The story of my Da Fo Long Jing

March 11 I get confirmation that I wish to be on the pre-order of Da Fo Long Jing from Life in Teacup

There are progress update emails on march 15, 24 by Life in Teacup.

Money requested March 25; I paid via paypal.

April 3, 8, 12 status update emails are sent by Life in Teacup.

April 14, TEA ARRIVES and it includes 5 samples

It was packed in a box, with brown craft paper stuffing to keep things from shifting around. The main purchase is in a resealable plastic bag, the samples are in sealed bags.

Life In Teacup Loose Leaf Green Tea 'Zhu Ye Qing (Bamboo Leaf Green)'

>>Prior Review

Tea Information:
Tea: Zhu Ye Qing (Bamboo Leaf Green)
Type: Green Tea
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: unknown
Reseller: Life In Teacup
Purchase: Here
Description: ?
Ingredients: ?
Production Year: 2009
Production Season: Spring
Production Region: Sichuan Province
Style: Chao Qing (stir-fry to kill enzyme)

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 tsp
Additives: none
Water: 12 ounces
Steep Time: no idea
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: grassy
Steeped Tea Smell: grassy
Flavor: sweet, watery, vegetal, but smooth
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: bitter, vegetal that lingers
Liquor: transparent with a green tint

I got this as part of a sample set from Life in Teacup.

Tried following directions (http://www.lifeinteacup.com/brewing-tea) and waited until most leaves sank. I used boiling water that had sat for a bit.

I really guess I am not too much of a green person :(

Post-Steep Additives: none

Rating: 2/4 leaves


Leaf system:
1=Bleh! not again if it were free
2=Acceptable, if it were free or there were limited other tea options
3=I might purchase this tea from time to time, or select it while out
4=A staple in our cupboard from now on, I will purchase and keep purchasing

Life In Teacup Loose Leaf Green Tea 'Frosty Spring Yunnan'

>>Previous Review

Tea Information:
Tea: Frosty Spring Yunnan Roast Green
Type: Green Tea
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: Life In Teacup
Purchase: Here
Description: Dear friends, earliest 2010 green tea has arrived at Life In Teacup. Purchase information will be updated soon at http://www.LifeInTeacup.com

Without exaggeration, it’s the earliest tea of the year. It was harvested on January, 1, 2010 in the subtropic region of Yunnan, China.


Production Year: 2010
Production Season: Pre-Spring, January, 1, 2010
Production Region: Yunan Province, Xi Shuang Ban Na
Style: Hong Qing (roast to kill enzyme)

Steep Information:
Amount: 2.2g
Additives: none
Water: 12 ounces hot spigot water tempered with a bit of cold fountain water (aiming on 170)
I just dumped the leaves in the mug and kept them there, no straining or anything, tried to use my teeth to avoid drinking leaves.
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: very light bad to get very close to smell it, vegetal and sweet
Steeped Tea Smell: vegetal, refreshing (springy?) sweet
Flavor: vegetal, sweet, refreshing, not minty like it was last night, I blame the root beer float
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: bitter on the roof of my moth as opposed to tongue
Liquor: pale yellow-green

I have never just dumped leaves in my cup before, but I was eager to try this tea again, and I am at work...and I didn't want to confine the pretty leaves to the paper tsac....so I ended up drinking a few leaves but it went OK.

For the timing, I started at 1 min, it was too weak, then some servers crashed and i couldn't’t get back to drinking until 5 min, 2 would likely have done better for the taste.

I sort of liked the mint tang-i miss it. It definitely was a clay zarafina teapot leftover flavor from the root beer float.

It is still a refreshing green tea, but it now has that bitter after tang i do NOT like

Now I think it needs some honey? sugar?

Post-Steep Additives: none

Resteep1: 12 ounces hot water spigot, with honey, 2 min
DELICIOUS, no bitter after taste just sweet vegetal refreshing tea that sniffing makes me think spring garden as opposed to the muck outside

Resteep2: 12 ounces hot water spigot, no additives
Sweet, refreshing, vegetal and light, still enjoyable though (after 2 min I started sipping)

Resteep3: 12 ounces hot water spigot, no additives
Weak and watery, not much flavor, might just chug and be done.

Rating: 2/3

Life In Teacup Loose Leaf Green Tea 'Frosty Spring Yunnan'

Tea Information:
Tea: Frosty Spring Yunnan Roast Green
Type: Green Tea
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: Life In Teacup
Purchase: Here
Description: Dear friends, earliest 2010 green tea has arrived at Life In Teacup. Purchase information will be updated soon at http://www.LifeInTeacup.com

Without exaggeration, it’s the earliest tea of the year. It was harvested on January, 1, 2010 in the subtropic region of Yunnan, China.


