Cloud Mist - Yunwu - Cloud Fog Tea

Ordered off ebay directly from China, from a new-ish seller, cctvsystem11. {item 170862017232} Paid 9/29 and received 10/12/12 {13 days}.

This is a delicate green, I don’t own a lot of greens because I tend to overcook them. I followed Cindy’s instructions to " brew the green tea with 80℃ / 175F water and a short infuse time" So I used the gaiwan, which is also something I don’t do often, but hey, that’s what having a ton of tea and a ton of tea implements is for, right? turn of a new season and I want a new flavor and method. That’s reason enough. And it tastes like I got it right this time. I only steeped about a minute and a half, and got a lovely dark brew which I then strained into a cup and further diluted with the hot water. Ha. Maybe I have this ‘guywan thing’ figured out? This worked out so easy this time.

I get the usual vegetable taste from greens, but this one is very light. I could dilute it further, but no need, without the astringency, I can enjoy this ‘thicker’ and it’s apropriate to this evening in so many ways. Everything outside is wet, like it hasn’t been in months. We got our first rain after a parched summer, and it was a gentle warm rain, that smells so good. Good tea, Good technique, Good Rain, Husband is off the next few days so I also get Good company. It’s a lovely evening.

I let husband, the coffee drinker, try this and he gave a snort of approval and inquired politely about it. I’m working on him… he likes this one.

Second steep more mellow than the first but still the beautiful golden color. Like Maple leaves. Third steep and I didn’t even leave it for a minute, it gave the nice golden color so quickly, much smoother less vegetable flavor now, the best cup yet. Boy this is looking like a VERY economical tea.

One other note, I cannot recommend this seller. I ordered 50g of this tea, and 50g of ginseng oolong, but received 100g of this tea. Contacted cctvsystem2011 {Cindy} and made a deal to pay an additional $5 for the missing tea and she volunteered to include a puerh sample to make up for it. I finally received the ginseng oolong 32 days later without any puerh included. So I got what I paid for, after a hassle, but not what she promised.

A sample from Miss B. The leaves of of this one are reminding me of a Butiki green I tried a while back, but I can’t now remember which one. They’re thin and wiry, very twisted (almost curly, really…), and a very dark green. The flavour is also reminding me of something, but I’m finding it hard to pin down exactly what. Roasted chestnuts is as close as I can come, but it’s not quite right…Roasted chestnuts and grass? Mushroom? Mushroom! That’s closer.

It’s a very smooth green, not at all astringent, but with a strong and distinctive flavour. Just the kind of green tea I’ve discovered I like! Thanks again to Miss B for sharing this one with me.

Our final tea of the evening (for by then it was evening, and I was learning the mesh knitting pattern of my new shawl project!) with Dinosara was a tea sample I got from MissB. I don’t know how to describe this tea other than extremely unique with an indescribably good smell that reminds me of… something… I just can’t place it but it was so good! I think this may have to be the first tea of all my samplers lately that I’m going to have to buy a goodly amount of! On the the steep records:
10 seconds: Creamy sweet, almost vanilla flavor, which is just fantastic! There is a bit of crushed green something on the sip that contributes a freshness to it.
20 seconds: Indescribably good smell in my aroma cup that would continue through the rest of the steeps. Maybe fruity, maybe floral? Light astringency, but a vanilla and butter aftertaste that is fabulous.
30 seconds: A bit beany now, but that wonderful smell continues.
35 seconds: Mildly green beany, but good almost-vanilla still on the sip and aftertaste.
45 seconds: losing the smell, and the astringency is up. Reminds me of buttered collards.

Equusfell brought this one and it was quite delicious. I honestly was not expecting much, not because I have experience with these type of teas, but because most green teas are just ok to me. This had a lot going on though. The early steeps were sweet and had an almost vanilla-like creamy note to them. The later steeps were more floral and also buttery, almost like a nice TGY, but with different florals. Quite tasty overall; I’m curious how this would perform as a western steep as well.

I don’t have a very refined palate. I’m not very good at picking out flavors that aren’t super evident. I’m tasting the yummy vegetal taste from this tea, but I’m also getting something else. I wanna say it’s something fruity. I don’t know, but I like it. It’s nice and light and delicate. Just the type of tea I like first thing in the morning to ease my taste buds awake.

Wow. This is a lovely cup, and it strongly reminds me of something Butiki-ish, but for the life of me can’t place. Think gorgeous, tiny curled green tea (the picture doesn’t do it justice) with a strong apricot/peach aroma, and then the flavor is — full, nutty, apricot/peach, thick, granular (almost chewy?), lush, summer-like. If chestnuts tasted like delicate peaches or apricots, this would be a similar flavor… or at least feel. An excellent straight green, and one I’m happy to drink often.

Grabbed this directly from Royal Tea Bay on AliExpress (http://www.aliexpress.com/store/320709), and it was a quick and pleasant experience, with excellent packaging. I highly recommend them.

http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/100g-Cloud-Mist-Tea-Yunwu-Tea-Cloud-fog-Tea-Chinese-Green-Tea-Chestnut-aroma-T018/320709_1211201237.html