First Chinese green tea! I’m mostly focusing on trying Japanese greens right now, but I figured I’d grab a sample of this and a dragonwell from H&S just the same. The dry leaf is quite distinctive. The leaves are formed into very dark olive green pellets. These pellets are very unevenly rolled – sort of like a smaller version of green oolong. They smell chiefly of alfalfa – similar to hay but with a greener and grassier tinge. H&S suggested 3 minutes in general for Chinese green teas, so I figured I’d give that a shot.
The brewed tea’s aroma is quite vegetal, but also dry-smelling. It reminds me of dried autumn leaves. This dry leafy scent carries over into the taste as well. I can also taste the alfalfa that I detected in the dry leaf. There’s definitely a very subtle and pleasant smokiness alongside a nice grounding earthy note. This tea leaves a strange dusty feeling in my mouth, similar to the houjicha I recently tried. I’m unsure if this suggests that I should be rinsing these teas beforehand or if it’s just an element of the taste.
I haven’t tried gunpowder before on my own, but I suspect this is the green tea that I’ve had in Chinese buffets before. It tastes very similar if my memory is correct. I could see this making a good everyday tea.
Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Earth, Grass, Smoke
