2026 Tai Ping Hou Kui

Tai Ping Hou Kui — Shi Da Ye cultivar. 3g. 100 ml gaiwan. 85–90°C water.

The dry leaves are long, flat, two leaves holding a bud, opening without tension. The surface is clean, a soft down held close. The shape is set by hand, each leaf pressed and guided into place, the tip formed, not forced.

Warmed in the gaiwan, a quiet orchid tone comes up first, not lifted, sitting close to the leaf. There is a green note underneath, closer to fresh-cut stems and young bamboo than to leaf. The liquor is clear.

In the mouth, it moves wide but stays light. No bitterness, no edge. A faint vegetal line sits low, like asparagus just passing the tongue, then fades. Sweetness follows without delay, not heavy, closer to rock sugar, steady and clean.

The orchid does not stay fixed. It appears between sips, then slips away. Around it, a cool note runs through the liquor, keeping the line clear. There is a slight mineral edge, dry and fine, holding the structure without weight.

Across the infusions, nothing rises abruptly. The sweetness remains, the orchid moves in and out, the green-wood note stays underneath. The finish is long, clear, without residue.