61 Tasting Notes
I’m honestly shocked how good this sencha is, given that Japanese tea is not at all Moychay’s specialty. Nice thick texture, and the flavor is intense but not at all bitter; kind of one-note sweet grass, but I don’t mind that. It can stand up to boiling water, too, and the price (as with most things at Moychay) is very reasonable.
Flavors: Apple, Grass, Sweet, Warm Grass
This was the first loose (well, cake) tea I drank after a week of teabags and it was like night and day. And the bagged tea wasn’t bad! But this puerh was just such a multisensory experience, nothing from a supermarket can compare. The flavor is rich and deep, the texture is thick, it’s got a cooling aftertaste like menthol but a generally warming vibe – reminded me why the shipping time from China is worth it. I like to leaf this hard, but that’s my MO with ripe puerh in general.
Flavors: Cherry, Dark Chocolate, Menthol, Oak
I don’t often drink sheng so I don’t have much means for comparison, but I liked this one. A mild flavor with fruity undertones, tangy but not bitter. Really smooth and easy to drink, reminds me of the smell of rain somehow. A good way to start a chilly morning.
Flavors: Apricot, Hay, Yuzu
Spring 2021 version. I think I originally ordered the pure bud Bi Luo Chun but was sent this one instead, but I don’t mind because it’s great. What struck me was an intense dark chocolate flavor, to the point I wondered if I’d accidentally spilled cocoa powder in my teapot somehow. Very sweet and long-lasting flavor that handles lots of resteeping. Hard to go wrong here.
Flavors: Brown Sugar, Chocolate, Grapes
Nicely satisfied my craving for shu today, but nothing particularly unique about this tea. Very woody (physically, too, loosely compressed with lots of stems), with a little bit of a sweet aftertaste. The price is certainly right, though.
Flavors: Caramel, Mushrooms, Wet Wood
I received this as a sample and enjoyed it, but I don’t think I’ll be buying more for myself. Reminds me of white2tea’s “A&P” dianhong, but I liked this one quite a bit better. The flavor is strong and bitter, both savory and fruity in an interesting way. Noticeably thick texture. I do enjoy these little coin formats, they travel nicely and fit perfectly into the teapot!
Flavors: Grapes, Hops
It’s been a while since I got the chance to sit down and spend a while with a tea, I’m glad I found the time for a quiet morning with this one. Highly sweet and syrupy, a little lighter in color and flavor than I expected, with faint floral overtones. It’s not as intense or striking as some of w2t’s other lapsang options, but with a few tasty subtleties I enjoyed paying attention to.
update: I made the vegan chocolate cake from Smitten Kitchen’s website using this instead of water and it was delicious.
Flavors: Honey, Lavender, Maple Syrup
I almost don’t want to review this one because I don’t want to encourage anyone but me to buy it! But the spirit moves me to say this is the perfect tea, at least by my lights. It’s not the best at any one thing, neither the flavor nor the aroma nor the texture is perfect, but they all balance each other so well they combine into something perfect. It’s lightly sweet but also sour, it’s strong enough to keep me awake but doesn’t hurt my stomach, it’s easy to break into pieces and easy to brew, and it never disappoints. I’ve tried other shous with chenpi, including samples of other white2tea shous, and although I enjoyed them all none was as perfect as this.
Flavors: Caramel, Citrus, Molasses, Wood