This is for the 2016 tea. Thank you Angel for the sample.
Opening the packet this has a savory malt aroma. The flat leaves are smaller than I remember so I checked out the website and learned the tea is made of a bud and tiny leaf. The color is a soft spring green.
I couldn’t decide how to prepare it. I don’t really enjoy gaiwan brewing but I didn’t want a long 3-5 minute western steep either. I decided to use 8oz of water heated to 175F and steeped the leaf for 1 minute. The aroma as I removed the lid was a wonderful umami and steamed veggies. The brew color is very light – someone called it straw, I think that is close enough. Its clear and bright.
The taste is somewhere between nutty and creamed corn. It is very smooth and without bitterness. The aftertaste trails off into a lingering grassiness with just a mild bite.
This is really a light tea. If you enjoy the subtle nature of silver needle white tea (as example) you would enjoy this one. Not because they are similar because they are completely different, however both are subtle and mellow.
I personally prefer the taste of the more robust premium version for its bolder presence. That said, what moves me with this tea is the inner warming glow I get from drinking it. This one has possibly the strongest Qi I have experienced. I don’t feel buzzed or euphoric. Instead it gives me a strong sense of alertness and calm. Very few teas have this affect on me. A pot of this and I think I could snatch the pebble (the elders of us will get that reference).
