We didn’t want to like this tea. We really didn’t. The name Xigui comes with some mighty high expectations and typically equally high prices. But when you taste it, it’s not hard to tell why, and this tea demonstrates that perfectly. This tea manages to take you from 0-100 from one brew to the next. The first infusion is surprisingly light, although the trademark Xigui fragrance is unmistakable. It’s the next infusions that hit much harder, with shifting levels of kuwei (pleasant bitterness), mineral sweetness, fragrance and even notes of honey in the later steeps. A pleasant energy and body feeling that builds throughout the session make this about as fun a ride as you can have with a tea. We strongly recommend this tea for anyone who enjoys being happy. This tea manages to balance quality and accessibility by using huncai (mixed) material. While this term is a bit vague, it typically refers to younger arbour trees that have been picked along with some larger trees growing among them. How old and the ratio is anyone’s guess, so take this with a grain of salt. Picking period: Pre-April 20 $0.65/gram
