Semi-Handmade Huang Ya from Tea Drunk

ThisSemi-Handmade Huang Ya tea from Tea Drunk is surprisingly astringent with lovely notes of roasted nuts and fresh spinach.

The Tea: Semi-Handmade Huang Ya

ThisSemi-Handmade Huang Ya tea from Tea Drunk is surprisingly astringent, with lovely notes of roasted nuts and fresh spinach. Have you ever eaten a spinach leaf by itself; no dressing, no seasoning? It has a way of drying out your mouth, making your tongue feel tight and almost sandy. This tea does something very similar.

The Family: Yellow Tea

Yellow tea is similar to a green tea with a few extra steps. These extra steps include an aging, or micro-fermenting, process that brings out the unique flavors and textures of yellow teas. It is said that this process mellows out the flavor of the tea. The flavors were more mellow than many green teas I’ve tasted, but I was surprised by the dryness of this particular tea. Yellow teas are also quite rare. Tea Drunk says, “yellow tea is the rarest category of tea in the world.”

The Brand: Tea Drunk

Tea Drunk is one of my top-favorite tea brands. They tend to pick teas that are just exquisite and interesting to drink. When I get a tea that challenges my taste buds and fills all of my senses, that’s a treat. Tea Drunk has done that consistently for me. This particular tea comes from a female tea farmer, Xu A-yi, who is the matriarch of the family that makes some of this tea for Tea Drunk. They’re also incredibly expensive, but I believe you get your money’s worth in terms of quality.