Shui Xian from Teaspring

Scent in package: roasted and somewhat musty
Brewed in: glass teapot
Steeped: 3 minutes @ just under boiling
Cup: stoneware teacup

The moment I opened this package again, I remembered why I hadn’t yet reviewed it. I had brewed a cup when I got it, and burnt it quite badly, so I put it back in the cupboard for another time when I could brew it properly for review. Amazing how scent works to jog even a simple memory such as that.

In any case, this is the second Shui Xian I’ve reviewed, and I think it will be the last (barring free tea, of course). Last night while I was sipping, I finally figured out what bothers me so much about this heavily roasted oolong.

It tastes like coffee.

Okay, not exactly “coffee”, but that deep-roasted scent that comes barreling out of the nearest coffee pot in my office is very similar to the taste of this tea. I can’t stand coffee, never have been able to (hence my tea-drinking ways), and I’ve decided that these particular teas just remind me too much of that “other beverage”.

This tea is light, and doesn’t have the honeyed texture that I had sort of expected. The color is dark, but the texture is smooth and thin, sliding down easily. There is that earthy, bark-like taste reminiscent of a cooked puerh, as well as a hint of smokiness and charcoal, but the roasted, almost burnt-nut flavor is dominant, and really wants to take over the whole taste profile. It is slightly drying, but not unpleasantly so. The leaves are quite beautiful when steeped:
If you’re a coffee-drinker, or were at one time, you might really enjoy this tea as a “bridge” between the two drinks. If you like a heavily roasted flavor, this tea is for you. As for me, I think I’ll pass…it just wasn’t my “cup of tea”, more like a “coffee-imposter”.

Tie Guan Yin from Teaspring

Scent in package: light, floral, very relaxing and soothing vanilla-orchid type fragrance.
Brewed in: Tea for one/metal infuser
Steeped: 1 min.@just under boiling x2
Cup: Café mug

The dried leaves of this tea are gorgeous – vibrant green and tightly curled. Just looking at them, and smelling that lovely light floral fragrance was very soothing for a Monday-morning break. The second the hot water hit the leaves, they gave off this amazing floral fragrance that lasted through the short brewing time. It’s very enjoyable just brewing this tea, even at work.

The first infusion had a very buttery scent wafting up out of the cup, and I looked forward to the first sip. The flavor was very light though, odd, since the tea was a dark yellow, and I was hoping the taste would match. It did have that distinctive “woody vegetable” taste however (asparagus, etc), and what flavor there was, was very enjoyable. It was just too light, even steeped with very hot water.

The second infusion was nice as well, but still a bit light for my taste. This is only the second Tie Guan Yin (Ti Kuan Yin, etc) I’ve tried, but the last one seemed more flavorful while remaining delicate. Perhaps it was my brewing method, since I used a gaiwan for that one, with more of a gong fu brewing, rather than the more “british” method of brewing I used for this one.

In any case, it’s not harsh at all, quite mellow, and it is enjoyable, but I would have liked a bit more “richness” to the tea personally. The scent is my favorite part – it has all the richness and complexity that I’d like to taste, but unfortunately, it doesn’t carry through.

I’ll probably pass on this one next time, but will try others in the same vein from different places to compare.

Rou Gui Oolong Showdown

One main goal motivated me to do this particular showdown – I wanted to find out if Rou Gui actually did taste like cinnamon or not! I’d read descriptions of it, and tasted some teas individually, but never really grasped why anyone would compare it to cinnamon, so I thought perhaps if I tasted several varieties, maybe they would yield more info than previously. I also decided to brew them gong fu style, using gaiwans and filtered water. I ended up having to use a smallish fair pitcher for my third gaiwan, since I only have two, and had tea from three vendors.

The three rou gui’s I have are from Teacuppa, Stash, and Teaspring. I don’t know what year the Teacuppa variety is, as it was a sample included with an order, and they didn’t mark the year on the package. For that matter, none of my rou gui packs had years marked on them, so we’re in the dark there. I used filtered tap water to brew with, at around 180 degrees. I tried to use approximately the same ratio of leaf to cup for each type…around ¼ the gaiwan of leaf. Unfortunately, it was dark in my kitchen, so the pictures are less than spectacular, but you can sort of get the idea. In all pictures, Teacuppa is on the right, Stash is in the middle, and Teaspring is on the left (as you’re looking at them). I did rinse each of the teas with a 5 second rinse that was discarded.

