30 Tasting Notes
Inoffensive, quaffable black tea. Not much of any taste, but far from bland. I won’t get it again because it hints at tastes I get more of in other black teas. But it’s still really drinkable.
Flavors: Honey, Malt, Walnut
Preparation
The vegetal taste I get is peas. Sweet, then peas. Sweet peas, if you like. It’s definitely peas you pick from your parents’ garden off a trellis and eat fresh and bursting right there, but… A lot is going to depend if you like those vegetal notes in tea. It turns out I don’t much.
I now know I love corn and grass notes in green tea, not all vegetal notes. I wouldn’t have known that before this, because none of the greens I’ve tried before were so purely green-veg. It’s not a do again for me, but it’s very different from some other Chinese greens and should be tried.
Brew it cool! It was definitely better well below 80, even. The 70 on the packet is about right.
Flavors: Peas, Sweet, Vegetables
Preparation
Gosh, this is bland! First steeping has maybe the merest hint of peach. Someone below said ‘peach mineral water’ and that feel right. Second steeping and beyond picked up some of the fruit notes and I got a hint of jasmine. But there isn’t much to this. But it would be a perfect palate cleanser between courses of a meal.
Flavors: Jasmine, Peach
Preparation
Was keeping this as I don’t get on with most oolong. But I discounted their variability. Broke it out to finish a box before the new delivery comes and it’s lovely. Summer meadows early on, dry grasses later steeps.
Flavors: Butter, Dry Grass, Floral, Milk
Preparation
Wow, so much peach in the dry leave and peach-pit in the cup. Lovely pale-green clear liquor and very light in the mouth. Will revisit when deep into the bag, and looking forward to seeing what others with better taste buds can identify.
Flavors: Peach
Preparation
A good tea, but not for me. Very astringent, lots of seaweed notes. I’ve been back to this a few times but I’ve really settled into the Chinese greens and this is just too astringent for me. Not round or corny or buttery enough. It took me a few tries to ensure it’s not the tea – it’s not.
Flavors: Astringent, Seaweed
Preparation
Had more in the scent than the taste for me. I just couldn’t get a handle on individual flavours except “tea” and “rose”. There’s either complexity I’m missing, or it’s not varied enough for me to find the strands.
It was okay though. I’d drink it again but not buy it again.
Flavors: Rose, Rosehips, Tea
Preparation
Maybe my new favourite green. I’ll review again after a few sessions, but I like it. It’s conceptually like Dragon Well Long Jing for me, but more of the specific tastes I like. More hay, more butter. And with a thicker, syrupy feel.
Edit: I brought this from an 85 to an 80 because it strikes me differently on different days. Also subsequent steepings fall off quickly. But it’s still a marvellous tea, solidly 80.
Edit: 80 up to 82 after a marvellous four-steep session. That’s now settled. Definitely.
Flavors: Butter, Hay