Nannuoshan

I had this one yesterday and went to leave a review. Had it almost all done and switched into a different screen to do something else for only a minute. When I went back it was gone! I didn’t have time to redo so I’m getting it in today.

This was a really fluffy white tea. That little bag was really packed full to get it all in!

This tea made me think of a spring day. It was light and refreshing with a light floral aroma. There was the typical hay notes I often find in whites along with cucumber notes (which is what made it so refreshing). Even though this tea was light , it still had lots of body. The colour of the brew was amber.

A very enjoyable cup of spring. I just want to say too, that I’ve never before brewed whites at these higher temperatures. The results have been great and I want to see now how some of my other whites in my cupboard brews at that temperature.

Almost through all the samples now. Thanks Nannuoshan for some great teas!

Sipdown (115)!

Thank you Nannuoshan for the review sample!

It was really amazing being able to do a Gong Fu session with her because I don’t typically have people over for tea other than family and Tre (who is pretty disinterested) and, up until quite recently, I didn’t even have the proper brewing vessels to share the same tea with someone; no pots, Gaiwans, and otherwise. Just tools for matcha or Western brewing.

I’m sure I could have gotten more infusions from the leaf because the flavour wasn’t really even starting to fade when we stopped steeping; but we stuck with four because we had ordered food for supper an it had just arrived. And greasy Spinach, feta and banana pepper pizza didn’t seem like it’d go too well with a nicer oolong like this one.

Started with a quick wash; was surprised how much the leaves had started to open up just from the really short amount of time they were steeping. The smell was amazing; lots of mineral notes, just a smidgen of earthiness, a little sweet. Very lovely, and interesting.

First Infusion:

By far the most mineral tasting, with a pretty roasty body flavour as well as some stronger loamy, earth notes. A touch astringent; not much. There was just a little bit of sweetness poking through; like dried apricot maybe? For a tea named after cinnamon, I was definitely expecting that flavour though I definitely didn’t sense any in this first infusion. I think this was my least favourite infusion – though that certainly doesn’t mean it was bad; far from it.

Second Infusion:

My favourite infusion! Still had roasty and mineral notes, though less so. Accompanying these notes were the sweetness of walnut with a little bit of a drier mouthfeel from the tannins in the time. It was a nice astringency, though (while I usually dislike all things astringent; I have come to expect at least a little astringency with nearly every nut flavour in tea- hazelnut being the exception). A bit more than in that first steep. Didn’t taste anything particularly earthy this time around; and the fruity note was a lot stronger. Still reminded me a little of apricot, but a little peachy as well and definitely more of a fresh, ripe flavour than the flavour of dried fruit. Some cinnamon notes in the background; still less than I had anticipated. The leaves were almost completely opened up.

Third and Fourth Infusion:

I’m grouping these ones together because they tasted almost identical to me. Leaves were completely open for both. Hardly any roasty or mineral flavour at all, but a lot more walnut and cinnamon. Maybe even maple notes? The bulk of the flavour was made up by a very, very sweet borderline syrupy peach flavour. Really fresh, ripe and natural. And, I’m wondering if it’s the sweetness of the peach that’s making me think of maple as an extension of the walnut notes? A few fun floral notes in the background as well.

This was my first Rougui, though I have another variation from Nannuoshan to try still and I’m quite excited for it given how much I enjoyed this one. I’ve also got another from a different company, and I look forward to trying that one after I’ve finished with my Nannuoshan reviews; those are definitely more of a priority for the time being.

This definitely seems like a tea type right up my alley though; there wasn’t any part of it I disliked so I’ll probably explore it further once I’ve finished up what’s in my cupboard. Sharing it with a good friend made it better too; though part of me wishes I hadn’t so I could’ve drank all the tea…

Having this one this morning. I’ve tried a few different brew techniques since I got it but not having a lot of success. The tea smells so fresh and fruity from the bag but doesn’t taste as good as it smells when I brew it. So far, the best I’ve gotten it has come from the Grandpa method. I’ve had other Bi Luo Chun’s that brew pretty easy. I wonder why this one is so finicky?

I was so excited to try this Bi Luo Chun but it was not quite what I was expecting.

Dry the leaves smelled a bit fruity , a bit faint- just a whiff.

