10 Tasting Notes
Dry leaf: green tips with whitish fuzz over many, and accumulated in the package, much like white tips.
Aroma: vegetal, slightly sweet, mild.
Liquor: medium-light golden, like a moderate white tea.
Body: medium-full
Flavor: sweet, smooth. Faint vegetal undertones, but very satisfying. Not astringent.
Conclusion: why is this labeled “China Green Tea” when it basically seems like white tips? Distinguished, if anything, by creamy/fuller body.
7g/pot, 3 mins @ 175°F.
Dry leaves: long, dark green-grey withered leaves. Not closely inspected, but didn’t notice fuzzy down noted by some.
Liquor: Pale golden, slightly cloudy.
Aroma: Sweet, moderately vegetal.
Body: Light, but slightly astringent/dry.
Flavor: Slightly sweet, solidly vegetal (roasted?) through the middle. More complex floral finish that mixes with the astringent feel to leave something like a jasmine or osmanthus tea.
6g/pot for 3 minutes at 175°F.
Aromas: sweet, semi-light honeysuckle.
Liquor: golden, slight pale pinkish cast.
Body: medium. Surprisingly rich for the liquor’s appearance and light aroma. (Much more aroma in the wet leaves.)
Flavor: much less dramatic honeysuckle sweetness than in the aroma. Like white tea. Impressive body and endurance with mild sweetness create a creamy experience. Surprising contrast with the mild/pale-looking liquor.
Dry leaves: darkish brown-green with spots of light khaki down (otherwise smooth and hard).
Infused in a small amount of water for 45 secs, discarded, then re-brewed for 3.5 minutes at 180°F. Rich body, floral aroma. Smooth, sweet and floral flavor with virtually no astringency. Not quite as good as previous batches I’ve had of the same (TT86)—the supplier and/or the season clearly changed—but still quite wonderful for the price.