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A gift from my wife, the dry tea is a bit on the darker side and has a milder pleasant Jasmine aroma, (which is my preference), not too strong or perfumey. To be honest, I didn’t expect much from this tea based on how it looked, but was pleasantly surprised by how drinkable it was. I used my 8 oz. Bird Pick dbl-wall glass tumbler to brew in, filling it with about 7 or 8 pearls and decanting into my 5 oz Finum dbl-wall glass.

The first 30 sec steep really brought out a lot of the jasmine and almost had a slight orangish/pink to it. Taste-wise it was unremarkable, but second, third and fourth steep is where this tea shined for me. After that first steep the color went rich and yellow and the taste was a nice balance between the tea and flower. Each steep thereafter I added more time, basically with a 5th or 6th steep where I just let the tea sit until I was good and ready. Even still it was quite drinkable.

Overall I was satisfied. Next time I’ll do a short wash, maybe that might resolve the things I didn’t care for with the first steep.

A sample from Teavivre. The day after Thanksgiving here in the USA, much thank to them!

A tea I have no experience with, I’m looking forward to giving it a try. I was in the mood for something different, rather than my usual Longjing fix, when I remembered the handful of samples I’d received from Teavivre.

Brewed in my Finum I find this is just the perfect single serving Gaiwan-like experience with out all the hassle of dealing with hot lids, multiple cups and fairness pitchers. Plus I get the added benefits of double wall clear glass. I dump the whole sample pack into my 5 oz. cup

With my 1st steep at 30 seconds I get smoke. Not overt, but there. Vegetal, with light mildly astringent brightness and a creeping sweetness that played around the periphery. “Yellow-green” in color, as Teavivre describes it, would be accurate. I’m liking it. I’m not bowled over, but I’m liking it.

2nd steep I take a little less time at 20 seconds. I tend to find that brewing this way. The first steep takes a moment to wet the leaves, but by the 2nd, the wet leave are primed and ready to go. Third and onward I’m coaxing out flavor, extending the time bit by bit. Color is still true. Smokiness clear, but still not overwhelming. The notes from the first steep, if anything more defined.

3rd Steep and it’s all smoothing out for me. Everything’s still present, just leveled out, coasting across my palate. Color’s maintains its vibrancy, sweet tones are somewhat more pronounced. Mouthfeel is expansive.

4th steeping is the most agreeable for me. Water temp in my kettle has dropped considerably, and I can’t be bothered to get up and get any hotter. Smokiness has been reduced considerably and it’s become more about the things I like about this tea. That being the subtle sweetness and the afterglow that it leaves.

5th steep now with fairly hot water, probably verging on 190˚F. Oops, that had to be over a minute there as I searched for the degree symbol on my keyboard. Oh well. It’s pretty hot, so I’ll let it sit for a bit. Smoke is back as I slurp to cool. Colors still pretty vibrant. Overall I’m pleased with the experience, but not dying to repeat it. That’s funny… candy cane. Just the smell, not the the taste. Hmmm.

I’ll probably be able to get a 6th and maybe 7th steep out of this. But I’m losing interest. If it’s anything particularly notable, I’ll add more details later. In the meantime, I’ll let this rest.

Caffeine? Nothing terribly noticeable. I’d say fairly low. I’m pretty sure I could drink this and go right to bed.

Sometimes I forget I have this tea… and when I drink it I’m reminded of what I’m missing. This tea… I lose the words. I’ve made it a few times, but it’d been a while and I’d forgotten David’s story of his first meeting. How when he was introduced it was served in a short glass first filled with water. The tea followed, allowing it to “dance,” sinking from the surface. This time, in my haste I prepared it western style in my Finum. I thought as I poured the water directly over the leaves, how disrespectful this approach was. Part of me must’ve remembered that this tea was better served gradually introduced to the water. But still, she was tolerant, though the 30 sec steeping time almost sent her over the edge.

Amber is the color that came to mind at first steep, though milky with tiny hairs, translucent particles suspended in the liquid. Dry, as others have mention, but pointed and sweet. The astringent notes I’ll blame on my brewing technique, as I don’t recall them from previous encounters. Lovely and vegetal, different, though friendly towards Laoshan teas.

