Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yellow
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports (although this tea is no longer available)
Product Description:
Produced in the Yunnan district from heirloom tea bushes, this selection has a pedigree as unique as its character. The flavor is ethereal, with delicate, sweet notes that some have likened to apricot and apple. The finish is mellow and sweet. Supplies are limited.
Taster’s Review:
Ah! How I love yellow tea. My absolute favorite leaf type. It is so gentle, sweet, and soothing. Yes, I would have to agree with the description, this is indeed an ethereal tea experience.
I actually ordered this tea a year ago (Upton Tea Imports includes the date that the tea is packaged for an order on their packaging – including their sample packages! It is a very nice feature, one I wish more tea companies would begin to utilize). I didn’t realize how long ago it had been since I placed the order, and I am amazed at just how flavorful the tea is now, a year later.
The aroma is sweet and fruit-like, reminding me a bit of what my olfactory nerves would experience if I were walking through an apple orchard in bloom on a breezy day. The fragrance translates into the flavor, as I can taste hints of apple in the flavor.
The flavor is very delicate, perhaps even more delicate than a typical yellow tea might be, reminding me more of a silver needle, but with a complexity that I’ve yet to find in a white tea. It has a light sweetness to it that reminds me of honeysuckle. There is even an underlying tone of creaminess to this tea that is very indulgent, reminiscent of the finest milk Oolong. The mouthfeel is velvet-y soft.
Such a remarkable, beautiful yellow tea. I do hope that Upton Tea Imports brings this one back the next time it is harvested!
