Tea Reviews
Independent, structured tasting notes across Chinese tea and selected infusions.
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Search the review titles, summaries and topic tags below. Combine a tea type with a year or producer name. A year matches the review text and tags, not its publication date; details not recorded in a summary may require the full review.
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2021 新益号 金冰岛 (Xin Yi Hao Golden Bingdao)
Eight infusions of 2021 Xin Yi Hao Golden Bingdao: earthiness, herbal sweetness and a silky middle, with a welcome reason to slow down. Personal enjoyment: 6.5/10.
Bama Jin Jun Mei (八马茶业): Flowers, Silk and a Savoury Turn
Eight infusions of Bama Tea’s 2026 Jin Jun Mei: thick floral aromas, silky sweetness and an unexpected savoury turn. My personal enjoyment score: 6.4/10.
2024 澜沧古茶 0085 景迈山熟普: Monk Fruit or Paper?
A nine-infusion tasting of 2024 澜沧古茶 0085 景迈山熟普: clean aromas and silky texture give way to medicinal-root bitterness, papery flavour and a drying finish. Provisional rating: 3.8/10.
2004 茶王树 (Cha Wang Shu): Charred Furnace-Baked Apple
Ten infusions of the raw Pu’er labelled 2004 茶王树 (Cha Wang Shu) 千年易武古树野生茶: wood, smoke and muted apple, with a side-by-side comparison to a purported 2003 7542. Packaging claims and tasting observations are kept separate.
Dayi Jin Zhen Bai Lian: A Memory of Monk Fruit
An eleven-infusion Jin Zhen Bai Lian tasting: thick tongue coating, earthy monk fruit, caramel and nutty sweetness, with a childhood memory and a provisional comparison to Dayi 7572.
Bama / Xinjihao 黑金岁月 Ripe Pu’er Review (2019 Material) — Three Profiles in One Cup
Bama Tea / Xinjihao (信记号 / 信記號) 黑金岁月 (Heijin Suiyue), made from 2019 material. A twelve-infusion ripe Pu’er review with a 6.1 g mini cake: smooth liquor, throat cling and three separate bitter-savoury/herbal, shou and sweet profiles. Includes packaging details and a careful Dayi 7572 comparison.
Dayi 7572 (2101): From Dry Earth to Chicken Congee
A fifteen-infusion tasting of Dayi 7572, batch 2101: dry earth and flower petals develop into thick, warm broth and chicken-congee associations before fading into a lightly sweet herbal soup.
1994 K100 Tie Guan Yin — Learning to Read an Old Book
Bookshelf, thick old book cover, aged pages and soothing woody dust. Nine infusions of 1994 K100 Tie Guan Yin, approached as a first study of a tea I am still learning to read.
Mengding Huangya (蒙顶黄芽) — Sweet Corn, the Whole Plant, and a Sweeter Ninth Infusion
Sunflower fragrance turns to sweet corn, then corn core, roots and leaves. Ten infusions of Mengding Huangya yellow tea, with the sweetest surprise arriving at Infusion 9.
2021 Jingmai Raw Pu’er — Orchid Petals, Sweet Liquor and Morning Dew
Orchid-petal bitterness stays on the tongue while the liquor turns sweet. Eleven infusions of 2021 Jingmai raw Pu’er finish with mashed fresh leaves, morning dew and unripe-plum sweetness.
2024 Lancang Ancient Tea 001 Jingmai Mountain Raw Pu’er — Young Leaves and Sweet Plum
Vibrant young leaves, a silky tongue coating and sweet young plum: eleven infusions of 2024 Lancang Ancient Tea 001 Jingmai Mountain raw Pu’er, ending in satisfying diluted plum juice.
2026 Huoshan Huangya 霍山黄芽 — A Different Recipe of Tau Suan
Orchid and warmed edamame give way to a different recipe of tau suan: whole mung beans, bitter skins and increasingly sweet soup across eleven infusions of 2026 Huoshan Huangya.
Shou Mei — A White Lily on a Still Pond
Mei Bo Zhen “First Encounter” Shou Mei, made from 2025 material: ten infusions move from smooth sweetness and vegetable root to a white lily, spreading ripples and sunset over a still pond.
