Yezi Tea

Someone mentioned sugar cane for this tea and I have to agree. It does have a really mellow sugar cane, malt and fruity waft up the nose. Still REALLY like this tea!

Good (early) morning Steepster. I’ve been a little overwhelmed with work so haven’t been around much. I’ve been drinking tea but not writing much about it. This was a sample I got when I discovered Yezi’s sample promotion (3 free samples if you pay $2.95 shipping!). I went in search of their Jin Jun Mei, and I got it, this one and their Jin Pin.

I don’t get the smoke Yezi mentions for this tea, but I do get a little tobacco bite at the back end of the sip. This won’t be a morning tea for me, but is perfect for the afternoon. What comes through the most for me is sweet harmony. Like the Everly Brothers (and RIP Phil): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTYe9eDqxe8

More on my blog: http://mizzprissy.wordpress.com/2014/06/06/yi-fu-chun-yezi-tea/#more-552

Really enjoying this cup today. It is bready and has a strong smell of chocolatey malt. Wisps of caramel are also in the brew making for a tasty morning cup. Thank you for sharing Sil! 174.

Thank you Sil for the opportunity to try this tea. It is one I was really interested in after Jin Pin inspired me to explore Yezi’s site and try new blacks. Compared to Jin Pin, this is a much more smooth and mild tea. There is only a hint of malt but there is a fair bit of nice bready notes and honey. The sip ends with a touch of astringency but not enough to detract from the drinking experience. I am liking it a lot and I am happy I have more but in the future, I think I would prefer to order more of Jin Pin than get smaller amounts of both.

Yunnan Jin Kong Que (Golden Peacock)

5/28/14

Origin: Yunnan Province
Vintage 2010
Dry Leaf: Scents of sweet tobacco, dried plum, dried apple. Leaves are tiny twisted brown and gold threads within the compressed cake.

Method: 4 oz porcelain Gong Fu pot
2 tsp tea – 4oz H20
200F 30” rinse/45”/45”

Wet Leaf: The small twists have unfurled a bit and are dark brown with scents of prune, wood, and sweet tobacco.

Liquor: beautiful deep plum, scents of the wood and prune

Flavor: Wood, smooth, sweet prune, no bitter, rich, subtle vanilla in the finish.

Definitely taste after a meal because it is heavy on the stomach.

Thank you to Yezi Tea for this sample with purchase!!

Got this sample with a Yezi purchase,,thanks!!!!

From Jian’ou Co.; Fujian Province, China.

Dry leaf has the distinctive chopped-looking grey-green leaves with scents of cream.
Wet leaf turns greener than other white peony I have had. I guess this is the high grade quality!!! It has scents of wheat & oat.
Liquor is a light golden pearl, scents of cream and honey.
Flavor is light subtle cream, honey, fresh & clean. Really excellent Bai Mu Dan!!!!!

I originally had the review for this tea under Yezi’s Jin Jun Mei, which is obviously incorrect. I am putting it in its proper place, as well as making an update.

Round 1: This tea has a lovely malty flavor. I wish I could pick out some additional aromas or flavors, but alas, I cannot.

I steeped this at 205 degrees for 5 minutes. I also did a 2nd steeping for 6 min. I wish this tea was a little sweeter, but it was good. The second steeping had less maltiness and tasted more like plain tea.

Next time, I may add a teensy bit of sugar, just to see how that goes.

Round 2: I brewed 1 tsp in 3 oz of 202 degree water using very short steepings. The first was 30 then another 30, then 40.

I could barely smell or taste the maltiness from the first round. Instead, the tea smelled more grassy, and I was also picking up the scent of popcorn.

The flavor was good, but I actually preferred the stronger malty flavors from the first round.

5/21/14

Origin: Yunnan Province, China
Vintage 2005
Dry Leaf- scents of pears and dried apples, tiny bit of wood
203F 2 tsp – 4 oz h2o
Gong FU
30” – rinse
30” liquor smells woody, sweet, vegetarian prune brownie. Taste is creamy, silky, smooth, sweet and woody notes.
45” as leaves loosen more, liquor is a darker burnt sienna color. Notes of wood but not harsh, smooth. Sweet prune bread, just prune,,no sugar.
. 30” leaves loose now,,the woodiness is turning into notes of espresso.
45” delicious and the feeling is cleansing and rejuvinating!!! Far Out!!
1 minute – I can drink no more tea but this last steeping is a light espresso note with subtle sweetness. There are some essences of dried fruit as well.

