Wuyi Huang Mei Gui

Huang Mei Gui — 8g. 100ml gaiwan. Boiling water.

Huang Mei Gui carries a floral profile that often appears quickly in the cup, though with heavier charcoal roasting the fragrance becomes less sharp and more settled into the body of the tea.

The dry leaf opens with caramel warmth first. Heated sugar, lightly toasted cream, warm wood. The floral side stays underneath at the beginning. After rinsing, the fragrance begins to rise more clearly from the steam. Dried rose petals, yellow flowers, faint magnolia. The floral notes do not feel green or high. The charcoal fire holds them lower inside the liquor.

The tea enters thick and smooth across the palate. Rose remains at the center of the tea but keeps changing shape through the session. Sometimes it feels powdery and dry like warmed petals. Sometimes cooler, almost mint-like, returning through the breath after swallowing.

The roast gives enough depth to keep the floral character from becoming thin. Several infusions later, warm wood and mineral texture begin to appear underneath the sweetness. As the session quiets down, the floral fragrance stays lightly on the palate while the charcoal warmth remains deeper in the cup after cooling.

Further reading

You can read more about Da Hong Pao and the varietals here : Finding Da Hong Pao