I got a sample of this quite a while ago. These little pearls expand a LOT so… this tea came out very very strong, but that’s not a bad thing! There’s no funky should’ve-rinsed-the-tea-first aftertaste. (I’m lazy, who has time to rinse their tea? I know, I don’t deserve the tea I drink.)
This the first tieguanyin I’ve had where I could actually taste the smokiness! Usually I’m like, suuuuuure, smoky… uhuh. Nope, this one’s got it in a profound, delicious way!
There’s a little bit of bitterness, probably because I didn’t read the package properly (there’s no English, really, just Chinese or German) so I didn’t realize this was an oolong (I found “Tie Guan Yin” printed sideways on the sample after I’d drowned the tea leaves), and brewed it with boiling hot water. Sorry little tea leafies! The next few steeps will be less shocking, I promise!
In any case, this tieguanyin is different than any other I’ve tasted. I can definitely say I prefer the floral varieties more so than the dark, leather, smoky, manly? kinds. Haha! But it’s still yummy! Just not one I would keep around as a staple. :)
Flavors: Leather, Smoke
It sounds like a nice enough tea, note-wise, to grab when you’re unsure. I totally get it!