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I think this is what I’m drinking. The package only says "Aged Oolong 95C mountaintea.com). So, I’m taking a guess. The little pebbles are a dark brown and slight oily skin. They are heavily compressed and give off a dry wood and roast scent. I placed a generous amount in my warmed gaiwan and gave em a shake. The smell is quite potent and heavily fruited. There is an underlying smoke aroma and prominent raisin tone. I washed the pebbles once and prepare for brewing. The flavor is unlike the aroma. The liquor is pale bronze and very sweet. The taste is very fruity and juicy, yet there is an underlying roast that lingers on the tongue. This brew has a “fruit by the foot” flavor hahah. It reminds me of my childhood snacks. This was very good, and a decent quality aged oolong. I’m glad that I didn’t judge a book by its cover on this, for the packaging was not that attractive.

Also, there is a lingering sweetness that does last for what seems like forever. I feel like I just had a bunch of pastries with berries in them :)

This was none too special. The leaf was mostly BoP; I could spot few whole leaves. The flavor was diminished. I was not able to finish a gong fu session with this. The leaves carried a burnt oak and sweet grape aroma. I warmed them up and this scent became sweet like s’mores over a campfire. The flavor however was none too sweet. It was a bland non-textured experience. I could feel a slight headache coming on as well. This just ins’t something I’d jump on getting more of. Lately, I’ve been craving smoky and dark oolongs, but I just can’t seem to find one that is satisfactory… I guess my search continues.

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This is a damn good matcha. So far, this is the first I’ve been able to make a decent Unkaku with. The powder is vibrant, soft, and well grounded. The scent is enticing. Its a sweet and vegetable with light floral tones. Its almost like a carnation scent. I placed some in my chawan and whisked it up. The drink was thick, foamy, and bright. I blessed my cup and drank. The flavor is explosive. It starts bitter and sharp with a hair tingling sensation. This smooths out to a textured floral and vine flavor. The complex flavor ends with a smooth honey and cream after taste. This was a wonderful brew. The matcha didn’t clump and get gritty at the end. It was a consistent texture experience. I am so happy to have finally found a great matcha. This is just in time for the Green/matcha TTB as well ;)

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This was disappointing. I’ve been waiting to try this for awhile, so I finally picked it out. I opened the package and took in the sweet tang and heavy wood aroma. So far so good right? I poured out the tea and then I became saddened. It was just short of a full gongfu session (so I reduced water) and the “leaves” were mostly dusting. I washed the bits once and watched as most of them poured away. I was mostly turned off at this point. A big thing for me is presentation and quality. I wasn’t really feeling the gongfu session to much, but I preceded thinking “don’t judge a book by its cover” sort of thing. The leaves gave off a roasted oak and burnt sugar scent. The liquor was dirty. There were tons of little bits everywhere, hahah. It was quite a mess. The flavor was good. This wasn’t a phenomenal Wuyi, but it was still fairly decent. The initial sip started with a sharp tang and smoothed with dark fruit tones. The session proceeded into a deep caramel and rum flavor. I was able to get about five steeps out this small package, which inst that bad. Altogether, I’m glad I was able to try it, but I wont be jumping to get anymore of this.

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I picked out the whole leaves for the photo…

I’ve been in a Dianhong mood lately. This was my morning tea. This was a very unique brew. The leaves are massive long soft golden strands. They give off a milk chocolate and caramel aroma. I placed a bunch in my warmed gaiwan and shook them up. The aroma stayed consistent, but it deepens and the aroma of black cherry and graham cracker appeared. I washed these once and prepared brewing. The liquor itself is fairly light. This doesn’t have the classic deep red color. Instead, it stays a consistent bronze. The flavor is light as well. The initial sip was of malt chocolate, light wood, caramel, and honey. The funny thing is that this brew changes and becomes sweet and chocolaty. The flavor kinda reminds me of smores. This would be a nice hiking tea. This brew keeps the same light flavors. This was very tasty and great morning brew. The tea held up well against multiple steeping, and it was light on my stomach. I really enjoyed this morning session.

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This is so good before bed. I’ve had one of the 1-3 grade shou from this company. It was suggested I would enjoy a higher grade more. So, I got this one to sample. The maocha consists of long crimson leaves and stems. This assortment carries a wet earth and clay scent. I placed a bunch in warmed yixing and shook them up. The leaf gave off a savory scent. It was almost like roasted meat. I washed the leaves once and began my brewing. The soup is thick and red. The steeped leaves give off a wet wood and deep moss scent. The flavor is smooth and silky. This brew gave me a thick mouth-feel and earth flavor. There was an underlying fruity flavor. Altogether, this was a nice Shou. The flavors were consistent and very satisfying.