Production Year: 2010
Production Season: Pre-Spring, January, 1, 2010
Production Region: Yunan Province, Xi Shuang Ban Na
Style: Hong Qing (roast to kill enzyme)

Steep Information:
Amount: 4g
Additives: none, MilitiaJim: Honey
Water: 2 zarafina cups filtered water
Tool: Zarafina Green-Loose-Medium
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: very light bad to get very close to smell it, vegetal and sweet
Steeped Tea Smell:
AmazonV: again a very light smell, vegetal, light, sweet, minty
MilitiaJim: medicinal
Bobbie: bengay
Flavor:
AmazonV: delicate, light, sweet, minty, refreshing
MilitiaJim: earthy like an unwashed potato, maybe dirty cinnamon
Bobbie: eww
Body: Light
Aftertaste: minty, refreshing, tingly
Liquor: pale yellow-green

So Bobbie and MilitiaJim gave me their teas to finish as they did not like this tea at all. I was surprised I liked this tea and found it refreshing as I am not a green tea person.

I did find it earthier with the clover honey. Not in a bad way though.

I think this tea came though best without additives.

From the name, and other Steepster reviews, I was expecting something else, not minty refreshing. Perhaps I am the only one getting this taste? I feel sort of alone and crazy.

Post-Steep Additives: none

Resteep1: Zarafina, 2 c, Green-Loose-Medium
pretty much the same as the first steep, less tingly though

Resteep2: Zarafina, 2 c, Green-Loose-Strong
pretty much the same as the first steep, back to tingly

Resteep3: Zarafina, 2 c, Green-Loose-Strong
finally! watery but drinkable

Resteep4: Zarafina, 2 c, Green-Loose-Strong
watery, yet drinkable *sigh*
seriously, SO MUCH TEA, I guess this is a great tea for work, keep on going all day.

I was thinking. The last tea brewed here was the Root Beer Float which was kind of minty. What if the zarafina took on the minty flavor? Even after I washed it? I have enough for 1 cup left of dry leaf I can try another day though another method to see if the mint came from the root beer float.

Rating: 2/3

Life in Teacup Loose Leaf Green Tea 'Gunpowder Green Tea'

Tea Information:
Tea: Gunpowder Green Tea
Type: Green Tea
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: Life in Teacup
Purchase: Here
Production Year: 2009
Production Season: Spring
Production Region: Shaoxing County, Zhejiang Province
Style: Chao Qing (stir-fry to kill enzyme)

Steep Information:
Amount: a bit under 1 tsp
Additives: none
Water: 6 ounces / 8 ounces boiling filtered water let cool to 175 then steeped in cup with mesh basket
Steep Time: a little over 2 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: AmazonV: Nothing / MilitiaJim: Faint green tea
Steeped Tea Smell: green tea (slightly vegetal)
Flavor: green tea (slightly vegetal)
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: sweet
Liquor: translucent green (MilitiaJim: de-neon-ed mountain dew)

WikiPedia - Why is it Gunpowder tea?

This was a sample from Life in Teacup

I was very pleased that this tea is not bitter! I tend to over heat or steep greens and get bitter tea. This is a nice mellow green tea and I am enjoying it. I wouldn't mind getting it again, although I know I am more a black tea / red tea person than green.

Post-Steep Additives: honey = sweetened green tea

Resteep: 2 minutes, with honey, was similar to first steep only had more particulate (i don't mind) and slightly more astringent and bitter (briefly) at the end.

Resteep 2: 3 minutes, weak, cloudy, watery, tossed it

Rating: 2/3

Life In Teacup Loose Leaf Green Tea 'Zhu Ye Qing (Bamboo Leaf Green)'

Tea Information:
Tea: Zhu Ye Qing (Bamboo Leaf Green)
Type: Green Tea
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: unknown
Reseller: Life In Teacup
Purchase: Here
Description: ?
Ingredients: ?
Production Year: 2009
Production Season: Spring
Production Region: Sichuan Province
Style: Chao Qing (stir-fry to kill enzyme)

Steep Information:
Amount: 5.1g (it was too hard to spoon measure)
Additives: none
Water: 1 teapot (2c) full filtered boiling, then let sit to 165 degrees
Steep Time: a little over 2 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: grassy
Steeped Tea Smell: grassy
Flavor: watery, vegetal, but smooth, maybe a little nutty?
Body: Light
Aftertaste: bitter, vegetal that lingers
Liquor: transparent with a green tint

I got this as part of a sample set from Life in Teacup.

I failed to follow directions and left the lid on (http://www.lifeinteacup.com/brewing-tea) the water was too cool, and perhaps I should have steeped a bit longer *sigh*. I am not even sure if i used too little to too many tea leaves.

Overall it was the weakness of the flavor and the bitter aftertaste that are turning me off. At first you sniff and there is the hint of grass. The you sip and you get smooth water...then grass/vegetal...and if you look hard enough this slight nut flavor comes out. Then you swallow, and you get this bitterness coating your tongue. The bitterness fades and you entire tongue seems to have a sheen of vegetation on it, it's a fuzzy feeling.

Post-Steep Additives: none

Resteep: TBD

Rating: 1/3