Hand Picked Spring Tieguanyin (2012)

Whoops… I added this review to the 2011 previously
{Warning: Long one.. I’m sorry}
I’m going for it tonight. I’ve waited far too long to let lack of sleep get in the way of this tea. I have more to enjoy and try later on anyways. David graciously included a note. I like that very much. It truly shows an appreciation for the customer, and is much more personalized than a stereotypical printed-out ‘thank you’ page. Well, let’s get to it. To be honest – I am nervous. I have such high hopes for this tea and I feel very happy to have the ability to try…Oh man I’m drinking it already. I can’t stop drinking it. I decided to give my leaves a rinse and use traditional brewing techniques. I didn’t have a place to dispose of the rinse water so I just sipped a bit..cause it was sitting there.. (I’m a curious person okay?).. Anyway- I couldn’t stop. I found myself drifting off into a honeysuckle galaxy whilst The Antlers – Rolled Together played in the background. I’m. So. Excited.
- Sorry-.. Back on track.
Dry: The leaves are beautiful. Various shades of a forest green.. the little leaves remind me of little pieces of acrylic paint that have dried. Odd association – but the color and texture remind me of painting. The smell to me is vegetal and strongly floral, with a bright upper note I can’t place right now.
1st steep (2s): Smells very floral up front, but I find an almost vanilla jasmine smell in the background. This tea makes me smile SO much. When I was young, I grew up in an area that had a large forest that I use to play in right down the block from my house. It was honeysuckle heaven in there! This steep brings me right back there as if I had just bit the tip off the honeysuckle and drank out the sweet juice inside. I still get a jasmine note that is very strong in the scent and immediate taste. Ooh I burnt my lip! Darn I am so impatient. Even as it cools it tastes like I’m just drinking a warmed cup of delicious honeysuckle juice. Enough notes on this steep.
2nd steep (2s): Sweetness is still present, though not as prominent. Sparkly flavours on the back and sides of tongue. I do taste a little camomile.. or just a similar sweetness that I find in camomile. Delightful.
I won’t bore you with the (hopefully) 30 other steepings unless there is a major development!
Very yummy and interesting tea so far

Just picked some of this up last weekend, and it’s just what I needed. The perfect way to relax and just be. The taste is light and fresh, a little sweet. One of the best teas out there.

*Thanks to Krystaleyn for letting me know I posted the note on the wrong page. same note as earlier just moved to 2012’s spring pick page.

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While I did say I would be taking a break from detailed notes, I just had to properly review this tea. So here it is, Spring 2012 Tie Guan Yin!

>Dry Leaf Appearance/Aroma
Tightly curled up jade leaves. Smaller in size than most TKY’s I’ve had (consistent with autumn 2011 pick). The dry leaf was very aromatic. Even a single leaf gave a delightful floral fragrance.

>Brewing Method
Gongfu style using a small 6 oz Yixing pot dedicated for Tie Guan Yin only. Using freshly boiled water and short steep time as recommended by Verdant tea (3-6 secs).

>Liquid Appearance
Clear bright golden green.

>Taste/Aroma
My first two cups were delicious. Sugary sweet, floral, and with a nice floral aftertaste that originated from the back of my throat. While the dry leaf was very aromatic, the liquid was not as strong but noticeable when drinking the tea.

On the third cup, the tea became deliciously creamy, with a silky smooth texture that felt very nicely filling your mouth. All this while retaining its sweet floral taste. I noticed this “thicker texture” was more noticeable when the tea was hot, not so much when it cooled off. The fourth cup remained mostly the same. The aftertaste of this tea haunts me as I boil more water, as if my mouth is telling me “more, more, more!”

Surprisingly by the 5th cup, the creaminess is completely gone, but basic taste remains there. I do notice a slight “green” hint but not too bothersome. The 6th cup required a longer brew time, as flavor was getting weaker. Tea was lighter in taste, but still very good.

By the 7th cup, there was no aroma, but the tea was still very tasty retaining its slight sugary sweetness. While I’m certain this tea can take more than 7 infusions, I ended my session there as it is too much tea for me to drink in one sitting.

>Wet Leaf Appearance
I was a little surprised here. The tea contained many broken and damaged leaves, lots of small pieces, and quite a few stems (even found a 3 inch one). Unbroken leaves ranged from really tiny ones to very large ones.

>Overall
This tea was truly a journey. While I only re-steeped the tea 7 times, that was more than enough to convince me of the quality of this TKY. Comparing it to Autumn’s pick I’d say this is truly a better offering. It is very tasty(sugary sweet and floral), creamy, and with a truly haunting aftertaste (something I found lacking in Autumn’s 2011 pick). I did notice that Spring’s 2012 pick was a bit weak on the aroma of the brew, but the amazing taste made up for it. Definitely a must try if you love Ti Kuan Yin!

Brewed per @VerdantTea instructions. Very pale yellow liquor. Big sweet cream aroma. Bordering on warming cream/milk in a saucepan. Reminds me of English custard. Some fruit notes. The flavor is a bit strange as the aromas are also present as flavors. So I almost forget I’m drinking a tea, and I expect a thicker mouthfeel. The tea however has a wonderful texture. Very smooth. Nice floral notes. The aftertaste is drying on the front of the tongue but has a lingering sweetness on the back.

This tea has really grown on me and has developed into one of my favorite teas. Every time a new shipment becomes available, you can count me in for an order. Fortunately I was able to grab some of the last of the Spring edition about two weeks ago before it sold out.

excuisite, refined, elegant aroma.
super smooth, vanilla rice pudding quality.
gentle with no green harshness or grassyness.
good steeping endurance.