Adagio Fresh Arrivals Tasting
Hey guys, I sent out the samples to those who sent me their info, so whenever you receive them and get a chance to cup them- feel free to discuss discuss discuss!!!!!
Thank you so much!!
I am just chomping at the bit to try some of these new blacks!
And I am sooooo impatient!!
Trying to relax ...
I am just chomping at the bit to try some of these new blacks!
And I am sooooo impatient!!
Trying to relax ...
- Victoria -
http://victoriasown.blogspot.com/
http://victoriasown.blogspot.com/
Nov 3rd, '08, 22:30
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Scheduled to arrive on Wednesday. Can't wait.
But, based on pictures alone, I have a few words to say. Being ITD, I feel free to say them. All of the following is said in good spirits, just speculating as a true tea-lover should.
I think Yunnan Noir is kinda creepy. It looks like a fully oxidized gunpowder... That's somewhat disconcerting, anybody agree? But, being Yunnan, I think it still has potential. If it were ceylon or assam, I'd be scared.
Fujian Baroque... Looks crappy, and I think it's all from that kite-shaped leaf near the middle of the picture. Lol, it's a freak leaf. But it's also very cheap... I don't expect much from this one, but the description relates it to golden monkey, which is very exciting, I love that stuff.
Next, the Keemun Rhapsody. I'm pretty excited for this one. I haven't had much good keemun, even though I think I really like the stuff. I had the keemun concerto, but found it underwhelming and not really worth my time. Rhapsody is Adagio's most expensive keemun, so I've got high hopes.
And then the Golden Spring. I'm psyched to try this one. I've been hearing lots of good lately about this kind of black tea (biluotsun style). Dunno what else to say, just hope that my sample has as many good buds as the picture shows.
I got the white symphony too, feel like it's a gamble... bai mu dan... but who knows.
WOOHOO
But, based on pictures alone, I have a few words to say. Being ITD, I feel free to say them. All of the following is said in good spirits, just speculating as a true tea-lover should.
I think Yunnan Noir is kinda creepy. It looks like a fully oxidized gunpowder... That's somewhat disconcerting, anybody agree? But, being Yunnan, I think it still has potential. If it were ceylon or assam, I'd be scared.
Fujian Baroque... Looks crappy, and I think it's all from that kite-shaped leaf near the middle of the picture. Lol, it's a freak leaf. But it's also very cheap... I don't expect much from this one, but the description relates it to golden monkey, which is very exciting, I love that stuff.
Next, the Keemun Rhapsody. I'm pretty excited for this one. I haven't had much good keemun, even though I think I really like the stuff. I had the keemun concerto, but found it underwhelming and not really worth my time. Rhapsody is Adagio's most expensive keemun, so I've got high hopes.
And then the Golden Spring. I'm psyched to try this one. I've been hearing lots of good lately about this kind of black tea (biluotsun style). Dunno what else to say, just hope that my sample has as many good buds as the picture shows.
I got the white symphony too, feel like it's a gamble... bai mu dan... but who knows.
WOOHOO
Nov 4th, '08, 12:59
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I tried all of them one time each. I will be retrying them in a more serious vain, but some brief glimpses for those of you waiting. I brew blacks English style for the most part, 2.3 grams per 6 ounces water. Green and white gong fu or semi gong fu, usually a gram per ounce water.
Just had the Yunnan Noir. I thought it offered a nice complexity. Dried fruit, cocoa, and faint pepper. The liquor was a lovely deep red.
The White Symphony, brewed yesterday at least 5 steeps and still carried it over into today. Nice fruity aroma, ripe apple with a hint of an exotic spice. Very aromatic.
Emerald Needles, surprisingly sweet for a green. Fruity. I need to try this again since I did not jot down any notes on it.
Fujian Baroque, nice Golden Monkey like. Sweet. Lovely aroma.
Keemun Rhapsody, Oaky was my first impression. The leaf is Mao Feng, so it is long and wirey.
Golden Spring, light and airy for a black. I want to use more leaf next time, maybe semi gong fu. This is the most curious of the blacks for me in that it is Bi Lou Chun black if I hear right.
Overall first impression is very promising. I am anxious to retry them. Might break out the tasting sets next time around.
Just had the Yunnan Noir. I thought it offered a nice complexity. Dried fruit, cocoa, and faint pepper. The liquor was a lovely deep red.
The White Symphony, brewed yesterday at least 5 steeps and still carried it over into today. Nice fruity aroma, ripe apple with a hint of an exotic spice. Very aromatic.
Emerald Needles, surprisingly sweet for a green. Fruity. I need to try this again since I did not jot down any notes on it.
Fujian Baroque, nice Golden Monkey like. Sweet. Lovely aroma.
Keemun Rhapsody, Oaky was my first impression. The leaf is Mao Feng, so it is long and wirey.
Golden Spring, light and airy for a black. I want to use more leaf next time, maybe semi gong fu. This is the most curious of the blacks for me in that it is Bi Lou Chun black if I hear right.
Overall first impression is very promising. I am anxious to retry them. Might break out the tasting sets next time around.
Nov 4th, '08, 19:13
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Thank you Xine!
I had two of them this afternoon.
The Yunnan Noir also reminds me of gunpowder, but I'm not creeped out by it. The tea was brisk, but less malty and with a thinner mouth feel than most dian hong cha. Did anyone else notice hints of keemun?
The Fujian Baroque was very good, IMO. Lighter and smooth, clearly from Fujian, like a white tea but stronger. I gulped this one.