So, right from the start, these three versions of Rou Gui all had a unique scent. The Teacuppa scent was sweet and woodsy, with almost a floral tone lurking in the background. The Stash was also sweet, but bolder, and with a more grassy fragrance. And the Teaspring was nothing other than a deep, chocolaty scent, a surprise since not one of them smelled like cinnamon, and all were very sweet and different.

The first infusion was 30s for all three. And they couldn’t have tasted more different! The Teacuppa was sharp, and very cinnamon-y, like straight ground cinnamon without the benefit of sugar to tone it down. It was a thin brew, and bitter, but not drying. The Stash was very bold, more of a roasted flavor, rather than cinnamon (I actually didn’t detect any cinnamon flavor in this one). It was bitter as well, without being astringent, and thin on the tongue. It was more complex than the Teacuppa brew. The Teaspring had more of the roasted flavor too, but was also very smoky, like charcoal more than liquid smoke (ie, not like a lapsong). There was no bitterness, it was slightly sweet, and another thin brew. Very interesting and complex.
The second infusion was 40s. The Teacuppa was lighter, smoky sweet and more woody, still with the cinnamon “bite”, but very drying in the mouth. The Stash was slightly smokey, carrying a very bold flavor with the distinctive cinnamon “bite” on the tip of the tongue. It was less bitter than the first cup, with a hint of astringency. The Teaspring was very roasty & smoky, but less flavorful with no bite, bitterness, or much of anything else.

The third infusion was for 50s. The Teacuppa was sweeter, less astringent, and had a good cinnamon flavor with less of a “bite”, and more texture to the brew. The Stash however was thin, very drying, and less flavorful, with only a slight cinnamon taste. The Teaspring was thicker and smoky, but with much less flavor, and very drying (though still not bitter).

It seemed like all three teas were wearing out around the 3rd infusion, even though the color was still quite good for all of them. I brewed one more infusion for a full minute, that resulted in very weak, thin brews not really worth commenting on. I think had I heated more water, and brewed hotter/longer, I may have been able to squeeze them a bit more.
The leaves were interesting as well. Unfortunately, I didn’t get good pictures of them at all – too dark. Surprisingly, the leaves from Teacuppa were the smallest…something I would have expected more from Stash. The leaves from Teaspring were the largest and prettiest when unfurled, though all were a lovely mixture of very dark brown and olive green.

I’m hard-pressed to decide which of these I like best, simply because they are all so different. This tasting did leave me with an incredibly dry mouth…not something I particularly enjoy, and warmed me up quite nicely. The teaspring version really had no cinnamon flavor to speak of, which is supposedly traditional in Rou Gui. I think for the perfect mix, I’d have to blend the Stash and Teacuppa versions together – for a smoky-sweet roasted cinnamon brew.

Even so, not my favorite kind of oolong, largely due to the very drying aspects of the tea (it really reminded me of trying ground cinnamon straight…very sharp and astringent). Perhaps I’d like it better if I brewed a teaspoon of leaves for 3 min. or so, English style. I may have to try that sometime.

So no clear “winner” for me, but I don’t think the Teaspring version does justice to the common description of “cinnamon flavor”.

2006 Banzhang Ye Sheng from Teaspring

Scent (dry): very light, earthy/woody tones
Brewed: gaiwan w/filtered water
Steeped: 10s rinse, 5s, 5s, 5s, 5s, 5s, 8s, 8s, 8s at near boiling
Cup: tasting cup


I read the other day that a friend of marshaln’s believes that bitter tea will age well. If so, the teas I have should age spectacularly, as this one is bitter too. Not quite as bitter as the other beeng, but definitely bitter and astringent throughout. Honestly, the filtered water didn’t seem to make much of a difference to my palate (the tea was actually lacking in flavor even more with the filtered water than it was the other night with the tap water).

The difference with this brew is that the bitterness seems to come and go, and the 6th to 8th infusions were much more drinkable than any of the others. A slight sweetness started coming out, and the liquor got more mellow, with a hint of pepper and that woodiness in the background that would be lovely if it only would take over the forefront. The last infusion had a fruity quality that brought out a hint of sweetness. If that is a harbinger of things to come, then I’ll look forward to tasting this tea after it’s aged further.

