The cold days are over and we are having a few days of spring here in Belgium. Let’s hope spring is right around the corner so we can drink more of those refreshing teas and new harvest in a few months. I thought the 2014 Fengqing Ancient Trees from Vin-Satori would be a perfect tea for today because the other ones (2007 Lan Ting Chun Yo Ji Cha and 2009 Hou You 9026 Sheng) were really good.
2014 Fengqing Ancient Trees
As you can tell from its name, this tea is from 2014 and comes from Feng Qing; Xiang Zhu Quing to be precise. It’s produced by Mr Li Yu Lu, who got the leaves from an ancient garden with many wild and ancient trees.
Don’t know where to buy tea online? I made a list of over 300 online tea shops and I keep updating it regularly. You can check it over here.
The forest where this tea comes from is located at an altitude of around 2000m. I also think it’s nice that not a big quantity is produced each year (supposedly only a couple of kilograms). On paper, this looks like a really interesting tea so I’m curious to experience it and to feel if it’s as good as the other ones.
Tea Tasting
- Water 99°C
- 6g for a 140ml LQER Wuhuini teapot
These are some very wild leaves. Rather large leaves (and some stems) and they have a dark olive green colour. The aroma is really fruity with hints of exotic fruits. There are also some traces of dry wood, leather and some spices. In general, this one smells summery (if this is even a word).
Infusion 1 (15 Sec): the colour is light yellow and it reminds me of lemon juice. The infusion itself is gentle and silky. It feels delicate but the flavours are fairly prominent already. It feels like drinking lemon juice, but without the typical lemon sourness and only with the fruitiness of lemons. It’s difficult to describe, but it’s good. This fruitiness goes on into the aftertaste.
Infusion 2 (20 sec): it’s similar but it has become more complex. I’m getting something sweet and fruity and some hints of leather are also coming through. Such a gentle tea while offering some intense flavours. The finish of this infusion is fruity and sweet. This is also noticeable in the aftertaste and I’m also getting some leather.
Infusion 3 (25 sec): this one is really refreshing! It’s sweet with strong notes of exotic fruits. This flows through the infusion into the finish and stays around for the aftertaste. So pure, silky and delicious.
Infusion 4 (30 sec): the fruitiness has changed a bit and it feels rounder and deeper. Just like their other teas, you get a taste of summer when drinking this tea. It feels a bit less sweet, but the fruit lasts longer. There is a deep and exotic fruitiness in the aftertaste.
Infusion 5 (35 sec): similar to the previous infusion but it’s not as intense. I will do a longer infusion after this one. It’s still fruity, but it went from exotic summer fruits back to the citrus notes from the start (without any sourness).
Infusion 6 (long): it is a darker yellow and the flavours are back at it again. I’m getting citrus fruits that go on into the aftertaste; still really enjoyable. It is fruity and it feels like walking through a field of orange trees. After a couple of minutes, an intense sweetness starts forming in my throat.
Infusion 7 (long): similar to infusion 6; fruity, sweet and summery.
Conclusion
This was another fantastic tea from Vin-Satori. Just like the other ones, this one felt like summer.
It started out with fruity notes of lemon, but without the typical lemon sourness. It felt delicate and silky while offering so much flavour. Towards the end, the sweet and fruity notes changed a bit and I got some hints of oranges.
If you want to try this tea, click here.
