I reviewed this tea--or perhaps a different batch of it--some time ago on this blog. Here's my latest take.
The dry leaf is typical of a modern-style Wu Yi tea, but perhaps just a bit lighter and greener. The dry leaf aroma is promising, though not terribly strong, with a nice hint of smoke and roast. The wet leaf shows careful processing, and is a bit more green and less roasted looking (the greens are still quite bright) than most light-roast Wu Yi. It looks like spring leaf, but I could be wrong.
The tea liquors up a medium-light amber, somewhat lighter than I typically expect from this type of tea.
The clean, moderately-intense aroma carries a "raw green" Shui Xian varietal character that vaguely reminds me of artichoke and green olive. It's also quite smoky and less fruity than expected.
This is the most "green" tasting Wu Yi Shui Xian I've had. It's clean, distinctly varietal, and well made, but also on the dry side, with less of the stone fruit and honey notes that are fairly typical of Shui Xian. There's also some smokiness in the flavor, particularly in the first brewing. I'm drawn to the subtly complex flavor of this tea, but it may not be for everyone.
The tea does not have a lot of rock character, at least as it is typically expressed in the back of the throat, but the aftertaste is still quite satisfying and fairly persistent, with a distinct wood smoke note.
The dry cup aroma is quite good.
The tea can be brewed a few times, and while later brews are not terribly strong, they taste more pure and less flat than I've come to expect from oolongs of this price.
I like this tea and will probably purchase it again. It's a nice change from the heavier and sweeter rock teas and, at $8.95 for 4 oz., it's quite affordable.
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