One other interesting thing about this tea is it actually made me a bit light headed. I tasted two teas last night, and between the two, I believe I understand now when people write about being “tea drunk”. It’s an odd feeling, not really like an alcohol high at all, but definitely more of a pleasant, light-headed “dreamy” feeling. Interesting, in any case.


I apologize for lack of pictures of the actual brew – all were very light, and none actually turned out to be “usable”. It didn’t change much throughout though…all rather thin liquors, and light golden color.

So we’ll see how this tea ages (along with the others). It’s been quite humid here lately (raining far more than usual), so once the weather dries up a bit, I’ll make a “tea box” to store them in a more constant humid environment.

2005 Chun Ya Tea Cake (Sheng), Chunming Tea Factory from Teaspring

Scent: Light and fresh, earthy, not musty or “old” at all
Brewed in: small Gaiwan
Steep times: 10s rinse, 5s, 10s, 5s, 8s, 8s, 8s, 5s, 8s, 8s
Cup: tasting cup

I was really excited about the smell and look of this tea cake. This is a quote from the Teaspring site about this tea:


The liquor of its infusion is a reminiscence of Yunnan Gold tea, delightfully sweet with malty note. While most Green Pu-erh requires at least 4 to 5 years of aging for its mellow and sweet taste to develop, this Chun Ya tea cake is prime for drinking. Truly a treat not to be missed.


So naturally, since I love Yunnan Gold & it’s supposed to be ready to drink now, I figured I’d give it a shot. And I was highly disappointed. Either something’s wrong with their description, or something’s wrong with my brewing technique, because this tea neither tasted like Yunnan Gold (not even close), nor was it mellow or sweet. I certainly wouldn’t describe it as “prime for drinking”, but someone must be getting good things out of it, since I notice it’s now sold out. I tried shorter infusion times, one longer one, and 9 infusions total before I gave up.

The 1st through the 6th infusions (1st three pictured) were all very bitter, and the tea was very astringent throughout, leaving my mouth extremely dry by the end. The first cup was very smoky, but lacking in any other flavor, and the tea was thin for most of the cups, thinner than I’d expect from a puerh. There were no hints of any kind of flavor, vegetal, earthy or otherwise, though the tea smelled wonderful throughout.



The seventh infusion was less bitter, and almost enjoyable save for the lack of any real taste. The eighth infusion was better, smoother, more mellow, and I did detect a very slight vegetal flavor in the background. The ninth was the best, very smooth and mellow, the bitterness disappeared, but it was still spectacularly astringent.

I think I need to try this tea again with filtered water. I’ve been using tap water for all of my tastings, but I’m starting to think that our water is affecting the tea negatively. Our water is odd – for many teas, I prefer tap water to brew them with over filtered, because our tap water seems to bring out a deeper flavor profile than the filtered water when I’ve tried it. That’s why I automatically used tap for my tastings this past two weeks. But perhaps the tap water just isn’t doing that for the puerh, and I should try filtered water. I think I’ll wait until my second gaiwan gets here, and do a side-by-side tasting of the same puerh with tap and filtered water. That should give me more insight into how best to brew these teas. I’ll use filtered for my next tasting as well, and see how that one goes.

In any case, this tea really wasn’t anything special this go-round, but it wasn’t *bad* either, just bitter and boring.

2006 Xiaguan Gold 100g Tuo Cha from Teaspring

Scent: Fragrant “fresh tea” scent, very pleasant.
Brewed in: Small gaiwan
Steeped: 5 sec. rinse, then 15s, 15s, 25s, 15s, 15s, 15s, 20s
Cup: Teeny-tiny little porcelain dragon cup





Yes, I am completely thrilled with my new teaware…but more on that in a later review. Suffice it to say, this was the easiest tea tasting I’ve done, all due to the proper tools. Size really does matter!



So I know this tea is still very, very young, and I’ve read that very young raw puerh is hardly ever good for drinking. But in the interest of experimentation and learning, I decided to see exactly how bad a young puerh might taste. And I certainly wasn’t disappointed – this was probably one of my least enjoyable tasting sessions as far as pure taste goes. I may try aging this more in a humidor (like they make for cigars)…it’s small enough to fit, and as bad as it is, I doubt anything could make it taste *worse*!


