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The dry leaf aroma is subtle. Nutty, hay, mineral, dry bamboo, reminds me of domesticated bird feathers (no joke, and that’s not a bad thing to me).

The brewed leaf aroma is like green vegetables, raw beans, nutty, slightly smoky, slightly floral.

The liquor tastes green, raw green beans, nutty: almonds, buttery, slightly sweet. The color is pale, yellow-green with downy hairs present.

The first and second steepings were great. The third was too subtle. All were done at 90 C, and times were: 45, 60, 90 s.

This is one of the better teas I’ve ever tasted. Yes, it’s a bit more expensive, but sometimes you have to treat yourself! The aromas and flavors are so wonderful. I feel like I am “drinking spring.” What an excellent tea. Wow, just WOW!!

This is an excellent start to brick pu-erh tea. Nicely priced, this 2005 raw pu-erh tastes excellent through many steepings. There is a dominant tobacco, hay, and earthy aroma; the liquor has a medium-full body, smoky taste, with a slightly dry finish. There are many intricate aromas & flavors that develop from each steep. Be sure to watch the video on Teavivre’s website before you begin to break into your brick—very helpful for someone that’s never done it. (Actually, all of their videos are useful.)

This was my first taste of a pu-erh with added flowers. I wanted to try this because I’m not a big fan of ripened pu-erh alone. However, this makes me a fan! The chrysanthemum really balances the aromas and flavors that I tend to dislike in ripened teas and provides a subtle sweetness. I definitely recommend trying this at least once. I’m on the search for more!

I went through multiple steepings with boiling water: (rinse), 10s,10s,10s,15s,20s,30s

Very reminiscent of a Chinese Tin Kuan Yin, yet with different complexities. This is my first Taiwan high mountain tea and it will certainly not be my last. I love how the taste varies over many steepings. The aromas are very nice and refreshing. Definitely recommend!

Okay, I am really surprised by this tea. I do not normally like teas with added flavors but this tea is nicely prepared and the licorice flavor is subtle, yet it blends extremely well with the oolong. The dry leaves look a little strange at first but finally start to open up after the 3rd steeping—instructions say 3 steepings, but I went to 5 with good flavor.

So glad I joined Steepster Select. I NEVER would have purchased this tea independently. Now, I definitely plan to get some!

~Dry Leaf
Appearance: Light green, large pieces, little dust
Scent: Hay, grass

~Infused Leaf
Appearance: Opened up after 1st infusion, little color loss
Scent: More intense grass, hay, now floral, vegetal

~Liquor
Color: Light green, clear
Aromas: Subdued vegetal, floral, grassy
Taste: Smooth, floral, light, sweet, buttery; almost like a sencha
Texture: Full body, thick, little astringency throughout all infusions

~Summary
This was my very first “spring tea” and I was hooked once I opened the bag and smelled the fresh, tender leaves. The floral, sweet, and grassy notes certainly dominated this tasting experience. This dragonwell almost reminds me of Japanese greens, like sencha. I doubt that I can go back to aged dragonwells without being reminded of how wonderful the spring cup can taste. There is very little astringency throughout all three infusions and the intensity of the flavor seems to maintain a respectable intensity.

Decent but a little weak, compared to other dragonwells I’ve tasted. I tried increasing the amount, brew time, changing temperature, but nothing got my taste buds excited with this one.

Wow. This was my first gyokuro and I was blown away. Extremely delicate, so make sure you get the temperature correct. I brewed according to the instructions on the package from O-Cha (2 min @ 55-60 C). Light body, sweet taste and finish. Wonderful sweet grassy aroma. Very impressive.

Probably my favorite tea from Adagio. Very sweet and medium body with no bitterness. Pleasant sweet grassy aroma! Excellent through 3 infusions (45 s, 15 s, 30 s @ 79 C). I know the 2nd one for 15 s does not seem like much, but it works very well.