Hand Picked Spring Tieguanyin (2014)

Tastes like green tea… maybe I don’t know oolongs after all!

Lewis and Clark TTB #9

I’m not absolutely certain this is 2014, but it was received this year, so I’m pretty sure it is.

This tea has a rich, complex nose and taste. The dominant taste is grass, but there are overtones of veggie, fruit, and spice. Rich, buttery full mouth-feel. There is a hint of bitterness in the finish, but it barely detracts from this well-made tea. Second steep is still powerful, but less subtle and a bit too astringent for my taste

(Backlog from a couple of days ago)

Thanks to Sarsonator who generously sent me a huge quantity, I was able to sip on this wonderful oolong during the week end.

I’ve had this TGY from previous harvests before. Verdant does oolong very well…

It’s a beautiful tea, very flavourful and what I have come to expect from higher quality TGY.

Creamy, buttery and slightly nutty. It smells like popping kernels!

Nice floral mouthfeel going on. It has also a refreshing citrusy finish.

It lasted many steeps gongfu style.

I made my session extra special by inaugurating new teawares that I love very much. (Allan, looking at you, enabler!!!)

Here’s a pic:

http://instagram.com/p/tdU0jpwhzm/

From the Lewis and Clark TTB.

Brewed gongfu-style with gaiwan. Steeping times: 3, 3, 3, 3, 6, 6, 6, 6.

I haven’t had many Tieguanyin’s, so picking out the complexities was difficult for me. Trying to go beyond “floral” here.

The leaf has a flora aroma, an early spring air filled with the delicate fragrances of purple, light blue, dark blue, pink, and yellow flowers. I imagine bumblebees and honeybees, dusted with pollen, flitting from flowerbed to flowerbed. The liquor is pale yellow, clear, and bright. Full-bodied yet light. The texture becomes creamier and more buttery with every infusion, and the taste changes to candy sweet, evocative of candied flowers.

The tightly rolled light green leaves quickly unfurl. Each one is surprisingly small and thin for a lightly oxidized oolong.

Lewis & Clarke TTB

Another sample that I pulled out of the TTB to try later before sending it on. Looks similar to other green oolongs I’ve seen – tightly rolled and yellow/green in color. Dry scent is sweet with strong peachy notes and a bit of cream. I steeped mine for 3 minutes at 190 degrees.

This tastes similar to other green oolongs – slightly vegetal with a creamy texture and nice peach notes. However, it’s pretty strong on the floral taste, which does not make my mouth happy. It’s almost perfumey in the aftertaste. :(

Wonderfully fresh with mild sweet notes.

Marco Lewis TTB

Soooo good! Floral, perfumey, a hint of vegetal if you squint your eyes hard enough. You can really taste the difference when you’re drinking high quality tea!

My first Verdant tea. When I opened the package, I got a scent of honeysuckle. It comes out more brewed. The flavour is nicely sweet and floral. There is a bit more of a vanilla or cream flavour as it cools.

Sample from my recent order. The year wasn’t labelled on the package, so I’m categorizing it as this year’s for now. It does look and smell fresh, with a distinct floral fragrance. I know Verdant has described a completely different tea as “mi lan xiang” (Aglaia odorata fragrance), but this one really fits that description as well. I often find this fragrance in other Anxi Tie Guan Yins too.

The tea liquor is pale in color, with a crisp, light taste. The floral notes are very much intact. This is the “greenest” Tie Guan Yin I’ve ever had, and it does go to the head a little bit. A very delicate spring tea that is probably best enjoyed in moderation.

Hello, Gorgeous! This is a freshly picked (May 2014) bright green-leafed aromatic wonder.

Method: 1 tbsp, 200 degrees, grandpa style

Dry Leaf Aroma: Smells strongly of honeysuckle and jasmine. Wow.

Brewing Aroma: In the brewing tea, the honeysuckle takes center stage. I can detect a lightly spicy note, like black pepper.

Flavor: Honeysuckle. The liquid is very light and lacks thickness. I’m sure there’s a specific tea word to describe that, but I’ll look it up later. I am busy enjoying my tea right now. In any event, the sensation is not unpleasant. The tea is still very hot, but I keep trying to drink it because it’s so good. As it is cooling, the liquid starts to feel a bit thicker.

When I drink a tea like this, I wonder why anyone would bother to scent teas using flowers.

Glad I’m alone right now. I think I may be drooling.

This is a perfect spring tea. Coincidentally, honeysuckle started blooming in my yard recently. I was just thinking that I’d like to make a honeysuckle wine this year. After trying this tea, I am even more inspired to do so. If the wine smells and tastes anything like this tea, it will be a huge hit!