It brewed up with lots of colour – a nice amber colour. The elements that make me love Bi Luo Chun were all there. It has a sweet mossy taste with fruity notes ; however it wasn’t very strong. It was just too light (barely there ) for me. I didn’t increase the brew time because I didn’t want this to go bitter. It actually wasn’t bitter for me, one of the things I was a bit worried about.

In my opinion Bi Luo Chun is one of those teas that is at it’s best in the first 6 months or so. This is still a good quality Bi Luo Chun ( I see it was picked in Spring 2014 ) and if I had enough of it I would double the amount of tea in brewing to bring out more flavour.

I used gong fu brewing for this so I’ve still got enough to try again with a bit longer steep.

I western brewed this in my red cast iron tea pot today to share with Hubby.

It didn’t look like enough tea for a pot (especially since whites are very fluffy) but I trusted Gabriele that it was right (and it was). The leaves were white and furry covered.
When infused they turned a bright green.

This brewed up a light golden colour. It reminded me of a cross between a black and white tea. First there was that malty flavour that is always part of blacks along with sweet honey notes. A bit lighter were hay & wood notes and under that was a milky creamy flavour. This tea brewed well at a higher temperature (even higher than green!) with no bitterness- very full bodied but light.

I would consider getting this one. I just loved it (Hubby liked it too).

A Yunnan silver needle. Interesting. I have yet to meet a Yunnan I didn’t love.

The buds, as others mentioned, look like silver needle but not. They look like golden tips but not. What makes this different is the downy fur covered buds are straw color. They are so soft to the touch.

The dry scent immediately says Yunnan. It’s part leather, pepper, and hay.

After about a 30 second steep at 195 F this looks colorless until poured. In the cup it seems a grayish or possibly green tinted honey.

The taste is everything I love about Yunnan tea. Absolutely no bitterness. It has a warm earthy flavor that lingers between leather, cave mineral, slightly mushroom, and loam. It almost has a smoky presence but I am pretty sure white tea is not fired to halt oxidation.

After sipping this I realized I have sampled something similar in the form of white puerh.

Ah, so this is melon seed tea. I had never heard of this tea before and did some searching about it while I was enjoying it.

The colour of the leaves I have are not quite like in the picture. Mine are quite dark, still green but looking almost black. I could smell a bit of spinach off the dry leaves.

The brew is a yellow colour. Not dark and not light – just yellow. It was grassy, a bit spinach & vegetal. The spinach & grassiness added that umami feel to it. There was also a slight nuttiness I always get from the Chinese green teas but wasn’t very strong in this one. What stood out more was the grassy flavour and that wasn’t overly strong like in Japanese teas but strong for a Chinese tea.

The first cup was excellent but in later brews the bitterness started creeping a bit into this tea. That was fine with me since I don’t always want plenty of infusions of every tea.
I’ve only had this one and Jin Shan Shi Yu so far and at this point I like the Jin Shan Shi Yu better than this one . This one is lacking the strong nutty/sweetness that the other had.

My first Nan Nuo Shan tea! And great to start off with green.

Dry the leaves are a dark green, very tiny & curly. They reminded me a bit of Mao Jian but much greener and more curled.

I actually used the gong fu method instead of western brew since the instructions for western brew would give me way too much tea.

Brewed up, it was a very light yellow colour. Taste was grassy & smooth. It reminded me a bit of some Japanese teas with a good umami . I could also pick out chestnut and it was lightly sweet. This falls into a lighter green and is one of those teas you could sip on a long time without getting a caffeine rush. I really enjoyed this one.

Sipdown (123)!

My Nannuoshan samples came in! Hooray! This was the first of the four I decided to try out; I know they offered to send more than that out to a person, but I knew I wouldn’t have time to review more than four promptly for them, so I limited the ones I requested. I picked out one silver needle – one of my favourite straight tea types, as well as two darkers oolongs for operation “explore more oolongs this year” and the one Pu’Erh they were offering, to explore that tea type a little further as well.

With all the samples coming in lately (Tea Ave. and Nannuoshan) as well as birthday stuff, I’m impressed that I’ve managed to balance drinking new teas and old teas as well as keeping my cupboard from puffing up. I’ve been hovering around 120 teas pretty consistently! And that’s a good number for me.

I enjoyed my first pot (both pots were done Western style) of this one early into the afternoon with my Dad; it was cool actually getting to pull out my tea set and share it with someone instead of just drinking on my own which is what I usually do. I should offer to share tea with Tre more often; as long as I’m brewing up something fun and flavoured he’s usually fairly interested if I don’t try to teach him about it.