A 2nd 20-30 sec steep and I watch as the now wet leaves release into the clear water like heat waves dancing over blistering landscape, a momentary golden swirl become uniform. This time I’ve taken more care, introducing the tea basket into the slightly cooler water. I’m rewarded. I shut up and drink. There are no words for the simple pleasure of enjoying this tea. I’m sure there are… but I just want to get out of my own way and experience it, the hint of smokiness.

That dryness just begs that I not stop drinking and plow through to a 3rd steep. Still true to color, the liquor is now clearer. Lovely still the tea remains fresh and alive. The mouthfeel is clean and light and I’m ready to start slowing down and savor this tea, reveling in the wonderful taste that remains after each swallow.

The wet leaves in the basket, waiting for the next steep? Aroma of cat pee. Not something I’d want to share with my guests. I’ll keep those off to the side if I intend to serve this to friends, thank you. But it’s not about the wet leaves it’s the resulting elixir that I care about.

Steep 4 continues to reward. I notice as I attempt to find the words the tingling all across my palate, the kind of evergreen aura that permeates. Each sip is like watching a lovely sunset recede, becoming increasingly interesting as it slips away. I reboil my water (I know… sacrilege), as it’s probably gotten down to below 150°F. I introduce it to my cup in a long thin poor, and let it sit for a minute to bring it down to temp. I sink the basket in slowly and boom! I can see the tea come back to life. All kinds of citrus aroma. I’m going to have to give this a bit more time to cool. The color is still there, but pale now. This is the tail end I think— Had I taken more care on the 1st steep, I could be lining up for a 5th steep. I think I’ve pulled what I can out of this tea. That astringency though, no mistake. It’s certainly part of the character here.

What a pleasant experience. As I leaned into this tea from the start, impatient and impulsive, it responded by pulling me in and taking me off balance. Tripping over myself in an attempt to grasp what it was offering, I reached out to it again. It uprighted me and led me along, measured and nurturing, yet strict and inciting respect.

A 5th Steep and I’ve come full circle, pouring my water directly over the leaves again. This time I do so gently, coaxing out any more wisdom there is to be offered. I let it sit and extract what it can, longer now, a little over a full minute, maybe even two. Sweet notes, the dry mouthfeel remain as I wait and watch to see if the liquid will yield more color. I lift and dunk the basket a few times and am surprised by how much color remains. And still this tea gives… This late in the game it’s gone ever so slightly bitter. I could have avoided this. Still it reminds me, this tea is not for playing.

A 6th steep, still giving… sweet, lingering, looking back to me as she leaves. And I thought I was just going to have a cup of tea.

I purchased this from Wing Hop Fung, the parent company of Bird Pick. I’m pretty sure from reading the SKU numbers on both sites & their descriptions that this is the same tea.

This is a lovely Jasmine, and as the previous reviewer stated quite a few years back, neither "…too sweet or too heavy or too perfumy.” So there’s something to be said for their consistency! It’s a lovely balance and just what I look for in a Jasmine.

I’m not a huge fan of oolongs. I usually get suckered into buying them at my local tea shops but rarely, if ever, end up drinking them. I’m taken initially with their dry aroma & then, if sampling in-store, I’ll enjoy the overall flavor. When I get them home, I just don’t find myself ever craving them. This one though? Wow.

I went to Wing Hop Fung to pick up another of my new favorite 5oz Finum brand double wall glasses with filter & hat. They’re just about perfect in my opinion; great for decanting to or brewing directly in. Anyway, I told myself I wasn’t going to buy any tea, but the ladies of Wing Hop Fung got me again.

They had an oolong on the counter for sale, but I wasn’t really impressed. As I turned away to leave the sales lady says, "You try this?” I look back reluctantly and she points to a container on the back wall. “This gooood.” It’s an oolong, that much I can tell, but otherwise the label doesn’t give me much more insight. I grunt… she’s got me.

