The dry leaf looks a bit jumbled and broken, and has a strong and pleasing aroma, typical of Chinese green tea. Leaf looks dark when dry, and is slightly broken, but quite light after brewing.

Upon brewing, produces an exceptionally smooth cup. Among the smoothest of green teas I've tried in this price range.

Like other mao jian I've tried, this tea had a strong cooling effect, even drinking it hot, but it was much smoother. Very refreshing and clean. Only subtly aromatic, but exceptionally pleasing flavor. Noticeable orchid aroma, even on the second infusion. Surprisingly delicate, although leaving a somewhat dusty finish. Some slightly vegetal tones come out upon drinking most of the cup.

I'm not sure where this mao jian comes from, but it was quite different from the Xin Yang Mao Jian I tried from TeaVivre. Less edgy, but much smoother and more delicate. It's impossible for me to say which one I prefer, because they both had qualities that I like and they were so different from each other.

The bottom line, this struck me as a very high-quality tea. Outstanding value for its price too! My favorite green tea from Arbor Teas so far and among my favorites of all of their teas, a top contender among the best green teas I've tried from any company.

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