I will not go into detail about the history and intricacies of this tea (click here for more details), but I will say that this is the first wild grown tea I have tasted (besides a pu'erh).
In the dry leaf there are hints of cassia seed, shrub, and a light floral aspect akin to wildflowers sprouting in a field.There is not much aroma in the dry leaf; I was hard pressed to find even the slightest hint of anything, but my olfactory sense completed the task quite well.
There is such a variety in the leaf shapes and forms. By this, I can definitely tell this was all hand processed. Usually a tea is made to look uniform, but there is something rustic about the lack of similarity.This tea was made with love and care.
The aroma of the liquor is true to the dry leaf, but a freshness hints at a scent that I normally pick up from Baozhongs.As the drink is slurped, a surprising array of flavors are exhibited.
On the entrance, the tea is a bit rough tasting; a bit biting, but not in astringency or bitterness. I am referring to the taste of the wild.
Honey and wildflower are found next.
A woodsy, evergreen rounds this tea off as the first few sips are finished.
The tea is very "clean" tasting. There is no hint at industrial processing besides the package that it came in.This tea offers something special.
As the brew is reaching its final stages, a bit of spinach comes forth. I did not mind it. It was just another aspect to take note of.
The endurance is wonderful; I was able to make 6 solid infusions with the few after mostly resembling sweet water.
I thank Gingko for this opportunity.- Fox's review
~billy
Industry is beaten by hand-made products :D
ReplyDeleteIce,
ReplyDeleteIt usually works like that =]
Your photos are always such a nice addition to the text. Am on a bit of an Oolong binge myself.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this.
Lahikmajoe,
ReplyDeleteThank you very much!
Yes this one is quite a treat!
I want to try this one. Do you think Gingko would send some if I asked?
ReplyDeleteFox,
ReplyDeleteDefinitely! This is a very nice tea, and it is not something one would get to try every day!
She would send you a sample most likely!
Fox your sample is on the way :D Billy, thank you for the review! I don't have enough of this tea to list in the store, but I would feel a little lonely without other people tasting it along with me :-p
ReplyDeleteYour pictures on this tea are much better than mine!
Gingko,
ReplyDeleteYou are very gracious! We all appreciate it =]
Yes I would have figured this tea would have been given to you in very small quantities! It was a treat to taste!
Thank you! I try to incorporate decent photography with a tea =] I think the leaves look excellent! They show of their rugged nature in a very graceful way!