I wish I’d asked my Dad’s impressions on this one; he has a history of not liking white tea at all and I’m wondering if, the more I serve it to him when he visits, that’s changing at all. He did have two cups of it though, so I know he didn’t hate it. That’s pretty high, even if unspoken, praise from him – when I made him Teavivre’s Jasmine Silver Needle he wouldn’t even finish one cup.

I found the first pot had a very soft, milky taste with a light floral edge to it which was really enjoyable. I know it was placebo, but the milky flavour made the tea liquor seem thicker and creamier to me. In the finish, I also noticed a bit of citrus flavour. While, apart from the creamy, milk note that made up most of the body flavour, the flavours in this tea were much more generic I think I liked this infusion just slightly more than the second.

I’m just finishing up my second pot now; there’s definitely a difference in flavours although there are similarities too. Most of the milky flavour has faded, though it’s still there as a supporting note, and the citrus flavour now reads to me as decidedly more lemony and is present in the body of the sip and not just the aftertaste. The floral note has become a little harsher, and is the first thing I’m noticing as I sip. It’s a little too strong for me. I’m also getting some camphor notes, which I didn’t notice in the first pot. Not sure I’m loving them.

Overall, I think this is a pretty good tea – though I chose not to continuing steeping after the second infusion because I felt the direction the flavours were heading was not one I would have been able to speak too favorably about. In particular, I like the milky/creamy flavour and the way the lemon/citrus intertwined with it.

Thank you Nannuoshan for the sample!

o Quantity: Full sample packet/ 110ml
o Water temperature: 100°C
o 5-7 infusions: 5-20 sec.

Stream of consciousness notes (ie. Don’t think too much, don’t care about grammar, just write what you are experiencing as you experience it)
o Dry leaf aroma: prunes, raisins, sharp sweetness, camphor is overshadowed by fruits, camphor notes are more prominent when aired out
2 sec wash
o Throat: camphor and then plums, faint hint of maple syrup, sugarcane sweetness
o Wet leaf aroma: prunes at the forefront and then a faint amount of camphor
o Liquor color: medium light tan – bit of red
o Liquor aroma: warm cream and honey first mixed with a faint amount of camphor, followed by a faint amount of prunes, sweetness is not sharp
o Taste: Incredibly mellow, notes of camphor hit first and then prunes, the overall sweetness that coats the mouth is from the honey and cream notes that are very faint. Medium body. Medium length. the camphor note lingers the longest and remains in the throat.

o Will do latter infusion notes at a later date. (My body is not used to young sheng as I typically consume it for medicinal purposes.)

o Final thoughts: This is the last tea that I tried from Nannuoshan. I am so incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to try such a vast variety. Thank you very much, Gabriele!

o Quantity: Half the sample packet/110ml
o Water temperature: 90°C
o 3 infusions: 45, 60, 60 sec

Stream of consciousness notes (ie. Don’t think too much, don’t care about grammar, just write what you are experiencing as you experience it)
- Dry leaf aroma: tcm (traditional Chinese medicine) stores (herby, sharp, earthy, musty… it’s a very distinct smell that is only found in those shops… ugh… I know that this is not a helpful description for those who have not been), dried fruit, roots, mushrooms, faint amount of sweetness, incredibly powerful aroma overall
- Dry leaf aroma in heated gaiwan: the tcm store smell intensifies, and there is a faint amount of cocoa added
2 sec wash
- Throat: sweet pastries and baked bread, sharp sweetness, a hint of caramel
- Wet leaf aroma: tcm store smell followed by a softer note of fresh pastries
- Liquor color: medium red with a bit of with brown
- Liquor aroma: soft sweetness, a faint note of the tcm store followed by sweet pastry note, and a faint note of milk chocolate
- Taste: pastry note hits first followed quickly by the tcm store, however, it is more faint than the pastry, that note then fades into bread, malt, and a hint of cocoa. mouthfeel is slightly oily. medium length. no astringency. medium body. overall sweetness lies between sharp and warm/soft. it’s not a strong sweetness but it does coat the mouth and is present during the entire sip.

- 2nd infusion aroma: the note of milk chocolate is stronger in this steep. Overall very little degeneration in aroma and consists of same notes of first steep.
- 2nd infusion taste: the tcm store note is barely noticeable, the notes of cocoa and malt are stronger and blend into the upfront pastry note quickly. body seems a bit thicker.

