Nonpareil Supreme Spring Suzhou Biluochun

First of all, I love the sent of this tea which pops out at you the second you open the bag. A nice, strong, and green smell, not unlike freshly mowed grass. However, this grassy smell is tempered by a layers of sweetness and nuttiness, combining with the smell of perhaps a zucchini walnut muffin.

Visually, the dry leaves are impressive, with many very fine slender and curled strands tangled together within the bag. A nice deep green color interspersed with downy white buds. It is evident from the appearance that the tea is comprised of two leaves and a bud, as it is about 2/3 green leaves and 1/3 downy buds.

The steeped tea is a nice lighter golden yellow color (sparkling full of the tiny downy particles), giving off surprisingly little aroma compared to the smell from the bag. But flavor is very pleasant, giving off a greenish-nutty flavor with slight parsley astringency and tinges of bitterness which turns into a satisfying sweet nectar as the drink cools. The tea gives a nice faint but lingering nutty aftertaste and seems to coat the mouth somewhat. Not particularly floral or fruity as described by the vendor, but if there is any fruitiness it is more along the lines of a green under-ripe banana. Gives a solid second steep, and maybe even a third steep if you’ve got the time.

Been trying to decide if I REALLY like it or if I just kind-of like it for a while now. Sometimes I brew it and find the under-ripe fruit and rougher edges being accentuated for a not-so-great experience, and other times it is sweet as can be. Maybe has something to do with foods I am eating along with it, but for the most part I haven’t had much variation lately and my brewing parameters have been pretty consistent. At the price I think this is a pretty good deal, but I am fairly certain this is not nearly the best available biluochun (as the company’s grading system would imply).