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this delicate green is hard to explain to anyone who hasn’t had it before. it’s both steamed like a japanese green and pan fried like a chinese green. the resulting flavors are a hybrid of vegetal body with sweet and nutty notes making each infusion crisp on the end of your tongue. for me this tea is a special occasion or a once in a while tea. not an everyday staple like a dian lu or a da hong pao. it also makes each brewing more enjoyable and savorable. I’ve been drinking a lot of Mao Jian recently and that’s comparable flavor wise. Mao Jian is more buttery and sqaushy though. this style of curled greens is really nice this time of year

This light and floral tea is a tightly rolled oolong that is durable like an ali shan but maybe even sweeter. the flavor held strong even after 8 infusions in a pot. this is my go to tea right now so hopefully i won’t go through it too quick.

This year’s Bao Zhong is exceptional! it has the sweetness almost to the level of an Ali Shan!. not cuite as complex or durable as Ali, but a good backup in case you don’t have time to appreciate every Infusion of a rolled oolong. it’s good that this is so good this year because the Tung Ting has been a little disappointing. normally the TT is the alternate for Ali but the flavor has been kinda flat. the subtle textures don’t linger like they should. In the Bao Zhong however, they do. a light candied aroma fills the air after I add my leaves to the warm teapot. the first sip is a quick and brisk. it tastes of the first snowfall after a thaw. crisp then warming the body to complete the journey from teapot to mouth.

I love puer and this is a great season for it. i prefer cooked puer for the most part, with the exception of my fav (lau shu) this tea is probably my second favorite cooked puer behind Zhao Li Qiao. it has a sweetness lingering amongst the earth. the infusions remain strong, with the best being 4-12

wowza. this is an interesting one. it has some similarities to maybe a feng huang, slightly fruity but not overpowering citrus. it’s a smooth concoction that reminds me of a hot toddy to some extent…except this won’t help you get to sleep.

This tea makes me want to nap. it’s warm and soothing. love puer and having that little sweetness from the flowers makes a an herbal cherry to my tea sundae.

oh hello, Ya Bao, haven’t seen you in a while. these fluffy pine cone-like (tea?) leaves are remarkable. you can’t really brew this tea wrong. brew it cold, boiling, 80, it has slightly different flavoristics for each brew but it’s still close to that initial pineyness. it can be re infused many times as well. maybe it’s a puer? maybe it’s a white, maybe it’s just its own varietal. not sure, but i think it’s quite special.

This stuff is gold right now. this tea shines in your cup like no other. the dry leaves give off an aroma of a fall wind. when the leaves are put into my warm gaiwan, the smell is like a light roasted pinecone. as i take my first sip I am overcome with the sweet taste of fresh snowfall and a strong bouquet of mountain air. while the tea has some delicate tendencies like a fresh first flush darjeeling, I find the Kuwapani has a more nutty undertone and maybe even a slight butterscotch sprinkle on top. Perfect for pre-hibernation tea.

Dragon Eyes! these little balls are deceivingly sweet. as they unfurl in your cup the flavor broadens to almost a Dian Lu Eshan tyoe of smokiness. light, and refreshing even at it’s strongest infusion.