12 Days of Chris-Tea-Mas - Day 12: Azores Pekoe Black - What-Cha

Azores Pekoe Black - What-Cha
Type: Black (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Thin, long, dark black/brown rolled leaves with a few twigs.
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 95°C, 1-2 tsps, 2-3 min.
Rating: B+ | 89/100
# of Brews: 6

Tasting Notes:
Last day! I'll probably write a reflection on this tomorrow or the day after. Anyway, even though this is a black tea, I'll be brewing this gongfu style. Today's album is Folie a Deux by Fall Out Boy.

Oddly enough, I think yesterday's oolong tasted more like a black tea (in terms of English breakfast or basic teas like that) than this one. The aroma of this was very smoky, woody, and malty, with the liquid a dark brown amber color. The flavor was actually pretty similar to the smell and surprisingly sour (but again, not as sour as the Australian Sencha), with the wood and smoke notes as the forefront. For some reason (probably the tanginess), I thought it was a bit similar to grapefruit (like the sports drink, Pocari Sweat) or lemon juice. As the brews went on, this fruity flavor became much more prevalent, losing the smoky taste. This tea was one of the shortest lived ones I've had, losing the majority of its flavor at around 4 brews. Overall, I enjoyed it very much, but I think I preferred the oolong from yesterday more. After this tea, I think I actually prefer some black teas brewed gongfu style rather than western style because it gives a much more wide flavor profile and gives the tea a bit more depth.  

Misc. Notes:

Merry Christmas! I hope you all have a wonderful day. Because it's Christmas Eve, I'll be doing stuff with my family, and as such I'll give the update and reflection tomorrow. Thanks!

12 Days of Chris-Tea-Mas - Day 11: Ceylon Moragalla Oolong - What-Cha

Ceylon Moragalla Oolong - What-Cha
Type: Oolong (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Long, thin, dark brown tightly rolled leaves
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 85°C, 1-2 tsps, 2-3 min.
Rating: A- | 92/100
# of Brews: 6

Tasting Notes:
It's hard to believe I'm already almost done with this project, and that I've tried almost every tea I've bought during Black Friday; at the time, it looked like so much, but now it doesn't look like much at all. Today's album is The Bones of What You Believe by CHVRCHES.

Interesting tea today; it's more of a black tea than an oolong. Even with short brews, the liquid is a dark golden amber color, with a smell like compost, burnt wood, soy sauce and red wine. The flavor is a bit sour, with earthy and nutty notes. I could also notice a very slight fruity flavor too. It tasted mostly like a black tea (CTC Assam, I'm guessing), with a slight fishy puerh aftertaste. For some reason, I could only think of fuel (kerosene?) when drinking this, mainly because of the smell (it did not taste like kerosene; that would be bad).  Oddly, even though I used boiling water, the tea wasn't hot at all; it felt the perfect temperature even after immediately pouring off, and lacked any astringency. The temperature of the room probably played a factor in that. Overall, this tea was surprisingly tasty, and I'd actually suggest trying it with milk and sugar on account of its earthy flavor (it is  pretty good on its own, I will admit).

Misc. Notes:

If you noticed, today's review has kind of been half-assed. That's because I've had kind of a bad day and not that much motivation to write. I'll make it up for you guys tomorrow. Sorry.

12 Days of Chris-Tea-Mas - Day 9: India Nilgiri 'Hari Ghatta' - What-Cha

India Nilgiri 'Hari Ghatta' - What-Cha
Type: Oolong (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Small, dark green with streaks of brown white rolled & balled oolong
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 85°C, 1 tsp, 2-3 min.
Rating: C+ | 78/100
# of Brews: 6

Tasting Notes:
Don't really have any preliminary matters to attend to this review, so today's album is the Oldboy OST by Jo Yeong-wook (as my friends say, I'm always a slut for waltzes, and this soundtrack has quite a few).

From what I've noticed, it looks like a vast majority of Indian teas have a muscatel flavor, and this tea is no exception. The liquid is a golden orange, with an aroma similar to puerh (in terms of the fermented, maybe fishy smell), rain/wet grass, and fruit (perhaps apricot or peach). The texture was generally smooth, but it did dry my throat quite a bit at first. Unexpectedly, one of the strongest flavors at first was cilantro, which was followed by muscatel and finally citrus fruits. Over brews, however, the fruity muscat flavor became the main flavor, accompanied by something I can only describe as sweet dish soap; it was very bitter, then very sweet for a split second (I'm guessing the water temperature was too hot, and I was brewing for too long; this flavor came out once I reached around the 20 second mark). It did lose its dry quality over time, but I ended up stopping at 6 brews because the tea had gotten that bitter. It could go for a few more brews, and I'm guessing if you used a lower temperature water (I'm guessing mine was around 80-90°C) and brewed for shorter times, it would taste quite a bit better. Overall, a decent tea, but I think it requires very specific brewing parameters which, when not followed, make for a pretty terribly tasting tea.


Misc. Notes:

So, busy day today. I cleaned my room, started prepping for a second round of my experiment and cooked tonkatsu (I got that recipe perfected now, which is great since tonkatsu is one of my favorite Japanese dishes). Later, I'm going to get a massage with the family, have dinner with the girlfriend, and watch Star Wars. I'm pretty excited for it, and also for tomorrow, since I'll be tasting some puerh (the first real puerh I tried was Planet Jingmai, and it set the bar pretty high).

