Tasting Archives

There are always new Yan Cha teas. Huang Guan This or Qi That. Recently though, a variety has been gaining more popularity and with good reason.Jin Mu Dan. I first tried Jin Mu Dan while sitting with Derek of ORT. While I had heard the name before it hadn't come across my plate till that day. I tried his and was blown away. For me it was like eating chocolate ice cream in a room full of flowers. The rich chocolate flavor was smooth and balanced and there was clear floral aromas. It was so wonderful I didn't hesitate when one...

Yesterday I got a message on Reddit from someone who knew I had experience in Huang Shan and was curious about Qimen. The sender was looking into Qimens and was wondering what he should be looking for. What's the Qimen flavor? Is there a good Qimen?  Little did he know that these were the exact questions I have been asking myself for a while. Qimens, for being such a well-recognized name， seems to be a tea that is surprisingly hard to define. While I haven't entirely found the answer I can share what I've reached so far. The Qimen Flavor:...

My goal of a great Qimen Gong Fu led me to buy one off Tao Bao. The company is not specifically a Qimen seller but the Qimens Ive had from them before have been good. I wasn't buying this expecting to find the kind I like, rich thick and sweet, but more to understand what most QGF taste like. While not particularly special, it also wasn't as rough as most Gong Fus get. It had a the general hardiness that I like from GFs with out bitterness. It wasn't floral, but Qimen Gong Fus really aren't. While it lacked major flaws it...

Spoiler: It wasnt actually Ma Tou. It was a sample sent by the woman who did the Purple Da Hong Pao. She has done some wonderful teas across different price points and she knows that I like roastier teas so I was looking forward to this one. While this tea had some nice points, there were also some places it fell short. Good points: This tea had a lot of spice and a really nice Aroma. It was floral with a cinnamon-ness to it. To put it simply, it was Rou Gui. Nothing flashy or special, just a real good...