H'mong Kings Green Tea

Can’t believe I haven’t added a tasting note for this tea yet. I love it. Right from the moment you open the bag and are greeted with tiny hairs covering the interior you know it’s going to be good. The dry leaf is a mix of mainly curled and twisted leaves along with a few stems. A mixture of muted shades of green and those adorable silvery hairs. The dry aroma will whisk you away straight to Vietnam where you can taste their woks and the food they eat but all done subtly. The wet leaf aroma is much more in your face. Steamed asparagus, stone fruit, and a minerality that transfers to your palate as you smell it. The flavor is vegetal, steamed green beans, woody, green wood, and minerality that leaves you feeling slightly like you licked a rock.

SkySamurai’s mystery advent tea #5 backlog from 12/18
Looks like a green today!  Healthwise, I feel like I could use a green tea.  These winters always make me feel physically terrible.  Honestly, I’ve been trying to align some of these mystery teas with what I know of Teavivre teas… I suppose Teavivre is the shop I’d have most knowledge of plain teas from.  They have so many varieties of green tea though, it would be tough to narrow down.  But I think Teavivre has a green tea like this, just from looking at it.  Very twisted fuzzy leaves in various shades of pale green. The scent of the dry leaf isn’t great or spectacular — it’s an odd fragrance.  The scent of the steeped leaves is like corn chowder with tomato soup somehow.  The flavor is lovely – sweet, creamed corn, also a bit nutty.  The second steep wasn’t as great… not as much flavor. My guess: mao feng green!  Was I correct? NO.  I’ve never heard of this one either!   It’s a green from Vietnam. Interesting – I have probably only tried a couple of Vietnam greens.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons // 39 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 35 minutes after boiling // 3 min

Thanks Skysamurai for sending me a sample of this tea! The dry leaf aroma is quite floral and dry. In the preheated pot, the leaves smell a bit more fruity. Wet leaf has similar qualitites, but I also get a bit of pine and tree bark.

Liquor texture is quite thick for a green tea. Taste-wise, it is a balanced tea. I get similar impressions as with some chinese white teas, but the taste is more robust. There are some fruity, vegetal and nutty notes (mostly in the finish) with some hay/herbal aspects as well. I didn’t really notice any grassy ones though.

The liquid has a bright, pale yellow color, clear and transparent. The aroma has dominant scents of minerals, with touches of grass and pine wood. The body is medium, with a silky, light texture. There is a very slight bitterness, and no astringency. The taste has notes of minerals, wet stones, and touches of grass and pine wood. The aftertaste carries the dominant mineral character, with a lighter touch of grass. The liquid leaves the mouth feeling clean and refreshed.

See my full review of this product at https://teajourneyman.com