muzha

I'd like to think that my palate has become a bit more refined since I've started drinking tea.

Unfortunately this assumption was shattered today when I tried Tea Ave's medium roasted Tie Guan Yin. It tasted exactly like Eco Cha's lightly roasted Dong Ding, from the smell of the leaves to the switching between floral and sweet, fruity taste. They're not even the same cultivar and their locations are far apart (Dong Ding is from Lugu, which is central Taiwan, whereas Muzha is Northern Taiwan). Shall definitely do a side by side comparison next time, which I should also perform for my DHP and other rock oolongs.

Here's an informative article on the various types of TGY. I learned that unlike other oolongs, a lower leaf to water ratio will produce more balanced results between taste and smell since TGY is so aromati.

In other news, I discovered that the Shou pu er that I own is fantastic for grandpa style brewing. It never got bitter, which was surprising!