Huang Shan Mao Feng

This was a free sample sent a while back by Russell Allyn and Harney and Sons. Many thanks!

Since we are working on the kitchen I am able to see…no, I am confronted with…the vastness of my tea collection. Oh dear me. I am really trying to finish off tins that are close to being empty, but it is also bringing some teas to the forefront that had somehow gotten pushed to the back. This is one of them.

I was looking for a good variety of teas for tea party today and realized that I have never served this green that I can recall. I really should have been drinking this more often because it is very good. There is the frosty, mineral taste that I get from some white teas and from Snow Dragon, but there is also good body and more flavor than I was expecting. Not sour, not grassy to me. This was smooth and very enjoyable with food. I think it would be fabulous with a meal.

My guest today gave it a BIG thumbs up, and she really isn’t a green tea drinker!

This is the first loose tea that I have tried. Previously, I have drank tea in sachets by Harney & Sons and I have gradually made the transition to starting to drink loose tea. I have been told by many that they prefer the taste of loose teas and believe that it is better quality and provides a better taste. After this experience, I agree.
When I opened the tea sample, I was a bit fascinated by the sight of these tea leaves. They were long thin leaves. Most of the leaves with a nice bright green and a few had a bit of yellow in the leaves,which might be as a result from the fixing of the leaves via hot woks during production.
I brewed the Huangshan Mao Feng to 175 degrees Fahrenheit.I steeped the tea for about 3 minutes. The first flavor that I tasted was a grassy flavor. While I continued to drink the tea,I tasted vegetal flavors with subtle smoky flavor. I also tasted a bit of a toasted nutty flavor. The liquor was a light green to a light greenish yellow. I believe that the vegetal flavor is complemented by smoky and nutty flavors that I tasted.

I appreciate Russel from Harney & Sons for sending me this tea sample. Harney & Sons continues to offer it’s customers great quality tea. Hopefully I can visit one of their shops soon. :)

I’ve had many quality offerings from Harney and this was no different. I ordered their 1.5 oz tin a few weeks ago but hadn’t had to time to review it.

The dry leaf appears to be well preserved staying true to its name of mao feng (most leaves were truly one leaf or two and a bud). It had a nice earthy green color, fuzz covered buds, and had a subtle smoky grassy aroma.

I prepared this tea in a gaiwan, following the website’s brewing guidelines of 2-3 min steep time and 175F water.

My first cup I brewed it for 2 minutes, this yielded a pale green cup with a very very faint grassy aroma. The taste was vegetal and slightly grassy, very smooth, and with a strong but subtle smoky finish. The combination of grassy/smokyness gave a nice warm feeling while drinking it. The second cup, this time brewed for 3 minutes, featured a stronger green grassy flavor, no aroma, and with a much subtler smoky finish. Out of the two cups, Id say the first one was better.

Upon checking the wet leaf, some leaves revealed little burned edges, like if they had been burned by sunlight under a magnifying glass.

Overall, I thought this tea to be quite good. I really enjoyed the smoky flavor as I feel it compliments the green taste this tea offers. I don’t know if the smoky taste should be there though, as this is perhaps the only Huangshan Mao feng I have tried that has it (then again I still need to try many more from other tea vendors). I was surprised to see the burn damage on some of the leaves, perhaps that’s the origin of the smoky taste? Anyways, great tea, not too expensive, and quite unique.

Experience buying from Harney & Son’s http://steepster.com/places/2779-harney-and-sons-on-line-millerton-new-york

Age of leaf: Lot # 11124; production date: 124 days into 2011 (roughly early May). I opened and steeped the tea within a few weeks of receiving it.

Dry leaf: Advertised as enough tea for 3-4 cups (I estimate about 8-10 grams). Nice looking green leaves mixed with downy white buds that remind me of Silver Needles; sweet and smoky smelling.

Steeping guidelines: 1st: 1.5 mins, 168°. 2nd: 2 mins. 172°. 3rd:2.5 mins. 175°. 4th: hotter and longer steep time. Added Stevia. Glass Bodum pot with metal infuser/plunger.

Aroma: smoky, roasted.

Color of liquor: Very light yellow-ish color.

Wet leaf: Mostly bud or bud sets (lots of plump looking buds), with very few leaves. A few stem pieces, and brown coloring on the edges of some. A healthy green color.

Flavor: Sweet, smoky, vegetal taste.

Value: $2 for the sample. Not bad for a sample as it is normally about $8 an ounce.

Overall: This is my first Huang Shan Mao Feng. I was not expecting the smoky flavor (as it is not mentioned in the description), but I liked how it seemed to compliment the typical vegetal green flavor. Later steepings did not hold much flavor. What stands out in my mind about this tea is the wet leaves: I have never seen such a high ratio of buds to leaves and stems as I have with this one (other than one ‘bud only’ tea). Very impressive. The taste, not so impressive. Not worth $8/ounce in my book. Still, an interesting tea.