Mei Leaf

I’m very new to black tea. All I’ve had before came in a tea bag and honestly it was always terrible. So, I did very short steeps of this wanting to not recreate the acrid taste of liptons and other black tea nonsense. I was rewarded. This tea was warming and the caffeine was terrific. While fully oxidized teas will never be my preference, I can see myself drinking it when I need a morning kick or a midday boost.

Unflavored milk oolong. Terrific tea, you can brew it hotter with a bit more of a juicy feel or cooler for a smooth milky smooth. Very short brew times with hotter water. Steep over and over. Large leaves, very green.

Nutty, roasted aroma, one of the best long jing i had.

Dry leaves smell fresh. Light yellow in cup. Slightly floral notes and sweetness combined with astringent and dryness. Light body and soft texture. Due to the Huangpian picking this is a very simple and plain, low priced PuErh. For me it is not a daily drinker because there’s not much going on.

Dry leaves: fruity. Dark golden colour in cup. Soft mouth feel, slight bitterness and astringent but main taste is a fruity, sweet and somehow grassy/hay. Not a really complex cup throughout the session.

In a second session in a glazed ceramik teapot with other parameters left the same I can smell the fruity pudding notes in the pot and cup. Overall a little bit more fruits and sweetness.

Dark woods, warm vanilla, flowers and red fruit finish

I am not very experienced with black teas, and thus cannot compare this one with other similar black teas.
It felt very pleasant to my tongue; well balanced, reminding me of fruity and spicy notes with a honey fragrance and a pleasant herbal taste. The mouthfeel is medium, the aftertaste is fruity and slightly dry. I enjoyed drinking it.
I can recommend this as pleasant tea, mild but full of flavor.
Since I did not find any issue with the tea, I give 100 points. Just bear in mind that I am no black tea connaisseur, and thus might not know what could be better, yet.

I love this tea. I’m not sure I receive any of the GABA effects created by the nitrogen-rich processing, but it certainly creates a distinctive tasting tea. Warm as flavours get, there’s a liquoriceness to the nose – sweeter than fennel / aniseed, it’s a very sweet tea. I bought a big bag for fear of it running out in the shop one day. I also tried the Ruby GABA – interesting, but this is the sweet spot.

Had this one for a while and have about a third of a cake left. I was expecting much more from this tea to be honest. It is a very earthy tea with some very light juicy notes but is not very complex and other than the earthy notes of an alright ripe puerh not much else.

I have brewed this a variety of ways but I think the best I have dialled in are a 10 sec rinse with boiling water. Then 20s first steep +5s each steep after. Starts earthy moving to more mineral notes after about 5 steeps in my case.

I will keep trying this and if there are any changes I will update. It is an ok puerh which is good for the price as it is fairly cheap. The again it is a smaller cake which brings up the overall cost per gram.

Very heady. Takes a couple of steeps to really get going but when it does it is a strong buzzy tea that is very relaxing. Orange honey liquor and some nice fruity notes. Good astringency. While it has already been aged I think this is one to improve over time.

First few steeps give stone fruits with a kind of jammy background then opens up with a little more citrus and a slight sweetness.

15 sec first infusion + 10 seconds on each infusion after. I’m sure this tea can do more than 10 but usually with an aged white I will do around 8 infusions before putting the leaves in a pan with water and simmering it for a good 20 minutes to bring out all the goodness and make a super potent last brew. Try it and I guarantee you will love it.

Deep dark liquor when brewed and very thick early infusions are as dark as soy sauce if not darker (if its possible) I brew this one in a 200ml yixing red clay pot which dramatically adds to the thickness. Gorgeous tea and one of my favourites I’m sad that they sold out before I could buy another cake. Definitely worth the price.

Where to start very thick mouthfeel and texture. Coats the mouth as you drink adding to the experience. Juicy on the sides of the tongue and at the back of the mouth. Warming tea and by the time you have finished brewing it leaves you with a gentle heat and slight perspiration. Taste with it has a definite sweetness, fudge with a touch of chocolate and brown sugar. Best way to describe it is a dark fudge brownie with brown sugar. It has a minerality which increases through the infusions.

