Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: deep green, curled and twisted
Steep time: 2 minutes
Water Temperature: 180 degrees
Preparation Method: glass infuser
Liquor: pale, greenish
I am always on the lookout for interesting pure teas to sample whenever I place an order with Adagio Teas. Guizhou Twist caught my eye because Guizhou is a province that I haven’t seen talked about much. It is located in southwestern China, bordering Yunnan, Sichuan, and Hunan. Guizhou is a mountainous region with a humid subtropical climate. You’ll find that many tea regions can be described that way.
Leaf
The dry leaf of this green tea was darker in color with a curled and twisty shape. Similarly to mao feng, there isn’t a uniform appearance. The leaves are curly and twisted so they don’t seem to have been shaped during processing. They had a fresh, almost fruity aroma. This was the kind of tea where I just had to stick my nose right into the bag so that I could breathe it all in.
It was tempting to gongfu this but that can be dicey with unfamiliar green teas. Instead, I opted to follow their western brewing directions in my glass infuser from Jing Tea. I like it because the leaves are able to float free without being restricted.
Liquor
Guizhou Twist brewed up fairly pale with just a hint of green. The fruitiness that picked up in the dry leaf came through as juicy peach in the cup. My husband usually hates green tea but that was the first note he gave when I forced him to try this.
That initial sweetness was followed by tart white grape grounded by the darker fruitiness of plum. It was also slightly floral but in a subtle way so I couldn’t quite pin the aroma down. There some astringency but that only made it refreshing. Overall it was very smooth without bitterness. This tea would be a great choice for those who do not like smokiness in green tea.
Have you tried Guizhou Twist? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Guizhou Twist sample purchased from Adagio Teas.
