Our senses and preferences are all different, so I hate to declare winners and losers based on my perceptions and biases, but I will. I found these Mao-Jian-style teas to be quite similar and I would not be terribly surprised if mistook one for another in a blind tasting. Any would be a good choice for a moderately-priced tea for frequent consumption.
My two favorite teas of the bunch were the Tai Mu San and the Special Dao Ren. While the Yun Wu tea did not make my "subjective" top two, I think it was clearly the highest quality tea of the bunch. Both of the Strand teas provided surprising quality for the money. The Upton teas were good too, just not as good a value.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Special Dao Ren (Upton Tea Imports)
Upton doesn't call this tea a Mao Jian tea, but I think it fairly qualifies as one. The medium-sized dry, wiry leaf is a healthy medium-dark green. The wet leaf shows tender medium-sized leaf segments and buds, and produces a medium yellow-to-yellow/green liquor. The tea's aroma is full but in no way garish, with clean hay and grass aromas and a hint of nuttiness. It has a medium body, is noticeably sweet and smooth, and a little grassy. It's refreshing and goes down far too easily. The aftertaste is clean, lightly sweet, and just above average in length. The first infusion is charming, the second nice, and the third useable.
This is a relatively sweet, refreshing, and graceful tea that, while somewhat more expensive than some of the competition, is nevertheless worth its price ($9.80 for 80g) in my opinion.
This is a relatively sweet, refreshing, and graceful tea that, while somewhat more expensive than some of the competition, is nevertheless worth its price ($9.80 for 80g) in my opinion.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Tai Mu San (Strand Tea Company)
This organic tea is described as coming from a small farm in the "Wuyi mountain region", but I'm fairly sure it is actually from the Taimu (Tai Mu) mountain area near Fuding, considerably east of Wu Yi Shan and quite close to the coast. If so, it is in good company, as this area is well regarded for its various white, green, and red (Bailin) teas.
The dry wiry leaf is fairly small and aromatic. The wet leaf shows a blend of small whole and medium-small cut leaf with a generous amount of medium-small buds. The yellow-to-yellow/green liquor has quite a few floating tea hairs and a fairly full aroma that is soft, round, and pleasant. It reminds me of fresh, sweet hay. This tea is notably full in the mouth, with more viscosity than any of the other Mao Jian teas reviewed in this segment. Overall, the taste is clean, balanced and comforting. The aftertaste has an above-average intensity and persistence, with a nice tang that carries it for some time. My first two steepings were very nice, and the third was still quite flavorful, if not quite as clean.
This Tai Mu San tea offers excellent quality for the price ($7.95 for 4 oz.) There are pricier teas that provide somewhat more nuance, complexity, and sophistication, but few that beat this tea's comforting, mouth-filling tastiness.
The dry wiry leaf is fairly small and aromatic. The wet leaf shows a blend of small whole and medium-small cut leaf with a generous amount of medium-small buds. The yellow-to-yellow/green liquor has quite a few floating tea hairs and a fairly full aroma that is soft, round, and pleasant. It reminds me of fresh, sweet hay. This tea is notably full in the mouth, with more viscosity than any of the other Mao Jian teas reviewed in this segment. Overall, the taste is clean, balanced and comforting. The aftertaste has an above-average intensity and persistence, with a nice tang that carries it for some time. My first two steepings were very nice, and the third was still quite flavorful, if not quite as clean.
This Tai Mu San tea offers excellent quality for the price ($7.95 for 4 oz.) There are pricier teas that provide somewhat more nuance, complexity, and sophistication, but few that beat this tea's comforting, mouth-filling tastiness.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Yun Wu Supreme (Strand Tea Company)
Yun Wu (Cloud Mist) teas are a generally made in the Mao Jian style, but are grown at high elevations where clouds and mist blanket the mountainsides. Teas grown in such environments tend to have a very clean, pure, tight, and crisp taste. I've included this tea with the Mao Jians, because for all intents and purposes it is one.
Compared to the other teas reviewed in this category, this tea has the smallest and most wiry dry leaf. The dry leaf smells quite fresh and is pleasantly aromatic. The wet leaf shows primarily leaf pieces from medium-small leaf with some whole medium and whole smaller leaf and a generous number of small buds. The liquor brews up a pale yellow-green and is aromatic, yet in a restrained sense (if that makes sense). It's a little grassy, slightly vegetal (spinach?), and a bit floral. In the mouth the tea comes across similarly, being a little grassy, a bit floral, somewhat sweet, and flavorful in a tight and pure way. Overall, it's balanced with a tendency toward astringency. The aftertaste is clean with a moderate intensity, and a light cleansing astringency that is followed by a tang that persists quite some time. You can get two very nice steepings from this tea, a third that is still fairly pure tasting, and a fourth that, while noticeably weaker, hasn't yet turned "dirty".