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This brew took some focus. The maocha is beautiful. This cake is so lightly compressed it easily peels apart. I grabbed off some long bronze and autumn brown leaves. The dry aroma is sweet and savory with a velvet softness. I placed a generous amount in my warmed yixing and gave it a shake. I took in a deep inhale of the aroma. I caught notes of smooth red wine or possibly ice wine. I washed these leaves once and began some focused brewing. The oily green tendrils gave off a peculiar aroma. I took one short whiff and immediately the image of kettle corn popped in my head (no pun intended). The liquor was pale like white tea and was slightly iridescent. The flavor was complex. This brew has a sharp and popping kuwei, but it’s wrestled with a full huigan. This brew gives a powerful mouth feeling. My tongue was left with a spicy sensation, and my throat filled with sweet coatings. This feeling lasted well into steeping. The flavor continued complex with so many various tones. I was getting a bitterness that arose in my belly, but my throat was softened and numbed. My head was beginning to float, and my blood was pumping quick. My body was in a state of awe and relaxation. I was being pulled into so many different directions that I kinda just made peace with it. The qi was sneaky. I didn’t notice it at all, at first. I was thinking to myself “I thought there was supposed to be an intense body sensation”. The sensation is not seemingly intense. Instead, its invisible, but its powerful. I was quickly sweating and becoming easily distracted. My head was zooming and my eyes grew heavy. I kept on brewing and just adding onto this supposed “absent” qi. I took sip after sip of this now peppery floral tea. The mouth sensation would not quit. I can’t count how steeping sessions I was able to get. I lost count at about 11. The liquor remained a dull orange bronze. This was fantastic, but it took a lot of effort to focus on it. The next time I brew this, I will set some time aside to focus more on this session. This was a wonderful experience, and I am excited to see how it settles.

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I finally have been giving the chance to try some the budz!! I am most grateful for this opportunity. This is by far the best Dianhong I’ve ever had. These is beautiful tea in both aesthetic value and brew quality. The buds are long bright golden strands that are chaotically intertwined. This tea is velvety smooth and soft to the touch. They give off a thick and pure cacao scent. I placed a bunch in my gaiwan and shook it up. The scent deepened to something like coco puffs. I could take in oats, chocolate, raisins, and an underlying leather scent. I washed these beauties once and began my brewing. The initial sip was incredibly full bodied. This brew gives a thick and complex mouth-feel. I took in a sweet honey taste that was mixed with chocolate cacao dust. The brew then grew deeper in color and broadened in flavor. This sweet liquid gold moved to a fresh wood tone. This was unlike other wood tones. This flavor was in the background and complimented the sweet and light malt of the drink, rather than an over- powering bark taste. Also, this brew gave a light and alert qi feeling. I’ve only felt noticeable qi from pu-erh. It was a unique experience to feel qi from a red tea. The best part of this tea is that it held up very well against multiple steeping. Usually, dianhong falters off at about the fourth steeping. This brew just kept going. The brew grew ever sweeter and smoother with each subsequent steeping. I am so happy to have finally tried this wonderful brew! Thank you again!

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This is a beautiful tea. This gongfu session will be one of my most memorable. I’m going to break this down to help describe this cake fully.

Dry Leaf:
This is truly prized maocha. The dry leaf consists of long and slender leaves. The stems are thick, and the leaf is large. These dark gold and bronze tendrils carry a sweet grape and lightly oiled leather scent. I took a deep inhale from my jar. This is an enticing aroma.

Warmed Leaf:
I warmed these treasures in my yixing. The aroma grew more in depth and became thick. A swift inhale brought me images of plump grapes, winter honey, and buckwheat syrup. This was going to be a tasteful brew.

Steeped Leaves:
I washed this once and prepared brewing. The leaves are massive and mostly intact. These long pale jade leaves become soft and sweet. They smell of stewed zucchini and have a thick vegetable aroma.

Finally, The Brew:
This is beyond fantastic! This drink is perfectly balanced. The brew starts with a thick honey sweetness. Then, it tips over into a light bitterness. The flavors of pepper and syrup combine. The major point of this brew, was its Qi. I’ve never felt anything like this. I’ve drank some aged sheng with a powerful kick, but this was an entirely different animal. The third steeping left me foggy, sweating, focused, and pumping with adrenaline. It was a mix between immense power and perfect serenity. The fifth steeping arose the question “can I really drink more…?” I managed to slowly continuing brewing. The brew became ever sweeter and smooth. The liquor remained a dull bronze color. I lost track of how many times I steeped these leaves. The qi walked along side me sip by sip. The flavor became completely floral in later steeping. The sips were like delicate orchids mixed with slight nectar. This is by far my favorite sheng so far. I’ve never encountered such a brilliant brew. I am so grateful to be able to try this, and I can’t wait to share this with others.

P.S. I wish the ratings could go past 100 xp

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I love a good Jingmai! This is a spectacular brew. The leaves are easily compressed, long, and so fragrant. This cake has the traditional Jingmai characteristics. The leaves are dark and resinous and carry a strong tangy and almost citrus scent. I placed a chunk in warmed yixing and shook em up. The aroma from my brewing vessel was sweet and fruity. I washed the leaves once and prepared to brew. The steeped leaves are soft, vibrant, and sweet. I love Jingmai for its full flavor. This has a complex balance of succulent and potent. This brew is hard, yet it finishes smooth and soft. The initial sip starts with a slight pepper taste, and it finishes with a strong green tea mixed with honey suckle. My yixing yielded a bronze soup for many steeping sessions. However, there was only a very faint huigan. The qi from this tea is a rising effect. I almost didn’t notice it. I can feel a background effect that boosts me. I was given motivation to complete my task, and the relaxation to focus on precision. This was a nice golden brew. This is something special, and I will invite others to try it.

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