Really good tea. Very fruity for a black reminds me of a dancong! Excellent profile including malt, chocolate, cherry (maybe cherry wood) and some dark berries. From the first infusion it packs flavour. A more delicate tea which is less suited for stronger combos like spices.

Brewed gong fu style 5g per 100ml temp 90 -95°C 5 sec rinse. 10 sex first infusion + 5 each infusion after. Profile develops. Fruit and dark chocolate/cacao in first steeps leading to fruits and malt chocolate before some minerality comes towards the end. Can usually get between 5 and 7 infusions.

It is a good tea very interesting blend but I don’t think it has some of the flavour profiles expected. I get the fermented tang, some light fruits, a lot of minerality and some decent astringency. I have brewed a few times now and cant find a particular fruit note to pin down. I would recommend it though as I think it can be quite heady. I want to see how this opens up over time. I’m sure there is more to this and I will keep brewing.

Brewed gong fu style. 10g to 200ml 15-20 sec first infusion after a rinse. +5-10 secs each infusion after. I will edit this if anything changes.

205 Degrees F, Gongfu, 20 + 5 Sec infusions

Everything I was expecting and more. This tea is very smooth. I usually find aged whites a little bit rough around the edges. Definitely strong hay and light honey notes (as usual with aged whites), but it is very well rounded. The tea put me in a state of bliss. After infusion 2 I started feeling relaxed but after about 4, I found myself daydreaming and feeling extremely relaxed and content. It is taking way too long to write this review. Im about 6 infusions in and think there are still quite a few left but Im taking my time with this one. Wonderful tea. I will be ordering more cakes. Best aged white i’ve ever had.

SEASON Spring 2010
CULTIVAR Da Bai
ORIGIN Fuding, Fujian, China
PICKING & PROCESSING Buds, young leaves and large leaves
ELEVATION 800-1000m

Eyes – Dry Leaves: Furry Buds, Browns, oranges, grey compressed leaves
Nose – Dry Leaf: Hay
Nose – Wet Leaf: Honey, Butter, Fresh Cut Hay, Raisins
Eyes – Liquor: Golden yellow
Mouth – Texture: Thick, Oily
Mouth – Taste: Hay, Honey, mineral sweetness, raisins
Nose – Empty Cup: Raspberries, Sugar
Mouth – Finish: Very smooth, slight astringent
Eyes – Wet Leaf: Flat dark and light brown leaves
Body Sensation: Warming. Very, Very relaxed. I honestly lost interest in this review after about 3 infusions.

210 Degrees F, Gongfu, 25 + 5 Sec infusions

Amazing Da Hong Pao. The smoothest tea i’ve ever had, like a very fine whiskey. Charcoal, coffee, chocolate, cherries, whiskey barrels. The finish is just so smooth. It disappears in the back of your throat. Had to start pushing it after the 4th infusion though. Sadly it died pretty quickly after that. I got about 6 decent infusions. Possibly due to the age of this tea. It is a year and a half old. Still the best Da Hong Pao i’ve ever had, but pretty pricey. I would highly recommend this tea as a special occasion tea.

SEASON :April 2018
CULTIVAR :Qi Dan, Bei Dou & Others
ORIGIN :Zhengyan, Fujian, China
PICKING & PROCESSING :Medium leaves
ELEVATION :350-500m

Eyes – Dry Leaf: Very large, dark black and brown leaves
Nose – Dry Leaf: Charcoal, fresh wood chips, sea salt caramel, fresh linen, Coffee
Nose – Wet Leaf: Sweet cherries, Roasted coffee, cilantro
Eyes – Liquor: Crisp, Clear, Dark Brown
Mouth – Texture: Super smooth, melts in your mouth
mouth – Taste: Rocky, Charcoal, Barrel Aged Whiskey, Sea Air, Chocolate, Cranberries
Nose – Empty Cup: Honey, whiskey barrels
Mouth – Finish: Super Super smooth, very slight astringency, light drying effect
Eyes – Wet Leaf: Pruny, Dark Black mushy leaves
Body Sensation: Very relaxing