Semi-Handmade Huang Ya from Tea Drunk

Semi-Handmade Huang Ya from Tea Drunk

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

Astringency
Very dry

Body
Thin

Strength
Light

Rating
4 out of 5

Family
Pu Er

Country
China

Region
Anhui

Mood
n/a

Brand
Tea Drunk

Season
Early Spring

Year
2021

Elevation
700 to 800 meter

Dry Leaves
Fall leaves
Dried fruit

Wet Leaves
Roasted grains
Toasted nuts

Tea Aroma
Roasted rice

Tea Flavor
Spinach
Bitter lettuce
Umami

The Tea: Semi-Handmade Huang Ya

This Semi-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.

Semi-Handmade Huo Qing 2021 from Tea Drunk

Semi-Handmade Huo Qing 2021 from Tea Drunk

This Huo Qing green tea is like a room full of fresh tropical fruit desserts, which is everything I’ve ever wanted, but that comes at a price.

Astringency
Juicy

Body
Thick

Strength
Medium

Rating
5 out of 5

Family
Green

Country
China

Region
Huang Tian

Mood
Joy

Brand
Tea Drunk

Season
Early Spring

Year
2020

Elevation
~700-900m

Dry Leaves
Fresh
Apricot

Wet Leaves
Tropical fruit
Candy

Tea Aroma
Mango ice cream

Tea Flavor
Young spinach
Passion fruit cake

The Tea: Semi-Handmade Huo Qing, Early Spring 2021

This Huo Qing green tea is an absolutely joyful tea. It’s like a room full of fresh tropical fruit desserts, which is everything I’ve ever wanted. It’s full-bodied, with only a slight astringency on the first brew. Interestingly, it’s described as floral on the Tea Drunk site, but I’m getting more fruit than flower. And I’m perfectly okay with that. The leaves are a beautiful, soft green. They look quite young once they’ve opened from their pearls. I can see this making a magnificent, crisp, refreshing iced tea, too, though at this price, I will be reserving it. I haven’t had a green tea this good in a while. Only, I just wish there was more of it to go around.

The Price

A sample of this tea that made one gaiwan brewing session cost $15. That’s not a price I can afford for a daily drinker. But for a special occasion tea, I would absolutely suggest this. Luckily, I did get about 4 good rounds of brewing out of the leaves. That speaks to the quality of this tea, and to why it is so expensive.