That being said…it *smells* lovely both dry and brewed. It has a very fresh scent, not musty at all, but that typical “puerh” type woodsy fragrance. I did 7 infusions, and I must apologize for the pictures (and lack of) – my camera just isn’t the best, and though I stayed in the kitchen for better light, it just wasn’t enough help. But you get the idea, anyways.


The 1st through 3rd infusions were all very bitter, astringent, and sometimes sharp and biting on the tongue (the 3rd especially). I very nearly gave up, except for the bitterness started to wane with the 4th infusion. I kept going, and the 5th infusion was much less bitter, with hints of a slight vegetal flavor coming through. The 6th infusion was the most enjoyable, with sweetness taking over for the bitter, less astringency, and more of that buttery artichoke flavor of Monday night’s tea.

Unfortunately, in the 7th infusion, the flavor was very weak, and though there was still no bitterness, it was very, very astringent, and I decided I’d had enough “tea torture” for one night.

So if it ages into anything like the taste of the 6th infusion, it will be very much worth the trouble. If not, well, I’m not sure what it would be good for. Doorstop, maybe? It did perk me up a bit, which was a fun surprise.

2005 Yunnan Mini-TuoCha (Raw/Green) from Teaspring

Scent: Very light, basic tea scent
Brewed in: small Yixing teapot seasoned for raw puerh
Steeped: 4 infusions – 15sec, 30sec, 30 sec, 25sec.
Cup: small porcelain teacup

You’ll have to bear with me – I’m still learning the in’s and out’s of gongfu brewing, along with puerh, and I haven’t the proper tools just yet. I do have a gaiwan and small cups on order that should be arriving today, and I purchased this handsome stainless steel tea tray last week. So last night, I made due with what I had, and to avoid having to stand in the kitchen all evening, I kept boiling water hot with a tealight warmer, as pictured below. Obviously the water doesn’t stay at boiling, but it stays hot enough to require a cooling period after pouring the tea, so hot enough for now.

I have no idea if this tea will age well or not, and after reading an article about storing puerh at home in The Art of Tea Magazine (no relation to the AOT company), I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to age it properly anyways. So I focused on the first four infusions, though it undoubtedly could have gone more (not that I’m convinced any more would have been better). I apologize for the low quality of the pictures – my camera and lighting are not all that great. I only got a somewhat decent picture of the second infusion – the rest didn’t really turn out.
1st infusion @15 seconds: The brew was very pleasant, thick in the mouth, and very buttery in both taste and texture. There was a slight artichoke flavor being complimented by the butter, and I very much enjoyed the cup. It was very light in flavor, but rich at the same time. There was no astringency whatsoever, just smooth, creamy liquor.

2nd infusion @ 30 seconds: The tea was still quite thick, darker in color, and slightly stronger in flavor. It was sweet, not bitter, and with only a hint of astringency. The artichoke flavor was stronger, the cream texture somewhat lighter.


3rd infustion @ 30 seconds: This was a much darker brew, and that typical dark puerh scent really came through. The creamy, buttery artichoke flavor disappeared, leaving much astringency and a little bitterness. It was also thinner than the previous two steepings. Not as enjoyable.

4th infusion @ 25 seconds: There was a stronger vegetal taste, but no buttery creaminess to offset it. It was very astringent, and the bitterness was there as well as an odd, very harsh aftertaste that I really couldn’t identify, but I didn’t care for it. I’m sure the tea probably could have gone on after that, but I didn’t want to, with the last two infusions so disappointing.

My favorite infusions were the first and second, and I really loved the buttery, creamy artichoke flavor. I have no idea what this means in terms of aging, but for drinking now, I’d probably only drink two infusions and toss the rest due to the bitterness and astringency. The leaves are very small when unfurled, and bright green, though my picture doesn’t show that at all. Definately worth trying though, and I'll drink it here and there for those first two infusions, if nothing else.

Bi Luo Chun Hong Cha from Teaspring

Scent in package: malty, earthy, Yunnan-y…yummy, in other words
Brewed in: Tea for one
Steeped: 5 min@ boiling, 5 min@ boiling
Cup: café mug

I expected a stronger scent from this tea, from the reviews on the site. I was a bit wary from the comments about smokiness, but after smelling the lovely, soft malty scent wafting out of the package, I knew I had nothing to worry about. Some tea reminds me of oatmeal, and this one compliments those with a light undertone of raisins.

