The dry leaf has a very promising smell, with a nice toasty accent and the aroma of a high-quality, modern-process leaf. The well-twisted leaf is clean, with very few stems, and of mostly moderate length. The wet leaf appears carefully processed, with nice green centers, and rust edges and splotches. It is advertised as spring leaf, and looks like it.
The tea brews up a medium amber/orange and possesses an aroma rather typical of a modern, light-roast-style oolong. It's clean and quite aromatic for Shui Xian, with clearly varietal character, and a nice balance of fruit, floral, and toasty components. It may not be quite as complex or honeyed as the best of the breed, but this tea is not far behind.
The quality shows clearly in the flavor as well, with typical Shui Xian flavor and a nice balance of fruit, floral, and roast. It's fairly gentle and smooth on entry, with a nice grip before the swallow, a spike in Shui Xian flavors at the swallow, and a mild astringency at the back of the throat that anchors the persistent aftertaste. However, unlike a typical old bush Shui Xian, this tea can be a bit aggressive and show astringency if you steep it too long or at too high of a temperature. It seems to perform best with water off the boil.
The aftertaste is pretty darned good, sticking around quite a while. The roast and smoke notes are more prominent here than in the aroma and initial flavor.
The dry cup aroma is surprisingly good.
You can brew this tea several times.
Well, it should be quite clear that I'm impressed with this tea. In short, this is a very good, relatively inexpensive example of a modern-style Shui Xian. Sure there are Shui Xian that are a bit smoother, a bit more honeyed, a bit more complex, and that can be brewed a few more times, but overall this one could compete favorably with most anything labelled as a premium ban yan Shui Xian. Great selection Scott.
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