Review: Huo Shan Huang Ya

日本語 （Japanese Version)

I’ve been on an oolong and puerh kick recently, so I was in the mood for something lighter. Happily, I found a small amount of Tea Drunk’s Early Spring 2019 Huo Shan Huang Ya, from Jin Ji mountain. I rarely drink yellow teas, and I’ve only had this one brewed in a pot before, so I tried a gaiwan this time. My water was 185℉ (85℃) and I used steep times of 30s/40s/60s/90s/120s. The dry leaves have a hay-like aroma, which morphs into a brighter, more sharply vegetal smell when wet. The most prominent note is sweet corn. After the first steep, the liquor is a rich, clear yellow. Like its aroma, it has a strong sweet corn flavor, almost buttery, with a hint of clover. It has a nice, creamy mouthfeel with no perceptible astringency. Very full-bodied.

By the third steep, a delicately nutty note has appeared. The corn flavor has weakened, and a slight astringency is gradually becoming noticeable. It reminds me a little of Longjing tea. The color is fading from the initial gold to a paler yellow. The final steep has lost most of its sweetness, but is still not bitter at all. The flavor is weaker and tastes of wet straw or cut grass, with a moderately astringent finish. I might have steeped it a little too long on the 4th infusion, but it still has a nice, delicate taste.

Overall, I really enjoyed this Huo Shan Huang Ya. It's not extremely complex, but the prominent sweet corn flavor is delicious, especially if you want a break from heavier teas. It was also nice to experience the astringency increasing from zero up to a pleasant sharpness. I will definitely look into more yellow teas soon. If you feel like having something similar to a green tea but with less bitterness, give this a try.

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