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I’m not sure I’m posting this note in the right place since most other reviews of this tea are so old, but the package just says Huang Shan Mao Feng without any modifiers like Premium or Organic. I was excited to read on Teavivre’s website that this is a floral green tea reminiscent of my beloved Taiwanese green oolong. I steeped 5 g of leaf in a 150 ml teapot at 185F for 30, 60, and 90 seconds, plus steeps of around 3, 3, 4, 5, and 10 minutes.

The dry aroma is of savoury veggies like asparagus and beans, orchids and other florals, nuts, and seaweed. The first steep is lighter than I expected, with strong beany, saline, and vegetal notes and a floral sweetness that is indeed similar to high mountain oolong. (However, this tea can’t be mistaken for anything other than a green.) I also get that chestnut taste I associate with a lot of green teas and a slight bitterness. The next steep is buttery, beany, slightly bitter, and floral, with asparagus and kale making it more vegetal than I prefer. It was gone within a few seconds of being poured, an indication that this tea is surprisingly easy to drink. Steep three is a little more vegetal. I lost count on the fourth steep, which amped up the bitterness to levels I found to be unpleasant. The aftertaste is of spring flowers, including lilacs, and grass clippings. The final steeps are pretty bitter, though I also got lazy with the timing.

I’m not sure what to think about this tea. The florals are great, but it becomes bitter easily. I also steep out my green teas until the (bitter) end of their flavour, which is perhaps not the best thing to do. It somehow feels wrong to make three steeps of a tea and then throw it out, even with my extensive tea museum.