'09 Anxi TGY (Mandarin's Tea Room)

Owes its flavors to oxidation levels between green & black tea.


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Nov 19th, '10, 15:14
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'09 Anxi TGY (Mandarin's Tea Room)

by rabbit » Nov 19th, '10, 15:14

So I finally got around to tasting this tea, here are my notes.

The steepings went as follows:
175*f | flash rinse | breath for 60s | steep 5s | 10s | 10s | 30s
(as per Tim's instructions).

Dry leaf aroma was similar to many tie guan yins: sweet & floral.

First steep: aroma reminded me of spinach with butter, marigolds & dandelion blossoms.

The tea soup was a bright crystal clear yellowish green color.

The flavor was light, sweet & vegetal, very smooth with no astringency or bitterness.

Second steep: aroma was much sharper and sweeter, it's scent somewhat reminded me of wet autumn leaves and possibly dogwood blossoms.

Slightly less sweet tasting now, more vegetal with a tiny bit of dryness on the tongue.

Third steep: rich & buttery scent, very sharp in the nose but hard to describe. It's getting more complex now.

Taste was similar to the last infusion but with more dryness and a mild umami starting to come out.

Fourth steep: a very familiar scent that is hard to place, like the rind of some citrus fruit, maybe bergamot. Less vegetal now, still a sharp sweet & thick aroma.

A bit sweeter with less dryness in the aftertaste.

This is a very good tie guan yin, with a subtle sweetness and enough underlying flavors to keep it interesting. It still has quite a bit of life to it, there are more steeps to be had!

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Nov 19th, '10, 17:09
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Re: '09 Anxi TGY (Mandarin's Tea Room)

by tingjunkie » Nov 19th, '10, 17:09

Looks like the Classic grade (as opposed to Select)? Both are fantastic teas. Try increasing your water temp to 190 or more. The leaves are thick, and they can handle it. Enjoy!

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Nov 20th, '10, 10:04
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Re: '09 Anxi TGY (Mandarin's Tea Room)

by rabbit » Nov 20th, '10, 10:04

tingjunkie wrote:Looks like the Classic grade (as opposed to Select)? Both are fantastic teas. Try increasing your water temp to 190 or more. The leaves are thick, and they can handle it. Enjoy!
No it was the select grade (at least that is what I ordered), I'll try that... I did steep it at 180 earlier and didn't have a problem.

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Nov 20th, '10, 12:49
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Re: '09 Anxi TGY (Mandarin's Tea Room)

by David R. » Nov 20th, '10, 12:49

Nice review ! What ratio did you use ?

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Nov 21st, '10, 10:02
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Re: '09 Anxi TGY (Mandarin's Tea Room)

by rabbit » Nov 21st, '10, 10:02

David R. wrote:Nice review ! What ratio did you use ?
about 1/3 cup of dry leaves to water.

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