Wu Liang Hong Mao Feng Spring 2016

Another enjoyable Yunnan tea I like to keep in stock.

I am looking forward to tasting the 2017 which is on my wishlist at YS.

Tried cold-brewing this. I learned something – don’t brew in the container from which you intend to drink. This should have been obvious, but I messed it up. Brewed for right at 12 hours.

The flavor profile was basically the same, but the emphasis moved around. The chocolate and brown sugar flavors came out (while remaining very smooth) and the savory, semi-spicy notes took more of a back seat.

Definitely a good iced tea, which I drank without any sweetener.

I seem to be amassing red/black & green teas at the moment so I’m trying to sip them down. This was one of those mornings that a cold snap in the night, and lack of decent sleep had made everything cold & I was dozy. So, I broke out these wonderful soft golden furls & stuck them in my Gaiwan & had three quick steeps before stopping. I used a small pinch in my 160ml & did 10/20/45 seconds just off boiling.

This one is interesting as its a Mao Feng which has been processed into something like a Dian Hong

By the 2nd steep I had that caffeine hit that is like tinnitus in your head, and was up running around trying to tidy everything at once while showering myself :D

As for taste, I agree with CCR that there is some fruity something in the aroma, I actually have found this one quite soft. All the standard malt & chocolate hints, but also this other note which is definitely like tomatoes. Thick & soft mouth.

I always give my red/black/gold teas to my friends who as for an English breakfast blend as its the closest I have, this one is perfect for that. Great pick-me-up tea for the cold mornings

I didnt get much floral notes, probably need a different steep parameter but its a bit strong caffeine-wise for me even flash steeped like this

I’ll start off by saying that this is a wonderful tea. I’ve loved the Spring 2015, so this review is mostly to contrast against the fresh Spring 2016 batch of this tea.

Sniffing the Spring 2015 side by side with this fresh Spring 2016, there is a thick layer of ripe fruit/sweet tomato fragrance on the fresh 2016 batch, while the 2015 has more of a sharp malt aroma. These differences carry over to the brew, where the 2016 is frutier while the 2015 is maltier. The word that keeps coming to my mind with the 2016 is that is seems “ripe” (though not in the sense of ripe puer). It just seems like it is in its prime right now fresh, despite my expectation that it might need time to rest before drinking.

If you have liked this tea in the past, I can’t imagine this spring 2016 would disappoint anyone.