As for the rest of break, still not really sure as to what I should do, but I think I'm going to try and get all of my work/applications done in the first half of this week so I can spend next week and Christmas chilling. 

12 Days of Chris-Tea-Mas - Day 8: China Fujian Jasmine 'Phoenix Eye' - What-Cha

China Fujian Jasmine 'Phoenix Eye' - What-Cha
Type: Green (flavored)
Appearance (dry): Large pearls (.2 g each), dark green with white streaks
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 80°C, 1 tsp, 2-3 min
Rating: A- | 92/100
# of Brews: 11

Tasting Notes:
I'm actually surprised myself on how much green tea I've been drinking; for some reason, I've always felt that I drink way more oolong or black tea, despite the fact that I enjoy a good sencha quite a lot. Regardless, it's always good to try a variety of different types of tea to expand the flavors you've tried. Like yesterday, I'm going to be writing this review after I'm done drinking (I think I prefer doing it that way, since tea with food is pretty damn good). Today's album is XX by the XX.

So, I ended up picking up a sampler of this tea last minute for free shipping, and I don't think I regret it. The leaves/pearls are huge, the smell is amazing (I think jasmine is growing on me), and the flavoring lasts for an absurdly long time. The liquid was mainly a golden orange color with a strong jasmine aroma, only getting darker as time went on. The flavor didn't really change much throughout the entire drinking session; at the forefront were the sweet and floral jasmine notes, and at the end were some short, sour, vegetal (grassy?) notes. As brews went on, the tea became less and less bitter (I will note that this tea is very forgiving in terms of brewing; I used near-boiling water and it still tasting pretty good), and more and more sweet and sour. The texture was smooth for the most part, but by the time I finished, the tea felt like it coated my mouth (which stayed long after drinking). I ended up stopping at a surprising 11 brews today, and it looked like the tea (including the jasmine flavor) could go for a lot more brews. Overall, I liked this tea very much; in my opinion, it's on par with the jasmine oolong from Tea Ave (although I think I like the oolong more because of its creaminess, this one is very enjoyable also).

Misc. Notes:

Update on yesterday! I finished up my science fair application, got a haircut (it's eh), bought groceries, and watched a few movies- Oldboy (surprised at how good this was) and Little Witch Academia: Enchanted Parade (oh no I'm getting back into anime). Not really any plans today other than more grocery shopping since my asthma has been acting up and it's been getting cold and rainy outside (for California standards). I'll probably figure something out, though (if I remember, I'll try to make a plan or something for break and put it in the next review).

12 Days of Chris-Tea-Mas - Day 7: Vietnam 'Dragon Cloud' - What-Cha

Vietnam 'Dragon Cloud' - What-Cha
Type: Green (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Small to medium length rolled (pan fried?), basil green leaves
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 75°C, 1-2 tsp, 10-20 sec
Rating: B | 86/100
# of Brews: 6

Tasting Notes:
Again, like Four Seasons, I've already tried this tea before, and so I'll be doing this review after my drinking session (unlike the other teas, so expect this one to be not as detailed). Today's album is Lumine [GST-04] by bansheebeat.

Anyway, this was a pretty decent tea. I ended up having to do flash brews to keep it from getting bitter (essentially, fill the gaiwan with water and immediately pour it off). The liquid was a nice yellow-green (more on the green side), but not as bright as other green teas. There was a strong umami flavor with grass and seaweed notes, and the aftertaste was a slightly sour taste, similar to the Australian Sencha (but not as strong or lasting as long). Over some brews it became a bit sweet, but I didn't really notice the mint flavor other people have noticed. I ended up stopping at 6 brews because I ran out of water and it was beginning to lose its flavor. Overall, I thought it was an enjoyable green tea– it went great with my breakfast of milkfish, cereal, and yogurt– but I will admit it is a bit standard for a green tea (I think I preferred the Australian Sencha over this).

Misc. Notes:

Slow day today. My plans for today are mostly just to watch movies (Star Wars maybe?), play some video games, do this review, get a haircut, read/do homework (if I have any), and finish my science fair application (just a risk assessment form that's due tomorrow). I might also start those internship applications, but hey, it's the first day of break and I should try to relax. Have a nice day! 

12 Days of Chris-Tea-Mas - Day 5: Four Seasons - What-Cha

Four Seasons - What-Cha
Type: Oolong (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Large, dark yellow-green balled oolong
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 80°C, 1 tsp, 1-2 min
Rating: B+ | 89/100
# of Brews: 6

Tasting Notes:
So, I've actually already tried this tea before; it was one of the first teas I tried when my package from What-Cha came in. It was good, but I don't think I really paid that much attention at the time (which is what this review is for!). Today's album is Sunglasses & Solar Flares by the Y Axes.

