Last year, I was subscribed to the white2tea club and the 2019 Green Hype was featured in June. I did a session back then, when it was fresh out of the factory and I have also done a couple of sessions in between. However, I did not do more than 5-6 sessions so I thought the time was right to do a check up to see if something has changed since I got it.
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2019 Green Hype
The 2019 Green Hype is a sheng puerh that was pressed in 2019. It consists of blended material from 2019 and some aged maocha (unfinished tea). I already talked about this last year, but this combination is supposed to offer a more complex taste than a sheng puerh with only fresh material.
I see a mixture of medium-sized leaves, twigs and some buds. The colour is mainly dark brown and dark olive green. The aroma is something sweet with a light hint of citrus.
The wet leaves are floral with a hint of citrus. The colour has changed and it’s a lighter green. I see a bit of everything because I did not only pick out the larger leaves from the cake.
Tea Tasting
- Water 90°C
- 5g for a 100ml Zisha teapot
- 1 rinse
- 6 infusions
Infusion 1 (15 sec): by just looking at how the liquor flows from my teapot, I get the impression that it’s really thick. First sip feels silky and delicate. The flavours are subtle. No harshness, only a very light sweetness with a subtle bite to it. The aftertaste is almost fruity!
Infusion 2 (20 sec): flavours are more intense and the bite from the previous infusion has moved to the front. It’s not really bitter, but it’s something that counters the underlying sweetness. Aftertaste is sweet and a tiny bit fruity.
Infusion 3 (20 sec): no big changes from the previous infusion. It is, however, a bit sweeter now. Even though it’s sweeter, I’m also getting some citrus towards the finish. The aftertaste is a bit astringent.
Infusion 4 (20 sec): the underlying sweetness is still there. The aftertaste is a bit astringent and the bite from previous infusions is also popping up in the finish and aftertaste.
Infusion 5 (30 sec): again, no big changes and it’s mostly the same as the previous infusion. I feel that sweetness is still there, but a sharper note is showing itself towards the finish and especially in the aftertaste.
Infusion 6 (40 sec): the sharp edge has become bitter now and it’s dominating this infusion. There is a tiny hint of fruits, but it’s hidden beneath the bitterness. Aftertaste is astringent and slightly bitter. After the initial aftertaste (if there is such a thing), I experienced the sweetness again.
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Conclusion
The session started out really well because I got a sweetness and even some fruity notes. I already felt that there was a sharper edge, but it did not break through in the beginning. This changed towards the end, when the sharp edge became bitter and dominated the final infusion. It’s OK, but I won’t drink this every day. The punch in the beginning was a nice touch because it offered something more than just sweetness, but it became a bit too much towards the end, in my opinion. I will definitely taste it again next year and write an article about it so I can keep track of the changes that occur.
I did not really experience the green flavours I got last year and the sweetness also changed. Last year, the sweetness was noticeable more towards the end, while it’s the early infusions that are a lot sweeter this year. That is why last year, the longer I was brewing the tea, the more I enjoyed it. This year, it’s the other way around as I liked the early infusions better.
