I have more teas from Hence Tea today. This vendor is based in Los Angeles, California – so another US source for Chinese teas. On the tea menu are Tieguanyin, Wuyi Rock Da Hong Pao, and Silver Needle white tea.
Hence Tea’s Tieguanyin
Just from the scent alone, this is a heavy floral Tieguanyin.
For this tea, I used boiling water and a leaf to gaiwan ratio of 1 gram per 15ml.
Tieguanyin sips in buttery, sweet, powdered honey, with a vibrant floral carnation and orchid flavor. Each steeping dives deeper into the floral notes, adding some buttered popcorn to the mix. The texture is balmy and buttery and the aftertaste is orchids.
I got 6 infusions and this Tieguanyin never got bitter or dry, it kept on with a sweet buttery floral flavor until the end.
If you love green Tieguanyin and buttery profiled teas, Hence Tea’s is quite lovely and easy to brew! I tend to prefer Baozhong for my greener oolongs but this Tieguanyin has a pleasing sweet floral quality to it.
Hence Tea’s Wuyi Rock Oolong Tea
The leaves have a fruity cherry wood and roasted scent.
For Wuyi Rock Oolong, I used a bit more leaf going 1 gram per 13ml with boiling water. After an infusion, the scent is fruity and floral.
The early infusions are sweet, nectarine danish pastry, with a sugared rocky flavor. The texture is slick and buttery. Some sips come out more under ripe nectarine and woody, with blips of custard cream.
As the Wuyi Rock Oolong steeps out, it has a stronger rocky flavor with hints of caramel. The aftertaste is a strong nectarine and orchid. I got 6 infusions.
Quite a legit and lovely Da Hong Pao. It doesn’t go bitter and has a solid rocky, fruity, and floral flavor.
Hence Tea’s Silver Needle
A pretty white tea with gorgeous silver buds! Hence Tea’s Silver Needle has a soft floral and cucumber scent.
I went with my usual white tea ratio of 1 gram per 15ml. Let’s see if this delicate bud white tea can withstand boiling water.
This Silver Needle is a sweet floral bouquet of baby’s breath and sugar violets. It’s heavy on floral aroma and sweet flavor, making for a satisfying cup of tea. There is a lingering rock sugar aftertaste too. As I steep, this tea gets crisp but maintains a delicate cucumber, cream, floral, and sweet flavor. By the end, it gets more hay in taste but holds onto the rock sugar flavor and gets astringently dry. I got 5 infusions.
I quite enjoyed this Silver Needle and will be drinking some more before leaving it to age unintentionally.
After trying their black teas and other white teas, Hence Tea seems to prefer sweeter profiles in their teas. The price per gram is pretty good and the quality shows once you start steeping. My favorites so far are their Silver Needle, Keemun, and the Tieguanyin.
(teas provided for review)