From the first brew, the liquid was a clear, light yellow with an aroma similar to a roasted oolong (Tie guan yin?) and the sticky rice tea I've had before. The flavor was very smooth, with a very prevalent buttery, caramel taste. It was sweet, but not as sweet or creamy as other teas such as Jin Xuan (both flavored and unflavored). It did slightly dry my throat, and the buttery flavor lingered in my mouth as an aftertaste. Over brews, the color and aroma barely changed, only becoming very slightly darker. The flavor, on the other hand, became more sweet, but the aftertaste had gained a vegetal/grassy, slightly tangy note. The rice– possibly the sticky rice– also was much more noticeable in both the flavor and aftertaste. I ended up stopping at 6 brews because I'm feeling a bit tired (staying up late for the last week is catching up with me), but it looks like the leaves haven't actually fully unfurled, meaning that this tea could go for a large number of brews. Overall, I like this tea because it's a nice in between an unroasted and roasted oolong, with a sweet finish; however, like some of the other teas I've tried this project, it doesn't really have a taste that pops out at me.

Misc. Notes:

Woohoo! I'm finally done with all of my tests before winter break, and I think I did pretty well on them since they were mostly easy. I don't think I'll be writing much today, though, since I'm super tired and am kinda spacing out while writing this whole review. Sorry! Tomorrow will be better though, since school ends at 12:40. 

12 Days of Chris-Tea-Mas - Day 4: Nepal First Flush Oolong - What-Cha

Nepal First Flush Oolong - What-Cha
Type: Oolong (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Rolled, brown, white, and olive drab leaves of medium to small size
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 85°C, 2 tsps, 60-90 sec
Rating: B- | 80/100
# of Brews: 5

Tasting Notes:
Hey! Short review today because I just got home from Mock Trial (oh hey, I need to give an update on that sometime) and have 4 tests to study for. Today's album is Sounds of System Breakdown's self-titled album. In my opinion, an average album (SOSB has some other good albums/singles), but some of the songs in it make up for the rest: namely, Underneath the Floorboards and Love's Only Chemicals.

Anyway, just from looking at this tea, I could notice quite a few similarities to Oriental Beauty. The leaves had similar colors, albeit smaller, and the first brews had a very similar aroma. It had the citrus notes of Oriental Beauty, but seemed much more malty or earthy (similar to a black tea). The flavor was interesting, to say the least. It was in the middle between a roasted oolong and a black tea, with notes such as malt, citrus, and muscatel; it also dried my throat and coated my mouth after drinking, similar to other black teas. The liquid was a light gold color, but as brews went on, it changed to a darker, more amber color. Over time, it began to become much more drying, but more and more fruity (in fact, it tasted almost the same as Muscat tea from Lupicia, which is flavored; this is not). There were also light smoky undertones, which complemented the muscatel flavor. I ended up stopping at the 5th brew because of time, but it looked like the tea could go for a few more brews (it had begun to lose its color, however). Overall, it's an average tea, but it's not really my cup, especially because it became really astringent/dry over time.

Misc. Notes:

Nothing much to say, really. School was alright, but after school was pretty fun. The girlfriend bought me pizza (not my choice; she insisted), and we studied SAT math. I'm actually feeling pretty confident about the math now, since it looks like most of my issues come from not focusing hard enough/not reading closely. As for tomorrow, I just need to study for quite a few tests– English (essay, vocab, and possibly a reading test), Biotechnology (DNA!), Statistics (sample proportions and means, not too hard but still), and Precalculus (not sure how I feel about this considering how I've been doing on my homework, but I've been doing pretty well on tests so far so not too worried)– so I'm going to be staying up a bit late tonight. Wish me luck! Once I'm done, I can finally relax for winter break. Oh, and also, I've started applications to summer internships (mainly Stanford and the Arthritis Foundation), so wish me luck on those too!

PS: Also, I've finally figured out my schedule for next year after talking to a few people; I'll be taking (or applying to) Comp Civics, Science Research, AP Chem, Video Production, AP Literature, and AP Gov/Macro.

12 Days of Chris-Tea-Mas - Day 3: Australia Sencha - What-Cha

Australia Sencha - What-Cha
Type: Green (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Large/long, rolled green tea leaves with some light green and brown stems (?)
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 75°C, 1-2 tsps, 30-45 secs
Rating: B+ | 89/100
# of Brews: 5

Tasting Notes:
Woo, an unusual sencha! For this tea, I'll be back to the originally planned brewing parameters: 5 grams of tea, estimated water temperature, in a gaiwan. Today's album is After the Lights Failed by Curious Quail; I've seen these guys a few times live and each time has been pretty great, since a lot of the gigs they have are more personal due to less people showing up and smaller venues.

Anyway, since this is a sencha, I'll be using short brews, starting at 10 seconds and adding 5 seconds each brew. The first few brews were a very bright green, with an aroma similar to stewed or corned beef, dried seaweed, and string beans. Drinking it, I noticed that it was a bit tart (it was actually one of the most sour green teas I've had, and I felt it all on the back of my tongue which was interesting), with flavors similar to grass and citrus. In fact, the sour taste lingered in my mouth long after drinking, with some fruity (maybe blueberry?) notes appearing. Over brews, the color became much brighter and yellow, and the corn flavor that was described on the packaging began to come out. The tart, citrus flavor gave way to the corn and something I can only describe as rice, but I could still notice it in the back of my throat. It also became much sweeter and grassier, but retained a smooth texture throughout (it did make my mouth feel dry by the time I did finish brewing, however). I eventually stopped at 5 brews, since I ran out of water and have work to do, but the tea was still going strong. Overall, a very interesting sencha that I'll be sure to drink of more.

