Tie Guan Yin Traditional Style Spring 2011

When brewed, this has a spicy, earthy smell. Smooth with a mildly smoky under-taste. Mildly vegetal green tea taste around the edges. I am not a huge fan of oolong, having grabbed this sample mostly for my mother, but I love watching oolong leaves unfurl! Not something I’d buy again, but only because oolong is not my go-to tea. I’d not hesitate to recommend the tea or the merchant to anyone looking for a good oolong with a smooth, quick and pleasant transaction.

First steep: The smell is very nutty. The taste is smooth and with an upward nut/hay taste in the back of the mouth. The is also a big of green to the flavor around the sides and underneath the tongue.

Second Steep: Much more of a roasted flavor to this one. This one is also more green. There’s also something… maybe floral?… inside the nose when swallowing. Also, a bit of a clover taste.

Third Steep: This one is lighter. The roasted flavor is not in the forefront now but is the main part of the finish, instead. The green is the main taste. The clover taste is there just a bit more, but still faint.

I won’t report further steepings.

This is a very nice tea. Not a buyer for me, but well worth the try. I’d recommend it to others, sure.