If I had to sum up my impression of this tea in one word, it would be underwhelming. This has in fact been my experience with most Da Yu Lings. The taste usually doesn’t live up to the high price tag. This tea had a nice relaxing qi to it but isn’t very memorable flavor wise.
The dark green nuggets in a warmed gaiwan bring out a pleasant fragrance of hyacinth, daffodils, and coconut. The first couple of steeps have an almost green apple sourness bordering on astringency. This is complemented by notes of citrus, lemongrass, and balsamic vinegar. Higher temperatures bring out more tartness so to minimize this, keep steeping temperature between 185-190 F. Good viscous mouthfeel and a tingle of balsam in the aftertaste. As the leaves open up, the tea becomes smoother with more florals, a mineral sweetness, and a occasional hint of tropical nectar. The flavor drops off rather early around the 5th steep shifting to a light vegetative taste.
Overall, there was nothing about the flavor that particularly stood out to me. I wasn’t thrilled about the sourness and the other flavors didn’t really hold my interest. Taiwan Tea Crafts gao shans are usually excellent but this tea is a rare miss for them.
Flavors: Floral, Green Apple, Mineral, Sour