Misc. Notes:

So, apologies for the bad formatting. Like I've said before, this was a very last minute thing and I haven't had the time to fix everything to a more reader-friendly look (I will eventually go back and fix the formatting, but for now, I'm going to leave it until I'm done with tests). Anyway, today I'm just going to be finishing up homework so I can spend most of the day tomorrow studying for tests, doing mock trial stuff, and hanging out with the girlfriend.

But, also, I've been trying to figure out my schedule for next year; I'm planning on taking Science Research, AP Chem, AP Calc, AP Lit, Competition Civics, AP Gov/Macro, and Video Production. The issue is that I only have 6 periods and I have to take an art (Video Production- except apparently the teacher that will be taking over sucks), English (AP Lit), and a social studies class (AP Gov/Macro). I have to choose to drop Science Research, AP Chem, AP Calc, or Comp Civics, but I want to take all of those classes- Science research because I plan to have a career in that and I am especially interested in the subject, AP Chem because of, again, science and I haven't taken chemistry yet, AP Calc because a lot of sciences use calculus, and Comp Civics because I enjoy the subject. And I can't just take A period because I'm going to go crazy with stress and lack of sleep if I do take that. I just don't know.

12 Days of Chris-Tea-Mas - Day 2: Nepal First Flush Clonal Delight - What-Cha

Nepal First Flush Clonal Delight - What-Cha
Type: Black (unflavored)
Appearance (dry): Small, curled, dark reddish-brown leaves
Recommended Brewing Parameters: 95°C, 1-2 tsps, 2-3 min.
Rating: C+* | 79/100
# of Brews: 5

Tasting Notes:
This tea is actually one of the few that I didn't pick up at Black Friday. I think I bought this during Summer when What-Cha was selling them for 1p, and I'm now finally getting to drinking it. Personally, one of the reasons why I haven't gotten to this one is because I don't really drink black tea gongfu style (I usually only drink stuff like English Breakfast or flavored black teas western style). Anyway, since this is a Western black tea, I will be breaking my brewing parameters once again; this will be brewed with the tasting set, with 5 grams and +5 seconds each brew from 10 seconds. No specific album today while drinking, but I suggest the album Sky Parade [GST-05] by Galaxy Swim Team (another solid chip album).

So, from the first brew, this tea was already very earthy and smoky. The brew was a dark gold/amber color, with a smell similar to soy sauce. Along with the earthy and smoky notes, the tea was just very bitter (leading me to lower the brew time significantly) and tasted very similar to wood. I could also pick up some nutty notes, such as hazelnut, which combined with a sort of vegetal (asparagus? or just soupy) flavor to create a slightly sour taste. The later brews brought out the fruity, muscatel notes which were pleasing, but I eventually stopped at the fifth brew. This was due to a variety of factors- mainly the brew style and the time of day (I'm multitasking right now, since I have a bit of homework).

*Despite the flaws that I found with this tea, I think that it is actually a pretty good tea. The only reason it tasted overwhelmingly bitter was almost all my fault, since I think I used too much tea, not enough water, and long brewing times (in relation to the ratio). If you brew it according to the parameters on the container, I think it would taste great as a breakfast tea, with milk and sweeteners.

Misc. Notes:

Well, today was pretty eventful. Had class, went to work (asked the first of many teachers to write a letter of recommendation for a summer internship, and she said yes!), bought chocolate chips at the grocery store, went to piano class, baked cookies, and then did this review. I tried making some chocolate krinkles (a recipe from one of my aunts) without the cocoa powder, instead substituting it with chocolate chips. Instead of getting the intended result, I ended up with a dry, airy hybrid between a cake and cookie. Lesson learned, though. Anyway, there's day 2! Personally, I rushed a bit through this review because of all of the stuff I stated before, and wasn't really paying attention to the tea. When I tried the tea before, though, I thought it wasn't half bad- it was certainly worth the 1p I spent on it (thanks What-Cha!). 

Week of Jin Xuan - Day 7 (FINAL): Thailand Winter Frost Jin Xuan Oolong & Alishan Jin Xuan Oolong

Last day of summer! I honestly don't know what I'm going to do today, but I will get something done. Some stuff on the itinerary is get my class schedule, watch Straight Outta Compton, go to piano class, and other stuff. I might write an update and finishing post for this project today, especially because I think it was pretty successful. Anyway, multiple albums today since they're kind of short: God of Love by Stereo Alchemy and Reptilians by STRFKR.


Thailand Winter Frost Jin Xuan Oolong - What-Cha
Type & Appearance: Dark green/brown, medium-sized balled oolong
Recommended Brew Time, Temp., Amount: 80°C, 1 tsp, 2 min.
Rating: B | 86/100
# of Brews: 7

Notes:
This tea began with a light golden yellow color and an aroma similar to that of citrus, fruits, grass, and wood. The flavor had notes of citrus, nuts, and cream with a mellow, slightly viscous mouthfeel. It's more on the sour side, with only small notes of sweetness. There's a fruity aftertaste that lingers in the mouth, but only stays on the breath for a short time. Over brews, it eventually became more bitter and grassy- somewhat similar to sencha. It became less sour and slightly more sweet, but after 6 brews, it began to lose most of its flavor. I stopped at 8 brews since it actually began to taste pretty bad, but the liquid still had color and the aftertaste. It's a good tea (better than yesterday's), but I think this tea might require more experimentation to get the best flavor; boiling water doesn't seem to cut it for this, leading to bitter notes.


