Tea Logbook

N.B. the images on this page are broken, please view substack page instead.

Decided it might be nice to document my explorations of tea-space. A lot of the teas I have were sourced from Curious Tea, whom I highly recommend. I use a 150mL teapot so amounts should be scaled accordingly.

This post will be updated over time.

Green

Long Jing Ming Qian Dragon Well

“Long Jing Ming Qian Dragon Well is an exquisite early spring Long Jing harvested before the Qing Ming Festival. It produces a golden liquor with a faint incense aroma and a smooth vegetal profile. The complex sweet and savoury taste has toasty and nutty notes with a fresh zesty finish.”

Preparation: 2.5g in 250ml water at 80°C for 2-3 minutes

Harvested: 30th March 2023

Origin: Xinchang, Zhejiang, China

15/04/2024: The smell is light and refreshing, you are reminded of chocolate. On adding hot water the smell becomes a lot stronger, more earthy and tangy. The brewed tea has a subtle colour and boastful flavour. You are sitting in a log cabin and eating buttered toast. The tea springs back to life, the teapot becomes a spring meadow. 4/5

Kirishima Matcha Genmaicha

“Matcha Genmaicha consists of fine sencha leaves, toasted brown rice and superior grade matcha. Produced to organic standards in Japan, it is known as 'popcorn tea' for its distinctive and unusual flavour. The taste is a little creamy, with a distinctive toasted corn (popcorn) and vegetal profile.”

Preparation: 2.5g in 250ml water at 80°C for 1-2mins

Harvested: June 2022

Origin: Kirishima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan

27/04/2024: A freshly cut green pasture, memories of childhood summers. This particular genmaicha is unusual in its matcha content, giving rice kernels the appearance of alien larvae, triffid amoeba or some such. On addition of hot water the smell becomes dominated by diacetyl - excessively buttered microwave popcorn. The taste however is much more delicate. With subsequent brews the colour grows warmer; the sun above our pasture has begun to set. Delightful experience! 5/5

Nu Er Huan Jasmine Girl Rings

“Nu Er Huan Jasmine Girl Rings is an exceptionally made jasmine scented ‘art tea’ in the shape of small silver rings. Beautiful and strong jasmine fragrance gives way to a lighter sweeter scent on repeated brewing. The liquor is light and smooth with sweet, floral and slightly fruity notes.”

Preparation: 2.5g in 250ml water at 80°C for 2-3 minutes

Harvested: May 2023

Origin: Fujian, Finished: Guangxi

17/04/2024: Vibrant jasmine perfume, water unrolls the serpent tongue leaves. She will reward you if you treat her gently, careful not to over-steep. Except for the exquisite rolling technique this a homely, familiar jasmine tea. Subsequent brews garner a more rounded and softer taste. 3/5

Makinohara Kukicha

“Makinohara Kukicha green tea is made from a mixture of sencha leaves and stalks, resulting in a sweeter character. It produces a green liquor with a grassy aroma. The verdant sweet profile has satisfying toasted notes and a slightly savoury aftertaste.”

Preparation: 2.5g in 250ml water at 70°C for 1-2 mins

Harvested: May 2022

Origin: Makinohara, Shizuoka Prefecture

24/04/2024: Hypnotising floral aromas, white chocolate raspberry and mango truffles; initially suppressed in the hot brew but quickly spring back to life in both smell and taste. Bubbly, energetic, young and enthusiastic… adorable all around! (also the stems are nice and chewy :3) 5/5

Yellow

Oolong

GABA Green Heart Oolong

“GABA Green Heart Oolong is a smooth GABA Oolong, hand crafted from the Qing Xin Gan Zi cultivar plants, grown to organic standards. It produces an amber liquor with a fruity aroma. The sweet taste has notes of fruits and honey with a lasting juicy aftertaste.”

Preparation: 2.5g in 250ml water at 90°C for 2-3 minutes

Harvested: 1 March 2022

Origin: Mingjian Township, Nantou County, Taiwan

16/04/2024: A subtle, milky, complex scent. Notes of pinewood and a hint of citrus. Dried leaves are dense and waxy. Develops into a tannic drawl, almost tarry. Experience reminiscent of a Finnish sauna. Becomes soppy after a few brews. 2/5

Khao Hom Fragrant Rice Oolong

Khao Hom Fragrant Rice Oolong is a light yet flavoursome oolong made from a Jin Xuan cultivar grown in northern Thailand. It is scented with a local plant called Nuo Mi Xiang Nen Ye that is known for its taste and aroma that is akin to rice and vanilla. The light green liquor has a sweet and creamy vanilla flavour with a fragrant rice aroma.

Preparation: 2.5g in 250ml water at 90°C for 2-3 minutes

Harvested: Spring 2022

Origin: Santikhiri, Mae Fa Luang, Chiang Rai, Thailand

20/04/2024: Sticky caramel smell that lingers in the nose, with notes of bamboo and rice felt further down the throat. Plain, umami taste, reaching its maizey peak in the 3rd brew. Hot leaves have the distinct smell of damp straw. An unremarkable tea. You’ve heard good things about it though… worth another try. 3/5

Zheng Yan Rou Gui

“This variety belongs to the cliff oolongs. The tea bushes from which leaves are picked for this tea grow among cliffs, on soil that is formed by the slow destruction of the cliffs themselves, hence the name. Rou Gui is a vivid representative of this category, therefore, during the reign of the Qin Dynasty, it was on the list of imperial teas, and now Wuyi mountains cinnamon is the second most common variety of the tea in Wuyishan. Every year tea contests are organized there and competitions are necessarily held among the tea-representatives of these varieties. Rou Gui has not very large, dense leaves, which can withstand a strong warming on the coals, due to this tea gets its thick and extremely rich flavor. By the way, the name was given to the variety not because it looks like cinnamon, but because its aroma resembles one plant from the Laurel family that grows in those regions. That plant has a spicy aroma and is called Chinese cinnamon, its leaves are added to food as a seasoning.”

