The honeysuckle’s vanilla sweetness is the first thing you’ll notice, seconds into the first brew. It is an immensely pleasant aroma, and though it may seem that the strength of the smell will be a sign of overpowering sweetness on the tongue, the first sip is a velvet smooth sweetness. Don’t get me wrong, this tea is sweet, but it isn’t a dessert, the taste is light enough and complex enough (an attribute of Shang’s excellent white tea) that you will be interested in how the complexity develops in the following brews.
The taste is fleeting after the sip, not sticking to the tongue for undue time, and there is a nutty flavor underneath it all. This nutty flavor comes out more and more as the tea develops through the brew, but by the 4th brew, is not nearly as strong or complimented as the second.
Overall, it’s a wonderful tea when you want a treat of something sweet, and I would happily have 3 brews, but on four and beyond, the flavor loses some of its complexity.
Flavors: Honeysuckle, Nutty
