This one was surprising to me! Of all the teas I’ve tried from Yeeon, I had assumed this would be a favorite. I’m surprised that I did not like this shou as much as their other’s. Aroma is very wet and slightly dank — wet wood smells. Flavor to me was uninteresting… Warm and smooth, yes. But, lands rather flat and not strong. This tea doesn’t brew as dark nor for as long as I want it to. Especially at the price point, I expected a bit more “bang”. There are some positives here; the tea is smooth in the mouth, like oil. It has that warm ripe feeling. Yet, if you want a good shou from Yee on, I’m more likely to recommend the purple mark cake or the best taste shou. Those are far cheaper and (imo) far better. Such a bummer ! But I only bought 10 grams so it’s okay haha.

I’m going to try to be more active here on tumblr, so if you’d like to see some of my art and stuff it’s @apoostrophe for my art side blog !

★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Trying to get through all the W2T samples I’ve yet to put here. I’m actually running out of tea at school! So if I run out I’ll probably place an order soon for some new stuff. Maybe Yeeon, LP, or something similar.

This is the smokiest smoked Lapsang I’ve had. The campfire-like smoke can be smelt strongly on the dry leaves and only gets stronger once hot water hits it. The entire room will smell like campfire and cigarettes once you start brewing this tea. Once again, it has those nicely rolled leaves that open up easy in my teapot. Definitely drank the rinse here. Liquor color is something I don’t normally see, and is pretty unique. The yellow color is slightly opaque and almost tinted. Like a lightly fogged gold. Surprisingly, flavor is pretty standard here. Tastes like high end smoked Lapsang, but doesn’t quite hit the quality I’d expect for the budget. It’s not an extremely pricey tea, but, as a Lapsang, I find myself wondering if the price to quality ratio has been maxed out. I ask the same question when I’m drinking a shou that is way over the $1 per gram margin. There are some teas that fit in that sweet spot, but I’m unsure about this one! Not to say it’s not a great tea, just that its flavor is nothing shocking. Tastes like smoked Lapsang, and it is smoked Lapsang. Aroma, liquor color, texture, leaf quality, etc are all the things keeping these leaves at a higher price.

★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Look at those leaves!

Oh boy, I haven’t had a lightly oxidized oolong in forever. This one is super vegetal, wet leaf smells like freshly steamed veggies and rice, very umami. The flavor and color changes a lot with every steep. From a somewhat floral brussel sprouts taste with a light yellow color, to a neon green thick umami bomb. Bummer, this isn’t my favorite flavor profile, but for those who like this profile I recommend giving it a try. It’s probably the most well rounded I’ve found in that category, and of course, huge leaves. Mandala Tea rarely misses with these oolongs, but I certainly prefer those higher oxidized and roasted oolongs.

My plans for the weekend include me watching anime with my neighbors, and playing a bit of Dark Souls.

★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Super rainy and dark today, so no great photos with this review. Just Lola, my cat!

Haven’t had puerh in some time, and I’m uncertain about this one. I don’t remember when I bought these samples or why I haven’t drank them yet… W2T’s cheaper shou doesn’t always agree with me. Had no issues opening the dragon ball this time, the tea completely broke apart the minute I hit it with water! Wet wood and over ripened fruit aroma, dark reddish liquor. Very oily mouth feel, distinct wet taste. The fruitiness is there but it’s faint compared to the wet wood. Maybe some raisin? Pretty easy to drink but maybe too funky for my taste.

I was watching a documentary recently about a hippo who’s favorite treat is a good gallon or two of rooibos tea. It was very wholesome.