Most green teas are known for their vegetal aroma. Tazo®’s China Green Tips meets this expectation. The first waves of fragrance from the bag remind me of freshly cut grass and running barefoot through the backyard. Raw, clean, and pastoral, but not particularly distinctive. Brewing this tea doesn’t enhance the aroma further, yet the playful, warm gold color persuades you to dive in nonetheless.
Taste-wise, China Green Tips proves that what you smell is often what you taste. It glows with a medium body and a pleasant grassiness that’s typical of green tea without being too strong. The smooth, zen-like finish may be what I like most about this tea, though. It’s almost purifying, as if each sip draws out the toxins from your body. If one wanted to taste the lush, mist-shrouded Wuyi Mountains or the calm intoning of a bamboo flute, this cup may be your gateway.
That said, China Green Tips is relatively plain. It lacks the complexities or undertones that other unadulterated green teas have. (By “unadulterated,” I mean without any additional ingredients.) My guess is the Mao Feng leaf used here isn’t one of the most savory types to come out of China. Some tea drinkers may not mind this, but I have a hunch that the more seasoned tea enthusiasts would opt for something more sophisticated.
Flavors: Grass, Smooth, Vegetal
