some honey. Is this really young sheng? Where is the bitterness??? Where? Can't find it in this tea. There is the slightest throat prickle of astringency...or was that from drinking the tea while it was too hot? Felt very energized after drinking - 3.5g is more than enough! Could actually drink this on a daily basis! Update : after a few sessions, it is clear the tea "changes" quickly once exposed to air, shedding its fresh fruity aromas and gaining more oolong like characteristics. 3.5 g per session quickly becomes too flat - and I find myself progressively using more leaf. On the plus side, the tea gains body and properties that remind me of good gaoshan. The aftertaste is exceptionally robust and comes back in strong waves. V...

Full roast rougui 2018 from dxjd

At 0.8/g from da xue jia dao Steeped 8g/110 mL boiling Flash/ 10s/15s/20s/25s/30s/40s/55s/1min30s/2min/3min/5min/7min/10min/15min/ steeped out in large volume A stunning tea like a velvet hammer. Soft and rich yet presenting a strong but pleasant astringent note that establishes a firm flavor structure. Taste is difficult to describe but includes rich milk chocolate and strong minerality as steeps progress. The early steeps include a bright plummy note that balances out the darker flavors. There is a sensation of walking into an ancient church and seeing a dusty canvas in the shadows layered with little mountains of paint - defined by strong textures and a vague impression of old, long forgotten madness. The minerality is bound tightly with flavors of dried ginseng and ginger. .

Temi 383 "black rose" second flush darjeeling style tea from TWL

Vendor: We asked a champion of less well-known cultivars, Mr. Nalin Modha, for this exceptional example of the Tukdah 383 cultivar, which he processed at peak second flush in June 2020 at Temi estate in Sikkim, India. This tea, from an east-facing garden at 1300m, has thick leaves and midribs, and is very well processed, with relatively intact material for the Darjeeling style. Review: Brewed 2-2.5g/100 mL, 90-95C 60s Alternatively, 4 g/ 100 mL 30s Grape must, old barrels filled with port wine, strong rose aromas. Gets sweeter as i brew harder. An unbelievable tea.

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