PROFILE: GREEN PLUM, RAISIN, MOSS, STONE, FLORAL, SPICE, SHENG-STYLE
ORIGIN: Y TI, LAO CAI, VIETNAM
HARVEST: OCTOBER 2019/ APRIL 2020/ APRIL 2021
A distinctive and very well balanced sheng-style dark tea from Y Ti in Lao Cai province. Produced in a Red Dao community where families live either side of the Vietnam/ China border which is separated by a simple stream here. This is another complex tea with a broad range of flavours – green plum, raisin, moss, stone, floral, mild spice and dried hay – that take turns to explode in the mouth. Pleasing bitterness and a very long sweet aftertaste make Forest Genie an extremely refreshing tea.
Wild trees grow deep in the ancient forest in Y Ti at altitudes of 2,000 metres and above. Harvested leaves are collected and taken to the village where they are gently pan-dried, rolled and left in the sun to dry in small batches by an artisan tea-maker.
Customer Reviews Write a Review
Outstanding
I am not a big fan of young sheng, but this tea hits a mark that makes it an attractive brew for me. It has a slightly forward balance of bitterness and astringency that seems to support the overall flavour profile. It suggests nice fruit aroma and flavour with a wondrous sweetness and spice notes on the tongue and through the finish. With no edges at all, I find all the elements are in balance in a way that really hits the mark for me. This is really outstanding tea.
Impressive taste and good value
Light brown sugar sweetness to start, moving to citrus rinds, and developing in later infusions to a well-rounded smoothness that reminds me of some aged sheng. Medium thickness and a lengthy finish. Really impressed by the Genie!