Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Jas eTea
Tea Description:
“Snow Dragon” is made entirely from small bud shoots picked in a 3 day window of time when they are just the right size. They are meticulously hand-processed into these tight little curls. When brewed they will open slowly as they dance in the water. The brewed tea is almost totally transparent with a light fruity flavor akin to White tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is such a cool looking tea: the leaves are curled into spirals, and they “dance” while they’re brewing. If you have a glass gaiwan or teacup, I recommend using it to steep this tea so that you can watch them dance!
The dry leaf has a very faint aroma that is vaguely vegetative – reminding me of the smell of the air in the morning after it’s rained all night: clean and fresh and somewhat grassy. The brewed tea smells a little stronger, like freshly steamed green beans. The color of the infused tea is a very pale color – looking much more like a white tea than a green tea.
The flavor is much less vegetal than the fragrance would suggest. Yes, there are some slightly grassy notes in there, but primarily what I’m tasting is a lovely sweetness. It’s a very pure kind of sweetness, it doesn’t really taste like honey or caramel or any of those other comparative terms that I use to describe a sweet flavor. This tastes so natural and clean – like fresh dew or mountain air. This reminds me – again – of a white tea, and not so much of a green tea.
There are the faintest nutty tones in the background that also contribute to this sweetness, or perhaps they are highlighted by it. Either way they work in a synergistic fashion to bring out the best of each.
After the first couple of sips, the sweetness shifts focus to a more fruit-like flavor – apricot? There is a mild astringency to this tea, and the finish is sweet, with a sweet grass aftertaste. It is in this aftertaste that I begin to recognize the green of this tea.
I love how this tea reveals itself in stages, showing first its dewy qualities, and then slowly giving me a little more flavor with the nutty tones. Sometime afterward, the fruit tones arrive. This tea keeps me guessing while giving me new flavors to explore.
What a memorable tea this is!
2009 Yunnan Pure Small Bud from JAS eTea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: JAS eTea
Company Description:
This Yunnan varietal of Black tea is created from highest grade small bud Feng Qing spring season tea. Early spring tea is picked when the buds are still young, the tea is then rolled, briedly fermented and then wok-dried by hand. The flavor is the smoothest of any Black tea I have ever tasted. Since this tea is nearly one year old is in its prime stage for drinking. Yunnan Black tea is best when it is 12 months to 24 months in age.
Taster’s Review:
I’m finding myself a little lost for words right now – which is rather unusual for me! (Yeah, I have been known to be a bit long-winded sometimes.) But, WOW! This tea is so amazing that I’m a little speechless!
The dry leaves are beautiful – gold in color, wispy thin, long and curly. They don’t give off much of a fragrance when they’re dry. When brewed, these lovely leaves create an enchanting golden brown liquor that is mildly fragrant, smelling a little spicy, a little flowery and fruity, and even a little bit earthy.
The flavor is smooth – perhaps the smoothest Yunnan I’ve yet to encounter. There is a light peppery kick to it though, which is something I love about Yunnan teas and have come to expect – and feel a little disappointed when I don’t get that pepper note. Fortunately, with this tea it’s there.
There is a nice complexity to this tea. There is a nice fruity note to it, almost plum-like, but also a bit of apricot… and it almost tastes like a fermented version of these fruits. It is sweet with a pleasant astringency and no bitterness.
Allow this tea to cool just slightly after it’s been brewed (not too much – just to a drinkable temperature) and then, enjoy it as it’s warm. I find that the flavors enhance greatly as I continue to sip it when it’s warm, but, as it gets cold, some of that exquisite flavor is lost. Because of this, I recommend brewing it in small batches (use your gaiwan for this one!) and enjoy it when it’s at its full flavor. It has sweetness to the liquor so you needn’t add anything to it… enjoy it in it’s plain and perfected state!
