I am having the same issues with Yezi samples as I had with Butiki samples ages ago….I’m making weak tea. waaaaaaaaaah!! This time the victim was Jin Jun Mei. I didn’t even post about my attempt with Ming Hong, because I was so disappointed with the outcome. But I’ve decided to forge ahead with this review because I even though weak, I can still pick up on some fascinating business happening in this cup of tea.
Yes, it looks like a Yunnan…a dian hong perhaps… but this tea has a few notes that certainly separate it from that crowd. There is a smoothness to this tea that holds a touch of astringency, which is different from most of the Yunnans it resembles. Bottom notes of chocolate and sweet potato skin form a solid base for the woodsy grainy smoothness that sits in the middle of this tea’s flavor profile. Top notes are a touch of orchid and perhaps a touch of grape skin, which is where I’m getting the touch of astringency from. All these notes are very subtle in my cup (due to a bad steep) but they are there, creating a layered intricate tea with much to offer the person holding the cup. Even if they do mess it up….
Flavors: Grain, Grapes, Orchid, Sweet Potatoes, Wood
