Category: Yellow Tea

  • Méndǐng Huáng Yá Chá, 蒙顶黄芽茶, Mending Yellow Bud Tea

    C. sinensis var. Sichuan Xiao Ye Zhong, small leaf; Ya’an Mountain area, Mending Shan, Sichuan, 1000m; Spring Equinox, 2020, single bud, hand roasted by Tea Master Lìu Wànchèng, yellow paper wrapped, yellow tea process. #TodaysTea#今天的茶#JīnTiāndeChá#Tea#茶#Chá.

    The dry leaves a single buds around 1.5cm long with brown, yellow, green, and silver tints, and have a herbal, nutty, and unscented white rice aroma. The wet leaves are uniformly yellowy-green in colour, have a fat and spongy texture, along with a vegetal, cooked peas aroma which fades to a mild sweetness when cool.

    3.3g of dry leaf was steeped in 120ml od water for 20-30sec.@80-90deg. C. The brewed tea liquor is a pale yellow colour with almost no scent; In the mouth the tea is viscous, and syrupy, with a malty or honey-like, lingering sweet finish which tapers to a mild astringency, while the taste is vaguely like the dry leaf aroma, malty, with elusive nutty rice notes, and retronasal touches of honeysuckle, lemon, and orchid.

  • Méndǐng Huáng Yá Chá, Mending Yellow Bud Tea

    2021, Spring pre-Qingming; var. Sichuan Xiao Ye Zhong, small leaf; Ya’an Mountain area, Mendingshan, Sichuan; single bud, hand roasted by Tea Master Lìu Wànchèng, yellow paper wrapped, yellow tea process; 1000m. #TodaysTea#今天的茶#JīnTiāndeChá.

    Infusion: pre-steam, 3g in 150ml for 15-20sec.@90-95deg. C

    Dry leaf aroma: buttery, nutty, and hints of unscented white rice;
    Wet leaf aroma: fresh, steamed snow peas, with a bright, high, elusive note;
    Liquor: very pale straw colour, with a vague buttery, almond scent;
    Mouthfeel: viscous, syrupy, stimulating, with a lingering sweet melon finish;
    Taste: creamy, buttery, with nutty, toasted/puffed rice notes, and subtle, retronasal maltiness.

    Opinion: Preparing this tea today I tried a technique for Mogan Huangya: pre-steaming before the first wash. The leaves are placed into an infuser above some 90deg. C water for a short period of time to steam then they are washed, followed by first infusion. Looking back my tasting notes, this year’s tea tastes and drinks differently from last year, it seems to have a more earthy, mature character. It’s very pleasant to drink.

  • Méndǐng Huáng Chá, 蒙顶黄茶, Mending Yellow Bud Tea

    2020 & 2021. #TodaysTea#今天的茶#JīnTiāndeChá.

    I just recently took delivery of a 2021 Handmade Yellow Tea from Sichuan. I still have tea left over from last year, so it’s a great opportunity to compare the same tea from the same farm and the same tea master, where the difference is one year to the next. Happy!

  • Mén Dǐng Huáng Yá Chá, Mending Yellow Bud Tea

    #todaystea – 2020, Spring Equinox; var. Sichuan Xiao Ye Zhong, small leaf; Ya’an Mountain area, Mendingshan, Sichuan; single bud, hand roasted by Tea Master Lìu Wànchèng, yellow paper wrapped, yellow tea process; 1000m.

    Dry leaf aroma: herbal, nutty, and hints of unscented white rice;
    Wet leaf aroma: sweet, herbal;
    Liquor: pale yellow with almost no scent;
    Mouthfeel: viscous, syrupy, with a malty or honey-like, lingering sweet finish;
    Taste: like the aroma, elusive, malty, with elusive nutty, rice notes, and retronasal touches of honeysuckle and lemon.