Thank u to Yezi Tea for this sample with purchase!!

This tea has a lovely malty flavor. I wish I could pick out some additional aromas or flavors, but alas, I cannot.

I steeped this at 205 degrees for 5 minutes. I also did a 2nd steeping for 6 min. I wish this tea was a little sweeter, but it was good. The second steeping had less maltiness and tasted more like plain tea.

Next time, I may add a teensy bit of sugar, just to see how that goes.

Had a good lunch and some time today on this Saturday so I could try this sample I received with my purchase from Yezi,,thanks!
This is my first Shu,,,I have only tried Shengs so far so I am excited!
When I opened the sample package, it smelled just like pears!!! Very intriguing but it dissipated very quickly after that and it was a light fruit scent. These leaves were pretty tight in my sample chunk though so I don’t think the smell was truly evident until I loosened the leaves with water.
I used 205F water and my little 4 ounce gong fu pot.
1. 15" rinse
2 . 30" bit of a second rinse because leaves very tight. Liquor is orange sunshine color.
3. 30" leaves have opened up more and there are definite woody notes with pipe tobacco. Liquor is darker in color, a deep auburn. Thicker too. Flavor is wood and tobacco and it gets better as it cools.
4. 45" even though I don’t want to drink wood and tobacco,,,I keep drinking it. It gives you a nice laid-back feeling. It does get heavy on the stomach,,,I see why it is suggested that you enjoy a nice meal beforehand.

I really love puerh and am fascinated by all tea. I think I like sheng better than shu,,,but I have not tried enough to know for sure. Great first experience with this shu and need to try more :)

This is way too floral for Dexter3657, but oh so perfect for me! I’m happy she sent this big sample my way…

Wenshan Baozhong/Pouchong are among my favourite oolongs. Almost considered green tea due to their very light oxidization, they are delicate and very floral.

This one is no exception. Not quite as good as the one I keep in stock (Tealux) but close enough to really indulge myself tonight.

Sweet and round mouthfeel, it feels buttery and creamy. Big notes of orchid and lilac, with a spearmint fresh finish. Wonderful!

Delicate but so tasty, a real spring celebration!

Thank you Dexter3657 for choosing this one for me, a perfect match :-)

I don’t live a cup-half-empty life. My cup is always full (of tea!!!)

Method: I was in a rush b/c of problems with my dogs this AM, so this was something like 1/2 tbsp per 8 oz, 1 and 2.5 minute steeps. 200 degrees. French press.

And this is soothing my nerves in the most lovely way. It’s a little fruity and quite refreshing. I’m glad made a giant thermos for work! It has a nice astringency on the finish that is pleasant along with a mild sweetness. Yum!

Oh goodness this is softer than I expected, really sweet and creamy. There’s a touch of a floral or evergreen kind of taste that I’m having trouble pinning down, but it’s really familiar to me. There’s a wonderfully smooth honey sweetness, just a touch of smokiness and a hint of lingering bitterness. Perhaps the most wonderful quality of this tea is just how smooth the mouthfeel is. It really coats your mouth with such a velvety thick texture. There is just the slightest hint of smokiness inside my nose causing a little tingling feeling there still several moments after I’ve drank a cup. I think I have become a lion dragon.

On the second infusion, sniffing the underside of the gaiwan lid I get notes of orchid and chocolate. The scent of the brewed liquor has notes of camphor and cinnamon as well as orchid and chocolate. The taste is more dark and caramely, but still smooth, a bit more floral now. There are fruity notes in the background and a lingering chocolate taste.

The third and fourth infusions bring a more dark, malty flavor, less sweet than the first two. The scent is just as sweet though and there is a subtle sweetness in the background of the flavor. By the fifth infusion, it’s backing off into the sweet honey flavors again. I’ll continue to infuse this many more times, but I’ll end my review here.

I really enjoyed this tea. The smoothness and richness of it in the early infusions were remarkable. The only downsides to me are the sort of smoky bitterness that lingers and sort of stings the inside of my nose a little. It’s a little strange and new to me, that sensation, and might take some getting used to!

