After drinking the 2020 Yiwu Yao Zhu Di from Essence of Tea, it was time to drink the other tea I got in December 2020 as a part of the tea club: the 2020 Yiwu San Jia Zhai. If this tea is of the same quality as the other one, it will be a delicious session.
2020 Yiwu San Jia Zhai
The 2020 Yiwu San Jia Zhai was one of the two teas I received in December 2020 as part of the tea club. The leaves come from a less famous garden in the Guafengzhai area. Generally, prices from this area can be very high, especially when it’s from the most famous gardens. With this tea (and the other one from the tea club), they found a good balance between price/quality.
Tea Tasting
- 6.1g for a 140ml LQER Wuhuini teapot
- Water 99°C
I see massive leaves with a dark brown colour. There are also some stems and dark beige buds. The aroma is not that different from the Yao Zhu Di. I’m getting strong notes of dry wood and something vegetal. Once the leaves get wet, it becomes sweeter with a touch of grapefruit.
Infusion 1 (15 sec): this one has a light beige colour. It tastes how you expect a good young sheng to taste. Gentle on the tongue and the flavours slowly enter the body. The energy is more focused towards the back of my throat. It stays there for a while and it also has a very long aftertaste. It’s fruity and a tiny bit sweet.
Infusion 2 (20 sec): it looks medium thick and really juicy in my cup. It feels fruity right from the start and the energy quickly goes to the back of my throat. It’s fruity with a touch of freshness. The aftertaste lasts really long and is more complex than the actual infusion.
Infusion 3 (25 sec): after brewing this one, I wanted to smell the leaves again and I’m instantly reminded of what spring smells like. The infusion itself doesn’t feel too different from the previous one and it’s still focused on my throat. I feel the top notes of the fruitiness are becoming more noticeable and delicate. The aftertaste is still really good. A few minutes after swallowing, there is a fruity explosion in my mouth.
Infusion 4 (30 sec): the colour is becoming more yellow. I boiled some fresh water so it’s possible that this affects the brew. I feel the same flavours are present, but there is a prominent freshness as well. This freshness mutes the top notes of the fruitiness and it even adds a fresh touch to the aftertaste. I’m going to use cooler water for the next one…
Infusion 5 (35 sec): the colour is lighter again and I’m curious to see if the cooler water made a difference. Big difference as the freshness has disappeared completely. The flavours are a bit less intense but it’s still enjoyable. The fruitiness has lost some of its top notes and has become deeper. The aftertaste is still going strong.
Infusion 6 (40 sec): the flavours have faded a bit more. I still feel traces of a really nice day in spring. Once the liquor is gone, the aftertaste shows itself and is almost as intense as during the first infusions.
Infusion 7 (long): more of the same and it’s more intense again because this infusion was really long.
Conclusion
The 2020 Yiwu San Jia Zhai is a fruity tea with an impressive fruity aftertaste. The energy and flavours really stuck to the back of my throat, especially in the early infusions.
Teas like this one make me long for spring even more so I really hope it doesn’t take long before we get warmer temperatures and better weather in general.
Unfortunately, you cannot buy this tea at the moment. You can become a member of the EoT tea club to receive teas like this one in the future. You can subscribe here.
