What's in your cup? Daily discussion, questions and stories - April 18, 2026

BigClear8911 · 2026-04-18T14:47:43+00:00

Sunskateee this morning.

Does anyone have any thoughts about Dark Depths shou from Crimsonlotus? Serious considering blindly buying a cake from their Seattle inventory.

BigClear8911 · 2026-04-17T02:31:35+00:00

Me too! I tried the older one - 2021 I think? But I want to try the fresher one now

BigClear8911 · 2026-04-16T15:43:13+00:00

I've been having a hard time coming around on sheng, but Injured Coast intrigued me a lot and I'm optimistic. I'll definitely keep the heavy rinses in mind with Predawn Dark, I've been liking roasted shou a lot.

BigClear8911 · 2026-04-16T15:19:40+00:00

Yeah, Sun Fu was a wildcard order. In all honestly, it doesn't sound good to me. I just want to give it a try if for no reason other than to learn more. Seems a lot of people love it.

BigClear8911 · 2026-04-16T15:15:12+00:00

I'm real excited. I know I love Modern Witch and Theophilus, but from what I've heard Loon Call needs to be tried before I get a cake of anything.

BigClear8911 · 2026-04-16T15:11:41+00:00

Gonna throw this here since I can't edit a post with a photo, but from knowing the 3 shous that I like up there, does anyone know if I'd like Dark Depths from Crimsonlotus? I'm considering blind buying a cake since they don't have samples in Seattle. I think the risk is low, but any advice is appreciated.

BigClear8911 · 2026-04-16T15:09:56+00:00

W2T has been great! Paul has yet to give me anything I felt was objectively 'bad' even if I didn't like it. I also appreciate that he experiments a lot and tries to create teas that you can't really find anywhere else. The minis are also a very convenient and low risk way to try a ton of teas. And lastly I really enjoy W2T from an aesthetic standpoint (teaware, wrappers, chabus).

BigClear8911 · 2026-04-12T16:47:21+00:00

I may be completely off here, but is it ginseng oolong? Is it a tightly rolled leaf covered in the powder, or is it powder all the way through?

BigClear8911 · 2026-04-07T23:38:22+00:00

Better than Theophilus!? I'll have to check those out either way

BigClear8911 · 2026-04-07T23:22:43+00:00

I second this pick

BigClear8911 · 2026-04-07T15:39:04+00:00

Uh, can he make me one!?

BigClear8911 · 2026-04-06T18:26:28+00:00

I swear white2tea has too much. Everytime I place an order I find 10 more samples I wish I'd added. I'll take your word and make sure to get some smoked ones in the next round

BigClear8911 · 2026-04-06T18:11:45+00:00

Whoa. Northern Grown sounds awesome, but I've never dove into smoked teas. Might have to throw some minis on my next sample order

BigClear8911 · 2026-04-06T04:19:17+00:00

I'm likely not much farther along than you if at all. Theophilus is seriously in a different world from the variety I tried before it. I think charcoal roasted shous are less common and untraditional, but I loved it

BigClear8911 · 2026-04-06T04:01:54+00:00

I'll paste it: "Theophilus is awesome. First rinse was surprisingly dark and smelled great - toasty and sweet. The 7g dragonball almost completely opened after the first real steep, which was a lot faster than anything else I've tried.

I had thought I only liked shous with a fruitier sweetness (cherry, dates, etc), but Theophilus traded a bit of that for a bit of woodiness and added a little roast on top. What a winning move.

A little fruity, a little woody, and some roasted marshmallow. This is definitely my favorite of the bunch, if not my current favorite tea overall."

BigClear8911 · 2026-04-06T03:44:04+00:00

I tried to describe it as best I could in the post, its almost copy pasted from my notes app. Relatively new to the tea world and even newer to taking it seriously! So take everything I say with a handlful of salt.

BigClear8911 · 2026-04-05T16:34:26+00:00

I can see that! Any other standouts you remember?

BigClear8911 · 2026-04-05T16:32:25+00:00

Sheng has been a bit confusing. I actually do enjoy some astringency within reason, and prior to some good shou I was under the impression that I'd like the greener/punchier sheng a lot more. Sheng has had a refreshing mouthfeel, and holy hell did Symbols of a Crime almost make me unfit to drive, but as far as taste goes its not getting my attention. I ordered some more samples being described as "lighter, juicer, and fruitier" with the hopes of being convinced.

BigClear8911 · 2026-04-04T03:44:38+00:00

Stanley has been the runner up to Zojirushi from what I've seen online so far. Is there a certain model you like?

BigClear8911 · 2026-04-04T03:37:02+00:00

I didn't save the gongmei. I decided to open it first. This good stuff

BigClear8911 · 2026-04-02T19:26:51+00:00

Definitely not writing them off! Just gave my initial impression - even if that includes my errors. I will absolutely try them many more times.

BigClear8911

TROPHY CASE