After being really impressed by Life in Teacup's Huang Jin Gui traditional style, this one was a disappointment. I experimented a little bit with brewing, but, regardless of how I brewed, compared to that other tea, the aroma of this one is weaker and less pleasant overall.

I also find this tea to have less depth. It is not thin by any means, but it is also not as rich. The flavor is similar: almost no bitterness or sweetness, and a very faint sourness.

Unlike the other Huang Jin Gui, I found that using water close to boiling, and a longer steeping time did not appreciably improve this tea. It also has a soapy quality, like some of the modern green Tie Guan Yin.

All that said, these criticisms are subtle. I definitely did not enjoy this one as much as the other Se Chung oolongs from Life in Teacup, but this is still not a bad tea. To some degree the blandness can be remedied by using more leaf, the only downside is the soapy quality. If you're going to buy this type of tea from Life in Teacup, I'd recommend to go for the traditional style.

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