Gong Mei — A Remembrance of Vegetable Soup
Benchmark 3 of my Mei Bo Zhen Fuding white-tea series: 2025 Gong Mei moves from mint and dried flowers to parsley, vegetable soup and lasting bittersweet vegetal sweetness across ten infusions.
Bai Mu Dan 白牡丹 — A Breeze Through the Wildflower Garden
Benchmark 2 of my Mei Bo Zhen Fuding white-tea series: a bud-rich Bai Mu Dan opens like Silver Needle, then fills out into sweet grass, hay and flowers. Across nine infusions, its image becomes a wildflower garden stirred by a soft, fragrant breeze.
An Old Room, a Familiar Scent — A Purported 2002 Banzhang Sheng
A 15-infusion sheng Pu’er tasting: smoked wood, medicinal memories of my grandmother, and a late turn towards vegetal minerality. Provenance unverified.
The Plum That Grew with Every Bite — 2019 Macau Commemorative Jin Gua Gong Cha
A 13-infusion tasting of the 2019 Macau Handover commemorative Jin Gua Gong Cha, where familiar raw Pu’er aromas unfold into a vivid, persistent black-plum character.
A Walk Through an Ancient Forest — 2008 Dayi 7542 (大益7542·2008年)
A 2008 Dayi 7542 raw Pu’er that moves from earth, old leaves and weathered wood into an ancient forest after rain—where bitterness deepens into sweetness and companionship.
Bama Tea Longjing 龙井茶 — Breakfast in a Cup
A rounded, savoury Bama Tea Longjing that moves through edamame, sweet corn, wheat and buttery nuttiness before returning to enveloping steamed-edamame sweetness across eight infusions.
Bai Hao Yin Zhen 白毫银针 — Specks of Clouds in a Citrus Garden
Topics: 2025 Tea, Bai Hao Yin Zhen, Citrus, 白毫银针, Fuding, Fuding White Tea, Fujian, Honeysuckle, Mei Bo Zhen, Silver Needle, Tea Imagery, White Chrysanthemum, 梅伯珍A delicate Fuding Bai Hao Yin Zhen that begins with honeydew, honeysuckle and white chrysanthemum before transforming into cooling mint, light citrus and the refreshing imagery of a citrus garden. Overall: 8.4/10.
Ancient Tree Black Tea (古树红茶) — The Old Friend Beneath the Tree
Topics: Ancient Tree Black Tea, Gu Shu Hong Cha, Hong Cha, Jujube, Mountain Honey, Red Tea, Thirteen Infusions, Volvic, Yuzu PeelA thirteen-infusion Ancient Tree Black Tea journey through mountain honey, yuzu peel, aged-white-tea echoes and the presence of an old friend.
2012 Dayi Raw Sheng (大益2012年生茶) — The Bitterness Was Always There
Topics: 2012 Dayi, Aged Raw Pu’er, Camphor, Menghai Tea Factory, Raw Pu’er, Sheng Jin, Sheng Pu’er, Sun-Dried Green Brick, TaeteaA gifted 2012 Dayi raw sheng whose enduring bitterness matures into structure, comfort and quiet companionship.
2010 Fuding Bai Mudan (白牡丹) — A Single Drop of Gentleness
Topics: 2010 Tea, Aged White Tea, Bai Mudan, Chrysanthemum, Dates, Fuding White Tea, Honey, Hui Gan, White TeaA 2010 Fuding Bai Mudan moves from dates, honey and snow chrysanthemum into warm mountain water, essence, and one final unmistakable droplet of gentleness.
Lao Cong Shui Xian (老枞水仙) — The Keeper at the Ancient Well
Topics: Camphor, Independent Source, Lao Cong Shui Xian, Old Bush Shui Xian, Rock Minerality, Sandalwood, Wuyi, Wuyi Rock Tea, YanchaAn independently sourced Lao Cong Shui Xian journeys from dried fruit, sandalwood and camphor into cave water, ancient stone and a haunting salt-like mineral memory.
Xinyang Maojian (信阳毛尖) — 小嫩芽: A Walk Through the Cornfield
Topics: Chestnut, Chinese Green Tea, Edamame, Green Tea, Henan Tea, Hui Gan, Sheng Jin, Sweet Corn, Xinyang MaojianXinyang Maojian delivers sweet corn, fresh edamame and chestnut with exceptional clarity, silky texture and remarkable stability across eight low-temperature infusions.
