This is an excellent Wu Yi, particularly for the price. It is bursting with flavor – chocolate, nutty, fruity, creamy – it’s all there. The roast is present, but it is mild and pleasant, and marries very well with the other flavors. There is also a very subtle dryness that helps balance the chocolate and creaminess. It is sort of like the expected minerality of Wu Yi, but just a mild sensation of it, and less of the actual flavor.
I should also note that I was brewing this in seasoned clay (jian shui), which I have found to improve the flavor of my Wu Yi oolongs across the board. I forgot to do a comparison with porcelain.
This is no longer available on YS, which is a real shame. It would easily have become a tea that I would have bought in bulk. I hope it comes back at some point so I stash a bunch away.
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Dry leaf – chocolate, roasted peanut, roasted barley (thanks, TPerez! – excellent observation!) notes of tart raspberry. In preheated vessel – fruit and mineral notes much stronger.
Smell – roasted peanut, charcoal roast, mineral, notes of slightly burnt chocolate
Taste – arrival of chocolate, roast peanut, roasted barley. Creaminess develops in-mouth, balanced by mineral-like dryness. Creamy chocolate and tart raspberry finish. Tart berry and citrus notes increase in aftertaste. Hints of yeast roll and cinnamon butter present in finish and aftertaste
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I really like YS’s mid to heavily roasted shui xian yancha. Have you tried the wild da hong pao?
Haven’t tried the wild Da Hong Pao yet. I’ve enjoyed the few DHP that I’ve gotten from YS though – still working through the ranks and exploring what they have. Golden Guan Yin DHP is another good one.
I’ve had the Golden Guan Yin DHP as well. It’s actually one of the better low-priced yanchas from YS, IMO. Very soft, sweet, and mellow with good mouthfeel.
I really like YS’s mid to heavily roasted shui xian yancha. Have you tried the wild da hong pao?
Haven’t tried the wild Da Hong Pao yet. I’ve enjoyed the few DHP that I’ve gotten from YS though – still working through the ranks and exploring what they have. Golden Guan Yin DHP is another good one.
I’ve had the Golden Guan Yin DHP as well. It’s actually one of the better low-priced yanchas from YS, IMO. Very soft, sweet, and mellow with good mouthfeel.