Ryan MacMichael select Send Message

After having been focusing on Japanese greens and various oolongs for a while, I decided to go back to an old favorite. I was going to have some Silver Needle, but was nearly out, so I opted for the new style white bai mu dan. Flavorful and smooth as expected and just what I was looking for on a Sunday night.

So, so much better than the lemon sencha I’ve complained about here before. Nice and smooth, with just a hint of citrus.

This is one of the most curious teas I’ve tried in a while. The first infusion was had only a slight earthiness, unlike most other pu-erhs I’ve tried. What really threw me for a loop were the undertones of popcorn. And specifically, movie popcorn.

I’m serious. Stop laughing.

The second and third infusions tasted more like a standard Chinese green tea (with very almost none of the expected pu-erh earthiness) and had no remaining hints of popcorn.

Very strange. But, I like.

I had been thinking about this tea since passing it over during a trip to Ito En’s New York store back in April. When I was there again last week, I made it a point to pick some up. After all, how could you go wrong with a blend of Chinese Silver Needle white tea and Japanese Uji Gyokuro green?

Sadly, the first infusion definitely did not live up to my expectations. The gentleness of the white was overwhelmed by the green, leading me to think the ratio of the blend isn’t optimal. The second and third infusions, though, were better and seemed more even.

The jury’s still out, overall, though.

A nice, fresh Japanese green that’s described as midway between a sencha and a gyokuro. To me, it definitely felt more sencha than gyokyro; that is to say it didn’t have the strong grassy notes and may be more palatable to those who are new to Japanese greens.

The second new jade oolong I’ve tried in the last few months. Very, very good first infusion. Looking forward to the next few, as they tend to get better and better.

Brewed this one as suggested. Bold flavor (the brand’s description as “steely” is quite appropriate) that held up over three steepings. Very nice.

Another nice sencha, with a light vegetal flavor. A good nighttime tea.

Such a rich, dark color and always like a punch in the mouth.