Mei Leaf

knittingopera Swap Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 6
Theme: Icicles
My pick: Yunnan White Jasmine from Verdant Tea

Once again, Marjorie and I are of one mind, ha ha. We both chose a silver needle to fit the “Icicles” theme. Adorbs.

Anyway, I steeped them both grandpa style because I thought it would be fun to drink them together. Obviously I won’t get all the subtleties and whatnot but I’m okay with that, ha ha. Casual steeping is more my speed these days. :P

I was actually surprised how different they taste (ignoring the jasmine, of course). This has a much heartier, deeper haylike flavor that reminds me of a mellow aged shou mei. Wet autumn leaves and piled hay with a drizzle of a dark honey, some dried apricot, and a sprinkle of oats. Love the little hint of tangy stonefruit in there. Really a lovely and cozy tea for a chilly day, though not necessarily flavors I associate with bai hao yin zhen!

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDQOqyYOheF/

I started this review three times…

Notes: Young coconut (slightly sweet, papery), thick tea soup, edging toward bitterness (but never reaching it), and a good bit of energy. Not worth the $96 USD, but not terrible.

The dry leaf had me thinking of butter biscuits, which was a lovely start. As the wet leaves unfurled, I caught hints of tobacco and pears, with the gaiwan lid giving off this rich dark chocolate aroma.

The liquor steeped into a beautiful golden yellow, and at 205°F for 25 seconds, the first steep had this intriguing tartness, almost like a fruity wine. But the real magic was in the flavor sweet, like peaches and cream, with a dry mouthfeel that lingered on the back of my tongue. The honey milk aftertaste was just addicting.

Fast forward to the 5th steep (brewed for 1 minute), and the wet leaves had a fleeting ash smell that quickly faded. The taste was lighter, but still carried that delightful sweetness. This tea really knows how to keep things interesting with every brew!

This tea is so delicate; if you overbrew it, it might not be pleasant. But when you get it just right, it’s the perfect relaxing tea with a lovely umami taste. Loving this strong yet balanced flavor.

This was a black Friday buy. Ugh, I really need to make more tea friends in the area or just make a community group so I can bring tea to have others drink too. ^^; My wiffer is a little off because I got sick so I’m going to have to revisit this another time. But I had a noticeable moment last night while drinking the barley tea I bought in Japan where at some point something in my sinuses changed and went from a mute cup to oh there it is! I can’t smell the leaves well yet but I can detect some hints of marzipan, rose, and dry wood. It is a very uniform leaf of the small darkness of brown, the same medium size, and twisted leaf. By the way, hand rolling is hard. T_T Oh for crying out loud. I could taste my cinnamon cereal but the notes in the tea are muted. Steeping past the suggested time imparts some dark wood tones and liquor notes. I will be interested to see what this one really shows when my nasal cavities fully clear.

Sipdown and Backlog

The first session I had was quite uneventful. Mild aroma, mild flavors. It almost fell to the wayside to age the sample longer. I threw the last 7g in a smaller (90ML) gaiwan to attempt a better brew. There were fruity notes, sure, but nothing as complex as Don’s notes. Maybe I’m missing something or my palate sucks. Lol. I made a note: cannabis, lime (on the nose), citrus, and some “fruitiness” which is beyond my knowledge. An okay puerh, but too expensive for how uneventful it was in the cup.

PS. I only got 8 infusions before it petered out.

March 2023 Picking.

The dry leaf is quite beautiful. A small amount of golden buds scattered throughout make for a beautiful mixture of colors amidst the majority of the dark chocolate tightly twisted leaves and the less prevalent slightly reddish brown and slightly open leaf. The aroma is quite nice. Actually, it’s more than nice it’s perplexing because it assaults your nose with so many different kinds of aromas when the bag is opened. Plums, deep woods…

It’s creamy, woody, oaty, plumy, longon, a bit of Palo Santo wood, When you taste a good tea it’s like the sparkles that appear on Dance Dance Danseur when a person who really puts their all into their ballet performance.

Wet Leaf: I’d say it’s pretty typical aroma for a Yunnan black but by saying that I am not at all saying it’s bad or even average. It is woody and bready and fruity in all the best ways (with some of them just reminding me of other teas)

It says seven infusions but I am on the 3rd now and honestly, I don’t think going past this will reveal much else. IF steeped long enough it does revel some things but I don’t think seven is the lucky number this time.

This tea really gave me an appreciation for larger leaf White Tea. While the tasting notes aren’t as punchy, they have a persistence that goes on. Notes of oxidized Banana (for baking), Apple Peel, and a rustic vegetal quality.

I mainly brew this western style at around 204 to 210F for 3 to 5 minutes, as the larger leaves need to be pushed a bit. The body sensation was a lovely calm, warm feeling.

I will note for the record that it gave me an odd itchy feeling in my throat, but it didn’t detract from the experience much.

It’s not the best White Tea I’ve ever had, but it’s certainly not the worst. It wasn’t really made to be a top shelf White Tea to begin with, as that’s reserved for their Jade Star series. A great Tea to wind down with in the evening.