Alishan Jin Xuan Oolong - Tea Ave
Type & Appearance: Unroasted Oolong - very large, bright green balls of oolong
Recommended Brew Time, Temp., Amount: 90-95°C, 8g, 1 min. + 20-30 sec each brew
Rating: B+ | 88/100
# of Brews:  8

Notes:
I've already reviewed this tea, so I'll keep this short. At the beginning of the tasting session, the liquid was a bright green with a sweet, milky aroma; I could also notice some honey, seaweed, and grass notes. The flavor was sweet, smooth, and mellow, with flavors such as grass, cream, and flowers (specifically roses and jasmine). Over time, it became more yellow and lost its sweet profile for a grassy, somewhat savory taste. I ended up stopping at 8 brews since it was losing almost all of its flavor, but it didn't get that same bad taste of the Winter Frost oolong.


Final Notes
Well, that was a good way to end this project. I got up early, drank tea before breakfast (writing only short notes), and then wrote this. I think these teas were much better than yesterday's, with my preference leaning towards the Alishan Jin Xuan Oolong from Tea Ave. I still can't get over how large the leaves were (at the beginning, I had relatively the same amount of leaves but the Alishan Jin Xuan ended up filling all of my large gaiwan. The Winter Frost was good, but it seems to be a bit finicky with time and temperature since some brews were really good, and some were marred by bitterness and just plain bad flavors. Anyway, expect a closing post on this whole project soon.

Week of Jin Xuan - Day 6: Vietnam Jin Xuan Oolong & Taiwan Ali Shan Jin Xuan Oolong

Welp, only 1 more day left before summer vacation ends. Today and yesterday, I practiced making matcha, went biking with the family and ate at an Indian restaurant. I think I'm going to go watch a movie with them after this, and then study. Oh, also, that Milk Oolong from Taiwan from yesterday's review is now my carry-around tea (used to be Rose Oolong). Honestly though, I don't know how I'm going to spend my last day of summer (I might watch Straight Outta Compton with my sister), but hopefully it'll be good before I get back to the grind. Anyway, today's album is The World! Evangelion Jazz Night by the Tokyo 3 Jazz Club.


Vietnam Jin Xuan Oolong - What-Cha
Type & Appearance: Unroasted Oolong - Medium sized, dark green balled oolong
Recommended Brew Time, Temp., Amount: 80°C, 1 tsp, 2 min.
Rating: B- | 82/100
# of Brews: 6

Notes:
At the beginning, the tea had a light golden yellow color and a wet earth and wood aroma, with some notes of burnt sugar. The flavor was a bit like dried fruits, hazelnuts, and milk/cream (only somewhat). It irritated my throat quite a bit, but left a very fruity, mango-like flavor in my mouth and breath. Over time, it became a bit more fruity and lost its drying qualities (for the most part). Overall, a pretty average oolong.


Taiwan Ali Shan Jin Xuan Oolong - What-Cha 
Type & Appearance: Unroasted Oolong - Small, light-green/brownish balled oolong
Recommended Brew Time, Temp., Amount: 80°C, 1 tsp, 2 min.
Rating: B- | 80/100
# of Brews: 6

Notes:
For this tea's first few brews, the liquid was a light straw yellow with an aroma similar to wood, a little bit of smoke, and cinnamon. There were notes of malt, peanuts, and very sweet rose with an aftertaste of caramel
It made my throat and mouth a little dry, but not as much compared to the Vietnam Jin Xuan. This tea is more earthier than the Vietnam Jin Xuan, but not stronger; they're relatively the same. After a couple of brews, this tea became more creamier, a tad bit bitter, and less astringent. It was okay, but I've tasted better.


Final Notes
So, I'm sure you can tell that today's review is a bit short. That's because my dad decided last minute to go out to the theatre (after we decided to watch at home), so I ended up rushing through. Both of today's teas were a bit average- more astringent than usual- but still enjoyable. I personally liked the Vietnam Jin Xuan more since it wasn't so dry and more fruity, but I can see some people enjoying the Jin Xuan from Ali Shan.

Week of Jin Xuan - Day 5: Fujian Anxi Jin Xuan Milk Oolong & Taiwan Jin Xuan Milk Oolong

Oh man, so I woke up super late today since I was super tired last night. I decided, last minute, to go bike ~30 miles (essentially across 3 towns) in 2 hours at 9 pm. I just finished watching O Brother, Where Art Thou?- a really good movie in my opinion- and had the idea of doing it since I had done nothing at all that day. Anyway, so this review is happening right after brunch since I just woke up and am really tired. Today's album is Sunset Blood by Starcadian. Oh, also, the reviews might be a little short too since I'm going to spend the day with family and I'll have to leave on short notice.


