One of the final sessions on the year had to be something special. The Rou Gui I had a few days before was really good, so that is why I picked the Huang Mei Gui from Teasenz for this session. I did this session yesterday, but I was so busy that I could only write the article today. So technically speaking, this was the last session of 2020.
Huang Mei Gui
This is a medium roasted yancha (rock oolong) from right outside the protected area in Wuyishan. This means that it is a Banyan tea, and not a Zhengyan tea. Zhengyan teas come from inside the protected area, Banyan teas do not. Zhengyan teas are usually a lot more expensive because there is only a limited quantity available. I do like the fact that they are honest about it and not trying to sell it as Zhengyan tea.
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.
This tea is also described as ‘Yellow Rose’ because it’s supposed to be a sweet and floral tea. If this is the case, I’m in for a treat! Whenever I’m brewing yancha nowadays, I always use a simple porcelain gaiwan because I feel I don’t have the right pot to do the leaves justice.
Tea Tasting
- 3.2g for a 80ml porcelain gaiwan
- Water 99°C
I see fairly large leaves and the colour is very dark brown with a reddish hue. In general, these are some good-looking leaves. The aroma is buttery with a touch of floral sweetness, but the butteriness is dominant. Once the leaves get wet, this changes and it’s more floral. Really pleasant aroma.
Infusion 1 (10 sec): it’s a buttery experience when the liquor enters my mouth. Once this fades, it’s almost as if I have eaten a whole bouquet of flowers. Not one specific flower, but it’s floral in general. The finish and aftertaste are good. It’s not that intense, but the aftertaste is long-lasting.
Infusion 2 (15 sec): the sides of my tongue are producing a lot more saliva when I take a sip of this infusion. The front and top notes of the infusion are really floral. The aftertaste is more buttery. I’m also starting to get a tingling sensation in my throat during this one. This is the sensation that is typical for rock oolongs.
Infusion 3 (20 sec): more floral upfront and the butteriness pops up towards the finish. This one really makes my throat tingle. In short: fantastic infusion! It seems not much is going on, but many small things are happening at the same time, which makes it difficult to describe what it is exactly. The aftertaste is long-lasting and pleasant.
Infusion 4 (25 sec): this one is not buttery anymore, but definitely floral. I also experience a tingling sensation in my throat during this one. The initial aftertaste is not that intense, but after around 30 seconds, it starts to roll in. Sweet, buttery and floral. So good!
Infusion 5 (30 sec): slightly floral from the start and this flows through the infusion into the aftertaste. It seems the butteriness has disappeared.
Infusion 6 (40 sec): the flavours have faded, but I’m still getting some traces of what I experienced before.
Conclusion
The Huang Mei Gui was another great yancha from Teasenz. I have not drunk that many to compare, but I just know that the flavours and throat sensation of this one were fantastic. I really enjoyed the session.
It had a floral flavour profile that was sweet with a prominent butteriness. Delicious!
If you want to try this Huang Mei Gui and other yancha teas, you can order the tea samples over here.
