2024 年 1 月茶俱乐部

0 TDS distilled water with TeaCurious Autumn recipe to make 115 TDS water. With Autumn mix I think I discovered why I prefer 2018 vintage over 2014. 2014 has a very high minerality and dryness that detracts from the flavor, whereas 2018 is far "smoother." 2012 is still the best vintage with any water, though. Rating Criteria: 0.5 - bad, flavorless, or worse very astringent, teabag 1.0 - mostly bad, flavorless, most teabag tea 1.5 - not good, but maybe something to like 2.0 - slightly disappointed, not my kind of tea, but still can appreciate it - probably the worst rating I would give a loose leaf tea (at least one that hasn't turned bad) 2.5 - mixed feelings, like it, but there is something off about it I don't like 3.0 - good, I like it but nothing stand out about it or a very good tea with one critique that holds me back - probably the highest I would give a teabag tea 3.5 - very good, a tea that I was very happy to have but content with what I had, wouldn't seek it out for additional purchase 4.0 - great, very happy with the experience, would seek out for purchase, but only occasionally 4.5 - a favorite, one I love and want very often 5.0 - life will be very sad without it, reserved only for my favorites (roasted Tie Guan Yin & Dancong Red), room for more hopefully Round 11/12 Autumn recipe again improves the experience, but 2012 vintage with any water stays on top. Current ranking: 1. 2012 with TeaCurious Autumn recipe 2. 2012 with TeaCurious Original recipe 3. 2012 with TeaCurious Spring recipe 4. 2018 with TeaCurious Autumn recipe 5. 2018 with TeaCurious Original recipe 6. 2014 with TeaCurious Autumn recipe 7. 2018 with TeaCurious Spring recipe 8. 2014 with TeaCurious Original recipe 9. 2020 with TeaCurious Original recipe 10. 2014 with TeaCurious Spring recipe 11. 2020 with TeaCurious Spring recipe

0 TDS distilled water with TeaCurious Spring recipe to make 50 TDS water. Less savory again than the Original recipe test. 2018 with Spring is still better than 2014 and 2020, though. Nice peach, apricot notes. Brief moment of floral note, too. Rating Criteria: 0.5 - bad, flavorless, or worse very astringent, teabag 1.0 - mostly bad, flavorless, most teabag tea 1.5 - not good, but maybe something to like 2.0 - slightly disappointed, not my kind of tea, but still can appreciate it - probably the worst rating I would give a loose leaf tea (at least one that hasn't turned bad) 2.5 - mixed feelings, like it, but there is something off about it I don't like 3.0 - good, I like it but nothing stand out about it or a very good tea with one critique that holds me back - probably the highest I would give a teabag tea 3.5 - very good, a tea that I was very happy to have but content with what I had, wouldn't seek it out for additional purchase 4.0 - great, very happy with the experience, would seek out for purchase, but only occasionally 4.5 - a favorite, one I love and want very often 5.0 - life will be very sad without it, reserved only for my favorites (roasted Tie Guan Yin & Dancong Red), room for more hopefully Round 7/12 Spring recipe, as expected, isn't really helping these teas. So far I would give the teas a half star less if all I had was the Spring recipe. Looking forward to using Autumn recipe - I think these teas will flourish. Current ranking: 1. 2012 with TeaCurious Original recipe 2. 2012 with TeaCurious Spring recipe 3. 2018 with TeaCurious Original recipe 4. 2018 with TeaCurious Spring recipe 5. 2014 with TeaCurious Original recipe 6. 2020 with TeaCurious Original recipe 7. 2014 with TeaCurious Spring recipe

