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“I just restocked this one. Mrs Roughage had commented that she thought she would like yellow teas after seeing a chart that described the differences between all the teas. I used that as an excuse...” Read full tasting note
“I didn’t know that this was a yellow tea before I tried it. I placed it with my white tea samples. I was surprised to see the deeper green tea leaves and thought it could be a green, but I...” Read full tasting note
“Do you know what I like? Naps. I took one today, and it was glorious. But do you know what I hate? Recovering from a nap. For such a thing today, I went for a second pot o’ tea…but I didn’t want...” Read full tasting note
“ooh, wow. It’s got one of those caffeine kicks that start you shaking. I got a sample size of this and it was quite pricy. I mean, anything you buy in British currency is going to be pricy, but I...” Read full tasting note
Huo Shan Huang Ya
Also known as ‘Yellow Buds’ tea.
Picked before the spring rains in April, this rare and delicious yellow tea is processed as a green tea but with the added step of being very lightly oxidised to create a sweeter, softer, more rounded taste. Huo Shan Huang Ya is extremely refreshing and moreish with a hint of nuts and sweetcorn. The full flavour really kicks in once you’ve swallowed – the sweet complex notes linger on your tongue and allow you to savour every drop.
Range Premium
Country China
Harvesting Area Huo Shan County, Anhui province
Plantation Altitude Above 600m
Harvest Date Pre-Ming Spring 2010
Leaf Appearance They are long and thin, still joined together and dark green with yellowish tips and fine hairs covering the buds.
Aroma Clean and nutty with a warm, delicate, slightly green bean aroma
Liquor Bright, clear greenish gold
Tasting Notes The liquor has a smooth mouthfeel with a warm nutty taste. It is surprisingly rich and refreshing with the flowery notes coming through with the long sweet aftertaste.
Quick Brewing Instructions
Use 1-2 tsp per cup (200ml) and brew cool, around 75°C (167°F), allow to steep for 2-3 minutes and infuse at least 3 times.
Canton Tea Co is a London-based tea company trading in high grade, whole leaf Chinese tea. We have exclusive access to some of the best jasmine, white, green, oolong, black and authentic puerh teas available. In our first year, we scooped Six Golds at the 2009 Guild of Fine Food Great Taste Awards. Our Jasmine Pearls won the top three star gold award, endorsing it as the best available in the UK.
I just restocked this one. Mrs Roughage had commented that she thought she would like yellow teas after seeing a chart that described the differences between all the teas. I used that as an excuse to include it in my newest purchases.
It’s nutty, fairly light and really quite sweet. I still like it a lot. Yum. All that said, my tea tastes are evolving and I have tried a lot more teas since I first drank this, so I feel the need to downgrade its score a bit. That is not intended as a reflection on the quality of this tea, but it is more a comment on my broadened experience since I first tasted this tea. I really feel that I should go back and do a proper comparison of all the teas I have drunk in the past so that I can get the scores more in line with how each tea compares! Ah well, the scoring is rough and ready anyway so maybe I can forego that.
To all the teas I’ve loved before,
Who’ve been delivered to my door …
I didn’t know that this was a yellow tea before I tried it. I placed it with my white tea samples. I was surprised to see the deeper green tea leaves and thought it could be a green, but I steeped as I would a white. 165/1.5 min
The color is so light that I thought for a moment that my Breville didn’t drop the basket. The scent, too, is barely there. There is the slightest hint of sweetness in the scent and perhaps a vegetal tone, but it’s so light that I can barely tell.
The taste… wow! From the first sip, I’m blown away. It’s so very light, but with a punch of sweetness at the end. The flavor gradually fills your mouth. At first, I thought it must be just watery, but not with this finish. It’s really wonderful. I can taste a vegetal flavor, but it’s different. It’s nutty, but with a sweet/savory taste of perhaps squash. It’s a great combination of flavors. Nature really knows what she’s doing.
Do you know what I like? Naps. I took one today, and it was glorious. But do you know what I hate? Recovering from a nap. For such a thing today, I went for a second pot o’ tea…but I didn’t want something black and migraine-inducing.
So I went for this little lovely – a step between green and white. It was peppery, light, melon-like, and a smidge on the floral side. Truthfully, I forgot I even had it, but it sure did the trick.
Naps rock. Waking up from the nap… not so much. It’s kind of like that for me when I wake up too. Asleep mode = awesomeness. Awake mode = not so much.
And the longer the nap, the worse the wake-up.
3min??? Don’t u guys brew gong fu style?.
@Paul – You don’t gongfu yellow tea. Might as well be drinking lukewarm water.
Just not true.. you can trink any tea gong fu style
http://chinalifeweb.com/shop/product/tea-ammc/84/
He really knows what he is doing! I mean why not?
@Paul – With the exception of most oolongs and puerhs, gongfu is entirely optional and subjective. I never found it to work with yellow tea – save for two.
Of course.. always optional.. I mean, the taste is all that counts and that you are happy, the way you bre it! :)
But I guess GFC is suitable for every tea.. but ok.. maybe if the quality is to poor, it is different.. I just drink one right now (see the link) and had now the 6th infusion, steeped for max. 10 secs.. first 2 just 5-7… and it is very sweet and the taste is there…
Greetz
Paul
ooh, wow. It’s got one of those caffeine kicks that start you shaking.
I got a sample size of this and it was quite pricy. I mean, anything you buy in British currency is going to be pricy, but I guess this is also a yellow tea. Rarest of the rare. :) Still not entirely sure what makes this different from a white tea, though it doesn’t taste quite like other white teas I’ve had. This taste is very crisp and clean. Like salad. Yes, this reminds me of salad. Spring mix sans dressing. The flavor is also quite light, but it’s possible that I simply didn’t use enough leaf. Though with a caffeine kick like this, more leaf would probably have been a bad idea. Next time I drink this, I’ll have some food first.
This tea went for three steeps with me.
