Ethan Loke Send Message

For the longest time, I’ve struggled with tieguanyins. Whether their flavour balance is wrong, or they are too sharp and vegetal, or they lack depth in texture and aftertaste. This tea however really ticks most of the boxes for what I want in a tieguanyin. This tea is the definition of a really good and balanced tea.

I got the Autumn 2021 harvest of this tea from my recent Teavivre order. This tea has the distinct softness and nuance of a autumn oolong tea. Beautiful, vibrant handmade leaves, and honestly the handmade inconsistency of the leaves make this tea look even better. This tea also has a complex aroma with a rich and thick liquor. The flavour is sublime, balanced to perfection with the right amount of acidity and sourness with the buttery creaminess and verdant vegetal notes to round it off. The texture is out of this world and I’d rate it a 11/10. Dryness and astringency at the front of the mouth, juiciness on the sides and at the bottom and a light twang of bite at the back. There is this rising wave of florality in the texture as you drink this tea, making the texture and experience of this tea an all-rounder that exceeds expectations.

Beautiful, refreshing finish with a balanced character and a noticeable warming cha-qi. This tea also managed to last 9-10 steeps, which is pretty darn good if you ask me. With all the good things, there are some areas to improve as well. I wish that this tea had more pop to the flavour and that for the flavour notes to last for longer. This tea could do a bit more in terms of aftertaste and complexity of the taste, and a richer aroma would make this tea top notch.

Best tieguanyin I’ve ever had thus far, and it really deserves its “nonpareil” title. A bummer that I only bought the sample, definitely will need to buy more in the future. The price as well, such a deal for such a good tea!