The look of these leaves are incredibly unique. I have never seen or heard of Ya Bao tea before, which is one huge reason I signed up for Select, so I could learn about new teas. After an initial steeping, the buds have a very strong scent of peaches and a bit of cut wood. I prepared these in a gaiwan. The liquor is very pale, almost clear like water but with a gold sheen. I love white teas like this. They just look so ethereal.
Steeping Notes:
1. Notes of dry grass and very subtle earthiness at first, then becoming a sugary sweetness with a very pronounced peach flavor. There’s a very subtle spiced note like clove or cardamom.
2. More like the first steeping, a little deeper and more well rounded, more full-bodied and creamy. Lingering peach aftertaste. Slightly dry finish.
3. Mellower and softly sweet, more of a dry prairie grass background and less of the fruit flavor, though it is still present and lingers a bit at the end still. Still a very subtle spice note.
Aside from the qualities already mentioned, this tea has a sort of fizzy or “sparkling” quality, that’s hard to describe, but it was evident in the scent even before I tasted the tea itself. The only con for me at all is there is a bit of lingering dryness when drinking this tea. However, is is really quite a unique tea in so many regards and I am so happy to have had a chance to try it. I will definitely be adding some to my collection soon. Oh, and by the way, if you steep it gongfu style with short infusions, you can get many more steepings out of it before the flavor wanes.
Flavors: Cloves, Grass, Peach