0 TDS distilled water with TeaCurious Original recipe to make 50 TDS water. Round 3/12. Sweeter than 2012 & 2014. Really like the light fruity flavor and the dryness really takes my mind to green grapes. Like the other 2, it ended on strong apricot flavor. No astringency like the older varieties. Rating Criteria: 0.5 - bad, flavorless, or worse very astringent, teabag 1.0 - mostly bad, flavorless, most teabag tea 1.5 - not good, but maybe something to like 2.0 - slightly disappointed, not my kind of tea, but still can appreciate it - probably the worst rating I would give a loose leaf tea (at least one that hasn't turned bad) 2.5 - mixed feelings, like it, but there is something off about it I don't like 3.0 - good, I like it but nothing stand out about it or a very good tea with one critique that holds me back - probably the highest I would give a teabag tea 3.5 - very good, a tea that I was very happy to have but content with what I had, wouldn't seek it out for additional purchase 4.0 - great, very happy with the experience, would seek out for purchase, but only occasionally 4.5 - a favorite, one I love and want very often 5.0 - life will be very sad without it, reserved only for my favorites (roasted Tie Guan Yin & Dancong Red), room for more hopefully Round 3/12. Much sweeter and less astringent than the 2 older vintages, but more "one note" with little change through the steeps. Liked it better than 2014, but 2012 is much more complex, so it's staying at the top for now. Current ranking: 1. 2012 with TeaCurious Original recipe 2. 2018 with TeaCurious Original recipe 3. 2014 with TeaCurious Original recipe

0 TDS distilled water with TeaCurious Autumn recipe to make 115 TDS water. This vintage is so much better with Autumn recipe. A lot more flavor and better mouth feel. Very heavy minerality in the mid session. I think 2018 with Original recipe was a bit better, but I'm adding 0.5 star to the rating on this. Rating Criteria: 0.5 - bad, flavorless, or worse very astringent, teabag 1.0 - mostly bad, flavorless, most teabag tea 1.5 - not good, but maybe something to like 2.0 - slightly disappointed, not my kind of tea, but still can appreciate it - probably the worst rating I would give a loose leaf tea (at least one that hasn't turned bad) 2.5 - mixed feelings, like it, but there is something off about it I don't like 3.0 - good, I like it but nothing stand out about it or a very good tea with one critique that holds me back - probably the highest I would give a teabag tea 3.5 - very good, a tea that I was very happy to have but content with what I had, wouldn't seek it out for additional purchase 4.0 - great, very happy with the experience, would seek out for purchase, but only occasionally 4.5 - a favorite, one I love and want very often 5.0 - life will be very sad without it, reserved only for my favorites (roasted Tie Guan Yin & Dancong Red), room for more hopefully Round 10/12 Autumn recipe once again proving that it's the water to use with these teas. Giving this vintage an extra 0.5 star rating. Minerality was very intense in steep 4 & 5, but went away for a very refreshing 6th steep with probably the best sweetness and peach notes. Current ranking: 1. 2012 with TeaCurious Autumn recipe 2. 2012 with TeaCurious Original recipe 3. 2012 with TeaCurious Spring recipe 4. 2018 with TeaCurious Original recipe 5. 2014 with TeaCurious Autumn recipe 6. 2018 with TeaCurious Spring recipe 7. 2014 with TeaCurious Original recipe 8. 2020 with TeaCurious Original recipe 9. 2014 with TeaCurious Spring recipe 10. 2020 with TeaCurious Spring recipe

0 TDS distilled water with TeaCurious Spring recipe to make 50 TDS water. 2014 vintage really lacks flavor. Spring recipe doesn't help either - only had a light sweetness with some subtle peach and apricot. I did get some floral notes briefly for the first time in this comparison. Rating Criteria: 0.5 - bad, flavorless, or worse very astringent, teabag 1.0 - mostly bad, flavorless, most teabag tea 1.5 - not good, but maybe something to like 2.0 - slightly disappointed, not my kind of tea, but still can appreciate it - probably the worst rating I would give a loose leaf tea (at least one that hasn't turned bad) 2.5 - mixed feelings, like it, but there is something off about it I don't like 3.0 - good, I like it but nothing stand out about it or a very good tea with one critique that holds me back - probably the highest I would give a teabag tea 3.5 - very good, a tea that I was very happy to have but content with what I had, wouldn't seek it out for additional purchase 4.0 - great, very happy with the experience, would seek out for purchase, but only occasionally 4.5 - a favorite, one I love and want very often 5.0 - life will be very sad without it, reserved only for my favorites (roasted Tie Guan Yin & Dancong Red), room for more hopefully Round 6/12 Spring recipe didn't help 2014 vintage . Mostly flavorless. The only perk was this vintage gave me some floral notes briefly. Last place for now. Current ranking: 1. 2012 with TeaCurious Original recipe 2. 2012 with TeaCurious Spring recipe 3. 2018 with TeaCurious Original recipe 4. 2014 with TeaCurious Original recipe 5. 2020 with TeaCurious Original recipe 6. 2014 with TeaCurious Spring recipe