Rou Gui (肉桂) — The Horse and the Flower
Topics: Charcoal Roast, Cinnamon, Cultivar Study, Rock Minerality, Rou Gui, Wuyi, Wuyi Rock Tea, Yan Yun, YanchaThe twelfth and final Wuyi benchmark: Rou Gui’s exceptional rock minerality, wood and char evolve into floral-honey sweetness and a soft, dew-like finish across nine infusions.
Rui Xiang (瑞香) — The Pear Tree and the Birds
Topics: Charcoal Roast, Cultivar Study, Pear, Rock Minerality, Rui Xiang, Wuyi, Wuyi Rock Tea, YanchaRui Xiang unfolds through pronounced Wuyi rock minerality, ripe and honeyed pear, delicate florals, creamy texture and persistent returning sweetness across eight patient infusions.
Mei Zhan (梅占) — The Meadow of Flowers
A serene Mei Zhan journey through soft florals, gentle rock fruit, silky texture and persistent sheng jin in a sunlit meadow of flowers.
Qi Lan (奇兰) — The Rock Beneath the Setting Sun
Topics: Cha Qi, Cultivar Study, Passionfruit, Qi Lan, Rock Minerality, Wuyi, Wuyi Mountains, Yan Yun, YanchaA composed Qi Lan journey of vivid rock minerality, passionfruit, silky mouthfeel and lingering sweetness, told through a butterfly resting beneath the setting sun.
The Dancing Petals of the Mountain Grove — Ban Tian Yao (半天腰)
Topics: Ban Tian Yao, Cha Qi, Floral Oolong, Hui Gan, Rock Minerality, Wuyi, Wuyi Mountains, Yan Yun, YanchaAn elegant Ban Tian Yao journey through woody minerality, restrained fruit, floral grace and persistent returning sweetness beneath a mountain grove of drifting petals.
The Forest of Mist and the Flower: Jin Mudan (金牡丹)
Topics: Cha Qi, Cultivar Study, Floral Oolong, Jin Mudan, Rock Minerality, Wuyi, Wuyi Mountains, Yan Yun, YanchaA fourteen-infusion Jin Mudan journey through Wuyi mist, ancient forest and persistent rock minerality, culminating in sweet wood and a single white flower.
Autumn Mountain — Lao Cong Shui Xian 老從水仙
Topics: Autumn Tea, Cha Qi, Charcoal Roast, Lao Cong Shui Xian, Shui Xian, Wuyi, Wuyi Mountains, Yan Yun, YanchaAn atmospheric Lao Cong Shui Xian shaped by autumn rain, old timber, charcoal and rock minerality—unfolding across ten infusions until only mountain dew remains.
Huang Guanyin (黄观音) Drinking from the Ancient Tree
A ten-infusion study of Huang Guanyin Wuyi Rock Tea, defined by ancient-tree imagery, mineral depth, wood, floral sweetness, and an exceptionally silky mouthfeel.
Turtle of the Island Pool — Shui Jin Gui (水金龟)
A steady, deeply mineral Wuyi Rock Tea shaped by stone, clay, wood and gentle sweetness across ten contemplative infusions.
The Forest of Discipline — Tie Luo Han (铁罗汉)
A ten-infusion journey through wood, stone, water and the quiet discipline of Tie Luo Han.
The Coastal Island- Da Hong Pao (大红袍)
An eleven-infusion tasting of Da Hong Pao (大红袍), moving through forest, sea, stone and coconut sweetness with thick texture, coastal minerality and remarkable endurance.
Bai Ji Guan (白鸡冠): Beyond the White Walls
A nine-infusion tasting of Bai Ji Guan (白鸡冠), exploring honeyed minerality, silky mouthfeel, gentle roast and the quiet landscape this Wuyi Rock Tea revealed.
Follow a Benchmark Series
Four Fuding White Teas — All four sessions published: Silver Needle, Bai Mu Dan, Gong Mei and Shou Mei.
Wuyi Rock Tea — explore the cultivar reviews.
Raw Pu’er Recipes & Benchmarks — study the benchmarks before moving to terroir.
How to Use the Reviews
Start with the tea identity, recorded brewing parameters and closing assessment. Follow the numbered infusions for the full journey. Scores describe individual sessions; read the scorecard guide before comparing numbers. For a first introduction to a tea type, visit the Tea Encyclopedia.