Tea Review: Xin Yang Mao Jian (Crafted Leaf)

Xin Yang Mao Jian - Umami Bomb

Crafted Leaf 
Type: Green
Origin: China, Henan Province, Xingyang City, Dong Jia He
Product Description: 

This spring-picked Xinyang Maojian is produced in Xinyang County of the Henan province, and is widely regarded as one of China’s top ten teas with its distinct color and flavor. This lovely green tea opens up with a light grassy vegetal flavor, savory up front with a rich fried bean sweetness that lingers afterwards and then deepens in later steeps.

It’s a surprisingly bold taste and give a Umami Bomb for a green, and the dry leaves are long and thin, with downy silver buds in between This beautiful tea provides a superb retreat from the troubles of life or simply a moment of relaxation on a clear afternoon.

Temperature: 175° F
Amount: 1.5 grams
Steeping Time: 1-2 minutes

The dry leaf aroma is sweet with notes of spice similar to cinnamon and fresh hay.  

The pale yellow-green liquor has a rich and buttery aroma with notes of ground nuts.  The taste is nutty with a mild note of cooked greens (pea vine came to mind) and a dry finish.

The color deepened noticeably following the initial infusion.  While I found the second infusion rather drying after steeping for 2 minutes, a shorter steeping time of 1-1 1/2 minutes was ideal for my preferences.  The third infusion mellowed considerably and a longer steeping time worked nicely.  For reasons I can't quite explain, the aroma of the dry leaves reminded me of eating mooncake.

This tea was provided as a free sample without guarantee of a review.