Yuan Yuan Tang (YYT) 2013 Private Reserve
Context:
Today we have a tea from Sample Mountain, see 'Trades, Trades, Trades' for more on that.
Article coming soon
I haven't had a particularly large volume of Yuan Yuan Tang (YYT), but what I've had I've enjoyed as daily drinker caliber teas. Mostly very nice and easy, relaxing, sweet...some occasionally unique flavor profiles...still pinning down their 'house taste'.
This tea believe it or not has quite the whopping pedigree:
- Tong qing River
- Lengshui River
- Paxi River
- Wangong Laozhai
- Chawangshu
- Bo He Tang
A lot of big names to throw in a seemingly not super talked about boutique but...hey! I don't mind, let's dive in and give it a shot!
Parameters:
- Grams: ~4g
- Vessel: 1960's 67ml Hongni teapot
- Water: Tea Curious Original Dropper
Visuals:
It certainly looks how you'd expect, let's see if it holds up that way as well.
Dry Heat:
This is a really nice aroma, very pleasant. Fruity. Dynamic. A smidge of 'fire element' as Kyarazen might say is a gentle backbone, not in a roasty, smoky way, but in a delicate wrapper...
Wet Heat:
...for a lovely, fruitiness that comes through as a ripe red strawberry hint that fades with temperature into a tropical pineapple vibe when warm but not superheated.
Yes, Juicy Fruit, some might say. A very fruity, juicy, tropical, sweet complement to the...tang or sour note just in the background to finish.
Steeps:
Well the body is sure there. The juicy comes through for a very wet, full, heavy mouthfeel rather than a drying one. It lingers, even on the first few sips my hui gan receptors are turning on a bit.
Steeps 1 through 3 are really just a cascading bombardment of hui gan, clearly a feature and a strong point for this cake. The juicy mouthfeel is nice, I like the texture and flow of this tea on the palate. The sour fruit taste and subsequent citrus pulling you further into the cup alongside a gentle tongue tingle and light dusting of astringent tannin let you know there's some fun and character in this tea in addition to the big salivation.
That hui gan fades a bit more after steep four to five, leaving an easy going fruity, juicy, pleasantly focusing daily drinker experience.
Body Feel:
For body feelings, I might be ever so slightly warmer? I have had four steeps and feel calmly and nicely dialed in, focused, more 'attuned' than 'locked in and alert'.
Punchline:
Daily drinker quality at premium prices 👍
In all seriousness, if you want to experience Yuan Yuan Tang (YYT) and are down for a sample on your next purchase or a swap with a fellow tea lover and you're a fan of hui gan - it shouldn't disappoint. Just don't expect much more than that and you'll have a pleasant time ❤️
I think Yuan Yuan Tang (YYT) tends to get attention cause it's more of a 'this will be good and safe' lane than a 'you'll have a chance / guarantee at some legit bangers' type of brand. If you're gifting someone pu'er tea, this is a safe bet for a reason.
Despite the heavy hitting names that show up in some of their lineup, think of Yuan Yuan Tang (YYT) as more of a...Taiwanese boutique, Chen Yuan Hao (CYH) adjacent, upper-middle class daily drinker and I think you'll be ok.
Have you seen my tasting process walkthrough? Check that out here:
Brandon Kendall
Wanna grab some good water? I'm currently endorsing Tea Curious Original Droppers for all my teas (with an RO/DI base)...
...and Empirical Water Glacial for all our coffee needs (mostly Rachel, but I like a cup from time to time as well 😄)
Empirical Water
