Zhu Ye Qing (Bamboo Tip Green)

I have been just awful at consistency with blogging the last week or so, and I apologize for that! Don’t worry, I am not losing the love of tea or blogging at all, quite the contrary, I still love it and promise I am not going anywhere. It has mostly been a combination of things: seasonal change makes me restless and distracted, Ben works too much so his days off I spend focusing on hanging out and errand running, lowering my meds so the normal accompanying headaches (boo yet yay for getting off my meds for a bit) and the inevitable multi-hour long Minecraft binges. Also staring at my fishtank for long amounts of time, I can just get lost watching them.

Hailing from Sichuan, MeiMei Fine Teas’ Zhu Ye Qing (Bamboo Tip Green) a very beautiful Green Tea. This tea specifically is from Meng Ding Mountain, a region well known for its tea production, this beautiful green tea is a rare thing, it has been on my to-try list for a while and it is a giant pain to get a hold of! Have I mentioned this tea is really pretty? Seriously though, a while ago I was researching teas and ran across this one and was sold from the first moment I saw the leaves that look like they came fresh from the bush, I fell in love…I could only imagine what such evocative of bamboo (name drop) forests and spring growth would taste like, and now I get to find out! The aroma is sharp and green, strong notes of bell pepper, bamboo leaves, celery, and parsley with an under note sweet and nutty combo of sesame seeds, dried peas, and gentle honey. This is a very vegetal tea, though it is tempered some with a gentle nutty finish.

After brewing, I honestly has a moment of thinking someone has played a trick on me because the wet leaves smell EXACTLY like cooked asparagus, complete with a bit of butter! It gave me a bit of a giggle, and after the giggling subsided, the notes that showed up next are cooked spinach, peas, and a touch of sharp bell peppers. The liquid is asparagus again, with notes of savory spinach and a touch of buttery sesame and a tiny hint of distant wildflowers, giving the tea a bit of a pollen note. Like the aroma of fresh daisies.

First steeping, must contain excitement or I will end up wearing my dainty gongfu cup of tea instead of drinking it. Hands up if you have spilled at least one of these little cups on yourself (or your friends, family, or pets.) The mouthfeel starts out smooth and well rounded, exciting for a first steep, usually they can be a bit weak, but this one just coats the mouth with its smoothness. The taste starts very vegetal, savory notes of asparagus and and spinach but then leaning towards the sweeter with a note of peas. The taste finished with bell pepper and a tiny bit of sesame, truly this is a green tea.

Second steep time! The aroma is so green, strong notes of asparagus, bell pepper, peas, and a touch of bamboo shoots at the finish. Again the mouthfeel is quite well rounded and smooth, though this time the taste is not all savory vegetal notes, this time it starts with a buttery sweet sesame note. After that it goes to peas and then asparagus and spinach. The finish is bamboo shoots, and it lingers for just a bit.

Third steep brings aroma notes of asparagus, bell pepper, bamboo shoots and leaves, and a tiny touch of nuttiness at the finish. The mouthfeel is not quite as round this time around, a bit lighter but still just as smooth. The taste is starting out with sesame seeds and peas, moving to bamboo leaves and bell peppers, with an incredibly sweet honey note at the finish that lingers for quite a while. This tea was well worth the wait, definitely one that is a combination of eye-candy and delicious!

Blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2015/10/meimei-fine-teas-zhu-ye-qing-bamboo-tip.html