This is a very nice, flavorful tea with some finesse and a dose of high-mountain character. There are Mao Jian teas with somewhat more dimension and nuance, and others with more strength and body, but if you are looking for a fairly pure tasting Mao Jian at a very attractive price ($7.95 for 4oz.), give this one a try. Perhaps it's the large number of buds in the mix, or perhaps it's something else, but whatever, this one delivers a stimulant buzz. It wouldn't be my first choice for a bedtime drink.
Compared to the other teas reviewed in this category, this tea has the smallest and most wiry dry leaf. The dry leaf smells quite fresh and is pleasantly aromatic. The wet leaf shows primarily leaf pieces from medium-small leaf with some whole medium and whole smaller leaf and a generous number of small buds. The liquor brews up a pale yellow-green and is aromatic, yet in a restrained sense (if that makes sense). It's a little grassy, slightly vegetal (spinach?), and a bit floral. In the mouth the tea comes across similarly, being a little grassy, a bit floral, somewhat sweet, and flavorful in a tight and pure way. Overall, it's balanced with a tendency toward astringency. The aftertaste is clean with a moderate intensity, and a light cleansing astringency that is followed by a tang that persists quite some time. You can get two very nice steepings from this tea, a third that is still fairly pure tasting, and a fourth that, while noticeably weaker, hasn't yet turned "dirty".
This is a very nice, flavorful tea with some finesse and a dose of high-mountain character. There are Mao Jian teas with somewhat more dimension and nuance, and others with more strength and body, but if you are looking for a fairly pure tasting Mao Jian at a very attractive price ($7.95 for 4oz.), give this one a try. Perhaps it's the large number of buds in the mix, or perhaps it's something else, but whatever, this one delivers a stimulant buzz. It wouldn't be my first choice for a bedtime drink.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Yishan Hairpoint Imperial (Upton Tea Imports)
The Upton description for this tea is a bit heavy on the superlatives, so I just had to give it a try. Besides, how can you pass up the opportunity to try an "Imperial" tea that costs just $9.80 for 80 grams? Anyway, I opened my tea sample at my decidedly downscale "Imperial Court" and this is what I found.
The medium-to-long twisted dry leaf is a fairly uniform medium-dark color. Once wet, it appears to be made of primarily medium-sized whole leaf, with a few smaller whole leaves and several pieces of larger leaf. The leaf is joined by a fairly small percentage of buds, at least in my sample. The quite aromatic liquor has a pleasant, clean, and slightly vegetal aroma with a mineral note and a medium yellow-green color. In the mouth the tea is balanced and smooth with a pleasant vegetal taste that finishes on a sweet floral note. The aftertaste is moderate in intensity and a little better than average in length, but it seemed just a bit flat to me. With sufficient leaf, this Mao Jian makes a nice second steeping, and a third that's still decent.
This is a good Mao Jian that is arguably a notch better that Upton's Gu Zhang tea and it is certainly one I could enjoy on a regular basis. Unfortunately, Upton's glowing description raised my expectations too high and left me expecting slightly more.
The medium-to-long twisted dry leaf is a fairly uniform medium-dark color. Once wet, it appears to be made of primarily medium-sized whole leaf, with a few smaller whole leaves and several pieces of larger leaf. The leaf is joined by a fairly small percentage of buds, at least in my sample. The quite aromatic liquor has a pleasant, clean, and slightly vegetal aroma with a mineral note and a medium yellow-green color. In the mouth the tea is balanced and smooth with a pleasant vegetal taste that finishes on a sweet floral note. The aftertaste is moderate in intensity and a little better than average in length, but it seemed just a bit flat to me. With sufficient leaf, this Mao Jian makes a nice second steeping, and a third that's still decent.
This is a good Mao Jian that is arguably a notch better that Upton's Gu Zhang tea and it is certainly one I could enjoy on a regular basis. Unfortunately, Upton's glowing description raised my expectations too high and left me expecting slightly more.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Gu Zhang Mao Jian (Upton Tea Imports)
This Gu Zhang tea from Upton is, by a small margin, the least expensive of the Upton Mao-Jian-style teas reviewed in this series of posts. The moderate-to-long twisted dry leaf has a distinct, fresh "dark green" aroma. The wet leaf shows a combination of medium-sized whole leaf, torn larger leaf, and moderately small buds. The liquor has a pleasant, clean, and fairly strong aroma with sweet grassy and chestnut notes. Its taste is pleasant, clean, and quite flavorful with little of the coarseness that can show up in full-flavored teas at this price. Medium bodied and well balanced, there is just the slightest hint of flatness. The aftertaste is moderately long and pleasant. This tea produces a very nice first steeping, a good second steeping, and not much after that.
Overall, this is a good, solid tea that pairs well with food and should appeal to those who prefer flavor over finesse. Attractively priced at $5.20 for 60 grams, it offers good value, but there are similarly-priced Mao Jian teas that offer somewhat higher quality.
Overall, this is a good, solid tea that pairs well with food and should appeal to those who prefer flavor over finesse. Attractively priced at $5.20 for 60 grams, it offers good value, but there are similarly-priced Mao Jian teas that offer somewhat higher quality.
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