Yiwu Snake Blend 2014 spring

Reviewing in 2018, courtesy of phi! Dry leaf is like sugar, spice, and fresh fruits. On rinse there’s…a vegetal note but its like a low note? Steep 1: the lid is like powdered sugar donuts. The tea itself is bitter which gives way to an awesome sweet fruit taste and is THICK :) By steep 2: the lightness and bitterness stepped aside for some musty type flavors but not aged flavors…just more low notes. Steep 3-5 were…uneventful. The tea died… And On steep 6 it actually did come back to life as phi’s review reads (had not read it before I tasted the tea). It is now sweet, strong, thick, complex with a great huigan. Unfortunately it is also very astringent. Not a tea I’d personally order but those of you who can actually handle astringency should probably get on this. Flavors: Bitter, Fruity, Musty, Powdered sugar, Spices

Note: the original review included no star rating — the rating shown was estimated from the review text.

Calm, well balanced tea with floral notes and nice after taste. Good option for every day drinking.

Note: the original review included no star rating — the rating shown was estimated from the review text.

Another delicious and complex young sheng from TeaUrchin! Lots of floral notes, a little fruit in later steeps…I like Yiwu sheng :D

Note: the original review included no star rating — the rating shown was estimated from the review text.

Like other posters I have got tropical fruit in the profile as well as some hay. The hay reminds of the grassy taste I get with bird’s nest drink…available at Vietnamese or other Asian supermarkets. Not a whole lot of stone fruit here…something I would have expected after reading about and experiencing some Yiwu sourced teas. Not a heavy liquor …which I would have appreciated for a tea leaning towards the higher end of the pricing spectrum. No somatic feeling detected during or after my session. No smoke either. Nice longevity with 10+ steeps of interest (brewing 6-8g in my 100ml gaiwan) over multiple sessions. The wet leaf aroma smells like honey and star jasmine flower. Picked up this tea because I was unsure about Yiwu as an area, figured I might as well taste ‘high quality’ Yiwu to see what is like and if this is really an area I should delve further into. The tea overall was pleasant and offered a few subtle taste experiences (I remembering feeling let down when I didn’t take my time with this tea; noticing just a minerally sweetness). At 99 dollars a cake I am going to pass for tea’s of higher or slightly lower caliber. Acquired 30g sample March, 2015 for $9.50 USD.

Note: the original review included no star rating — the rating shown was estimated from the review text.

This tea starts out with a light straw flavor with hints of spice, then gradually shifts to a more woody taste. Each steep is elegant and balanced, with some astringency but hardly any bitterness. I’ve had the tea twice. In my notes from the first session, at 190 degrees, I raved about the cha qi. In the second session, at 200 degrees, my tasting notes were similar with respect to flavors, but I noticed only moderate cha qi. I’m not sure if this is due to the temperature or just my mental state at the time of the tasting. I enjoyed this tea, but it didn’t excite me the way some teas do. At the price, I’m not sure it offers good value, though it seems that you really have to pay for Yiwu tea these days.

Note: the original review included no star rating — the rating shown was estimated from the review text.

This is very complex.. Mildly astringent, for sure. Notes of floral, grassy, and for some reason, I smell roasted peanuts, but I don’t taste it. I really didn’t notice this tea change over time with the steeps. I wouldn’t buy more of this, but it’s still a pleasant experience to be sure.

Note: the original review included no star rating — the rating shown was estimated from the review text.

This beauty isn’t the boisterous loud beauty that it’s sister bulang is… you need a lot of time and focus to really open Yiwu Beauty up. This is one of those rare teas that is best long after you think it’s a goner. A phoenix. The initial steeps are kinda sugary generic yiwu, and around the time you think it is losing flavor… those later long soaks all of the sudden that sugar dusted yiwu is combine with deep fruit flavors. These later soaks is where it really shines. While I wish the initial steeps were more boisterous and thick, this tea is worth taking the time and patience to get to know, because once she opens up she is a beauty. Flavors: Floral, Peach, Plums, Sugarcane

Note: the original review included no star rating — the rating shown was estimated from the review text.