Fujian Anxi Jin Xuan Milk Oolong - What-Cha
Type & Appearance: Unroasted Oolong - Dark green, medium to large balls of oolong
Recommended Brew Time, Temp., Amount: 85°C, 1 tsp, 1-2 min
Rating: B | 86/100
# of Brews: 8

Notes:
Compared to the Taiwan Jin Xuan, this aroma of this oolong is much less milky and instead more fruity. The color of the liquid for the first few brews was a light, golden yellow. The flavor profile was creamy, with a bit of cotton candy (and related mouthfeel), Indian mangos, and a tiny bit of grape. It's very smooth with little astringency, only leaving a light tart note on the tongue after drinking. By the later brews, the mango flavor became very prevalent as an aftertaste, and I could even taste it on my breath long after. It became sweeter, losing the sour notes, but still retaining the fruity flavors. Overall, I liked it, but it was kind of average for what I've tried so far.


Taiwan Jin Xuan Milk Oolong - What-Cha
Type & Appearance: Flavored Oolong - Dark green, large balls of oolong
Recommended Brew Time, Temp., Amount: 85°C, 1 tsp, 1-2 min
Rating: A- | 91/100
# of Brews: 8

Notes:
Even before I brewed this tea, I could already smell the milk. The dry leaves have a smell similar to danish cookies, coconuts, and evaporated milk- and it's amazing. After brewing, the color is a light, blueish yellow with the same aroma as the dry leaves, albeit slightly more fruitier.  As for the taste, this tea is one of a kind. It tastes exactly how it smells, with notes like coconut milk, cookies, and some burnt sugar (or toffee/caramel, depending on where you're from). Over time, the flavor actually stayed relatively the same (maybe only a little milkier and slightly more sour)- mostly only weaker. Overall, a really enjoyable, unique oolong.

Final Notes
I ended up stopping the review early, but I'm pretty sure the teas can be brewed for a lot more than 8; at this point, the liquid was actually pretty brightly colored and the flavor was still strong. Both of these were pretty enjoyable, but like most other days so far, I've had a tea that's blown me away and another that's good, but nothing compared to the other. As for today, the tea that's blown me away is the Taiwan Jin Xuan Milk Oolong and the okay one is the Fujian Anxi. In fact, I was a bit suspicious of the Taiwan Jin Xuan because of how milky and flavorful it was, and I thought that it had been scented or flavored. I was proved wrong after a while, since the flavor stayed strong even after the 8th brew. Overall, today was also a good day for tea.

EDIT: Turns out that the Taiwan Jin Xuan Milk Oolong is actually flavored! I think that actually bumps up my score for it, since almost every flavored oolong I've tried has only lasted 3-4 brews max. This one was at 8 and still going strong, which was pretty amazing.

Week of Jin Xuan - Day 4: Rose Oolong & Thailand Jin Xuan Oolong

So, this review is happening right after brunch (1 PM). I honestly don't know what I'm going to do today, but I think I'll try to practice piano and do some reading/study after the tasting session. I am going to bike later tonight, though, when it cools down. As for what I have done, I've just done some cooking (fried rice!), eating, and a lot of osu! (and practice using Joy2Key). There will be 2 albums today since they're related and pretty short; they are History Repeating: Blue and Red by the Megas.


Rose Oolong - Tea Ave 
Type & Appearance: Flavored Oolong - large, dark and light green balls of oolong with bright pink/red rose petals
Recommended Brew Time, Temp., Amount: 100°C, 8g, 1 min + 30 sec each brew
Rating: A- | 90/100
# of Brews: 8

Notes:
If you've read my previous review on this tea, you can tell I really like it. This is/was actually the tea I carried around on me in a small case, until I used it at a dinner at some fancy restaurant (I ended up putting it in an empty tea pot and it lasted 4 brews while constantly brewing in western style, which was really surprising. Everyone really liked it too). So, I guess you can tell I'm pretty excited for this one. This review is going to be a bit lacking since I've already done a full review, but I'll still do some tasting notes. By the first brew, I could already smell the sweet, floral aroma coming from the light, greenish-blue liquid. The flavor wasn't as contaminated as the Milk Oolong from Vital Tea Leaf, but I could still notice very light cinnamon notes. The most dominant flavor was the rose, followed by grass, and finally cream. It's not overwhelmingly sweet and actually has a bit of bitterness, but is still very enjoyable. Over time, the color of the brew became a brighter green. The aroma stayed relatively the same, but the flavor began to lose the rose (which became an aftertaste) and move towards the Jin Xuan with a bit of a broccoli and grass flavor. It actually got a bit more astringent over time also. Overall, I still really like it (and wish that this wasn't my last set of leaves).