I look forward to trying the rest tomorrow.
I had two of them this afternoon.
The Yunnan Noir also reminds me of gunpowder, but I'm not creeped out by it. The tea was brisk, but less malty and with a thinner mouth feel than most dian hong cha. Did anyone else notice hints of keemun?
The Fujian Baroque was very good, IMO. Lighter and smooth, clearly from Fujian, like a white tea but stronger. I gulped this one.
I look forward to trying the rest tomorrow.
Nov 5th, '08, 14:39
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Got mine today! YEAH~ 
Don't always believe what you think!
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Nov 5th, '08, 23:09
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Location: Gainesville, Florida
I had the Keemun Rhapsody at work today. It seemed OK, a little astringent, but work is a poor environment for tea ... I just don't focus properly there. I know I didn't get all this tea has to offer and want to get back to it gong fu style.
I tried the Emerald Needle this evening. I guess this is a Chinese green tea, but the look of the dry leaves (all tips) reminded me more of wild rice. They are tan colored and the liquor is a peach or buff color rather than yellow or green. The spent leaves, a least, are green. That was the only feature of this tea that seemed to merit the name Emerald.
Drinking this I couldn't help wonder if it is actually a white tea. I have had very similar greens from TeaSource, and don't care for the results I get. The liquor presents a nice thick mouthfeel, but is sweeter than I like and has annoying astringency. The flavor is sort of like a dull fruit, lacking in acidity and to my thinking is just flat and stale tasting. Sort of like a flat beer.
Does someone have a brewing suggestion? I did it 3.75 grams with an infuser basket in a 6 oz mug, temp: 160° F, infusions: 1 m, 2 m, 3 m. This is my standard approach to most Chinese greens and generally gives me at least a good point of departure for subsequent efforts. This one just has me flummoxed.
Thanks Xine for the opportunity to try these. I look forward to working with these two some more and getting on to the others.
Like some others, I also find these neologism names annoying. Of course I understand that for those new to tea it is more practical to order something with an English name rather than a strange Chinese name like Lu An Gua Pian, but for slightly more experienced tea drinkers the conventional names are comfortable rather than off-putting. Perhaps a dual naming system or at least mentioning the conventional name in the description. This is especially apparent whenever you see a discussion about the Oolong # series of teas.
I tried the Emerald Needle this evening. I guess this is a Chinese green tea, but the look of the dry leaves (all tips) reminded me more of wild rice. They are tan colored and the liquor is a peach or buff color rather than yellow or green. The spent leaves, a least, are green. That was the only feature of this tea that seemed to merit the name Emerald.
Drinking this I couldn't help wonder if it is actually a white tea. I have had very similar greens from TeaSource, and don't care for the results I get. The liquor presents a nice thick mouthfeel, but is sweeter than I like and has annoying astringency. The flavor is sort of like a dull fruit, lacking in acidity and to my thinking is just flat and stale tasting. Sort of like a flat beer.
Does someone have a brewing suggestion? I did it 3.75 grams with an infuser basket in a 6 oz mug, temp: 160° F, infusions: 1 m, 2 m, 3 m. This is my standard approach to most Chinese greens and generally gives me at least a good point of departure for subsequent efforts. This one just has me flummoxed.
Thanks Xine for the opportunity to try these. I look forward to working with these two some more and getting on to the others.
Like some others, I also find these neologism names annoying. Of course I understand that for those new to tea it is more practical to order something with an English name rather than a strange Chinese name like Lu An Gua Pian, but for slightly more experienced tea drinkers the conventional names are comfortable rather than off-putting. Perhaps a dual naming system or at least mentioning the conventional name in the description. This is especially apparent whenever you see a discussion about the Oolong # series of teas.
Nov 6th, '08, 00:12
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Nov 6th, '08, 20:35
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Proinsias
Yunann Noir is first off the starting blocks.
Brewing gong fu in a 60/70ml gaiwan
Definitely looks to me like someone has gunpowdered some dian hong, a nice glossy sheen mixed with the usually lovely golden tinges I expect from dian hong.
Taste wise I have to concur with a few others in that there is an unmistakable qimen aspect to the tea. I've had better dian hong and I've had better qimen but I've never had something which fuses the two flavours, and as a bonus does it very well.
A eight of so steeps in and the brews become more classic dian hiong as the qimen fades. I'm thinking much of the qimen character is to do with the fact that the rolling of the leaf is similar to the processing of typical qimen - as the leaf opens out and starts to resemble what I usually see from dian hong the qimen character retreats.
When I can't decide between dian hong and quimen, which is quite often these days, I know which tin I'll be heading for.
Cheers Xine
Brewing gong fu in a 60/70ml gaiwan
Definitely looks to me like someone has gunpowdered some dian hong, a nice glossy sheen mixed with the usually lovely golden tinges I expect from dian hong.
Taste wise I have to concur with a few others in that there is an unmistakable qimen aspect to the tea. I've had better dian hong and I've had better qimen but I've never had something which fuses the two flavours, and as a bonus does it very well.
A eight of so steeps in and the brews become more classic dian hiong as the qimen fades. I'm thinking much of the qimen character is to do with the fact that the rolling of the leaf is similar to the processing of typical qimen - as the leaf opens out and starts to resemble what I usually see from dian hong the qimen character retreats.
When I can't decide between dian hong and quimen, which is quite often these days, I know which tin I'll be heading for.
Cheers Xine