This post contains the teas that I drink. It is a work in progress, started in February 2021, with the teas that I had at home at that moment, or had just finished. All teas are bought in or ordered from Berlin, unless stated otherwise.
Green tea
1. Sencha, Mighty Green N°319 (Paper & Tea, Berlin). Basic sencha, of good quality. Grassy flavors.
2. Matcha, Saemidori (Bohea, Berlin) Less flavory than other matchas I had, but still of ceremonial grade. A lot of umami, nutty taste.
3. Gyokuro (Tea Club). Normal gyokuro, this one feels more like sencha.
4. Sencha Machiko (Chaya). Gentle green tea, with an aroma of cherry leaves.
5. Sencha Koushoun (Chaya). This was my first green tea bought in Berlin. Remains one of my favorites. Mixture of two varieties: Kurasawa and Kanaya Midori. Tastes light, mild and a little sweet.
6. Sencha (Tea Club, Berlin). Baseline sencha. Not floral, not too grassy, very leveled-out. Always have to make sure not to oversteep, as it can get really bitter.
7. Natsu Bancha N°329, Kyoto Japan (P&T). Spring 2021. Is it the first time I try bancha? Maybe it is. It’s a refreshing step to take away from drinking sencha almost daily. Bancha is more of a daily tea, less exquisite, less grassy. Harsher, but also more permitting in terms of temperature and time. Harvested later, and the taste is less delicate naturally.
8. Hojicha, Daily Toast N°318, Kyushu, Japan (P&T). Spring 2021. I try to always have hojicha at home. This is one of my favorite ones. Roasted green, very low on caffeine, great to drink in the evening.
9. Meiso Hojicha (Meiso, Kyiv). Another one of favorite hojicha teas, when I can get it.
10. Hojicha (Bohea). Had a big pack, and was not as impressed as by 8 and 9. Preferred to buy from other sources later.
11. Biluochun – China (Teewald, Dresden). November 2020. Fruity, aromatic, fresh green.
12. Jeoncha – Korea (Bohea). One of my preferred sencha teas that this tea shop has. And the only Korean sencha I’ve had so far. A slight nutty flavor.
13. Kukicha, Kumano N°313, Japan (P&T). One of my favorite basics to always have at home. The taste is very rounded. Grassy, fresh, but not spiky fresh — round fresh. I prefer it to a lot of straight sencha teas.
14. Shincha Yame Supreme, 2021 (Chaya). First harvest sencha of the year, called shincha. Umami is massive here, and the tea is tender.
15. Shincha 88 Yanotsuyu, Shizuoka, 2021 (Chaya). September 2021. Another first harvest green tea, 88 stands for the number of days from spring start, when the tea is harvested. Make sure not to oversteep, this tea is particularly sensitive. Very fresh, smells and tastes like spring.
16. Kyoko Sunday Morning, Umegashima, Shizuoka (Chaya). October 2021. Fresh, I think this is first harvest too, even though there’s no information on the package. The strongest note I feel here is green grass.
17. Hojicha Kagoshima (Cha Yuan, Lyon). March 2022.
18. Happy Huizong – An Ji Bai Cha, N°301 (Paper & Tea). May 2022. Pricier green from Anji province in China. Lovely spikes, gentle and sweet.
19. Kabusecha. Daikoku N°317 (Paper & Tea). Very nice kabusecha, grassy, sometimes I prefer it to sencha.
20. Sencha Midori 2 (Chaya). September 2022. Supposed to be basic, as it’s the second harvest, but has a really nice flavor. Mix of yabukita and asatsuyu.
21. Lu’an Gua Pian. (Nannuoshan, 2023 harvest). February 2024. Origin: Qitoushan, Jinzhai, Lu’an, Anhui, China. Soft, mineral, toasty.
22. Sencha Shizuku. (Chaya, Berlin). March 2024. Hoshino. Very grassy.
23. Gyokuro. Kagoshima, Japan (Nannuoshan). March 2024. April 2022 harvest. Stewed greens, lime peel, sesame. Gentle and mild.
24. Palace of Patan, N°322. Nepal. (Paper & Tea). 2023. Full and floral
25. Fuliang Hong Cha (Nannuoshan, Berlin). Spring 2024. Harvest 2023. The tightly-rolled shape of these leaves is referred to as ‘fragrant spiral’, and deservedly: as they twist open under hot water, the released infusion becomes deeply aromatic, suggesting a visit to a hot spring, essential oils in tow. Savory, with a slick mouthfeel, notes of toffee and dried blueberry waft into the nose, while an almost playful bitterness visits the tongue, only to disappear. Given the reputation its administrative seat Jingdezhen has for porcelain, perhaps Fuliang County aspires to garner the same for black tea. In any case, this is an excellent midpoint between full-bodied and aromatic styles of black tea, and all for a very reasonable price.