Preparation: 2.5g in 250ml water at 85°C for 2-3 minutes

Harvested: ?

Origin: Presumably somewhere in Wuyi Mountains, Fujian Province, China.

23/04/2024: Exuberant smell comes through on addition of water, hard to discern… salty and biscuity. Thoroughly milky taste, pairs wonderfully with speculoos. Brewed leaves form a glassy olive palette, bordering on black. Struggling to find the right words to describe this one, its really good and yet somewhat mysterious. 5/5

Alishan Milk Oolong

“Alishan Milk Oolong is a high mountain oolong grown at an altitude of 1,200m in Alishan. It is crafted from the Jin Xuan cultivar, known for a natural subtle milky aroma, mouthfeel and taste. The soft creamy profile has floral and sweet notes with a clean and fresh aftertaste.”

Preparation: 2.5g in 250ml water at 90°C for 3-5 mins

Harvested: May 2023

Origin: Chiayi County, Taiwan

03/05/2024: Salty oceanic smell, algal growths marinating in the sun. Dreary, anaemic and thoroughly aqueous. Lacking in all aspects. Sorely disappointed. This tea has previously won the great taste awards and is highly reviewed, maybe you just got a bad batch? Really not sure what went wrong. a complete failure no matter how you brewed it. 1/5

Red / Black

Lapsang Souchong

“Lapsang Souchong, also known as Li Shan Xiao Zhong, is an organic black tea that is lightly smoked over pine, resulting in a pronounced smoky aroma. The taste achieves a fine balance between smoky, spicy flavours and mineral, sweet notes with a tangy and clean aftertaste.”

Preparation: Brewing guide: 2.5g in 250ml water at 90°C for 3-4 minutes

Harvested: Spring 2023

Origin: Tongmu, Wuyi Shan, Fujian Province, China

22/04/2024: A particularly aromatic lapsang, conjures images of a seaside campfire. The brew is noticeably sweet, almost syrupy. Pinewood incense emanates from the teapot. Like snuggling up into a big warm blanket, deliciously whimsical. 4/5

Red Jade GABA

“Red Jade GABA from Taiwan is a unique take on a GABA-rich tea that is made from an organically grown ‘Ruby’ or ‘Red Jade’ cultivar. Tightly rolled leaves make a medium strength liquor that is crisp and smooth, with a lingering flavour of raisins, tart fruits and a hint of mint.”

Preparation: 2.5g in 250ml water at 90°C for 3-5 minutes

Harvested: March 2023

Origin: Mingjian Township, Nantou County, Taiwan

19/04/2024: Olive-green metallic nuggets with a densely rich, aged smell. A doughy, slightly sweet taste, indeed reminiscent of raisins. Like eating raisin cookies made by your grandmother. Enjoy late into the night and drink slowly. Brings a smile to the face, tangy around the corners. 4/5

San Xia Ming Qian Hong Cha

“San Xia Ming Qian Hong Cha is an early spring Pre Qing Ming black tea from Sanxia District, made from a Qing Xin Gan Zi cultivar. The tippy handpicked leaves produce an aromatic liquor. The taste is savoury with sweet and tangy fruity notes and a lightly tannic spicy aftertaste.”

Preparation: 2.5g in 250ml water at 90°C for 3 mins

Harvested: 8 March 2023

Origin: Sanxia District, New Taipei City, Taiwan

21/04/2024: Similar smell to the Red Jade GABA but comparatively brighter; elements of cocoa and lemongrass. Initially an astringent syrup, yet develops into a broad, sweet, earthy banquet. An edible firework, dazzling display of colourful smoke in the mouth and a sulphurous, metallic afterglow. Slightly harsh, spicy even, but quite enjoyable :) 4/5

Dark / Fermented

Yunnan Seven Sons Cake Tea (雲南七子餅茶)

“Legend has it that if you whisper your wish into the steam from the first pot of tea made from Seven Sons Bing Cha, your wish will come true by the time you have finished brewing the entire 12-ounce cake…”

Preparation: 2.5g in 250ml water at 95°C for 2-3 minutes

Harvested: 2008 (?)

Origin: Gupu Tea Factory (云南古普茶厂) in Jinbangzhi Township, Yunnan Province, China

22/04/2024: This pu’er cake has only a faint musty smell but gives birth to a smouldering, silky smooth syrup, sincerely crimson in colour and taste. Reminiscent of a smokey lapsang. Prolonged steeping enhances the flavour. The sort of tea you might find in a candlelit Song dynasty pagoda, enjoyed by oriental warlords and tea-masters alike. 4.5/5

White

Yin Zhen Guangxi Silver Needle

“Yin Zhen Guangxi Silver Needle is a delicate and flavoursome Yin Zhen from an unusual terroir in Guangxi Province where the neat silver leaves are picked from Fujian Bai Hao cultivar plants. It produces a fruity and woody liquor with a lasting, clean aftertaste and sweet honey notes.”

Preparation: 2.5g in 250ml water at 80°C for 3-4 minutes

Harvested: 15 March 2023

Origin: Baise, Guangxi Province, China

24/04/2024 Fluffy psilocybe leaves form the delicate brush strokes of a shan shui painting. A mycelial network of flavonoid hyphae growing through your taste buds, cytoplasmic sap seeping across fungiform papillae. Sun-preserved polyphenols released once more, rhythmically pulsing and undulating and slithering and tuning into your frequencies. Lacquered smell and taste. A sensual tea to be enjoyed in a hypnagogic state. 3.5/5