Taiping Houkui Tea Feedback - Wild Variety for Free!

by Julian
(Horsham)

During 2008, I gave a wild cultivated, organic Taiping Houkui tea out to newsletter subscribers for free.

This tea is mid to high grade and could retail for $15 to $25 per 50 grams (about 2 ounces). But hey, given the taste and flavour is not on par with Hu's main crop (which unfortunately is not available in 2008), I decided to do you a favour and let you sample it for free!

How would a free tea taste like? Here is a feedback from my discriminating customer Stig Ramussen from Copenhagen:

The wild variety of Hou Kui is an interesting tea with its rustic notes initially reminiscent of burnt feathers (! - you know, after having plucked the fowl one holds it over fire) and swamp water before nobler tastes take over and make it clear why this variety has been cultivated into a more fragrant character (I guess - and look forward to next spring!).

This wild variety does finish in more than a hint of seaweed, but that may be subdued in the selective process of upgrading the variety.

Thank you very much for sharing this experience with me (and I haven't received an invoice yet) - the wild Hou Kui is well worth drinking!