What our customers say

This tea is refined and elegant in its simplicity. It’s a pretty straightforward white tea, humbly priced, with a soothing flavor profile that isn’t remarkably complex, but nevertheless can bring a kind of satisfaction to any tea-drinker’s soul.

I think the flavor notes listed in the description are pretty accurate – it’s got creamy undertones with some hints of pear-like fruitiness and a subdued floral quality, with some soft notes reminiscent of nuts and herbs, all of which are balanced in harmony and enjoyable – not despite their simplicity, but perhaps because of it.

For me, I think it’s the relatively simple (but still nuanced and detail-oriented) processing techniques which make it feel raw in a way that brings me closer to the spirit and essence of this wonderful plant, and across its many manifestations, from different species and cultivars, to processing techniques that effectively create the various categories of tea.

I enjoy brewing this tea up and letting it cool in the cup for several hours before drinking it. It retains a softness but develops a kind of boldness that seems to amplify the flavor profile and draw out many desirable notes and characteristics that are perhaps more fleeting when the soup is warm.

The body becomes very thick and the aftertaste lingers for a long time, but on the way down the soup is still very smooth and delicate. It glides easily across the palate before sinking heavily into the body… this pungency is a very enjoyable sensation, and perhaps a reflection of the high-quality leaf material coupled with the excellent processing techniques used to create Tea Hong’s Mini Peony.

Right when I opened the bag, I knew this was going to be an amazing experience. The aroma of the dry leaf is pungent and sweet, with just a pinch of woodsy undertones to add balance to what is undoubtedly a creamy, velvety tea.

The next thing I noticed was just how big these leaves are – these are not tiny pebbles, they are more like boulders. The leaves are HUGE! As they brew up they unfurl into thick and wholesome leaves that stretch out several inches. I am very impressed by the uniformity of the plucking and processing as well. The leaves are rolled tight, but not so tight as to make them brittle.

In every aspect of the flavor profile, this tea is dripping with milky-sweet flavors that carry a kind of oily-spicy quality to it that reminds me of fennel or anise, as mentioned in the description. This adds a gentle vibrancy that cuts through the rich and decadent, milk-forward flavor profile, and creates a sense of balance that keeps this tea intriguing every time it’s brewed up.

This tea is easy to brew and very forgiving, it resists turning sharp or bitter, and has lots of stamina so whether you brew it gong-fu or Western-style, you will easily get some of the best “milk oolong” you could ever hope for.

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I am sorry this software for posting comments does not allow any control for paragraphs or even line breaks. Hope you mange to read my tips okay.

There is an old Hong Kong saying, “Ng4 paa3 fo3 bei2 fo3, zi2 paa3 ng4 sik1 fo3 — 唔怕貨比貨，只怕唔識貨” — meaning, “(we) fear not of (you) comparing our products with those of others, (we) fear only of ignorance of quality.” The city of Hong Kong began as a trading port in the 19th century. It very soon became a key hub for goods from China, Southeast Asia and around the world. After the taking over of China by the Communists in 1949, the British colony’s trading role became even more important. Competition amongst sellers was keen. This saying was widely used amongst purveyors of top quality products to alert buyers to watch out carefully for inferior quality hidden under a similar appearance or name, or even false claims. Although it had long since became a cliché and forgotten in recent decades, I find the market condition no less confusing, at least in the area of tea.

I am happy that besides knowing your Phoenix oolongs, you also understand a genuine tieguanyin. I hope more people do.

Nowadays, partly due to the indulgence in the overuse of fertilisers, many productions of even authentic tea bushes lack the intricacies of a traditional tieguanyin. Not to mention lowly crossed clones and sloppiness in processing. Respectable farmers and producers are, therefore, precious finds.

A Pleasant Surprise

Although this may not be the best of all the Nepalese tea I have sampled, it comes in only second to the hand-rolled first flush Jade Moon from xx (Tea Hong: sorry we have to edit out the shop name), which is almost 3 times more expensive! The aroma, depth and complexity are all there, maybe only a touch less floral. I am happy to save the money for trying out more varieties.

This tea is a mountain range of flavors, with distinct peaks all seamlessly integrated into a harmonious and nuanced experience that carries all of the depth you would expect of authentic old tree Mi Lan. The aroma coming off the dry leaf is vibrant and complex, hinting at the marvelous experience that awaits the drinker. I knew this was going to be an incredible experience before I even turned my kettle on.

This one opens up with bright and sweet notes of sun-dried fruits, and a tropical dankness that is reminiscent of mango, guava, peaches, lychee, passionfruit, with a kind of electrical zing to it that reminds me of fresh-cut pineapples. These bright and tangy notes electrify the roof of the mouth and nostrils as they work their way up from the back of the throat.

In every sip, this is a juicy and fruit-forward Mi Lan that is perfectly overlaid on top of a powerful and textured body, which has a woodsy quality to it that reminds me of walking through an old-growth forest on a hot, sunny day.

You can’t miss the cong wei – it’s apparent and focused across the full session; even the washed-up leaves retain that woodsy-spicy-sweet fragrance that is just so attractive because of how well it sits in contrast against the insanely sweet and pungent notes of tropical fruits.

The mouthfeel and texture are incredible – for having such powerful and distinct peaks of flavor, the body is very deep, the edges are very soft, and the individual notes integrate very well with each other, creating a very complex experience in every facet of the tea. The initial sip, the evolution of flavors on the palate, the lingering sweetness, all tell a cohesive story and that story is the life of healthy, old Mi Lan Xiang trees.

The finish is elegant and the sweet aftertaste lingers for a long time, but what I appreciate most about this tea is how deep it sinks into every cell of my body, and how graceful the qi is. This is a tea that stays with me all day.

What a phenomenal experience.