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Wanted to update this tea. I bought 250g and have been drinking this at work every day having a break on the weekend to taste my samples. I have refined my setup a bit by using the Hamilton Beach Kettle and using less water to steep the tea, just barely covering the leaves as they unfurl in the Teavana Perfect II. This is a a super buttery vegetal TGY that will be missed when gone.

I just love Wu Yi teas. When I was growing up my mom would take me to the mall and when you first entered the big stores the perfume counter was front and center. I hated it, still do, the overbearing scents that got caught up my schnozzola making me sneeze. But, leave it to the tea plant to seduce me into the fragrances of flowery perfumes that do not make me sneeze or regret inhaling their intoxicant.

Raspberry was the first aroma of the dry leaf in my cup. 5g sample (my last) in a 150ml gaiwan, brewed to Yezi’s guidelines. The wet leaf aromas were so inviting I scalded my tongue a bit sipping the beautifully light brown liquor. The raspberry is still present in the flavor as well as the honeysuckle, gardenia perfumes. But there was something else, I recollect smelling this in Amsterdam at a “coffee” house. All great memories. The flavors are a match to the aromas except for the raspberry, it now took on a medjool taste. In subsequent steepings a hint of tobacco made its presence and the party was in full swing. I managed eight good steeps with four being the best. Next for me are the Yezi red teas, oh boy I can’t wait.

Very nice Yezi. Dry leaf notes of dried cherry and wisps of flowery bouquets. I brewed according to guidelines a 5g sample in 150ml gaiwan. The wet leaf aromas where like opening my brain to Proust. Dried cherry aromas are now forefront with yellow cake and sequoia. The flavor is indeed delicate but certainly not understated. These farmers should be kings for growing such a nice tea. Its even keel, and the perfumes do not over power you nose or palate. I had 6 steeps with number three exhibiting all the beauty this tea has. Thanks for the samples Yezi Teas.

Steeped 8gm in 240ml yixing as recommended. Ist two steeps did not show me anything from the roasting. The gardenia, honeysuckle aromas and flavors are present, the grassiness is subdued. The liqour color is a golden yellow with a smidgen of brown. Steeps 3-5 had more structure with the artichoke vegetal notes coming in to play. Still not tasting the roast which I think is OK, maybe I’m not supposed to. I just wanted the roasting to concentrate those TGY traits I love so much a little more.

After having the Dong Ding I figured why not sample another. Followed the brewing guide lines for 5gm sample in 130 gaiwan. This tea was almost the same profile as the Dong Ding except the addition of some floral, vegetal notes. Further steeping had more mouth feel with a slight buttery sensation. I liked it a little better than Dong Ding, finding my taste buds need more oomph.

Free sample of 5gm, I used a 130 gaiwan and water temperature a little lower than recommended and also steeped initially for shorter times. Dry leaf aroma is that typical green oolong scent but its somewhat muted in this leaf. The aroma of the wet leaf is more pronounced and again typical. The first steep brought a perfect picture of me eating puffed rice as a kid. I added 5 seconds to each steep and the third was the best of the bunch. Now the puffed rice had the sugar on it and the was more body to this light tea. The also was a hint of pine nut that I remembered from a dragonwell I tasted previously. An average tea good for those who like an unassertive tea.

Was in a rush to get out the door this morning so I tried this tea thinking it would be a straight forward red tea and I would like it and go to work. Wrong. I used my Teavana large perfecta tea maker with 1 tbs tea to 16 oz water. The dry leaf has a slight pekoe smell. I poured in the water and saw the most beautiful red fawn color. The aromas had some fruitiness and also a very faint hint of kimchi, thats right kimchi. I make kimchi at home and yes it can get a bit boisterous but it also has this gentle sweetness from the chile flakes in it that I recognized in its bouquet. The steeping took all of 15 seconds, with flavors of apricot, pâte sucrée and bit of malt. Smooth very smooth, nothing screamed at you. I consumed my two cups in a hurry and brewed another, this time 20 seconds to get that same color. Just as good, I ran out of hot water and time at that point so see you tomorrow Uva Amba.