0 TDS distilled water with TeaCurious Original recipe to make 50 TDS water. Round 2/12 Much more subtle than 2012. Light sweet flavor. Tartness leads to thoughts of lemon. Some dried fruit aroma and flavor still, but much more muted than 2012. Apricot flavor at the end like 2012. Rating Criteria: 0.5 - bad, flavorless, or worse very astringent, teabag 1.0 - mostly bad, flavorless, most teabag tea 1.5 - not good, but maybe something to like 2.0 - slightly disappointed, not my kind of tea, but still can appreciate it - probably the worst rating I would give a loose leaf tea (at least one that hasn't turned bad) 2.5 - mixed feelings, like it, but there is something off about it I don't like 3.0 - good, I like it but nothing stand out about it or a very good tea with one critique that holds me back - probably the highest I would give a teabag tea 3.5 - very good, a tea that I was very happy to have but content with what I had, wouldn't seek it out for additional purchase 4.0 - great, very happy with the experience, would seek out for purchase, but only occasionally 4.5 - a favorite, one I love and want very often 5.0 - life will be very sad without it, reserved only for my favorites (roasted Tie Guan Yin & Dancong Red), room for more hopefully Round 2. Preferred 2012 to this one. 2012 had much stronger flavor. I did like the lemon notes with this, though, and the early notes of peach even though it was gone after the first steep. Current ranking: 1. 2012 with TeaCurious Original recipe 2. 2014 with TeaCurious Original recipe

0 TDS distilled water with TeaCurious Autumn recipe to make 115 TDS water. Autumn recipe water definitely was the best water. Very nice flavor and well balanced. Fruit flavors really came through. Early and later steeps were more sweet with hints of peach and the middle steeps brought more savory dried fruit notes. Rating Criteria: 0.5 - bad, flavorless, or worse very astringent, teabag 1.0 - mostly bad, flavorless, most teabag tea 1.5 - not good, but maybe something to like 2.0 - slightly disappointed, not my kind of tea, but still can appreciate it - probably the worst rating I would give a loose leaf tea (at least one that hasn't turned bad) 2.5 - mixed feelings, like it, but there is something off about it I don't like 3.0 - good, I like it but nothing stand out about it or a very good tea with one critique that holds me back - probably the highest I would give a teabag tea 3.5 - very good, a tea that I was very happy to have but content with what I had, wouldn't seek it out for additional purchase 4.0 - great, very happy with the experience, would seek out for purchase, but only occasionally 4.5 - a favorite, one I love and want very often 5.0 - life will be very sad without it, reserved only for my favorites (roasted Tie Guan Yin & Dancong Red), room for more hopefully Round 9/12 Autumn recipe definitely made the best tea, so I expect it to help the other vintages as well. 2012 has been on top though this whole time, so I expect this session to be the overall winner. Current ranking: 1. 2012 with TeaCurious Autumn recipe 2. 2012 with TeaCurious Original recipe 3. 2012 with TeaCurious Spring recipe 4. 2018 with TeaCurious Original recipe 5. 2018 with TeaCurious Spring recipe 6. 2014 with TeaCurious Original recipe 7. 2020 with TeaCurious Original recipe 8. 2014 with TeaCurious Spring recipe 9. 2020 with TeaCurious Spring recipe