Thailand Jin Xuan Oolong - What-Cha
Type & Appearance: Unroasted Oolong - very large, light and dark green/brown balls of oolong
Recommended Brew Time, Temp., Amount: 80°C, 1 tsp, 2 min
Rating: B- | 82/100
# of Brews: 8

Notes:
As for this tea's first brew, it had a light golden yellow color and (surprisingly) little smell. The leaves, on the other hand, had honey and wood notes with a smell like tupig (Filipino sticky rice). It was surprisingly savory for a Jin Xuan, with flavors like raw walnut, a little almond, and (weirdly) hay. The creamy notes of the Jin Xuan weren't really coming out for the first few brew. There was also a slight bit of astringency, which made my throat feel very dry after drinking. Over time, the color became a bit more yellow and the aroma from the leaves could be smelled in the liquid. The flavor became more creamy, sweet, and Jin Xuan-like, but not as flavorful as Vital Tea Leaf's. More brews didn't help with the astringency, however. I will admit, though, that it got way better by the later brews and was still going strong by brew 7. Overall, an average Jin Xuan. It lasts long which is nice, but I don't really like the flavor.


Final Notes
I decided to end the review early since I was getting pretty full and kept running out of water (California drought woo). However, judging from the color of the teas, they could have kept going; in fact, it looked like the color of both teas was getting darker. Anyway, I think it's pretty clear that I liked the Rose Oolong much more. I just think that the Thailand Jin Xuan is too astringent and lacks a lot in terms of flavor compared to all of the other teas I've had so far. There wasn't really much special to it, and the teas it's being compared to are a lot, lot better.

Week of Jin Xuan - Day 3: Magnolia Oolong* & Thailand Sticky Rice 'Khao Hom' Oolong

So, today I've pretty much done nothing other than mail my package for Reddit's 1st White Elephant Tea Exchange and make french toast. I should really do something big before summer ends since school is coming up fast. Anyway, today's review is between two different scented oolongs. The album for the review is the Skullgirls Original Soundtrack PLUS by Michiru Yamane and others.


Magnolia Oolong - Tea Ave *NO REVIEW*
Type & Appearance: XX
Recommended Brew Time, Temp., Amount: 100°C, 8g, 1 min. + 30 sec. each brew
Rating: XX | XX/100
# of Brews: X

Notes:
To be completely honest, I screwed up. It turns out that the sample I thought was Magnolia Oolong was actually Monkey Picked Tie Guan Yin from Red Blossom Tea Co. As I started drinking, I realized that I drank the whole sample of Magnolia Oolong given to me a long time ago by Tea Ave and didn't save any of it at all. So, no review for this one today (it'll be coming later in a full review). I'll still be tasting it in order to create a frame of reference for the Sticky Rice oolong, however. Sorry again! (If I do remember though, the Magnolia Oolong was way too weak in terms of flavor, and the fact that I didn't have extra leaves didn't help; it was a really small sample.)


Thailand Sticky Rice 'Khao Hom' Oolong - What-Cha
Type & Appearance: Flavored Oolong - large, drab light green balls of oolon
Recommended Brew Time, Temp., Amount: 80°C, 1 tsp, 2 min.
Rating: 92 | A-/100
# of Brews:  10

Notes:
By the first brew, this tea had already begun to take on the sticky rice taste. The liquid had a very light golden color with a floral, sweet, and obviously rice-like aroma. The flavor starts off with a somewhat sour, muscatel flavor, then moves into the flavor of sticky rice (it's hard for me to explain, but if you've tasted it before you know what I mean; it's ). It finishes off on a sweet, light cinnamon note. Over brews, the color had begun to become darker, but the aroma stayed relatively the same. As for the flavor, the fruity notes became much more pronounced, but the sticky rice flavor remained and became even more stronger. In fact, the cinnamon notes were eventually lost and the sticky rice stayed as a very dominant aftertaste, which I could taste after drinking and exhaling. The creamy, milky notes of the Jin Xuan base began to come out, making the tea taste surprisingly a lot like milk- something which I haven't seen in a lot of Jin Xuan. The flavor began to wane after 7 brews, but it still tasted relatively the same. There was little astringency throughout the complete drinking session. Near the end, the creaminess of the Jin Xuan became the dominant flavor, and the sticky rice became a light aftertaste. Overall, a really, really great drinking experience.


Final Notes
Overall, I'm actually pretty happy, despite my blunder. The sticky rice oolong really made up for it with its flavor and I enjoyed drinking it very much. This is the longest a flavored oolong has lasted in terms of number of brews, and the taste stayed the same without changing much. I actually had to stop early (10 brews) since I ran out of water, but I'm almost certain it could go much longer. On par with the Vietnamese green I had yesterday.

Week of Jin Xuan - Day 2: Vietnam Ta Jin Xuan Green & Milk Oolong

So, today's review is between a green tea and an oolong, but that's fine! Vital Tea Leaf's Milk Oolong is unroasted/a green oolong, and anyway it'll be fun to compare. There isn't much stuff happening today other than registration for school, so this review is happening in the morning after breakfast. Today's album is THE BEST 'Blue' by Kalafina.

