First I thought that this was a version of the well-reviewed Teavivre’s Organic Nonpareil Dragon Well but this is a totally different tea despite the tea leaves looking remarkably similar. It is from Sichuan. I had it both gongfu and western with equally satisfying results.
The leaves are pretty and have a nice aroma similar to dragon wells. The taste reminded me of dragonwells as well, with grass, asparagus, spinach, broccoli and butter. Also, some faint sweetness and spiciness. Way to often green teas feel to weak and understated to me but this one had a strong bitter-sour note that blended well with the rest of the flavors and was quite welcome. This note lingered and transformed into the grass, spicy and pleasantly bitter aftertaste.
It is a complex and bold (for a green) tea. The complexity fades somewhat during the gongfu session but it remains enjoyable for multiple steepings nevertheless. Actually, it becomes intiguingly savory and sweet. This is probably the best green I tried so far but it’s on the pricey side with $0.40 per gram, so I guess the high quality should be expected. Also, it is 10 months old by now, which leaves the possibility of it is being fantastic when the leaves are just picked.
Flavors: Asparagus, Bitter, Broccoli, Butter, Grass, Spicy, Spinach
