Xingren Xiang: The first brew has some light nuttiness, which develops into a stronger almond fragrance with subsequent infusions, along with a more prominent sweetness. The fragrance throughout is quite unique difficult to pin down, but also part of what makes this tea compelling. By the 4th a thick mouthfeel is more noticeable, accompanied by a sharper sweetness and flavour in the 5th brew. This tea continues to remain through through the 6th brew and on, always with a captivating and unconventional fragrance. By the end of our sessions with this tea, we are reluctant to even drink water too soon, as the tea continues to dance on your palate well after you’ve finished.
Songzhong: Similar to the Xingren, this tea develops over the session, offering a different experience with each brew. As any higher end tea should, they also have a thick texture and great mouthfeel in common. What really stands out with this tea is just how sweet it is. From the very first through to the final brew, this is an extremely sweet tea with no real noticeable bitterness. Even the cup scent is overwhelmingly sweet.
This is accompanied by a fruity flavour and aftertaste in the mouth early on, with a slight floral fragrance up front. Our experience was that this develops a brown sugar quality, and on to a chestnut sweetness around the 4th brew.