Vietnam Ta Jin Xuan Green - What-Cha
Type & Appearance: Green Tea - small, dark green curls; I'm guessing it's pan fried
Recommended Brew Time, Temp., Amount: 75°C, 1-2 tsp, 15-30 sec.
Rating: A | 93/100
# of Brews: 5

Notes:
So, this tea actually really surprised me before the first brew. Once I rinsed it, there was very, very strong seaweed smell mixed with a bit of a cooked meat (pork or beef) notes. It's similar to Japanese sencha, but it has a bit more punch; it's not as grassy. As for the first few brews, it had a very bright yellow-green color and moved towards a neon green. The taste was amazing; it had the umami, yet slightly grassy taste of Japanese sencha and finished on the creamy notes of a Jin Xuan. It was very, very smooth with little to no tannins or astringency. By brew 4, the tea had begun to lose its flavor and color. It began to move from the savory flavor of sencha to the milky, lightly tart flavor of Jin Xuan with a bit of cotton candy. The aroma had somehow become what I can only describe as a fresh watermelon, with a tiny bit of seaweed. I ended at 5 brews since it was becoming flavorless and I cold brew the leaves are I finish, but it could go for maybe 1 more. Although it doesn't last as long as other teas, this tea is an amazing experience for what it is.


Milk Oolong - Vital Tea Leaf
Type & Appearance: Unroasted Oolong - small, dark green balls of oolong
Recommended Brew Time, Temp., Amount: 180-190°F, 1-2 tbsp, 30 sec.
Rating: A- | 90/100
# of Brews:  up to 8 (recommended); stopped at 6

Notes:
I may have screwed this one up. I stored this tea (and actually all of the other teas from Tea Ave) next to some chai, so there is a very light cinnamon taste. I'm still getting the milk oolong flavor, but the light chai flavor is distracting. Anyway, for the first few brews, the tea, like the green tea, had a bright yellow-green color; however, I'd say this tea was more yellow than the Ta Jin Xuan. As it brewed more, it moved towards a highlighter yellow color. The aroma wasn't tainted with the chai, and smelled milky and grassy- just how I remember it. The flavor is very milky with grassy notes, like the aroma, but had a bit of tartness to it. I daresay the cinnamon actually helped the flavor a bit since it was so light, but it's good either way. By the time the Ta Jin Xuan was losing its flavor, this tea was still going strong. This began to lose flavor by brew 6, but still had a bright color. Overall, the flavor moved to a more grassy flavor with light milk notes and tart flavor. The aroma stayed a strong evaporated milk smell, and I'm more than sure you can reach the 8 brews on the box. Still one of my favorite milk oolongs.

Final Notes
Well, I think I just found one of my favorite green teas now. It might just be my craving for sencha talking, but I was just blown away by the Ta Jin Xuan's flavor. It's like two of my favorite teas combined and made an amazing flavor, with both complimenting each other very, very nicely. Kalafina helped a lot in setting the mood, heh. As for the Milk Oolong, it's still actually one of my favorite ones just because of its milkiness and green tea-like flavor, but today, the bar was just set too high by the Ta Jin Xuan. And also, a lesson learned: store smelly teas away from other teas, and pack teas in airtight bags. Today was a good day.

Week of Jin Xuan - Day 1: Guangdong Jin Xuan Mao Feng Black & Jin Xuan Pearl Black

So, while I am brewing gongfu style, I'm just going to do a short paragraph on what I think for both teas (instead of doing tasting notes for every brew). Today's is mostly just going to be a practice session of what's to come. Also, I'm relaxing while doing this after that filming session (more info in a later post), so I'm not really focused on this too much. Here's a new thing too: I'll be listening to a different album during each tasting session, and today's is ADHD by Kuba Oms- it's free on their Bandcamp, so feel free to pick it up!

Guangdong Jin Xuan Mao Feng Black - What-Cha
Type: Black - very long, thin rolled leaves
Recommended Brew Time, Temp., Amount: 95°C, 1-2 tsps, 3-4 min
Rating: B+ | 89/100

Notes:
At the beginning, this tea had sweet, honey notes along with an apricot flavor. It is very smooth and light, leaving little dryness in the mouth. The liquid was a light, golden-orange/amber color, with a fruity, almost red wine-like smell. It reached about 6 brews, but I think it could go for a few more. Throughout the drinking session, the flavor eventually became a bit more citrusy, with a flavor like lemon peel. The honey notes continued, and the creaminess characteristic of Jin Xuan came out as an aftertaste. By the end it was also becoming a bit more astringent, and felt more viscous in the mouth.


Jin Xuan Pearl Black - What-Cha
Type: Black - small, balled leaves
Recommended Brew Time, Temp., Amount: 90°C, 1 tsp, 3-4 min.
Rating: B | 86/100

Notes:
As for this tea at the beginning, it was a dark gold color with a light smoky, brown sugar aroma. The flavor was mostly smooth and sweet, with earthy caramel notes. However, it was a bit tannic, leaving the throat dry after drinking. Like the other tea, I was able to brew this 6 times. I'd say you can brew it a bit more, but at this point, the flavor was becoming very weak; the liquid still had color, however. Surprisingly, it became very chocolatey while retaining its honey notes. It never reached that creamy flavor, but it did have a slightly sweet flavor in the aftertaste/during inhaling.


Final Notes
Personally, I liked the Guangdong Jin Xuan Mao Feng Black more. I prefer the fruity sweet flavor that was present in the first few brews to the strong, darker flavor of the Jin Xuan Pearl Black. However, the Jin Xuan Pearl Black did seem a bit more available for longer brews, and I actually liked the chocolate flavor that appeared near the end of the tastings. Both are good teas, but depending on your taste preferences you may like one over the other (like I said, I enjoyed the Guangdong Jin Xuan Mao Feng Black a tiny bit more).