Underworld Orchid (幽蘭, Yōu Lán, "Underworld Orchid") - is the newest addition to the Mabian family of wild green teas. Like its sister teas, this green is handmade by Mabian tea master Heng Yi in the Western Vernacular style. It differs from Welcoming Spring in that it is picked later in the spring, and from Esmeralda in that it is not sourced from purple plants. The result is a leafier tea with a mellow taste and less grassy notes than an early-spring tea. The profile has notes of buttered polenta, cashew, and sunflower, with a rich mouthfeel and a lingering cooling sensation in the throat. The fragrance has subtle, sweet highlights bordering on fruity. The character Yōu 幽, in addition to signifying the netherworld, carries feelings of seclusion, quiet, stillness, and hidden remoteness. The image of a delicate orchid blooming unseen in a secret glade perfectly evokes the feeling of this elegant tea.
1 Review
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Underworld Orchid
The dried leaves looked relatively large upon opening the bag. I could have mistaken it for a typical Sheng Puer. Off the bat, the dry leaves smell of that roasted corn/pea fragrance, with a subtle sweetness underlying it all. The wash amplifies that sweet smell upon taking in the scent of the wet leaves. I had multiple days to figure out what worked best for me with this tea. A low temperature with the water, even in the later steeps, really brought out a lemony sweetness that complimented well the corny, squash-like flavor. Since this is considered "wild tea", I don't know if this is caffeine-free, but speaking as a person who can feel the buzz from several teas, I did not get it from this one. I actually brought the bag of this for travel for my vacation, a vacation which involved a lot of eating. Following up a filling meal with several cups of this tea really helped settle the stomach, more so than I could say for other teas of comparable quality I've had. An exceptional green tea ... though it is my first "high-quality" loose green tea I've tasted.