- 3rd infusion taste: tcm store note a bit stronger than in the last steep, everything else is almost identical

- 4th infusion taste: all notes have been muted, pastry note is mixed seamlessly with the tcm store note, bread and malt notes are faint, overall a very light steep, the tcm store note lingers longest

- Spent leaf aroma: wet bark mostly followed by the tcm store note, a tad of sweetness and baked bread

At some point, I will come up with a list of what the strongest aromas in a tcm store are in an attempt to better describe this tea.

o Quantity: Half the sample packet/110 ml
o Water temperature: 90°C
o 5 infusions: 30, 30, 45, 45, 60 sec

Stream of consciousness notes (ie. Don’t think too much, don’t care about grammar, just write what you are experiencing as you experience it.)
o Dry leaf aroma: aroma is powerful, immediately, expansive, dark chocolate covered raisins, very sweet caramel, a faint amount of floral. when allowed to air out more, a chocolate flavored sugar candy arrives at the forefront
o Dry leaf aroma in heated gaiwan: dark chocolate covered raisins – so incredibly sweet, though almost single noted
o 3 sec wash
o Throat: semi-sweet chocolate, caramel, then fades into creamy milk chocolate – very sweet and a bit warm in its sweetness, a faint amount of pecan
o Wet leaf aroma: prunes mixed with milk chocolate, faint amount of wet bark
o Liquor color: light to medium brown, leaning more red than yellow, it has a bit of opaqueness to it
o Liquor aroma: intensely soft creamy milk chocolate, dried fruits, small amount of chocolate covered raisins, larger amount of caramel. the sweetness is not overwhelming
o Taste: creamy milk chocolate first, hint of floral in the middle, ends with dark chocolate covered raisins and a bit of cream. raisin and milk chocolate notes linger longest. oily and slightly creamy mouthfeel, expansive in the mouth, throat is refreshing and length is long, no astringency at all, no notes of typical roasting

o 2nd infusion liquor aroma: almost no noticeable degeneration in aroma, a sakura (cherry blossom) note is present now that mingles with the rest.
o 2nd infusion taste: first cream and milk chocolate and then a small amount of chocolate covered raisins, middle of sip has a note of creamy honey, mouthfeel is more creamy than oily, no astringency, long length, coats mouth in milk chocolate and faint amount of raisins, raisin note seems to get stronger towards the end of the sip

o 3rd infusion liquor aroma: very very slight degeneration. Otherwise the notes are the same as the previous infusion.
o 3rd infusion taste: addition of hot water aroma, notes of chocolate covered raisins are most prominent, mouthfeel is less creamy, first hit is milk chocolate, caramel, and raisins which moves to chocolate covered raisins that expand in the mouth, length is still long, no astringency

o 4th infusion liquor aroma: almost identical to steep three’s aroma
o 4th infusion taste: chocolate covered raisins and cream hit first, the candy note lingers longest and the addition of milk chocolate comes in the middle and fades into the candy note, not incredibly complex, mouthfeel is thinning out, no astringency, length is long

o 5th infusion liquor aroma: degeneration increases a bit but still just as sweet and soft
o 5th infusion taste: hot water note hits first and then chocolate covered raisins, cream and milk chocolate hits in the middle. the milk chocolate lingers longest. the throat is more refreshing, no astringency, mouthfeel is creamy, body is medium to thin

Though only five infusions are suggested, I went ahead and did two more infusions. The first was for two minutes the last was for three minutes and thirty seconds.
o 6th infusion liquor aroma: aroma has the addition of liqueur to it
o 6th infusion taste: notes very similar to the fifth infusion

o 7th infusion taste: all notes are the same as the sixth infusion, however, they are all muted, it could still be considered a steep, but an incredibly light one.

o Final thoughts: Incredibly unusual in a positive way, the chocolate covered raisin note mixed with the warmth of the sweetness is something that is not common

o Quantity: Half sample pack / 110 ml
o Water temperature: 100°C
o Several infusions, 60 seconds each.

