220 Tasting Notes
Spring 2025: Fantastic complex black tea. Of its many qualities, I think its nuttiness stands out to me most, as evidenced by the very nutty aroma when you open up the pouch. Also with oaky notes, some chocolate, malt, hints of plum, a nice leathery feel, and an “autumn leaves” aftertaste that lingers a bit after each sip.
It didn’t strike me immediately just how nutty this tea is until I mixed it 50/50 by weight with the 2023 Yunnan Sourcing “Ku Zhu Shan Hong” Black Tea Cake – The nutty notes of this tea plus the grapey notes of the cake combine to make an amazing PB&J black tea blend!
Preparation
Spring 2025: Bought this based on the recommendation of Leafhopper – Thanks, Leafhopper! Definitely a strong sweet potato aroma/taste going on here, ocassionally veering a bit into chocolate territory – both milk and dark chocolate. But, interestingly, there is also a winey element peaking its head out once in a while, with definite grapey notes but more of a sweet white wine type quality rather than a deep red. A whiff of osmanthus florals here and there, but not overly floral to me. An unusual tea with a lot going on!
Preparation
Dry leaves smell smoky and you get a bit of the “old library books” smell, too. Brews up to a pleasant and savory mushroom broth, with “medicinal” top notes – spicy cinammon/anise/fennel-type notes, but slightly transformed into the medicinal taste that only seems to be found in some aged puerhs. Oak at the front of the sip, and, despite the smoky smell, not really that much smoke in the cup at all.
Preparation
Spring 2025: Definitely some of the largest-leafed green tea that I’ve ever brewed, the dry leaves are impressive and formed into longish wrinkled strips of dark green and silver. Interestingly, the dry leaves give off an aroma of tropical fruit.
Brewed up, the aroma transforms into a more familiar green chestnut type of scent, and you get a strong cup of green tea. The light tropical fruit notes shimmer on the front end of the sip, but quickly give way to a balanced but thick, nutty, and lightly sweet potion which lingers a bit and fades a few seconds later. Surprisingly, not any bitter edge to this green tea! I was expecting more of a fight from a pure Assamica large-leafed Yunnan green tea, but this is a smooth and pleasant ride all the way through.
Preparation
This sheng has notes of tobacco and slight smoke with some apricot fruitiness hiding in the background. There is more going on, too, but kind of subtle and difficult to describe. I can feel maybe some orchid-like florals and some herbaceousness going on, with parsley notes and maybe just a whiff of mint. A friendly sheng without much of a bitter edge to it. A little bit of citrus rind bitterness in the mix. The tobacco and smoke notes are lighter and easy to confront.
Preparation
Having enjoyed this tea a few more times, I’m noticing chamomile florals at the of my sips, which is nice. Might have to up my rating a bit as this tea unravels its complexities for me. Not exactly a stunner from the first sip, but it definitely has layers of interest to it.
