Crescent Green

Another sample gifted from Derk, thank you!

It’s sweaty yucky summer here now so I prepared this coldbrew. I really enjoy coldbrewed green tea (more than hot, actually) and this one is great! It actually gives me some white tea vibes from the flavor profile. There is a sort of fruitiness to it, that tastes a bit like a cross between pear and muscat grapes, with a bit of floral honey. Beneath that is an autumn leaf grassiness. Very tasting and refreshing! I love it!

Thanks so much, Derk!

After hearing how I dislike most green teas because of their spinachy, vegetal profile, Derk generously sent me a sample of this Crescent Green, which Spirit Tea says doesn’t have these characteristics. I steeped 3 g of leaf in a 355 ml mug at 175F for 3, 5, 7, and 10 minutes, followed by a couple long infusions.

The dry aroma is indeed not like most green teas I’ve had, featuring honey and toasted grains and reminding me a little of a roasted Dong Ding. The first steep has notes of toasted grains, honey, minerals, spinach, sesame seeds, and hints of apricot. I would have said it was just woody, but Derk’s mention of sandalwood fits. The next steep has more minerals and something I’d label as hops. The honey and minerals come out a bit more in the third steep, and there’s no hint of astringency, though the apricot has faded. My last couple steeps, one of them overnight, yielded a tea with honey and sweet apricot notes and no bitterness whatever.

This is a fascinating green tea that I actually enjoyed. The long steeps in particular brought out the sweet stonefruit notes and were the highlight of the session for me.

Another new to me vendor, Spirit Tea, which I see Daylon has been posting notes for lately. I came across them looking for something but don’t remember what They have a gentle, relationship-building vibe about their work and marketing that I admit drew me in. If you get warm fuzzies seeing pictures of traveling tea hunters with tea farmers, one or all of them pointing at leaves or in the distance, Spirit Tea may be for you (tongue-in-cheek — they have a LOT of teas that sound fantastic). Looks like they really get around, offering landscape, production and intimate encounter photos of nearly every tea they offer, which are sourced from their travels through China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan.

Quick cups this morning before I try to take advantage of this spring weather in January. It doesn’t feel right that the daffodils bloomed this morning or that the blueberries are fully flowering.

From Yunnan, China, this green tea is grown and processed in a Muslim-Chinese minority village.

This large-leaved green tea is rich and so satisfying, unlike any other green tea I’ve had. Sweet, viscous, a little tongue-numbing and with practically no astringency. Aroma matches the taste and aftertaste of the tea. The tasting notes of honeycomb and sandalwood are spot on. Apricot is more of a bright undertone. A comforting toasty nature rounds out the flavor flawlessly. If you want to try a green tea without the typical beany, grassy or vegetal notes, or one that won’t upset an empty stomach, I highly suggest this nourishing tea!

I’ve had no communication yet with this company and am trying to not come off as sounding like a shameless plug. Hopefully the other 3 teas I ordered are just as satisfying.