Stream of consciousness notes (ie. don’t think too much, don’t care about grammar, just write what you are experiencing as you experience it)
o Dry leaf aroma: Sweet roasted nuts, dried fruits, huapia (Hawaiian coconut pudding), a bit of molasses, the freshly roasted tea note arrives at the forefront when the tea airs out a bit
o Dry leaf aroma in heated gaiwan: Roasted aroma intensifies and overshadows the other notes, sweetness is sharp
o Throat: roasted nuts, sharp sweetness, hint of stone fruits, some caramel
o Wet leaf aroma: cooked fruit, roasted leaves, dull sweetness reminiscent of a fruit liqueur
o Liquor aroma: Huapia is upfront, followed by cream, almond milk, and honey.
o Taste: light but complex and with deep notes of huapia and toast, fruit notes appear in the middle, huapia note lingers the longest. small amount of astringency at the end. medium body. medium length. mouthfeel is a bit dry. soft sweetness. honey notes appear towards the end.

Notes on the remaining infusions:
o Was able to do four infusions after the first. The fifth infusion was incredibly faint.
o Aroma changes: More roasted aroma than any other aroma
o Tastes changes: Mouthfeel is a bit more creamy. The notes of huapia and fruit vanish quickly, sweetness also vanishes quickly.

o Spent leaf aroma: figs and dates, wet leaves, small amount of minerals

o Quantity: Half sample pack / 110 ml
o Water temperature: 200 F
o 4 infusions: 60, 60, 90, 90 sec

Stream of consciousness notes (ie. don’t think too much, don’t care about grammar, just write what you are experiencing as you experience it)
o Dry leaf aroma: immediate mineral notes, wet rocks, a hint of floral, some sweetness and a note of honey, when allowed to air it is much sweeter and has an additional note of sugarcane
o Dry leaf aroma in heated gaiwan: strong and sharp wet mineral notes are at the forefront then accompanied by floral notes
o 1 sec wash
o Throat: warm (ie. soft as opposed to sharp) sweetness and a bouquet of flowers that fades into sugarcane
o Wet leaf aroma: sharp mineral note, then a wet rock note that covers the floral notes in the background
o Liquor color: medium brown that leans more to red than yellow
o Liquor aroma: butter upfront and then cream and flowers, warm sweetness
o Taste: mineral and concord grape notes hit first with a small amount of upfront astringency and then are overshadowed by the floral notes which is where the sweetness lies, the middle of the sip has a short note of cinnamon, the sip ends with a bit of cream that lingers, the mouth is coated in a bit of a mineral note and very faint amount of flowers, body is thin, length is long.

o 2nd infusion liquor aroma: light mineral notes mixed with floral notes and a faint amount of cream, small amount of bread
o 2nd infusion taste: mostly minerals and flowers up front, a small amount of bread in the middle, less astringency than first steep, however the astringency lingers and coats the mouth

o 3rd infusion liquor aroma: warm sweet cream over the mineral notes, floral notes intermingle with both, has less depth
o 3rd infusion taste: the mineral note is very soft, the overall sip is a bit sweeter, floral makes up most of the notes and then cream, a small amount of astringency shows up at the end, sip is a bit drying

o 4th infusion liquor aroma: bread notes are more upfront, followed by notes of flowers, very minimal mineral notes
o 4th infusion taste: bread notes hit first, followed by cream and a faint amount of floral, less astringency at the end of the sip than in the third steep, length is short, cream note lingers longest

o Spent leaf aroma: hot water, then bread, and finally a faint amount of flowers

o Quantity: Half sample pack / 110 ml
o Water temperature: 90°C
o 3 infusions: 60, 90, 90 sec

Stream of consciousness notes (ie. don’t think too much, don’t care about grammar, just write what you are experiencing as you experience it)
o Dry leaf aroma: Sweet, sugar based candy with the faintest hint of cherry flavoring, background note is mineral, foreground is a creamy sugar note that is airy but bold. Other notes detected are honey, a hint of coconut, a hint of caramel, and some roasted nuttiness mixed in and buried within the sweetness. A faint hint of cotton candy is noticed when leaves are allowed to air out.
o Dry leaf aroma in heated gaiwan: light roasted note added on top of the notes above, dark cherry note added, as well.
o 1 sec wash
o Liquor color: brown that borders on tan, has a tinge of yellow. medium in value.
o Throat: soft sugar cane, faint cherries, faint caramel, incredibly sweet
o Wet leaf aroma: wet rocks, minerals, fresh greens, faint amount of flowers
o Liquor aroma: very warm and deep aroma of honey, cream and butter, faint fresh and overly buttery pastries, small amount of caramel
o Taste: minerals are sharp and hit first, not astringent, body is thin, mineral notes become more faint as notes of cream, honey, and caramel hit, small amount of floral notes hit towards the end of the sip. medium length and is more cooling than warming, overall mouthfeel is creamy

