Spring 2016 "Long Mei" Yunnan Green Tea of Zhenyuan

very honey-like sweet tea. first steeps are light but grows in body later on. a bit finicky to brew but in a rewarding way.

in addition to the sweetness there’s a light nutty taste and maybe a rice cereal type feel too. very little astringency depending on the brewing parameters.

the leaves have a vegetal and, compared to the liquid, a robust aroma. very sweet.

the color evolves from a nice pale green to a deeper yellow with a hint of green.

good value!

Firsty tea of my day and first ever review of tea. I’m nervous.

1:30 am Tuesday Indianapolis, IN

This tea arrived in the mail earlier today with the rest of the Jade Tea Club package. I wanted to try some fresh green teas so I signed up with the intention to cancel immediately. I like green tea, but I favor puer so, I don’t have a need for that much green tea.

My rule is, “if it smells good, eat it.” Of the four I received, the Long Mei smelled the best. This tea smells purfumey, little grassy citrus fruity with a nice bready malty backbone. Very pleasant in the nose. Flavor is similar to how it smells, but you should be careful when brewing. It is a known fact that this tea can be bitter if brewed too hot! If you’re at 170 F or 180 F for this one, I think it will be a nice little green tea. Also a little astringent with long steeps. Not something you want in a refreshing green tea.

I noticed a decent amount of clarity/energy from this tea. After drinking my first 7 cups I also noticed a few springs of huigans in the throat. That could have been a result of me brewing it too hot in the first steep, but that may have been a worthwhile mistake. Since huigans are a new and exciting part of tea for me, I gave the rating a little bump.

I used Adagio Tea’s IngenuiTEA gravity steeper and after steep 7 it appears to be holding up pretty well. I will probably make 4-6 more cups before I toss out the leaves.

Well that’s my first review!