In my last post I shared with you some information about Qian Dao Yu Ye.
The dry leaves….
were twisted and ranged in color from light to dark sage and olive green and were quite crispy and tasted and smelt of clover, hay and something a little bit floral. They were quite pretty in my cup.
https://www.topteagarden.com/chinese-tea-leaves/green-tea/qian-dao-yu-ye-jade-leaf/
Brewing…
My first infusion was just for 2 minutes and the water temperature was 175 degrees Fahrenheit. The second infusion was at the same temperature but for about 2 ½ minutes. I know I could have enjoyed several more steeping’s, but I decided that for all intents and purposes two infusions were enough to appreciate this rather unusual Chinese green tea.
In my cup…
the first infusion, the tea had a light floral, fruity scent with just a faint whisper of smoke. The taste was a lot smoother and milder than I would’ve thought. It had a sweetness to it that was quite pleasant. There was a tiny bit of astringency to it that I felt on the sides of my tongue. There was also a tiny bit of grassiness to it, but it was one of the subtler notes. I liked how the grassiness blended smoothly with the fruitiness. The flavors didn’t clash like you might think they would. It had a light body and a silky mouthfeel and left a freshening feeling at the front of my mouth.
The second infusion brought out a little astringency. There was a mouthwatering, almost citrus note, which hung on for a few seconds. Overall, the second infusion had a somewhat flatter flavor. The fruitiness wasn’t as noticeable and it began to take a back seat to the astringent, and to a lesser extent the grassy notes. The aftertaste was probably sweeter with the second infusion.
In the end, I thought that the fragrance of Qian Dao Yu Ye, was unlike any other common green tea. It was very long-lasting and orchid aromatic, and it smelt fresh like newly-sprung buds in early spring. It tasted of a hint of smoke and clover (both the herb and the flowers), and floral spice at the first sip. It lightened to a freshening taste with the taste quickly dissipating, leaving a faint fruitiness and aftertaste of fresh plum. Overall a nice pleasant tea.
But once again, as you know I’m not a green tea fan… so this rated a 4 – . I liked it but would not purchase it again.
Rating Scale
All teas will be rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 for dislike and 5 as love:
- Dislike (I didn’t like the tea and would not repurchase)
- Passable (I didn’t dislike the tea, but I didn’t think it was very good)
- Average (I didn’t find it good or bad and would drink it again)
- Good (I liked it but it and may repurchase)
- Love (I enjoyed it lot and would repurchase)
The ABC's of Tea 