A bold-flavored green tea producing a pale-colored cup with a brisk character. Very enjoyable and easy to brew and drink.

The dry leaf has a tightly curled appearance, a lot like Bi Luo Chun but more irregular. It's very fragrant and strong, grassy and somewhat smoky, with a hint of bready qualities. The smell suggests a strong-flavored tea.

The cup has a surprisingly pale color in the cup, even when brewed strongly: it reminds me a lot of Anji bai cha. Contrasting with the light color, the cup is full-flavored and moderate-bodied. Brisk, deep, and has a multifaceted aroma, fruity, vegetal, and with a hint of smoke. It smells a bit like a peach, but the flavor is nothing like a peach. Yunnan Sourcing describes this as "nutty" and while I wouldn't think to describe it that way, I can see this when I think about it.

Flavor is slightly bitter, and lightly tangy. Lightly astringent through the sip, but leaving a clean sensation on the palate. I find the bitterness in this tea is of a very pleasant type.

If I drink a lot of this tea at once, it produces a tingly sensation in my mouth.

I liked how I felt after drinking this. It seemed moderately caffeinated, but also had a calming effect. It seems to have less of a cooling effect than some green teas. I normally drink more green tea in hot weather, but I can see enjoying this in winter too.

This tea was unfussy and easy to prepare. I found it little-affected by brewing temperature. It can become more bitter with longer steeps, but this is less of an issue because I found its bitterness pleasant. I always got two steeps out of it, and it would probably work well with gongfu brewing.

Like everything from Yunnan Sourcing, the price is great on this one.

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