I bought a cake of this on a holiday sale, and don’t regret it. It has a few undesirable features, such as the odd little bit of fungus growing here and there, and plump tea seeds taking up some of the weight. It was priced appropriately considering these factors, however.

I’ve had this Gong Fu and Western style, and I enjoy it both ways. It’s unlike any other ripe I’ve had, in that it’s not a black murky tea. It’s lighter in color, but not in texture or taste. Tasting notes of Almond with a bit of Nutella. A rather uncomplicated Shou that didn’t have be best starter material, but for the unique tasting notes alone, I have to give this one an 8/10.

Sigh… I readied my water and then forgot bc… drama. I need this cuppa more so now. Almost spilled all the tea everywhere. I can’t seem to open these Mei Leaf samplers without dropping a few leaves. I should just cut them. But then I spilled my gaiwan of dry leaves out like a fan.

The dry leaf is quite nice in aroma and appearance. Balled with a dark green hue and aromas of fresh florals, petrichor, and different minerals. Peach candy. very mineral. Wet rocks. Wet aroma: Fresh leaves. There is so much going on it’s almost hard to pin it all down. Slight butter. Soft mouth feel. When you over infusion it is similar to chewing on a piece of dandelion leaf. Bitter with harsh summer florals. Astringency that will put a crinkle in your neck.

Another sample from the sample box from Mei Leaf. I think fuzzy tea buds are impossibly cute and this tea is an all-inclusive trichome party. These are all silver… That’s a big duh I suppose. Soft. Full and long. For the aroma, I am faintly detecting pear and a bit of earth. Initial aroma is hay, barnyard, creamed peas, or maybe pea soup. The flavor is fascinating. I was expecting high barnyard in your face notes but this is fruity, with bits of hay, and cream of wheat, plain. The wet aroma is perplexing. I feel like I need to go out and smell more things. It’s kind of spicy, and kind of wheat raisin bread.

Delicious flavors, but you really need to brew it long and hot to draw them out. When you finally get there: cocoa-dusted prunes, black garden soil, salted caramel coffee, walnut brownies, and musty stone cellar.

Silky and creamy, super mouthcoating. The real star is the leaf aroma of raisinettes, leather jacket, Riesen candies (dark chocolate and caramel), and coffee grounds. Very good – all delicious notes – but there are shou puerhs with more generous flavor.

Back from Hawaii. Only got to two tea plantations. But it was still a wonderful time. Gorgeous Leaf. Lots of silver buds. Some lime green and evergreen mixing in with the slight browns and other hues of green. Aroma of dried leaves (anyone reading this who is not a tea drinker will roll their eyes at this but it does indeed remind me of dried leaves in fall), a bit of chocolate and cream. The taste is mainly farm. Wet hay. Dry hay. A mix of both. Nut milk.

Having a collapsible travel kettle has been incredibly helpful. Wish I had discovered these sooner. The dry leaf is a nice mineral and floral. The infusing leaf has notes of wet rocks, The wet leaf leaves an interesting sweet note in your mouth. The leaf has unwound nicely. But still has a bit of way to go. On the third or fourth infusion now the flavor has remained fairly constant. Mineral and floral.

Aloha. Mac nut honey and poi toast for breakfast. Without knowing what I was drinking (this is a sample so there are few things on the package). Very visibly a dragonwell/longjing when I opened the packet. The dry aroma is oh so nice! A bit of vegetal notes here, some cream there, and stone fruits all around. Steamed peas. Adzuki beans A bit of astringey but nothing too mouth-numbing. The kids have awakened so it is time to go.

2024: The one below was a sample. This one is from the bag I ordered. A bit weird to send a sample of something you also ordered. My palate for puer and dark teas has changed a bit. I’m getting a better feel for them but still not sure I enjoy this one. The opening notes of tue dry leaf are not fully pleasant on the nose. A bit vinegary. The flavor is the same as last year

2023: Oh boy. There is that telltale pu erh fishiness. The dry aroma isn’t heavy or off-putting with it but just enough to have my hair stand a bit. Lots of different leaf in this sample. Single leaves, short leaves, really long leaves, silver hairy buds. Bud, first, and second pluck. Fascinating. After the rinse the wet leaves have lost the fishy altogether there was a bit of Big Island orange and star fruit and old beach wood. Flavor is resin to begin and remains that way with the first infusion. Pu erh, like many teas, really needs a deep dive to develop a palate for it. The aftertaste is very nice vanilla and tropical fruits, custard. The astringency is strong with this one if left unchecked.

This is a great tea to start the morning. A bit of briskness and a nice touch of astringency, all come together nicely with this beautiful leaf. Long leaves tightly twisted with fuzzy golden buds. This leaf is just gorgeous. The wet leaf reminds me of dark chocolate and raisin bread. Maybe a mixture of both. The flavor is very similar to the aroma with cocoa and bitter chocolate notes also a bit of malt, and some lacquered wood. The mouthfeel, as I mentioned earlier is a bit astringent but mostly it is smooth. The astringency just helps to add some depth. My first brew was bitter with a slightly overwhelming astringency. I had my dad try it first and when I tried it I felt bad that the first experience was so off, luckily the second was better. He said he still prefers coffee though… I’ll keep trying.