“Sure, I’ll give it a try…”

A lovely sample cup and $78/lb later, this tea isn’t cheap. I didn’t want to get stuck with a large quantity that would sit on my shelf, but I wasn’t leaving without at least a little bit. In this case, just over 2oz for about $11. Yikes…

I was sold on the first taste. What was most obvious was the difference between the oolong they were giving samples of at the counter and this one. Like 2-D versus String Theory. The mouth feel was long, clean and lingering with a light tingle. Overall buttery in feel, taste and smell, without being overwhelming or overt like some oolongs. This tea is an exercise in subtlety that reminds you to slow down and pay attention. It forced me into the moment, demanding I be present.

The liqueur is a lovely light golden hue after a short 20-30 sec steep. Sweet tones dance about the palate from sip to savor. A juiciness prompts the salivary glands to flush and a brightness is left in the mouth. This is my idea of an oolong! It could very well convert me from my primary green tea ways.

And what’s brilliant is this goes on for steep after steep after steep, retaining color and flavor. I’m not really one for these 10-20+ steepings I read about on VerdanTea, usually maybe getting 3 or 4 if I’m lucky. But this tea is going strong well into the 5th steeping, and all for a fraction of the tea I’m use to putting into a cup. My 5oz cup was easily served with less then a teaspoon of this fine tea. Rolled tight, it expands to full leaves on the stem. I’m not use to seeing so much stem, in this case it’s pretty much uniformly 3 leaves to the stem. Kinda odd, but still kinda delicious.

As for caffeine, I’d put this on par with some of my favorite greens, alert but not edgy. OK, maybe a little bit more pep than the balance I look for with greens, but you’ll get no complaints from me. I’d say this would be a great after dinner tea, a digestive to stimulate conversation and lull its drinkers into savoring the present moment.

I’ve read some describe tea of this name as a “milk” oolong. I could see how this might be referred to as such, but I’m not sure it is. Overall this is just a brilliant tea and I look forward to enjoying it over time. Anyone else have any insight into this tea? Love to hear more about it.

This is by far one of my favorite Dragon Well teas out there. I’m not a huge fan of Teavivre’s shipping performance. Free samples came within about 10 days, but my resulting large order of this tea took over a month. Though Teavivre was communicative, I didn’t find their explanations reasonable. But with that said, I’d be tempted to run the gauntlet again and order more. It’s that good. I’ll update this review when I have the time, but it just offers a wonderful complexity, yields more infusions and tastes awesome. Though I like VerdantTea’s Mrs. Li’s Shi Feng Dragonwell Green Tea, and want to support that company, I’d say this is superior.

Let it begin.

Today marks the day I received my first samplings from Teavivre. And quite healthy samples they are. Much thanks to Angel & Teavivre! From the postmark it appears they took 10 days to arrive in Southern California from China.

Preparation Method: Glass tea infuser following Teavivre recommended amounts, times and temp. 5 steepings, no rinse. Increased brewing time for 3rd-5th steeping.

Impressions: The dry leaves were quite attractive and bunched up in the package, appearing almost sticky, though they were not. The aroma was quite pleasant, lively, green and gardeny. Am I smelling cocoa as well?

Brewing resulted in a pale yellow liquor with a hint of green, kind of the color I’d imagine steeping green apple skins would make if they didn’t oxidize and turn brown. As the leaves opened I noticed quite a bit of broken leaf, but that’s no surprise with small samples like this.

Immediately I got the smoke that others have reported, like lightly smoked steamed vegetables, both in smell and taste. Smoke carried through to the 2nd steeping but was absent from the 3rd on.

The mouthfeel was light and bright with a mild astringency. This held through the 4th steeping, becoming more prevalent in the the final two steepings. The 5th steeping was essentially a bust, more of a palate cleansing than anything.

Overall it had a pleasant sweet afterglow but was fading on the 3rd and 4th steep. I was more attracted to those latter steepings, though they were a bit two dimensional.

I picked this tea primarily because I’ve read Pi Lo Chun has a healthy theanine content. From a caffeine/theanine standpoint I was neither up nor down with this tea, nor did I feel particularly calm or alert. It was much more about the taste experience for me than the effect the tea had on my nervous system.

I would be pleased to be served this tea while out at a restaurant, impressed that they’d offered a more interesting tea, but for home brewing it’s not enticing enough for me to pursue more quantity.

