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Today is my first time trying out a fairly recent addition to Yunnan Sourcing’s vast catalog of Jinggu teas – He Tao Di. In particular, this sample is the 2018 vintage. As it turns out, this is probably my favourite Jinggu tea at the moment. It is very well balanced and pungent. Also, it bears some resemblance to both Menghai teas (strong honey notes and a good huigan) and Yi Wu teas (being aromatic and strong without turning too bitter or astringent). It lasts for quite a long time too, I got 16 infusions (200ml/g) today; and remains interesting all the way until the end.

Dry leaves smell like squash blossom with various notes of fruits and flowers, but it’s not a pungent aroma overall. Instead, wet leaves have a stronger scent that reminds me of fireplace, wood, fur, courgette, and cinnamon. In the late stages, these get overpowered by a strong mushroom note.

Already the rinse is strong tasting and flavourful. The profile is brothy with umami, butter, and wheat flavours. First infusion is then more sweet, an aspect that seems to just keep intensifying throughout the session. There are notes of milk, honey, truffles, and cashew nuts. Second steep is somewhat grassy and nutty in comparison, while the third has new flavours such as raw olives and juniper berries. Subsequent infusions are consistently pungent with a touch of bitterness and increasing sweetness as well as a light dryness in the finish. Flavours like those of vegetable broth, wet rocks, wood, and eventually also mushrooms emerge over the course of the second half of the session. The aftertaste at times reminds me of warm spiced milk, but it also shows new notes like green peas and bay leaf among many others.

One of the definite highlights of the tea is its texture for sure. The mouthfeel is super thick, coating, foamy, smooth, and kind of sticky. I greatly enjoyed this tea and I am likely going to buy a cake with my next YS order.