Reviews
Second Review 2 years later
"I was sipping this Jingmai just now as I have done regularly over these past 2 years and felt compelled to return to add to my new thoughts. It really is a special tea that leads from the nose. Even as it has aged (I have gone through several cakes, all from this same 2018 batch), the fresh floral notes in the air are as poignant as ever, but there is a growing, aging white dry leafy character accompanying this on the palate now too. Both the flavor and aroma in the moment I drink is so mild, but then once it has passed across my lips and I am reflecting on it, it seems stronger again on the palate and in the air again. It's a very ethereal tea, yet so present on the nose through the process and still so very fresh and engaging after 2 years. I've spent a lot more on white teas that have come and gone in my journey, yet this, my favorite Jingmai has become my central reference to judge all other white teas by."
— Kelly (5/5)
Not your average Bai Mu Dan
"Unique white tea that has more changes in flavor over the course of a single session than any other white I've had so far. This Jingmai Bai Mu Dan has a lot more character to offer than your average Fujian that I can only describe as "Wild". The taste opens up like a typical Bai Mu Dan - soft, mellow, creamy, pear-like fruit, dried flowers. After a few steeps, a sharp sweetness reminiscent of citrusy hard candy and a mellow flash of sheng puerh bitterness emerges with increased juicy mouth watering texture. A few steeps onward the citrusy bitterness transforms into a savory nutty flavor. Very weird, but tasty transitions. This tea packs some energy; it lifts the mood and makes any sunny day seem brighter. I picked up the loose leaf version of this tea a few years ago, but didn't discover the full depth of flavor until brewing it with a bit hotter water. Tempted by a tong, picked up a couple cakes. Very nice tea!"
— Ryan P. (5/5)
Very good tea
"The name "three aroma" is very apt, as this tea has tons and tons of aroma and it really does evolve from the dry leaf to the cup. When receiving it as part of a larger delivery, I could literally smell this tea through both the individual zip lock bag and the courier package it came in! The dry cake smells strongly of dried fruits. That smell dies down in the wet leaf in favour of more floral notes coming through. The brewed tea is even more on the floral side in smell. The liquor itself has a nice milky texture and sweetness, with (at this point in aging) still a lot of florals, but balanced with woody notes and hints of vanilla and grape. Overall, a very good tea. At this point there is no bitterness (unlike some of the reviews noted when it was fresher), but it still does have a bit of astringency, but presumably this will diminish with further aging. Excited to keep checking in on this cake to see how it ages over the next few years. Very drinkable and pleasant now but also clearly has some more aging potential."
— BCM (4/5)
Good tea
"This is a pleasant Bai Mu Dan. Fragrant with a pleasant taste and mouthfeel, and it's compressed well. I plan to purchase more in the future to age"
— Tj E. (4/5)
In anticipation
"Although we have not had the opportunity to sample all the teas that we had purchased, The Three Aroma has become a family favorite. We appreciate all the advice and direction that we receive from Yunnan Sourcing Tea Shop."
— Joe R. (5/5)
Easy to sip, harder to define
"The thing that strikes me about this tea is that is comes across at first as fresh breath of floral spring air, but find through the many steeps that the taste accumulates power and thickness and becomes more complex and mouth-watering. The experience is akin to drinking a fresh, light sheng. Brewed fairly - I'm doing this one in an 8oz mug using 5g of leaves, steeped at first for about 30s - the first sip has a rock candy sweetness that dances quickly across the palate. Notes of hay and flowers follow, contrasted with a mild astringency and a savory 'foody' undertone. With notes of sweet and salty lingering on the palate, mixing with the scent of the wet leaves wafting invitingly in the air, I find it hard not to dive into this tea. I personally enjoy the stimulating contrast of fresh florals and the malty, restrained, astringent power in these leaves. I find it creates a mouth-watering treat to drink now, yet it also gives me the sense that it would age well. One of those good cakes you can drink today or mix in and out of rotation to gauge it's progress over the years."
— Kelly S. (5/5)
Delicious white tea
"This is such an excellent Yunnan white tea. I will almost certainly buy another cake after I finish the one I have. Nice dry and wet leaf aroma, packed with flavor, and holds up really well to a gong fu session. A very calming energy. Highly, highly recommend this tea."
— Nick H. (5/5)
Delicious!
"I went for the cake instead of the loose leaf version, but now I am thinking I should have bought both for comparison. I can still get the loose leaf, but the longer I wait, the bigger difference arising from the aging there will be. It is a very interesting tea. I would characterize it as having complex, although not pungent aromas, multifaceted, crisp and a little rough taste and a full body. The dry leaf smells of dry grass, wood and sweet florals. In a preheated gaiwan, I also get some plum pie note on top of that. During the session, the leaves give off aromas reminiscent of dill and edamame, while the liquor is more in the way of honey, cheese cake and sweetened cocoa powder. The taste is changing a lot and is a little confusing. At times it is more like a standard Bai Mu Dan, other times not so much. It is sweet, vegetal, savoury, tart, and astringent, with a decent amount of bitterness too. As for particular flavours, I noticed some cream cheese, parsley, fish meat and orchid, but that’s not an exhaustive list by any means. Aftertaste has quite a stong umami taste with some white wine character. Mouthfeel of this tea is very good too. It is soft, mouth-watering at first, but later on the drying sensation starts to dominate. Moreover, the liquor is very thick once the leaves open up a bit. This is a delicious and affordable tea. Higly recommended!"
— Tomáš G. (5/5)
Fruity White tea for aging!
"I love the loose leaf version of this tea... it's just exquisite! The cake is a great idea for storage and longer term aging!"
— Jessie D. (5/5)
Going to stock up!
"Upon opening the package, I get a an overwhelmingly fruity-floral smell, which took me by surprise, because I've never had a white tea that smelled that good! Jingmai after all is known for sourcing some of the most fragrant puerhs, so having it in a white tea option is totally unique and exciting! Tried a 6g to 100ml gong-fu session, and it is true that the smells are intoxicating. However, the white tea still has that slight bitterness, which I think is due to its fresh harvest; some people might like a touch of bitterness to their white tea, but I personally don't. So I'll be (happily) aging this for a year; and will be excited to see how it develops! Overall, absolutely beautiful tea. I would love to see aged versions of this, too!"
— JKYC (4/5)