o 2nd infusion taste: you can tell immediately that the complexity has diminished a bit from the first infusion, same notes are present but with the distinct hot water aroma note added to it

o 3rd infusion taste: minerals evolve into a faint amount of honey, butter and flowers, mouthfeel is still creamy, medium length and even more cooling, overall the notes are not as strong, can detect a very small amount of cherry appearing at the end of the sip, no astringency

o 4th infusion taste: incredibly soft and smooth, all notes are faint – notes of butter arrive first and then minerals that remain for the entire sip, and honey makes an appearance close to the front but vanishes. overall a relaxing steep and not complex

o Spent leaf aroma: floral, minerals, wet leaves, mostly minerals.

o Quantity: Half sample pack / 110 ml
o Water temperature: 90°C
o 4 infusions: 60, 60, 60, 90 sec

Stream of consciousness notes (ie. don’t think too much, don’t care about grammar, just write what you are experiencing as you experience it)
o Dry leaf aroma: sweet bark, sweet cinnamon, floral, honey, faint minerals, a faint amount of cedar
o Dry leaf aroma in heated gaiwan: strong addition of charcoal, dark spices like clove, finally cinnamon hits – all other notes from before are muted. Overall it is sweet, but the roasted note is stronger than the sweetness.
o 1 sec wash
o Throat: strong charcoal – indicative of a heavily roasted tea like a gui fei, hints of stone fruit, sweet and faint cinnamon, sweetness of sugarcane and then honey
o Wet leaf aroma: strong minerals, hint of charcoal, hint of fresh earth, wet green leaves, small amount of cinnamon at the end
o Liquor color: Medium tan/brown with a tinge of red
o Liquor aroma: aroma is faint but cinnamon is detected first, minerals are next and are almost overshadowing the cinnamon, honey sweetness is detected in a deep breath
o Taste: notes evolve on the tongue. pleasant oily mouthfeel, mineral notes linger as do cinnamon notes. The cinnamon lingers in the throat for a while as the mouth is coated in a sweet, mineral note. Sweetness hits first when the tea hits the mouth, quickly moves to minerals with a faint hint of flowers and a stronger note of cinnamon. Very smooth – small amount of astringency comes with the mineral notes. Medium to thick body.

o 2nd infusion liquor aroma: cinnamon sugar that mingles with the mineral notes seamlessly
o 2nd infusion taste: mouthfeel is creamy and oily. throat lingers with minerals and cinnamon. mineral notes hit first when the tea hits the tongue, quickly mixed with a bit of cinnamon and creamed honey. Smooth, however, there is a very apt and very small amount of astringency. Body is medium. Length is long and warming from the cinnamon notes.

o 3rd infusion taste: First notice the difference in astringency, it is gone from the second steep. All over, it does not evolve like the previous steeps, instead the notes mingle. Body is medium. Length is long and warming still but the notes are incredibly faint. Notes are of minerals, a faint hint of cinnamon, and a faint amount of flowers – the notes have a small amount of sugar cane sweetness to them. Notes are distinctly not as bold as the first two steeps.

o 4th infusion taste: Incredibly faint. Notes of winter honey, a bit of spice, and minerals. Evolution on the tongue goes from sweet, light, and creamy due to the honey notes to a small bite of astringency with mineral notes. Body is medium. Length is shorter than the previous steeps.

o Spent leave aroma: hay, minerals, wet earth, honey

o Final thoughts: After all four steeps, I would say that one and two are the most flavorful and complex. The third is interesting due to its lightness and lack of astringency.

The third white tea from the Nannuoshan collection. Good white tea will age well and mature in flavor. You do not need to finish it off in a hurry if stored well. This one is from 2008. In the dry leaf I catch a complex blending of scents. This is leafy and deeply earthy. There is a touch of sour mixed with sweet. I also catch the fragrance of hay with floral overtones.

The leaf is very dark compared to their younger, Bai Mu Dan offering. It looks more mature with silver buds covered in fine downy hair. The leaves have only a slight hint of green. Mostly they are darker shades of brown, looking more like black tea at this point.

