When the Company, Story of my Tea, first was in the process of funding the Kickstarter, one of the reward tiers was an international value pack (company is based in the USA) for 14 teas. However, it was an assortment of blind tea pouches.
So, I reached out and asked if there was a way for them to pair up the teas because it made more sense for me to blind taste similar teas. The company liked the idea so much, that they added that as a feature for everyone!
The Kickstarter was described as: “[The] World’s First Tea Tasting Game – Taste mystery tea, identify the flavors, guess the teas and origins, and improve your tasting skills.” I was excited when the project was funded!
When I received my package, it contained 14 teas. Each tea pouch contained enough tea for 3 to 4 cups, as well as an information card and a QR code on the label to scan to find out more information. The package also included a small tasting wheel, which was a nice touch! Depending on the teas, they are paired together in pairs of two or four. Not all teas are paired together.
Since I love blind tastings, I thought that maybe other people would too! Therefore, I am going for format this post in a fashion where I describe the tea as unbiased as possible, provide my guess, then reveal the answer.
Let’s go!
#tea6026
Instructions: 8 fl oz | 200 F | 2 tsp | 2-4 mins
Review: The tightly rolled up leaves were dark brown-green with a very grassy and green smell. After a 3 minute infusion, the leaves were mostly unfurled and were more of a brown olive green colour.
The liquor was yellowish-orange with a red tinge and had roasted notes intermixed with a fresh smell. It had a deep earthy, vegetal and grassy taste. The lingering flavour was roasted and woody. The liquor left the mouth feeling dry (3.5/5 rating).
Guess: Tieguanyin Oolong from China
Reveal: Iron Goddess of Mercy from Fujian, China (also known as Tieguanyin)
Description: “It is also known as Iron Goddess of Mercy, named after a Chinese Buddhist goodness who according to the legend made a gift of this tea for a poor farmer for his faithfulness. This tea was produced in the classic style of baking the leaf that creates a sweet and toasty flavour balance in contrast to the modern style that is a little sweeter and greener.
Layers of sweet, floral and toasted notes with a hint of roasted pine nuts.”
- Type: Oolong tea
- Origin: China
- Caffeine: Unknown
- Ingredients: Unknown
- Company: Story of my Tea
#tea6027
Instructions: 8 fl oz | 175 F | 1 tsp | 3 mins
Review: The leaves were dark brown with a dark green tinge. It had strong roasted notes, as well as a fruity undertone. After infusion, the leaves were still dark brown and in small fragments. It had a very malty and chocolate smell.
The liquor was a reddish yellow-orange and smelled like bark or wood. The tea had a roasted quality like hojicha. It was sweet, roasted, woodsy and malty. The liquor left the mouth feeling a bit dry and was thin (4/5 rating).
Guess: Roasted Oolong from Taiwan or China
Reveal: Formosa Fine Oolong from Taiwan
Description: “This is a darker style Oolong from Formosa, which is the old Portuguese name for Taiwan. It is carefully produced from select dark brown and twisted leaves and baked to a pronounced toastiness.
Vibrant, fresh, and toasted notes with hints of apricot.”
- Type: Oolong tea
- Origin: Taiwan
- Caffeine: Unknown
- Ingredients: Unknown
- Company: Story of my Tea
Final Thoughts
Overall, I have to say that I am really enjoying this so far! It is very fun to guess.
The pairing made it fun but also gave me a hint. I knew that it had to be a roasted oolong because the first tea was an oolong already. That being said, it didn’t really take away from the experience. If anything, it helped me learn more!
I liked the format of this post and plan on doing more in the future! I got one correct and half of the other one. How did you do?
The question of the post: Do you enjoy blind tea tastings?
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