I’ve had several sessions with this tea using a gaiwan. Dried leaves are in tact, varied shades of green, and have a subtle sweet apricot fragrance similar to the 2015 YS Qing Mei Shan. When brewed, the leaves release aromas of flowers, edamame, and grilled asparagus.
This is an atypical sheng. It doesn’t have any upfront strong sweetness or cha qi. Instead, I was greeted with tangy, vegetal, and savory flavors. I picked up notes of mustard greens, raw brussel sprouts, edamame, and wild flowers. It’s definitely the greenest sheng I’ve had in recent memory. It’s quite pure and clean tasting with no smoky or earthy notes. Sweeter flowery notes and a comfortable buzz sinks in after the 5th or so steep. This tea is very infuseable. I ended up purchasing a second cake to see how it ages.
Based on sessions with the good ol’ yixing, I noticed an increase in body and sweetness. Whether using a gaiwan or yixing, this tea is refreshing, has a nice mouth feel, and a persistent tangy flowery aftertaste.
Great review! Thank you.