Teavivre, Lu Shan Yun Wu Green Tea

Teavivre Description:
The fresh tea leaves of Lu Shan Yun Wu are picked under strict requirement of one bud with one leaf or one bud with two leaves. After processed, the leaves will shape into tight, curly and strong strips. The liquid presents bright and green color while showing brisk fragrance. The scent of roasted chestnut lasts long. This Lu Shan Yun Wu is better to be brewed with big glass. It will has brisk and refreshing flavor and sweet taste. After several steeps, you will see the tea leaves tenderly stretched and showing its soft and light yellow appearance.

Sample provided by Teavivre

My Review:
Chinese greens are probably my favorite broad category of teas. I mostly want them without any flavorings. There is just something so pure and natural about them that I connect with on some deep level. I am really looking forward to this one so let's get to it.

Opening the sample packet I get a familiar slightly sour leaf aroma. Removing a scoop of leaf I am surprised, amused, and fascinated by the shape. In a pile, it looks like a tangle of green thread. Spread out, it looks more like very fine green wood shavings.

I almost never use as much leaf as Teavivre recommends. Here I used half the sample or about 3g of leaf. I heated a mug of water to 175F and used my press for a 2 minute first steep. This was one of the coolest examples of why you should consider using a clear glass vessel to steep. The leaf was alive on the bottom of the press. At first it was like watching the grass as a child while a bug made its way through the blades. Then it became more intense as the leaf stretched and wriggled to set itself free from the tight bondage of the strips like a butterfly breaking free from its cocoon. What a show!

The wet leaf had a steamed spinach aroma that I find is often true of good Chinese green tea. The liquor was so light in color I double checked the time and then wondered if I under leafed. The tint reminded me of honeysuckle as I poured it into the cup. It did darken as the cup cooled. The cup picture from Teavivre's website looks very much like my results.

The sip is maybe similar to dragon well but not really. It has a briskness to it that provides just the perfect amount of bite. Clean, fresh, refreshing are all words that describe what I'm tasting. Sweet but not overly so. This is not disappointing. I can't wait to see what cup two has to offer.

Cup two at just over a one minute steep has a light golden green tint. A much sweeter cup has developed. Gone is the resemblance to dragon well. I really don't know what chestnuts taste like but maybe this is the flavor Teavivre mentions in their description. To me, it is almost a plant taste and possibly bamboo. The briskness is replaced by a light mineral finish. The aftertaste lingers and is sweet.

Another very nice tea from Teavivre.

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