26. Horaido Ur-Genmaicha (Laifufu). Summer 2024. Very good genmaicha. Fun fact: Genmaicha was original invented in early 1900s by Horaido, one of the oldest tea shops in Kyoto founded in 1803
27. Horaido Kabusecha (Laifufu). Fall 2024. Kyoto Uji, Japan. Harvest 2023.
Oolong tea
1. Four Seasons Of Spring N°402 (Paper & Tea, Berlin) Taiwanese oolong. Bought in early 2021. Aromatic flowers, dense taste, almost milky. This is the tea that I can put in a thermos, let it stay there, and then add water throughout the day. Not the best way of drinking, but possible.
2. Oriental Beauty N°403 (Paper & Tea, Berlin). Summer/fall 2021. There’s special sweetness in this oolong. Description from the site says: “The little green leafhopper, that serendipitous pest, redeems itself with the unusual cultivation of this prized jewel in the oolong crown. The insect’s avid nibbling kick-starts the tea’s early oxidation, resulting in a colorful riot of white-tipped leaves.”
3. Da Hong Pao (Cha Yuan, Lyon). March 2022. Ceremonial grade da hong pao. Very gentle aroma and taste. Wuyi mountains tea.
4. Ya Shi Xiang / “Duck Shit” (Nannuoshan, Berlin). May 2023. Fruity, but milder than I expected, with 95 degrees steeping. Twisted leaves. Lightly roasted, quite pale looking in a cup.
5. Da Hong Pao (Nannuoshan, Berlin). February 2024. Aromatic, one of the better da hong paos that I’ve had. (Charcoal, peach, molasses). I taste charcoal and floral/fruity notes. Origin: Dashuikeng, Wuyishan, Fujian, China. Cultivar: Qi Dan. Harvest: May 2020.
6. Beads of Gratitude. Tie guan yin (P&T). Winter 2024. Decent, basic.
7. Konkubine Hochland Oolong. (Laifufu). Summer 2024. Nantou, Formosa, 2022 harvest. Very aromatic and sweet, Guifei from Phoenix town 鳳凰村 in Dong Ding region.
8. Dong Ding Premium (Laifufu). Summer 2024. Nantou, Formosa 2023 (spring). Delicious! The classic toasty and nutty notes created by skillful roasting techniques. This year batch is especially full with pleasant aroma and long lasting after taste. Will consider repurchasing for the colder period.
9. Hong Oolong Traditional (Laifufu). Summer 2024. Taichung, Formosa | 2021. More than 85% oxidated, almost like Hong Cha (a.k.a. Black tea), this batch was roasted by traditional method, that is, with charcoal. (The aroma is not charcoal, all pretty delicate.)
Black tea
1. 1876 N°511 (Paper & Tea, Berlin). Oct.2020 My first encounter with Keemun (Quimen). Aromatic, deep, purchased multiple times.
2. Keemun Mao Feng (Bohea, Berlin) Nov. 2020. Less aromatic, likely a bit lower quality than No.1, and costs less. The taste was not as prominent, and I went on buying No.1
3. Kyoto Red N° 921 (Paper & Tea, Berlin) Dec 2020. Amazing, limited harvest Japanese black — wakoucha. Mellow and mild, an aroma that you have to “listen” to very closely. Link to blog post.
4. Dark & Stormy N°521 (Paper & Tea, Berlin). Apr 2021. Intense aroma and taste. East Friesian (German) tea, a blend of Chinese, Indian and Sri-Lankan sorts.
5. Nandana N°506 (Paper & Tea, Berlin) Mar 2023. Intense, aromatic assam. Good for everyday drinking, but I still prefer Keemun from P&T overall.
6. Mowgli. Wuliang Shan Ye Sheng Hong Cha (One Tea Tree, Kyiv). May 2023. (Haven’t opened yet). This is a gem, from Kyiv and a new tea house opened by a friend. Ye sheng is “purple tea”. Harvest is from 2021. Origin: Yunnan.
7. Wa-kocha/Wakoucha (Maison de la culture du Japon, Paris). August 2023. Amazing black tea from Japan.
8. Hoshino Koucha (Chaya, Berlin). May 2024. Origin: Yame. Sweet and intensely aromatic.
9. Keemun Congou. (Laifufu). Summer 2024. Basic Chinese Keemun. Good value
10. Soseul Hong Cha (Laifufu). Summer 2024. Korean black tea. Quite mild, not like Keemun.
11. Huang Mei Gui Hong Cha / Black Rose (Nannuoshan, Berlin). Fall 2024. Reordering, because this is one of the most aromatic yet subtle blacks, and in autumn-winter I drink a lot of black tea. Floral, with natural sweetness. And I feel like it does not get boring.