90

My first Tai Pin Hou Kui green tea – this tea has an amazing and unique appearance! I always thought it was a dragonwell, but you really need to see it to scale to grasp how cool this green tea looks!

The flavor has some notes that seem unique to this type of green tea – lightly creamy, sweet grassy, straw and cider. I love the cider notes as it has a light acidic/fruity/tang to it. I got 3 good infusions. The cold steep wasn’t as good as it was too light and not as interesting in flavor (just sweet grass/green bean)

Full review (picture heavy because this tea looks really cool) at my blog The Oolong Owl http://oolongowl.com/nonpareil-cha-wang-tai-ping-hou-kui-green-tea-teavive-tea-review/

Cwyn

(Trotted on over to the blog). Very glad to see the photos in your review. This sample is far closer to Tai Ping Hou Kui than the Camellia Sinensis version I recently tried. It is supposed to be 100% 1 leaf/1bud, no broken tea. Otherwise it cannot be called Tai Ping Hou Kui and must be called Houjian instead. At least Teavivre gets close, but loose leaves are Houjian and also 3rd and 4th leaves on the stem are to be plucked off in yet another quality check. Hence the high price. Still, from what I am seeing from your photos I’d rather buy Teavivre version. I really like the taste of this and the slight roast on the leaves.

Cwyn

Omg big price difference only $16.90 for Teavivre, same amount as $58 buys from Camellia Sinensis. The price from Teavivre is in line with Houjian, glad to see.

Cheri

I have some TaiPing houKui that a friend brought me from China. It’s really different and good.

Cwyn

Maybe you got the real 10 famous tea version?

Cheri

I’m going to bet not.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/cheri0627/3o2mSu

It’s the tall blue tin on the right.

Cwyn

OMG those blue tea tins are stunning! Looks like you brought home a Chairman Meow as well! I guess we’ll have to wait until you crack it open to know for sure.

Cheri

I’ve been in it. No special markings. I don’t know what the fancy tea would look like. I can take pictures from home.

I do love the tins.

And I love my Charlie Cat. He was all about the tea that day. It was so cute.

Cwyn

The good stuff should all be 1 bud/1 leaf branch pressed flat and straight, and nearly all the same length. Taste will still be good and probably the same if it turns out to be single leaves, broken leaves and broken buds or any yellow leaves, this indicates a lower grade and is not supposed to be called Tai Ping. I don’t think any other tea has as strict a requirement for the name, but it is a Famous Tea after all!

Cheri

Yeah, I don’t think mine was like that.

Cwyn

Do you have any pics? I would love to see the leaf sometime, that tin is just swell.

Cheri

I forgot to take pics yesterday. I’ll take some hopefully tonight.

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Comments

Cwyn

(Trotted on over to the blog). Very glad to see the photos in your review. This sample is far closer to Tai Ping Hou Kui than the Camellia Sinensis version I recently tried. It is supposed to be 100% 1 leaf/1bud, no broken tea. Otherwise it cannot be called Tai Ping Hou Kui and must be called Houjian instead. At least Teavivre gets close, but loose leaves are Houjian and also 3rd and 4th leaves on the stem are to be plucked off in yet another quality check. Hence the high price. Still, from what I am seeing from your photos I’d rather buy Teavivre version. I really like the taste of this and the slight roast on the leaves.

Cwyn

Omg big price difference only $16.90 for Teavivre, same amount as $58 buys from Camellia Sinensis. The price from Teavivre is in line with Houjian, glad to see.

Cheri

I have some TaiPing houKui that a friend brought me from China. It’s really different and good.

Cwyn

Maybe you got the real 10 famous tea version?

Cheri

I’m going to bet not.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/cheri0627/3o2mSu

It’s the tall blue tin on the right.

Cwyn

OMG those blue tea tins are stunning! Looks like you brought home a Chairman Meow as well! I guess we’ll have to wait until you crack it open to know for sure.

Cheri

I’ve been in it. No special markings. I don’t know what the fancy tea would look like. I can take pictures from home.

I do love the tins.

And I love my Charlie Cat. He was all about the tea that day. It was so cute.

Cwyn

The good stuff should all be 1 bud/1 leaf branch pressed flat and straight, and nearly all the same length. Taste will still be good and probably the same if it turns out to be single leaves, broken leaves and broken buds or any yellow leaves, this indicates a lower grade and is not supposed to be called Tai Ping. I don’t think any other tea has as strict a requirement for the name, but it is a Famous Tea after all!

Cheri

Yeah, I don’t think mine was like that.

Cwyn

Do you have any pics? I would love to see the leaf sometime, that tin is just swell.

Cheri

I forgot to take pics yesterday. I’ll take some hopefully tonight.

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Bio

I’m a tea blogger – The Oolong Owl
www.OolongOwl.com – I do tea reviews, obsessively photograph teas with mischievous crocheted Owls and get tea drunk. I am also a crochet and knitting designer at Awkward Soul Designs.

To contact me for reviews, check out details at OolongOwl.com/about or email me at [email protected]

I was raised on floral oolongs and green teas, mostly “beauty” teas. Early on as a kid, I can guzzle an entire pot of tea (or two) at a Chinese or Japanese restaurant.
These days I like adventurous and interesting tea blends. I’m fearless in trying new teas! I’m into oolong, pu’erh, white, green, black, guayusa, mate and herbals. I’m not into red rooibos but I keep buying it anyway.

The tea brand that got me started into loose leaf teas was DAVIDsTea. I used to live in Vancouver Canada and had access to their shop, however that is now limited since I moved to southern California.

However, the perks of living in the US is ultra cheap, fast shipping! Since then, my tea stash insanely expanded.

Other stuff I’m into that sneaks into my tea notes: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, metal music, drawing, painting, cooking, photography and nail polish.

BTW, my Steepster cupboard is not even close to accurate and I track my teas on a spreadsheet. Last update 573 Teas – August 2015.

Location

Seattle, WA USA

Website

http://oolongowl.com/

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