0 TDS distilled water with TeaCurious x recipe to make x TDS water. In comparison to Original recipe water, I think this is very similar, although it's hitting some of the higher, sweeter notes. It's nice, but it's missing some of the savoryness that Original recipe brought out (only the sweetness of dried fruit coming out without the lingering savory notes). Would be good to use Spring mix every now and then for something different, but I think Original recipe wins out. Rating Criteria: 0.5 - bad, flavorless, or worse very astringent, teabag 1.0 - mostly bad, flavorless, most teabag tea 1.5 - not good, but maybe something to like 2.0 - slightly disappointed, not my kind of tea, but still can appreciate it - probably the worst rating I would give a loose leaf tea (at least one that hasn't turned bad) 2.5 - mixed feelings, like it, but there is something off about it I don't like 3.0 - good, I like it but nothing stand out about it or a very good tea with one critique that holds me back - probably the highest I would give a teabag tea 3.5 - very good, a tea that I was very happy to have but content with what I had, wouldn't seek it out for additional purchase 4.0 - great, very happy with the experience, would seek out for purchase, but only occasionally 4.5 - a favorite, one I love and want very often 5.0 - life will be very sad without it, reserved only for my favorites (roasted Tie Guan Yin & Dancong Red), room for more hopefully Round 5/12 2012 with Spring recipe was good, but missing some of the savoryness that Original recipe brought out of it, so this goes into second place for now. Current ranking: 1. 2012 with TeaCurious Original recipe 2. 2012 with TeaCurious Spring recipe 3. 2018 with TeaCurious Original recipe 4. 2014 with TeaCurious Original recipe 5. 2020 with TeaCurious Original recipe

0 TDS distilled water with TeaCurious Original recipe to make 50 TDS water. Strong dried fruit flavors (raisin, apricot, tart citrus, and slight cranberry). Some astringent, mineral mouth feel with some lasting dryness. Rating Criteria: 0.5 - bad, flavorless, or worse very astringent, teabag 1.0 - mostly bad, flavorless, most teabag tea 1.5 - not good, but maybe something to like 2.0 - slightly disappointed, not my kind of tea, but still can appreciate it - probably the worst rating I would give a loose leaf tea (at least one that hasn't turned bad) 2.5 - mixed feelings, like it, but there is something off about it I don't like 3.0 - good, I like it but nothing stand out about it or a very good tea with one critique that holds me back - probably the highest I would give a teabag tea 3.5 - very good, a tea that I was very happy to have but content with what I had, wouldn't seek it out for additional purchase 4.0 - great, very happy with the experience, would seek out for purchase, but only occasionally 4.5 - a favorite, one I love and want very often 5.0 - life will be very sad without it, reserved only for my favorites (roasted Tie Guan Yin & Dancong Red), room for more hopefully First round of comparison - plan on doing each vintage with each of 3 TeaCurious water recipes and ranking them.

Trying the oldest sheng puerh, this one is less astringent and bitter than the others. I forgot to take photo

Interesting tea, it changes flavour profile a lot at each infusion. I am rating it this high exclusively because the first infusion was so very delicious, though I didn’t like the other ones half as much.

0 TDS distilled water with TeaCurious Autumn recipe to make 115 TDS water. Autumn mix is ok with this, but 2020 vintage is still my least favorite. Very limited flavor. Even the aroma fades quickly. Rating Criteria: 0.5 - bad, flavorless, or worse very astringent, teabag 1.0 - mostly bad, flavorless, most teabag tea 1.5 - not good, but maybe something to like 2.0 - slightly disappointed, not my kind of tea, but still can appreciate it - probably the worst rating I would give a loose leaf tea (at least one that hasn't turned bad) 2.5 - mixed feelings, like it, but there is something off about it I don't like 3.0 - good, I like it but nothing stand out about it or a very good tea with one critique that holds me back - probably the highest I would give a teabag tea 3.5 - very good, a tea that I was very happy to have but content with what I had, wouldn't seek it out for additional purchase 4.0 - great, very happy with the experience, would seek out for purchase, but only occasionally 4.5 - a favorite, one I love and want very often 5.0 - life will be very sad without it, reserved only for my favorites (roasted Tie Guan Yin & Dancong Red), room for more hopefully Round 12/12 Thanks Vincent for this fun experiment! 2020 with Autumn mix was ok, but nothing great. Some takeaways from the experiment: - 2012 was the clear winner for me. - Autumn recipe water helped some of the younger vintages. - 2018 was a surprise upset to 2014. I just didn't like the lack of flavor and overwhelming minerality of 2014. - Water quality plays a big role, but properly aged tea wins out and is good with any water. - Certain years may just lead to less desireable tea (looking at you 2014). There's my subjective take 😉 Final ranking: 1. 2012 with TeaCurious Autumn recipe 2. 2012 with TeaCurious Original recipe 3. 2012 with TeaCurious Spring recipe 4. 2018 with TeaCurious Autumn recipe 5. 2018 with TeaCurious Original recipe 6. 2014 with TeaCurious Autumn recipe 7. 2018 with TeaCurious Spring recipe 8. 2014 with TeaCurious Original recipe 9. 2020 with TeaCurious Autumn recipe 10. 2020 with TeaCurious Original recipe 11. 2014 with TeaCurious Spring recipe 12. 2020 with TeaCurious Spring recipe

