Teabook, Honey Sweet Green / Xiang Ming

Picture Credit: Teabook.co

Teabook Description:
Teabook answers the call for pure unadulterated loose leaf tea. Offering a monthly membership of seasonal loose leaf teas. Teabook is for tea drinkers and tea lovers keeping pace with modern life. Our wish is that tea drinkers enjoy and experience the clarity and wellness benefits that come with steeping pure loose leaf tea - conveniently and affordably.  It's great tea. Made easy.

Sample provided by Teabook

My Review:
I previously reviewed the Teabook monthly subscription service. For $24.99/month including shipping (within the US), you receive 9 packets each of two select teas (18 total), plus one special collection packet (today's review), and with the first Teabook order a glass double-walled tumbler.

The teas change each month. My Teabook was from last November and included one special collection packet of Honey Sweet Green (Xiang Ming) from Yueyang, Hunan Province, China.

The tea is packed in an individual serving bag. Once opened I catch the scent of a fresh field.

I poured the leaf on the plate and suddenly realized how much leaf I have been using lately. It must be closer to twice this amount. That's what happens as time goes on and you don't use a scale.

I tried to research this tea but a Google search reveals pretty much nothing. This tea must sell under an alternate name elsewhere. The closest I came was leaf used to make a puerh. This is definitely not puerh. The leaf is long slender light twists. It is very dark. If you get the light just right it does reveal some green highlights.

In the pot it goes, along with fresh filtered water heated the 185F. I steeped for 2 minutes. The dance of the leaf was interesting. Not that there was much movement, but in noting some leaf hung suspended midway between the surface and bottom. The remainder was equally split between top and bottom.

The liquor is bright and clear. It is honey yellow with just a hint of green cast. This smells incredible. It reminds me of a floral high mountain oolong.

The taste is even better than the scent. Definitely don't add sweetener to this. It is just gorgeous the way it is. It is sweet and floral but not so much as to be in the least perfumey. There is a wonderfully cleansing astringent bite running throughout the sip. It almost borders on metallic but never crosses the line. It turns thicker late in the sip, like the way milk feels as you sip. Perfection in a cup. I can think of nothing to complain about or warn against with this one.

Each month the special collection tea is something new, so I don't know if you will get the opportunity to experience this particular tea - which is a bit of a shame. If this is indicative of the level of quality of each month's special tea then you won't be disappointed.

You can cancel at anytime. More details are available at Teabook