Marshall Weber Send Message

Bought a sample of this 2023 asamushi sencha with my order from Tezumi. I am definitely more satisfied with this one, although I don’t think I like either better than their Matsuba Sencha. This one has more flavor, complexity, and sweetness with less harsh notes than the Ao-Sora.

Harvest: May, 2023.
Cultivar: Okumidori
Location: Wazuka, Kyoto

Dry leaf: Vegetal.
Wet leaf: Same.
Flavor: Vegetal, grassy, sweet, bitter, umami.

I feel pretty let down by this sencha. Even for an asamushi, it is too light in flavor for me at 60 degrees C. At 70 C, it was too bitter (more than they claim on the website). Sweetness isn’t really there nor is there any astringency.

I don’t mind light flavor in my tea. And the flavor that is there is pretty nice. However, it is nowhere near as good as I’d hope for a $0.44/g tea.

Apparently this Taiwanese cultivar is also the one used to make Dongfang Meiren (Oriental Beauty), which is pretty interesting.

Harvest: May 12, 2022.
Cultivar: Chin Hsin Da Pa
Location: Honyama, Shizouka (100 m elevation)

Dry leaf: Umami, vegetal.
Wet leaf: Same.
Flavors: Umami, vegetal, bitter, grassy, nutty.

This tea is wonderful. Tasted immediately after their generic JX, I think I enjoy it about as much, although I believe this is higher quality tea. This one is much more floral and has a more noticeable, lingering buttery aftertaste and hou yun. However, this one is over twice the cost of the generic version.

The more interesting comparison to me is to their other Alishan. This is much richer and fuller feeling, while the other is lighter, crisper and juicier. Cool to see how vastly different the two are in profile. While their website does not list the cultivar for their other Alishan, I believe it’s safe to assume it is Qing Xin, as the majority of Taiwanese high mountain oolongs are made with that cultivar. And these two teas are from the same area and (I think) made by the same farmer, so the only significantly different variable is cultivar. This tea is like a bold, buttery chardonnay, while the other is akin to a juicy, light gewürtztraminer.

No bitterness or astringency. Medium sweetness (a bit more than generic version). Longevity is 10 infusions.

This was my last sample from Eco-Cha, and they have become one of my favorite vendors, along with Farmerleaf, Verdant, and Yunomi. My ONLY complaint is that they would provide the same detailed information on cultivar and location for ALL of their teas on their website and indicate the harvest on the bag (I bought right before/as the Spring 2023 teas were coming out).

Harvest: Winter 2022
Location: Ruili Village, Meishan Township, Chiayi County (1000 m elevation).

Dry Leaf: Floral, cream.
Wet Leaf: Floral, vegetal.
Flavor: Cream, butter, floral, sweet, vanilla.

I’m giving this 90 points not because it deserves it by the flavor, but because it achieves that flavor at $0.07/g, which is outstanding! This is incredibly smooth, thick, and flavorful at that price point. Definitely more refined and complex than What-cha’s Mei Shan JX.

No bitterness or astringency. Medium-low sweetness. Mouthfeel is buttery and pretty thick. Longevity is 8-9 infusions.

Harvest: Winter 2022?
Location: Songboling (elevation 400 m).

Dry Leaf: Cream, butter.
Wet Leaf: Same.
Flavor: Butter, cream, honey, sweet, fruit, vegetal.

Another great tea from Eco-Cha. At this price point, it’s wonderful.

No bitterness or astringency. Flavor is very floral, but not overwhelmingly so. Aftertaste and mouthfeel are fairly thick and very fragrant, floral, and perfumey. Minimal sweetness.

Harvest: Spring 2022
Location: Songboling (400 m elevation)
Cultivar: Si Ji Chun (Four Seasons)

Dry Leaf: Floral.
Wet Leaf: Spinach.
Flavors: Floral, rose, green apple, cream.

This is a high quality tea and was either not cheap, or was a great value if so. Impossible to know as it is sold out on their website. Glad I got a free sample anyways :).

This is a blend of leaves from six large trees from the mountain Ba Da Ye just north of Little Jinggu. The man who sourced and processed the tea is Luo Kai Yin.