A 30 second steep in 195 F water results in a liquor that is clear with only a light tinting of yellow. The leaf remained mostly on the top of the water during the steep. After emptying the teapot, the leaves can be seen as chocolate brown and cinnamon.

The aroma is very suggestive of a black tea. Along with the leafy and peony floral notes, I detect a healthy dose of malt.

Tasting, there is a green leafy note up front, followed by a touch of ginger without the heat. After this, it turns a mellow mineral, followed by a mystery taste. It isn’t really potato. I am thinking maybe water chestnut, but not really. What is that familiar flavor?

Second cup, also at 30 seconds, had a plum aroma as I poured. The taste continues where the first cup left off with the addition of a peppery spice note up front. This cup also has a pleasant peony taste.

Cup three was steeped for 45 seconds. Weird, it is back to having a malty aroma with a much lighter plum note. This tastes much like the second, except the spicy note is much less pronounced. The plum that I caught in the aroma is also drifting in to the taste.

Sorry getting long winded. I’ll finish by saying this seems to pack a lot of cha qi. I feel warm and fuzzy, very mellow, yet very focused.

My second white tea from the Nannuoshan collection. The dry leaf aroma has sweet and slightly sour notes of fresh cut hay. My sample had very little settling so the leaf is mostly intact, long and straight. The leaf is light green to olive, while the buds are silvery and covered in fine downy hair.

A 30 second steep produces a very light yellow liquor. The tiny fuzzy hairs are seen throughout the mug. Once the tea cools for a moment the fuzz all settles to the bottom leaving an otherwise clear brew.

The wet leaf scent matches perfectly my memory of mom’s peony bushes that bloomed outside my bedroom window when I was a wee lad. I have honestly never caught this before in a white peony. So, much love.

Sipping I get a light melon/cucumber taste. There is some amount of floral notes that are more in the background. The longer I sip the more I pick up on the slightly sweet hay noted in the dry leaf aroma.

I veered off course with the second cup and steeped for 1 1/2 minutes instead of the recommended 45 seconds. The flavor is more intense but I learned I really prefer the shorter steep taste. The brew is a much darker golden color with a green tint. The flavor seems to match the first cup but as I mentioned is more intense. It is accompanied by a peppery spice note at the front of the sip. I catch fleeting glimpses of fruit. It seems to jump back out of range before I can fully lock in on it and identify exactly what type fruit.

I have enough for another session with this one. I intend to stick with the recommended time and temps.

I chose to review Nannuoshan’s white tea collection. This first one, Xue Ya, seems controversial. I’ve seen versions of Snow Buds listed by other companies as white, yellow, and green teas. This one from Yixing is long straight green leaf with silver haired buds. The dry leaf scent is slightly sweet, and equal parts grassy and oats.

The first steep was 30 seconds. The liquor has very little color, just a hint of yellow. The green wet leaf has an aroma suggesting stewed meat to me, Mmmmm. Along with it is a vine like aroma.

The taste is mildly sweet. It is sort of grassy, but the taste is bigger than that simple word. It has a bite that is bitter, but stay with me, the bitter is the crisp refreshing type that is pleasing to the palate.

The second cup at 45 seconds is very different. The good bitter of the first cup is moved to the aftertaste along with some grassiness. The sip itself has a strong umami presence with an almost metallic bite. My cup was empty before I realized, so obviously I enjoyed it.

The third cup at 60 seconds morphs once more. The aroma is quite vegetal, seeming more like a Chinese green tea. The taste is a combination of flavors. I get earthy/mushroom, mineral, umami, and grass. The aftertaste is cooling while tasting lightly sweet, and a good bitter grass.

I do like this one. To my tastes it seems more like a green tea than a white. I can see why the debate rages on.

Oh no! I wrote this tasting note a while back but forgot to post it. Sorry about that Gabriele.

The dry leaves a large and twisted, in different shades of pistachio, brown, and reddish. Wonderfully fruity lychee aroma with mineral and nut notes, slightly boozy.

The first brew has notes of pistachio, dried cherry, and a fairly strong mineral note. Slightly roasted. Medium orange infusion

Subsequent infusions gain a fragrant wood note and moderate sweetness. The mouthfeel is nice and thick and lingering taste and aroma. Slightly bitter with a hoppy flavor. Very hearty and reminds me a bit of a good beer.

Like all the samples I received from Nannuo Shan it was a very fine tea, and I am grateful for the opportunity to try them.