I subscribed to the YS tea club about two weeks ago, and the first package arrived in record time about a week later – astonishing, considering the time of year; I didn’t think it would even be sent out before New Year, so kudos to YS for that (and to my long-suffering postman weighed down with all my tea parcels).

This is the first YS tea I’ve ever tasted, and I had high expectations of it because I’ve read good things about YS from people who are seriously into tea.

I was a bit mystified as to how to brew this – a white tea from camellia taliensis (that teapedia tells me is usually used for puerh by local people) processed like a black tea and made into a cake. In the end, after a bit of dithering, I used about 4 or 5g and steeped it in a small gaiwan with about 70-80ml of just off-the-boil water for short 20-30-second infusions.

Mostly, I try to dial down my unfairly high expectations when I try a new tea. I still have a lot to learn, but I’ve drunk enough tea by now to know that as gorgeous as it can be, it doesn’t actually have magical properties. But after the first couple of sips of this, my expectations dialled right back up again.

It’s sweet and soft and a little malty, with a darker taste of ripe black grape flesh and raisins, and I got a hint of a pepper-like spicy bite on my tongue. It’s a little bit unusual, and very moreish – I re-steeped the leaves about 6 or 7 times before I made myself break off and go finish off the Christmas shopping.

Flavors: Grapes, Malt, Raisins

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 30 sec 5 g 3 OZ / 80 ML
mrmopar

Haha, I need to tip my postman as well. Carrying all my packages too.
I think you will like YS. They have a good selection of teas.

janchi

mrmopar – you were one of the steepsters who drew my notice to YS, so many thanks! If all their teas are even half as nice as this one I can see I’ll like them a lot.

mrmopar

janchi, they have a lot of good ones. Honest seller too.

Rasseru

yeah im on the same tea club train – I really look forward to the monthly YS package. I thought this tea was lovely, and the sheng that came this month with it was lovely too

janchi

I joined another three (possibly four, I’m not sure) over Christmas – I look forward to all the packages too, but I no longer have any space to put food in my kitchen.

Rasseru

I would really love an all-oolong tea club. I dont know if there is one

janchi

I joined the Eco-Cha tea club – they specialise in Oolong so I think the club teas will be all or mostly Oolongs. I only joined over Christmas so I’ve not received my first parcel yet, but I’ve seen good reviews on their teas – they’re at eco-cha.com if you want to look.

Kirkoneill1988

nice review :D

mrmopar

I would check Taiwan Sourcing, YS’s other site. I hear they have some good stuff. I just don’t drink many Oolongs.

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mrmopar

Haha, I need to tip my postman as well. Carrying all my packages too.
I think you will like YS. They have a good selection of teas.

janchi

mrmopar – you were one of the steepsters who drew my notice to YS, so many thanks! If all their teas are even half as nice as this one I can see I’ll like them a lot.

mrmopar

janchi, they have a lot of good ones. Honest seller too.

Rasseru

yeah im on the same tea club train – I really look forward to the monthly YS package. I thought this tea was lovely, and the sheng that came this month with it was lovely too

janchi

I joined another three (possibly four, I’m not sure) over Christmas – I look forward to all the packages too, but I no longer have any space to put food in my kitchen.

Rasseru

I would really love an all-oolong tea club. I dont know if there is one

janchi

I joined the Eco-Cha tea club – they specialise in Oolong so I think the club teas will be all or mostly Oolongs. I only joined over Christmas so I’ve not received my first parcel yet, but I’ve seen good reviews on their teas – they’re at eco-cha.com if you want to look.

Kirkoneill1988

nice review :D

mrmopar

I would check Taiwan Sourcing, YS’s other site. I hear they have some good stuff. I just don’t drink many Oolongs.

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The argument had raged for months and years; he would say something hurtful and cruel, and then I would shoot back a likewise response. The good cups and a beautiful clay teapot were in shards all over the kitchen floor; tomato ketchup dripped from the balustrades, and the cat, named in honour of the great Richard ‘Kinky’ Friedman, was making a mew of distaste. And so, after wrestling with the mathematics of it for many, many sleepless nights, I realised that no-one would, in fact, be able to qualify or quantify the difference between an 87-rated tea and an 86, so I stopped rating tea.

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