Mao Feng is one of the few varieties of green tea I really, really enjoy. This is the Spring 2014 harvest, so I’m a little behind the times, but I have huge confidence in Teavivre’s packaging, so I’m not too worried at this stage. I used 2 tsp of leaf, and gave it 3 minutes in water cooled to 180 degrees. The resulting liquor is a clear pale green, and the scent is mildly grassy. The scent of the dry leaf is stronger – fresh green vegetables with a light floral edge.
The overall taste is a lot lighter than I expected, and I think for my next cup I might use a little more leaf and leave it for longer (possibly up to 4/4.5 minutes). That’s unusual behaviour for me with a green tea, but I’m glad I underdid things first time in any case. The flavour savoury, with mild hints of buttered green vegetables; green beans and sugar snap peas primarily. There’s a slight pepperiness to the initial sip that’s really rather pleasant, but the cup as a whole is very, very smooth. I’m glad I’ve managed to prove to myself that not all green teas are strong and bitter, because at one point it would have been very easy for me to give up on green tea entirely. I would have missed out on this, had I done so, and on discovering that there are varieties that I do really enjoy. That’s probably been the biggest revelation of my tea journey so far, and it makes me glad that I persevered.
I would happily purchase Mao Feng from Teavivre again – their green teas are among the best I’ve tried, and this cup only confirms that I’ll soon be back for more!
It’s interesting that you like the Mao Fengs so much. I’ve tried a few from different vendors and I find there’s a smoky note that I dislike. Maybe that’s the “pepperiness” you’re getting?
Thank you for your support:)