Reviewing in 2018, courtesy of phi! Dry leaf is like sugar, spice, and fresh fruits. On rinse there’s…a vegetal note but its like a low note? Steep 1: the lid is like powdered sugar donuts. The tea itself is bitter which gives way to an awesome sweet fruit taste and is THICK :) By steep 2: the lightness and bitterness stepped aside for some musty type flavors but not aged flavors…just more low notes. Steep 3-5 were…uneventful. The tea died… And On steep 6 it actually did come back to life as phi’s review reads (had not read it before I tasted the tea). It is now sweet, strong, thick, complex with a great huigan. Unfortunately it is also very astringent. Not a tea I’d personally order but those of you who can actually handle astringency should probably get on this. Flavors: Bitter, Fruity, Musty, Powdered sugar, Spices

Note: the original review included no star rating — the rating shown was estimated from the review text.

Calm, well balanced tea with floral notes and nice after taste. Good option for every day drinking.

Note: the original review included no star rating — the rating shown was estimated from the review text.

Another delicious and complex young sheng from TeaUrchin! Lots of floral notes, a little fruit in later steeps…I like Yiwu sheng :D

Note: the original review included no star rating — the rating shown was estimated from the review text.

Like other posters I have got tropical fruit in the profile as well as some hay. The hay reminds of the grassy taste I get with bird’s nest drink…available at Vietnamese or other Asian supermarkets. Not a whole lot of stone fruit here…something I would have expected after reading about and experiencing some Yiwu sourced teas. Not a heavy liquor …which I would have appreciated for a tea leaning towards the higher end of the pricing spectrum. No somatic feeling detected during or after my session. No smoke either. Nice longevity with 10+ steeps of interest (brewing 6-8g in my 100ml gaiwan) over multiple sessions. The wet leaf aroma smells like honey and star jasmine flower. Picked up this tea because I was unsure about Yiwu as an area, figured I might as well taste ‘high quality’ Yiwu to see what is like and if this is really an area I should delve further into. The tea overall was pleasant and offered a few subtle taste experiences (I remembering feeling let down when I didn’t take my time with this tea; noticing just a minerally sweetness). At 99 dollars a cake I am going to pass for tea’s of higher or slightly lower caliber. Acquired 30g sample March, 2015 for $9.50 USD.

Note: the original review included no star rating — the rating shown was estimated from the review text.

This tea starts out with a light straw flavor with hints of spice, then gradually shifts to a more woody taste. Each steep is elegant and balanced, with some astringency but hardly any bitterness. I’ve had the tea twice. In my notes from the first session, at 190 degrees, I raved about the cha qi. In the second session, at 200 degrees, my tasting notes were similar with respect to flavors, but I noticed only moderate cha qi. I’m not sure if this is due to the temperature or just my mental state at the time of the tasting. I enjoyed this tea, but it didn’t excite me the way some teas do. At the price, I’m not sure it offers good value, though it seems that you really have to pay for Yiwu tea these days.

Note: the original review included no star rating — the rating shown was estimated from the review text.

This is very complex.. Mildly astringent, for sure. Notes of floral, grassy, and for some reason, I smell roasted peanuts, but I don’t taste it. I really didn’t notice this tea change over time with the steeps. I wouldn’t buy more of this, but it’s still a pleasant experience to be sure.

Note: the original review included no star rating — the rating shown was estimated from the review text.

This beauty isn’t the boisterous loud beauty that it’s sister bulang is… you need a lot of time and focus to really open Yiwu Beauty up. This is one of those rare teas that is best long after you think it’s a goner. A phoenix. The initial steeps are kinda sugary generic yiwu, and around the time you think it is losing flavor… those later long soaks all of the sudden that sugar dusted yiwu is combine with deep fruit flavors. These later soaks is where it really shines. While I wish the initial steeps were more boisterous and thick, this tea is worth taking the time and patience to get to know, because once she opens up she is a beauty. Flavors: Floral, Peach, Plums, Sugarcane

Note: the original review included no star rating — the rating shown was estimated from the review text.