After much agonizing over tariffs, I decided to go ahead and order various green teas from Seven Cups. My decision was motivated by the amazing First Pluck Bi Luo Chun I bought from them last year. The thought that I wouldn’t get to taste that tea again for another four years made me sad, so I decided to ask Canada Border Services for more information. It turns out Canada’s tariffs are only charged on U.S.-made products, not products from other countries, so I made my order and hoped for the best. The package arrived in record time and with no tariffs attached!
I’ve never had this tea before and I was intrigued by its history, lovely appearance, and interesting tasting notes. I steeped 3 g of leaf in 250 ml of 185F water for 3 minutes, then added water as needed until it was steeped out.
The dry aroma of these long, mostly straight leaves is of peas, honey, lemon, and flowers. The tea starts out vegetal, with notes of peas, cucumber, arugula, and chives, followed by lemon and honey. The aftertaste is sweet, vegetal, and floral. In subsequent steeps, lemon, honey, and wildflowers gain more prominence, though I still get peas and that spicy, herbaceous note. The tea never becomes overly bitter or astringent. The final steeps still feature lemon and flowers, though the veggies are more apparent and there are spinach and mineral notes.
As I’ve come to expect from this vendor, this is a high-quality, unique green tea. I like the lemon and balanced sweetness. The tea feels very springlike without being all about the veggies.
Flavors: Cucumber, Floral, Garden Peas, Herbaceous, Honey, Lemon, Mineral, Spicy, Spinach, Sweet, Vegetal