Unlike their 2022 Gulan from yesterday, this one had arms wide open from the start. William’s description on the website is spot on. Only a twinkle of bitterness with no astringency. Mouthfeel is medium-thick. Mild sweetness. Hou yun is long and vaporous like a cloud in your throat. Flavor is mild, but incredibly pleasant, soothing, and most noticeable in the aftertaste. Longevity is 16+ infusions.

Wish they still had cakes left…

Dry Leaf: Vegetal.
Wet Leaf: Dried apricots.
Flavors: Bitter, sweet, cream, white grapes.

First GABA oolong and I’m glad to try this type of tea. Apparently, the tea is fully oxidized like black teas, but made via an intensive oolong like process.

I don’t get all of the apricot, dark fruit, or papaya flavors that others get according to reviews on the Eco-Cha website, although I do get undertones of banana. To me, the predominant flavor is gingerbread and graham crackers.

Very sweet (though not as much as yesterday’s moonlight white), with ever so mild bitterness and no astringency. Mouthfeel is unimpressive, but hui gan is nice. Longevity is 6-8 infusions. Overall, the tea is very nice, but the flavor lacks depth and structure. I also wish that, as with some other teas I’ve tried from Eco-Cha, this one had information about its location and cultivar.

Harvest: Fall 2022
Location: ??? (400 m elevation).

Dry Leaf: Ginger, gingerbread, graham crackers.
Wet Leaf: Ginger snaps.
Flavor: Ginger, gingerbread, graham crackers, banana bread, sweet, cream.

Free sample from last FL order. Don’t love this one, honestly. Given the price, I expected more. Smell of the wet leaves is bursting with fruits, but the liquor stays closed until infusion 5.

Mouthfeel is okay, but not very interesting. Aftertaste is mild and vague. Mild bitterness starting at infusion 5. Medium-low astringency starts at infusion 7. Cha qi is quite heady; very loopy by infusion 8. I understand that many puerh drinkers are going for this and care less about flavor. Thus, I’m giving it a higher rating than I would otherwise. Lasts 12+ infusions.

Origin: Blend from 5 gardens: Ai Ban, Nuo Gu Wan, Weng Bo, He Huan, and Guang Jing. All gardens are on the Da Ping Zhang Plateau, elevation 1500-1600 m.

Dry Leaf: Vegetal.
Wet Leaf: Tropical fruit, mango, apricot, star fruit.
Liquor: Vegetal, pepper, sweet, honey.

As a wino, I love a good Sauternes, Port, Pedro Ximénez, or Beerenauslese. This is the closest thing to a dessert tea I’ve had. Exceptionally sweet from the first infusion! Sad that this beauty is sold out. I only have the rest of my sample to keep me company. Not a complex tea, but one that is sweet enough to love you unconditionally.

Longevity is 8-10 infusions. No astringency or bitterness. Mouthfeel is fairly thick, with good hui gan.

These leaves come from natural tea gardens. According to William, they dry these leaves in a thicker pile than most producers. This causes the leaves to dry in 3 days instead of 1, allowing for some oxidation to occur.

Harvest: March-April, 2022.

Dry Leaf: Toast, wheat.
Wet Leaf: Honey, cotton candy.
Flavors: Sweet, sugar, honey.

Having never tried a Li Shan oolong before, I have nothing to compare this to. However, I am aware of its prestige among the Taiwanese oolong mountains. Given its reputation and price, I must confess that I am disappointed in this tea. It’s a great tea, but does not live up to my expectations. The taste is not as complex as I would expect at this price point.

No bitterness or astringency. Fairly thick mouthfeel. Pleasant, easy drinker. Aftertaste of cream spinach and hou yun is like a piece of melted cheese resting on the back of the tongue. Longevity is 8-10 infusions.

For the price, their Alishan is better IMO. That said, the flavor profiles are similar and this tea is much richer and has a better mouthfeel and aftertaste.

Harvest: Winter 2022.
Location: Li Shan, Heping District, Taichung City
Cultivar: Qing Xin

Dry Leaf: Floral
Wet leaf: Same
Flavors: Floral, butter, cream, cheese, spinach, sweet, lemon.