ZG51: Yellow Tea Imperial

My first time trying a yellow tea. The leaves in the bag are slender and light brownish with some white areas. I steeped this in an infuser mug with water around 180 F for 3 minutes. The leaves, after steeping smell a bit sweet but also like seaweed.

I do think this is pleasant but I’m not really blown away by it. It’s a golden yellow color and has a slighty sweet/nutty flavor profile. There is something mildly oceanic in the aroma of this particular tea. I am enjoying it but I don’t think I will need to rush out and get anymore once I have depleted this sample. Also I think it is great that Upton offers sample sizes on all of their teas, just thought I would mention that! :)

Of course I had to give in and try a yellow tea with my samples. I read a bit on the processing but the leaves look like nothing I could have imagined, their dark brown with cream streaks remind me of elongated sunflower seeds and even seem to have a similar density in the teaspoon. I brewed my first round Tuesday with shorter steeps, worried about the recommended 3 mins and thinking hey why not try this gongfu style albeit in a glass infuser mug. I neednt have worried though as today I am enjoying it with a full 3mins on the first round. The first infusion the other day was a bit more sweet and intense than today’s full yet more dull infusion. There was a really nice cocoa scent that didn’t really deliver much taste wise, but I enjoyed smelling it all the same. There was more nuttiness and yes a seaweed like note that others have mentioned. Today’s session smells like honey (mmm mead) but has a dryness in the finish that came out in later infusions. Second infusion has spice notes. The brewed leaves smell heavenly, taste disappoints. Did not hold up to a third infusion brewed either way.

Whoa, what is this? Yellow tea? I’ve never heard of it so I thought I’d give it a try. The brew is a very light golden color. It reminds me of a gold coin that could use a polish. Since the leaves are quite large, it’s very clear. There’s very little sediment at the bottom and certainly none floating around. The flavor is very very good and has a clean finish. There are virtually no tanins and the mouthfeel is great. It’s not very viscous but it coats the tongue quite well. The front notes are kind of hard to discern; most of the flavor is in the background. You guys have to try this!

Like other reviewers I was not blown away by this tea. It is very light and has a nice sweetness, similar to a silver needle. It is a bit more complex in that it has more “bite” in the finish than a white tea. Still I want something with more flavor.