I decided to try this tea because it’s the base of the Sleeping Bear blend, which I greatly enjoyed. The leaves are dark green twists, and the dry aroma is very heady and fragrant, like a good quality green tea should have. After brewing, the tea liquor is very light and clear in color, and the leaves unfurl in interesting ways—it was kind of fascinating to watch them move around in the cup. The first cup is vegetal, slightly sweet, with a faint (and pleasant) astringency. It fits nicely in the spectrum of other Chinese green teas I have tried. The second steep becomes more buttery and smooth, with a plum-like sweetness, and reminds me of what (in addition to the pine needles) had made Sleeping Bear special in the first place. Overall, a solidly good green tea!
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Bio
Science writer and a cat that learned to type.
I grew up in a tea-loving family, and tea has always been a part of daily life. I’m still astounded by the amount of tea and teaware back home every time I visit! While I’m most familiar with straight Chinese teas, I’m growing to explore and appreciate other types of tea, including blended and flavored ones. A good blend can reflect the thought and creativity that was put into making it, instead of being too sweet or busy in a way that gives the “genre” a bad rap.
Likes:
-most black teas (even lapsang)
-most oolongs, especially Fujian teas, baozhong and dancong
-houjicha
-straight white teas
-citrus
-almond/amaretto
-coconut
-vanilla
Variable (some are great, some not so):
-most green teas
-tie guan yin
-flavored white teas
-assam
-rooibos
-melon
-mint
-grape
Ratings:
90-100: definite repurchase if possible, recommended
80-90: enjoyed, possible repurchase
70-80: fair to good
60-70: fair with some shortcomings
50-60: there’s still a chance I’d take this if it were free
under 50: absolutely not
Location
Southern California