My first Gong Fu tasting with all the pieces together. My husband graced me by joining and providing some interesting points. The tea has a nice matted hair appearance with leaves sticking out as if to escape the pod and a dry leaf aroma of prune. Used 7g in 240 yixing.

1st steep – wet leaf aroma of some sweet flower couldn’t tell which one. Flavors of a perfume and a slight aftertaste of slate. I guess this is the rock I see in other tastings.

2nd steep – added 5 sec. Leaf aroma is now definitely gardenia. The taste of the flower is also now present in the soup with the rock holding steady but the flavor is of wet rock not dry.

3rd steep – added 5 sec. Leaf aroma is now a bouquet of gardenia. What an impressive scent. It couldn’t come from an atomizer any stronger. The rock appears again after the florals have dissipated. I might mention that the floral notes do not stick around as long as I would like they are so intoxicating. The best steep.

4th-6th steep and the wet leaf aromas start to fade but gradually, but the florals in the soup drop off rather quickly. There also is now a sweetness in the aftertaste I wished was there in the 3rd steep. Rock flavor has softened too. A heavier mouth feel compared to earlier steeps is noted.

A nice tea. I can say that I enjoyed the aromas better than the tea itself, but this is my first time brewing this tea and I’ve read that it is difficult to get straight the first time. I think I should either brew in a smaller gaiwan or use more leaf 10g but that is a lot of tea for two. A lower temp, say 180F/82C, I think would be gentler to the leaf. One question in regard to Gong Fu preparation. When you are pouring into the yixing does it matter if its clockwise or counter clockwise. Tradition is everything when brewing these fantastic teas for me.

Striking out in new territory. Never drank green teas. Don’t know why? Maybe the macho thing or the health thing. Delicate things scare me. The closest I come to green teas is via ice cream.

1st steep, the dry leaf smell was of buttery white chocolate and toasted pine nuts. How agreeable. 5g in a glass pitcher with 350ml spring water. Wet leaf aromas are more pronounced especially the pine nut. The flavor is decidedly not grassy as I had imagined. Soft velvety butter rich and again pine nutty.

2nd and 3rd steeps were the same and then the realization that there is nothing to fear about this delicate rich tea and I will be drinking greens any chance I can get. Oh forgot to mention the dancing leaves. When you’re as buzzed as I am now on tea, watching this was like doing Mr Wooly Willy when I was a child, with the bald headed man and the iron shavings you positioned on his head with a magnet wand, …fun.

The aroma of this tea as I opened the 5g sample pack was sooooo inviting, brew me it said. So I did, used the 5g sample in a 1920’s gaiwan 170ml, I received as a gift last night from a good friend who came to dinner. Quick rinse and the 1st steep was just how they prefaced the tea on Yezi’s site. The wet leaves now smelled even more inviting. Subtle smoky whiffs and could that be chocolate as well. Couldn’t wait for the sip. Bitter I must say was the first thing I noticed and was temporarily disappointed until that sweetness finally hit after the tea was gone. Bitter-Sweet.

2nd steep 20 seconds and catastrophe struck. My new antique gaiwan broke as I picked it up. The rim splintered into 3 pieces. I poured the tea anyway. So it got a longer steep, say 50 seconds and wow this was deep. That bitter was more muted and the sweet more pronounced. The flavors of malt, chocolate/cocoa, cigar smoke in a good way.

3rd steep, transferred to a 150 gaiwan for 25 seconds. Aromas are starting to fade but the remembrance is strong. Flavors are also starting to fade but the maltiness is out in front. Should have been paying attention to that 2nd steep and brewed longer.

4th and 5th steep were both 50 seconds and the aromas and flavors are back.

You can go longer with this tea but I think 5 steeps for me is the limit. Over all a nice return to a red tea as I have been drinking TGY at work for the past month. I grew up on Keemun and this brought me back.

I need to give props to Yezi, my order came in 2 days!!, and a nice personal note from Mei Qin Weng including the smiley face only makes this a better experience. The Gao Shan was an extra sample on top of the free ones I chose and a free tea strainer was in the box as well. Can not wait to try the rest. Thanks again Yezi.