Yunnan "Silver Strands" Green Tea of Simao * Spring 2018

This is a pretty and powerful green. The dry leaves emit the aroma of warm grass, hay, butter and spinach. The taste follows the smell: grass, spinach cooked in butter, asparagus, spiciness, some nutty undertones.

With my predisposition to robust and “loud” teas I usually avoid greens but this Yunnan can certainly hold its own against Dian Hongs and Zheng Shan Xiao Zhongs. This tea also has plenty of complexity and aroma – despite being a year old at this time. I can only imagine how good it is when fresh.

Initial impressions. On opening the bag I was greeted with a funky, fruity smell like maybe a nectarine or plum that gave way to hay, spring/summer grass, and almost meatiness. The brew was intensely savory with a solid returning sweetness. Spinach, sweet grass, seaweed, and a ton of umami. Broccoli crowns that have been steamed until soft. Buttery mouthfeel. Even though the leaves don’t have much of an intense green going on like a gyokuro, I would suspect a relatively high theanine content based on the taste.

Update:

I found this tea to get too astringent too quickly brewed in a gaiwan, even after dropping the temp and time. However, it’s quite good brewed western, ~5g to ~330g water, 180’F, for 2 minutes. Brewing this way really tames the bitterness and astringency but keeps the brothy and crisp brew.