OUT OF BUSINESS:

A new online retailer, HayesTea.com keeps things simple. Their web site lists only 2 teas, a Keemun Black Tea & a Dragonwell Green Tea. I stumbled upon their site through a link on tealdeals.com. They were offering a 20% off promo (TEADEALS @ checkout) and I thought, in my ongoing quest for the best affordable Dragonwell Longjing Green Tea, I’d give them a try. With a statement like , “Exquisite grade traditional Chinese green tea at an affordable price!” how could I pass it up? A more detailed Tea Shop review of my positive dealings with hayesteas.com is forthcoming. As for now, I’ll focus on the tea.

First off let me tell you, according to Hayes, “The tea is a grade 2 Dragonwell and is broken leaf.” So, that’ll tell you a thing or two as to how they define “exquisite.” At such an affordable price, plus a free shipping bonus Hayes threw in, I took a chance and purchased 4 oz.

The tea came in an unpadded standard manilla envelope and then vacuum sealed in 2 separate 2 oz. plastic pouches. As one side of the packaging is clear, what I first noticed was all the broken leaf. One bag was about 1/3 particles and the other about 1/4. I imagine shipping as they do, without any real protection, you’re asking for this.

The dry leaf has a much greener color than other Longjing teas I’ve sampled. I hear it has something to do with the plant being picked later and allowed to develop more chlorophyll. In short, it can be a sign of inferior quality.

Here’s where the detail breaks down for me. I brewed in my glass tumbler at 175°F, watching to see how the leaves would react. If they drop significantly before 3 mins, I decant. Otherwise I tend to wait the full 3 mins. In this I recall waiting the full 3 mins and leaving a root. Immediately I noticed a funky, smokey smell. This was matched with what I can only describe as a fuel type smoke flavor. It overwhelmed most any other taste and smell details. I got a bit of viscous body and some sweet tones, that might have been nice otherwise. Any kind of nutty qualities were lost.

For what it’s worth, I’ve thrown tea like this away before. I don’t pretend to know a whole lot about the process, but from what I’ve read I think it may have been pan fired poorly. I once got some really cheap Wing Hop Fung brand Longjing that was similar. It came in a nice canister, so it wasn’t a total loss, but I threw the tea away. I’m tempted to do the same with this one.

I appreciate hayestea.com customer service, but I’m just not a fan of their Dragonwell. I don’t know… I’m hesitating even posting a number rating on this one. Honestly that little red face on the far left is looking like the way forward. But as a new company, I think I’ll wait a bit and see how others react.

For the time being, I’ve got quite a few ounces left if anyone is interested. Pay shipping, or offer a trade. Don’t wait too long though, it might find its way to the circular file.

The “Lion’s Peak Xi Hu Dragon Well” is pretty good and the main inspiration for my contacting Summit Tea. It was a big part of the sampler pack they put together and can be found both on their site and on Amazon (where it is listed as “Superior”).

This tea is not what I would consider “Superior” (at least as described in Wikipedia for Longjing tea) but a decent everyday tea. It offers in taste most of what I’ve come to expect from a reasonable Longjing (somewhat toasty, hint of chestnut), though not quite as pronounced and complex or with the umami mouth feel that I’ve sometimes experienced. No remarkable sweet tones. The liquid color was yellowish with a hint of green. I had to increase the amount of tea to really get the nose and flavors that I prefer.

I brewed it using the tall glass (12oz) method, hotter than recommended at over 180F for 3 minutes, left a root and was able to get 3 infusions out of it before I no longer enjoyed the taste and it became too vegetal. I used aprox 3 rounded teaspoons.

Appearance of the leaves is such an important part of the tall glass method, and part of the joy I find is watching well formed leaves “dance” and drop in the morning sunlight. The leaves for this batch were broken more than I expected and had a few stems intermixed throughout. The dry appearance is reminiscent of what’s shown on the Summit website, but nowhere even remotely near the high quality displayed on their Amazon listing.

From a caffeine standpoint, I found this tea to be a nice balance of alert and lifted, without jacking me up. Unlike some Longjings I’ve tried, this one didn’t act as strongly as a diuretic. Aftertaste was fairly forgetful, though left my palate clean.

At Summit prices, I’ll pass on this and go with some of the values I find at my local retailers.