The dried tea looks like little snails – Yunnan tea leaves all rolled up, and when wet, they are unfurled but still maintain their distinctive “curl”, making for a beautiful display in the infuser as well. Something worth taking a picture of (though of course, I haven't yet).

It brewed up a very dark (almost black) liquor with very little scent in the cup. I waited impatiently for it to cool, anticipating what it could possibly taste like. When I took my first sip, the sensation of smoothness rolled over my tongue, and it was quite enjoyable. There is a slightly smoky taste, overlying the malt undertone, and truly, if you’ve ever rehydrated raisins in boiling water, this tea tastes like that smells…sweet, but thinner in the mouth than you'd expect from such a dark tea.

The only thing this tea is really lacking is complexity. I know it sounds contrary to what I’ve already described, but while there are several different tastes and sensations going on, when taken overall; the tea is almost “flat” in comparison to teas like Yunnan Gold and Sichuan Gongfu. But it’s still completely enjoyable, and the second infusion is far better, sweeter, and has a nicer texture than the first. I wouldn't go so far as to toss the first infusion out, but I bet a quick rinse of the tea leaves before the actual brew might really enhance the flavor of that first infusion.

For me, I think this tea would be a good one for drinking when the tea itself can't be the focus. It would be a great complimentary tea for drinking with a high-carb meal (noodles or bread), and will be lovely as a "must get work done - need to wake up" tea for it's strength. The taste is good, very enjoyable, but it doesn't call attention to itself like so many more flavorful teas...it's content to be a great backdrop for whatever is happening around it.

I'll enjoy what I have of it, and possibly buy more later, depending on how much room I have in my tea cupboard, but it's mainly an average tea, great for daily drinking, but not an attention grabber for me.

Sichuan Gongfu from TeaSpring

Scent in package: Yummy, malty, and sweet.
Brewed in: Trusty tea-for-one pot here at work
Steeping: 5 min. @ 212 degrees
Cup: Trusty tea-for-one cup

It’s always fun to get a box from China – the cool stamps, customs tag, and green tape with Chinese characters certainly gets the attention of postal workers when I have to go pick it up from the office (for some reason, they won’t just leave it at my door). Sometimes I think I must be on some government “watch list” just for getting boxes of tea from China, with the way they occasionally look at me.

In any case, I picked up my package from TeaSpring today at lunch, and brought it back to work with me. No one was around, so I opened it up, and found my four little packages of tea neatly wrapped in dusty bubble wrap. I tossed that, of course, and spent the next few minutes trying to decide what to try first. This Sichuan Gongfu won the coin toss, so I snipped open the package, stuck my nose inside, and inhaled.

What a lovely scent! Strong, malty goodness greeted my nostrils, and I eagerly measured enough of the golden-tipped black leaves for a cup into my little metal infuser. Once brewed, it was all I could do not to sip it right away, because that malty, sweet scent just got stronger and bolder the longer it sat. Finally it was cool enough to risk a sip, and I was treated to a smooth mouthful of a very complex tea. A hint of smokiness, strong malty taste, and an underlying sense of sweetness are the main components to this very rich-yet-smooth tea. I was surprised by the fact that as bold as it is, it’s not bitter at all, and leaves a very pleasantly sweet aftertaste. There is the smallest bit of a pepper taste on the tongue, though it’s more a tiny “biting” sense than an actual taste. The steeped tea pieces are actually tea buds, which I guess is somewhat unique.

This tea is absolutely one I will buy again. I only bought a small quantity this time (25g. for $4.80), I’ll most certainly spend the money for a larger quantity next time. Excellent tea for anytime, in my opinion. I brewed it longer than a normal infusion, as I wasn’t planning on reusing the leaves, but I may make an exception here, and try another infusion, as this cup is almost gone. Wonderful stuff…do try it!

**A quick edit to add that I am at this moment enjoying a second infusion, 7 min. @ 212, and it's not as bold, very mellow, very smooth, and very sweet with a thicker mouthfeel than the first. Completely enjoyable and perfect...truely a lovely tea.