I could see myself purchasing this tea. It has a really great complexity. I may just do so because I’m curious to see how my red tea seasoned Yixing pot would handle it. It really cuts the edge off of red teas and mellows them out. Could be incredible!

This had a very green aroma and flavor, and while I liked it, I didn’t pick up on any special scents or tastes. It just tasted like a slightly sweet greenish tea.

Absolutely drinkable, but there are several teas from a yezi that I like better, so I’ll be sticking with those.

Edit 5/19/14 – I made this grandpa style at work last week and I thought it was especially well suited to this method. The tea tasted mild and pleasant, but never became bitter. I got 3-4 steepings out of about 3/4 tsp. of tea in a 10 oz. mug. I’m adjusting my rating because I was very happy with the result.

My behind is currently parked in a chair in my back yard, drinking cups of this grandpa style with 205 degree water. I think this is one of my new faves, for sure. I’m on the 2nd steeping and there’s zero bitterness. Just a lovely floral sweet tone that has a very comforting effect.

This is definitely on my list of Comfort Teas!

The dry tea smells like matcha, with vanilla. I brewed this for 4 minutes using water at 205 degrees. The aroma while steeping smelled like hay, with hints of jasmine and another floral. Maybe it is the orchid that is mentioned in the tea’s description. Not sure.

This has a mellow flavor, and the same florals from the aroma can be tasted in the tea. The tea is mild and has enough sweetness that no additives are needed. I’m really impressed with this one! Apparently I should stick with Yezi’s teas because I have liked them all!

When I opened the bag of tea and took a deep inhale, I was not immediately impressed. It smelled like tea.

But then I boiled the water and started to brew this, and wow, it’s gorgeous. The tea is a lovely amber color and the brewed tea smells exactly like the malted grains used in brewing beer. I mean exactly.

When the tea finally steeps and cools, and I take a sip, it tastes like it smells. Any homebrewer or beer aficionado would know this flavor. Grains can be malted a million different ways into colors from light to dark, and flavors from mild to strong. The flavor of this tea was in the mid-range, which happens to be my favorite.

I should have brewed this gong fu style, but I wanted a nice sip while I watched a film, so I used boiling water for around 4 minutes. There was a slight bitterness, but I made a second infusion, poured it into a tall mug with the first (gasp!) and drank it that way. It was excellent and less bitter than the first steep alone.

I also tried adding just a hint of rock sugar, maybe just 1/2 tsp, which cut the minimal bitterness and really let the malty flavor shine.

I didn’t really pick up other flavors, but whatever. It’s probably because I am malt-obsessed, so when that appeared, I didn’t care about anything else. I was thrilled with this tea.

This oolong has a light floral scent and the flavor is green, vegetal, slightly salty/tangy and floral.

I feel some difficulty in picking out specific notes, but the overall taste is rich while still remaining light. It’s a got a nice buttery green feel to it with just a hint of floral. Relaxing without being too heady. It has a Tie Guanyin feel to it but a little less green and more floral and light.

Thank you so much KiwiDelight for a surprise sample of this in our swap!

Wow this is a extremely floral oolong, without being perfumey! It is like a gentle lilac aroma floating on a breeze…sweet and slighty vegetal tasting too. I like it very much!!!

This set is just gorgeous. I wanted a white tea set for gong fu style brewing. The teapot is a little larger than many I have seen. It’s around 8 ounces. The cups are around 1.5 ounces. This also has a 6 oz. tea pitcher, but I mainly just use the pot and cups for now.

The set comes with plum flower cups, but Yezi Customer Service was kind enough to allow me to substitute their other lu yao cups instead. I liked the clean lines better on the “plainer” cups. When I asked about care, I was promptly advised to hand wash with mild soap, and that these sets can also gently be cleaned with a toothbrush. Good to know!

It was harder than I thought to find a reasonably priced gong fu set that was white. I like to really see the color of the tea when brewing and drinking! The porcelain is very smooth and feels almost “soft” to the touch. I love this set and I keep looking for excuses to brew tea in it. Not that I really need one. There are no cons to this set, only pros. It’s perfect! Highly recommend!