72 Tasting Notes
Full disclosure: I love TGYs. A lot. So the ability to have this Early Spring release was like opening a Christmas present to me.
Upon opening and inspecting my order, The floral notes, ever present in TGY, hit home straight away and I instinctively reach for my porcelain gaiwan and get to work on trying this out.
On first sip, you instantly get hit with the buttery light notes of the TGY and the floral aroma inhaled, mixes with the liquid and brings you that much closer to relaxation.
I honestly really, really, really, liked this tea.
Creamy, rich, dark chocolate caramel! It has a nice earthy feel without the roasted flavour. It’s pretty darn good..
On a side note, I love the way David brings the farmers into the picture. Whilst sipping this tea, I was thinking of the He family, the work that went into producing this marvellous tea, and the general life of a tea farmer. I’m very grateful.
Of course, the bloomed ball is spectacular to look at. Light jasmine and some artificial peach flavour round out the taste of the tea. I don’t get any bitterness, and it’s a cool tea to have here and there, but a bit gimmicky as well. I wouldn’t say no to a pot, but I don’t think I’d buy more for myself.
The taste comes off alright, though I think I’d rather have the pu-erh or the Yunnan Black separated. The tea blend seems like a perfect fit for a first cup of the day; if not for one small issue I have- one steep only! Sure there are plenty teas that are good for only one infusion, but a single steep pu-erh? A single steep Yunnan black? I don’t think so… how is it that combining two fantastic teas, somehow lessens it’s versatility?
But for what it is, it’s pretty nice.
Delicious! This Mao Feng is uncomplicated and straightforward. Light, creamy, savoury taste with an aroma of…let’s just call it “dinner”. You know that feeling you get in your stomach when dinner is ready and the plate is in front of you and you are just about to dig in? That’s what this smells like. It smells like that good feeling…
Overpriced but good. Whisks up a nice bright green tea. Matcha is actually the reason I found Teavana. I’ve had matcha quite a few times from local vendors in LA and upon moving to SD I was eager to find a tea shop that sells it, one quick search on the internet directed me to a “little” store I had never heard of before- Teavana. Bought a tin of this and enjoyed it immensely. I’ve bought several of them over the years and the consistency has been spot on. I’m sure there are better quality matchas, in fact, I know there are, but the convenience of driving 10 mins to Teavana, trumps a scavanger hunt… at least for now.
Love this one!
I’ve yet to find the all-star TGY. Among the rolled oolongs I’ve had TGY is always a nice steady companion, never something mind-blowing or really unique. Tastes and smells about what I’ve come to expect good rolled oolongs to be like. I really like TGY and find that it fills out a stable middle-ground in the spectrum of oolong flavors. Nothing wrong with balance. Though on the other hand I have probably only had 3 or 4 kinds of it, so there may be those out there that are really different than what I’ve come to expect.
@Lion Have you tried the Master Grade TGY from Yezi tea? It’s the only one I’ve had that I would say is better than this one, at least in my limited experience. Even then, it only just edges this one out.
My favorite one might have to be the Top Grade TGY from Tao Tea Leaf, you both should try it!! I highly recommend it!! Also the Autumn Jade TGY from WP is pretty amazing too!
Christopher, I have tried both the High Grade and Master Grade TGY from Yezi. I sampled them both on the same day and what turned out peculiar is that I liked the High Grade better. It is my go-to TGY currently and the one I keep in stock here at home. The Master Grade seemed smoother, more buttery, more “round”, but was more mellow and ultimately less intriguing to me. The High Grade has this really wonderful unmistakable note of camphor (or something like holiday spices) in the scent and it is so relaxing to me. It’s the most interesting TGY I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying, but I also find it a bit on the mellow side. I’m not looking for a TGY to be overly flavorful or potent, but it just seems a little soft-edged in comparison to some of my favorite rolled oolongs.
As far as those go, my current favorite is Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Oolong from Eco-Cha. It’s a trip through the mountains. I wish I had some of it, but sadly I ran out quite some time ago and haven’t been able to afford more just yet.