0 TDS distilled water with TeaCurious Spring recipe to make 50 TDS water. Least flavorful yet. Had to do high agitation pours and longer steeps to get any kind of flavor. This experiment showed me that Spring recipe is not good for darker teas. Current ranking: 1. 2012 with TeaCurious Original recipe 2. 2012 with TeaCurious Spring recipe 3. 2018 with TeaCurious Original recipe 4. 2018 with TeaCurious Spring recipe 5. 2014 with TeaCurious Original recipe 6. 2020 with TeaCurious Original recipe 7. 2014 with TeaCurious Spring recipe Rating Criteria: 0.5 - bad, flavorless, or worse very astringent, teabag 1.0 - mostly bad, flavorless, most teabag tea 1.5 - not good, but maybe something to like 2.0 - slightly disappointed, not my kind of tea, but still can appreciate it - probably the worst rating I would give a loose leaf tea (at least one that hasn't turned bad) 2.5 - mixed feelings, like it, but there is something off about it I don't like 3.0 - good, I like it but nothing stand out about it or a very good tea with one critique that holds me back - probably the highest I would give a teabag tea 3.5 - very good, a tea that I was very happy to have but content with what I had, wouldn't seek it out for additional purchase 4.0 - great, very happy with the experience, would seek out for purchase, but only occasionally 4.5 - a favorite, one I love and want very often 5.0 - life will be very sad without it, reserved only for my favorites (roasted Tie Guan Yin & Dancong Red), room for more hopefully Round 8/12 Again, as expected Spring recipe isn't great with these teas, but worth exploring. Next round start with Autumn mix, which is made for these kinds of teas. Current ranking: 1. 2012 with TeaCurious Original recipe 2. 2012 with TeaCurious Spring recipe 3. 2018 with TeaCurious Original recipe 4. 2018 with TeaCurious Spring recipe 5. 2014 with TeaCurious Original recipe 6. 2020 with TeaCurious Original recipe 7. 2014 with TeaCurious Spring recipe 8. 2020 with TeaCurious Spring recipe

0 TDS distilled water with TeaCurious Original recipe to make 50 TDS water. Round 4/12. VERY subtle flavor. Just a light sweetness. Nice aroma of strawberry, peach, and finally apricot. Wish those aromas translated to flavor. Rating Criteria: 0.5 - bad, flavorless, or worse very astringent, teabag 1.0 - mostly bad, flavorless, most teabag tea 1.5 - not good, but maybe something to like 2.0 - slightly disappointed, not my kind of tea, but still can appreciate it - probably the worst rating I would give a loose leaf tea (at least one that hasn't turned bad) 2.5 - mixed feelings, like it, but there is something off about it I don't like 3.0 - good, I like it but nothing stand out about it or a very good tea with one critique that holds me back - probably the highest I would give a teabag tea 3.5 - very good, a tea that I was very happy to have but content with what I had, wouldn't seek it out for additional purchase 4.0 - great, very happy with the experience, would seek out for purchase, but only occasionally 4.5 - a favorite, one I love and want very often 5.0 - life will be very sad without it, reserved only for my favorites (roasted Tie Guan Yin & Dancong Red), room for more hopefully Round 4/12 Much too subtle flavor. Hard to get anything other than a slight sweetness. Hoping a different water recipe will allow this one to flourish more. Current ranking: 1. 2012 with TeaCurious Original recipe 2. 2018 with TeaCurious Original recipe 3. 2014 with TeaCurious Original recipe 4. 2020 with TeaCurious Original recipe

What a fun month. Comparing four raw puerh teas from different years. I decided to start with the youngest. And plan to copy exact infusions for all four, from youngest to oldest, over the course of a few days.

Trying the youngest sheng puerh from 2020 as first. I will go from the youngest to the oldest. I have had sheng puerh only a few times in the past, but they were more astringent and bitter, this one is sweeter.