Reason number 3 that it is important to inspect your tea leaves: Bugs. It is good to push around the leaf with your finger to discover all the secrets of the leaf. To find the small, the big, the few fuzzies, and whatever gifts come with. I can’t quite call this a gift, but at least he was nicely toasted.

Dry aroma: Coffee toffee, roasty, toasted pomelo, coffee husk.
Dry leaf appearance: twisted slightly, dark chocolate brown.
Flavor: Roasty, charcoal, toffee a bit burnt, slight plum/pomelo, minerality (more so with the following infusions)
Wet Leaf: Dried plum, Slight cherry-rubbed wood.
Wet, infusing leaf: Uh… latex paint? O_o Yeah. Definitely latex paint. That was the third infusion. I forgot to smell the previous.

So funny not funny story. I found out that I am one of those people who can’t stand to look at lotus seeds. Actually even saying the name kinda gives me an icky feeling. My randomness comes from the fact that it says lotus seed on the package so I was about to look up what the taste descriptors of that is but I really do not want to have that image stuck in my.

Bought this slightly on a whim and slightly for the health benefits that I think will help my mom. It is very similar to matcha, however, if you drink a lot of matcha like me you will be able to tell the differences. It whisks nicely but doesn’t froth. Which is fine. Something about a frothy herbal drink seems weird to me. It is not as vibrant as I thought but the color is still quite beautiful. The mouthfeel is silty but very smooth. The flavor is overall vegetal with an overlaying creaminess.

I’m almost done with this bowl but I realized while the last sip was halfway down that I needed to review this. Sorry, not needed. Really wanted to. The powder stays suspended very well. Umami in the dry powder. Vibrant green. Just gorgeous. Especially the liquor color. Umami in the liquor. A bit of cream. Smooth mouthfeel and slight siltyness. Yeah, I know that’s not a word; it is now.

I am writing this tasting note backwards because I had to copy my nptes from the Mei Leaf website. This one is a bit different from some of their tasting notes because of the different season. This is a 2022 pick. In my sip just now I taste oatmeal along with dry wood. Quite a good tea. But doesn’t knock my socks off.
Varying tones of milk chocolate and brownish-olive green in the brewed leaf.
Finish Woody. Slight astringent texture.
empty cup Buttery. Creamy. Woody.
Flavor of Dark wood tones. Walnut and oak. Laquer.
A slight sweetness at first. Replaced by intense woody notes. A bit of cream. Raisins. Whole wheat bread.
Liquor: Golden amber. The liquor aroma is also very nice. creamy and woody
Dry leaf Long dark brown leaves. Leaf and some stems. Dusty. Tightly twisted.

A few months ago, I purchased a lot of samples and one inexpensive cake from Mei Leaf. I was always curious to try their product since they are typically overhyped. They do use the keywords: Gushu + layers of taster notes. Obviously this was a company I had to try eventually.

Jump to today…three months after making the purchase. I finally opened this sample. I was backlogged on trying teas from various vendors, since I was playing along during Advent season (I’m still catching up from that). I hit a wall with wanting to drink tea regularly – different hours (midnights), back at the office 4x per month (I’ve no right to complain), etc. – so, I went with the natural flow.

Alright, that sets up the review. lol.

Flavors: I’ve had better shou/citrus peel blends. This had a good citrus bite, but it was maybe too much of the citrus flavor. I wanted a better balance of shou. While the tea brewed dark within the first 2- 3 infusions, it immediately changed in flavor, color, and texture after the 3rd infusion. All I really got from 3-5 was citrus notes, and then nothing. I even brewed it heavier than I would’ve, if I had a full cake. I brewed all 15g from the sample in my 150 ML yixing.

But do not fret, this may have been the most subpar of the batch of teas….so far.

Generally I try to stick to buying this cultivar from Wang Family Tea but I think it is also important for our palates to try the same teas from different vendors of different areas. I will have to do a side by side comparison after trying this one on its own. This one has some menthol notes I don’t remember in my other Ruby 18 tastings.
Long, dark chocolate colored dry leaf with a drying aroma. Woody.
Smooth mouth feel.
The wet leaf is unique. A mix of eucalyptus and raisin bread.
Liquor aroma reminds me of camphor and eucalyptus. Also dry desert wood. All of this can also be found in the flavor.

An appropriate name. Some companies use names that are so appealing. While I understand the marketing behind it, it also drives me nuts unless the company gives more info like Mei Leaf does. This is fitting. I can taste a mix of forest berries. Though namely northern forest. Blueberries, gooseberries, musty decaying wood, and the forest floor beneath it. The mouth feel is smooth. Slight cream with hints of old wood in the liquor aroma and apricots, bready, and woody hints in the wet leaves. The aroma packet has taken most of the dry aroma but I will update this (If I remember once the aroma comes around) Think I might be slightly tea drunk.