Mao Jian

Wasn't expecting much from a green tea I'd never tried, but the first cup won me over. The leaves are whole and wiry, clearly hand-processed, and they unfurl into a sweet, chestnut-scented liquor after about a minute in 80°C water.

Steeping these late-April 2022 leaves at about 175°F gives a cup that's sweet and almost buttery, with none of the bitterness I usually get from green tea. You can tell it was hand processed in small batches—the leaves are whole and uniform, not crushed dust.

The dry leaves smell grassy and a little toasty, and they hold up for three good steeps without turning bitter. You can tell it's hand processed from how intact the leaves stay in the cup.