"Duck Butter" Yashixiang and "Bee balm" Milanxiang
How good are they? Are they good for the price? And how are they compared to regular non pressed Dan congs?
I'm pissed right now, because I was waiting to place an order on White2Tea in September (when colder temperatures arrive and I start drinking a lot of tea again), and I recently checked and found out that this year's Blood Moon, released only two months ago, had already sold out. And I'm pissed, because this has happened to me TWICE, with the SAME CAKE two years in a row
Next year I'm placing an order even if it is just with this tea, because I'm really eager to have a whole cake of it and I can seem to get the timing right
Has this ever happened to you? I want to hear your thoughts and what have you done to prevent this from happening (apart from FOMO buying, of course)
I've tried almost 10 different shous from various vendors and I've discovered that, while I do not particularly enjoy the really sweet, chocolatey or ripe-fruity ones, the really dark, earthy and petrichor-smelling shous have become one of my most favourite types of tea. So I want to try more of those
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I'm planning on placing an order on W2T soon, and I'm gonna buy a whole cake of 2025 Icabod (I tried a sample from their tea club and it was right up my alley). I've also tried Lumber Slut (which I adored) and Waffles (which I wasn't thrilled by). I'm open to hearing recommendations on great earthy shous to sample for my next purchase, and I would be very grateful if you shared your faves with an inexperienced tea drinker
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I also adore Liu Bao and Tian Jian for the same reason (because of the earthiness), so I also accept recommendations on those. I'm mainly asking for teas from W2T since I'm ordering from them either way
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Also, feel free to recommend any shou from other sources if you think it checks my boxes. If it's for a great discovery, I'm willing to try new shops and sources (I'm from Europe, so no USA based vendors)
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Thanks in advance!
Do you usually decide whether or not you buy from a specific site depending on their shipping costs? I'm asking because I, in fact, do it. Every single time
I find myself wanting to try teas from shops like YS or KTM, which have a big array of teas that sound interesting enough to try them, but I always stop before purchasing them since the shipping tends to skyrocket to more than 30-35€ per order. And I'm ordering less than 500g of tea, mind you
On the other hand, other vendors like FL or W2T have much cheaper shipping costs, lower than 10€, or even offer free shipping. So, when I want to just try samples of different teas without breaking the bank, I always go back to this sites, where a 100€ order consists of 90€ of tea and 10€ of shipping costs
I know that higher rates usually mean more protection from taxes, customs shenanigans and such... But I cannot find any reason to spend almost thrice the amount on shipping for very similar orders from other shops. And mind you, I DO want to try YS's shous, fresh whites or high end Dan Congs, but when I'm willing to spend 150€ on an order and almost 1/3 of the price is shipping alone, I'm always hesitant and end up not placing an order. And when I do the math to know how much I'm spending on a single session, the difference is around 0,5 to 1€ extra. Which doesn't seem like a lot, but if I'm drinking tea every single day, after a whole month it becomes almost the price of a whole 200g cake, just for the extra shipping
So, with that said, I ask you: Do you also decide where to purchase your tea considering the shipping costs? Or am I the only one who gives this much thought on the matter? What are your acceptable shipping costs? And do you think you'd order more on certain sites if they lowered them?
I'm celebrating my recovery from a stomach flu with this aged shou mei from One River Tea, Dark Horse. The cake is dark and earthy, really reminds me of the kind of leaves you'd find in an autumn forest.
I'm using 5,5g for a 100ml Gaiwan. Two different cups, one with a bigger rim and one with a thinner wall, to compare the drinking experience.
Dry leaves smell of forest floor and honey, with a really specific scent of pollen (the one you can buy as a supplement).
After a 10s wash, the leaves have kept the honey flavour, with the added aromas of incense and wood burnt on a fireplace.
The first steep (10s) comes a bit pale in colour. Really sweet in the mouth, but with the typical medicinal and herbal flavour you'd expect from an aged white.
The second steep (another 10s), however, is way more amber in colour, less sweet and more bold and creamy. Herbal notes are more subtle, but still noticeable.
This third steep (15s) is the last I'm writing about (since I have to go back to studying). The amber color stays, but the sweetness is more noticeable on the aftertaste, while the herbal flavour is the main character with a really thick mouthfeel.
Overall, I'm really liking this tea, having already brewed it for 5 or 6 sessions. It's a relaxing cup that doesn't make you sleepy, and instead keeps you focused with really in-your-face medicinal liquor and honey mouthfeel. I'd recommend this tea if you're looking to try a non expensive aged white, and wouldn't recommend it for people looking for a really sweet tea (it is sweet, but not as sweet as f.e. a fresh yueguangbai like ORT's Mithril).
Have a nice afternoon/morning and keep enjoying tea!
I'm a last year veterinary medicine student and I'm wondering how Japan sees, perceives and treats its veterinarians. I've heard that doctors are some of the most respected individuals, due to their extensive knowledge and preparation needed to practice medicine. However, in almost every country I've been to, veterinarians are always treated as a "less important doctor", even if they have their own reputation and self worth. And I'm wondering if it's any different in Japan
I haven’t ruled out the possibility of going to Japan to study a training course in a Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, but I’d like to find out a bit more about how veterinarians are viewed, treated and paid before making a decision
You can talk in general terms, or talk about your own personal experiences with veterinarians
Thanks in advance!
I know it's weird and honestly pretty useless to ask about tea that has recently come out and is practically impossible that's someone has drank it already, but I want to know everyone's opinion on this recently added deal to W2T's shop. A bunch of good sheng coins is what I have been looking for as a daily drinker on the go, but the price and the fact that they don't specify basically anything about the new blends makes me a bit skeptical
I tried to compile all the names that could be visible in the labels, and apart from one I couldn't decipher, it goes something like this:
Old blends: 941 (2021 material), Veldt (2022, even when the first pressing was in 2023, which I find weird) and Anzac (2024, honestly very cheap)
New blends (just names): She graduates, Afterclang, Respect at the buckthorn, Slim Lake, Chasing Shadows, Pulchritude and... Sloop? (I can't really read it in the pics)
So, basically, at least 3 old cheap blends and 7 new ones that we don't really know if they're good or not... That's what I meant when I said I was skeptical. But at the same time, when you do the math, you're basically getting coins for less than a dollar each, so even if the blends are on the more affordable side, you're getting good value for the money, or at least in the same line as the affordable teas in W2T's array
So, with all the facts considered, do you reckon it's a deal worth trying? What's the sub's opinion on these kinds of "random" tea packages? I'm curious to know how many of you have or will order this bag