Vicony Teas Company sent this to me as a free sample with my order. Based on their website, this is one of the top qualities in production. The tea is named “Pre-Ming” because it was picked before the Chinese “Qingming Festival,” marking its quality.
The dried leaves were comprised of a one bud to one leaf ratio. From a distance the leaves looked like jade: light and dark greens mixing with the pale leaf buds. The brewed leaves were more beautiful when brewed, and smelled vegetal, floral, with a tiny hint of nutty-smokiness.
The brewed tea was pale-green, and had very little color at all- the liquor was very light and clear. The flavor was light, floral, sweet, and a bit nutty in the finish. Each sip was silky smooth and crisp. The second brew was more sweet and floral than the first. Every sip was like drinking nectar. The third brew tasted much the same as the second, and didn’t lose any flavor. The fourth steeping brought out some vegetal notes, but retained the floral-sweetness of the other brews.
This tea was very good and refreshing. Not all “high quality” teas taste good, due to processing, storage, or other factors- this tea, however was wonderful. It would be interesting to taste other grades of Huangshan Maofeng tea to see the differences in flavor and appearance. I’m glad Vicony Teas sent me the free sample, and had a great time tasting it.