I decided to try an aged green tea. It is a rare thing to find aged green teas for they are generally only prized for their youth. Everyone wants the first flush before qingming and before the first of the spring rains. They want fresh and cooling, vegetal flavors. Some disdain the very idea of it, aged green tea, noses turned up and away, but I think part of the fun of the tea world is the exploring. And to explore, one must be both curious and open.

Simply because it is different than the notion of green tea that you hold in your head is not reason enough not to give it a try.

Now, this is not the old green tea (老绿) that I previously discussed. This green tea is a longjing, grown in a Hanghzou, China and aged for over 30 years. Anytime I think of Hangzhou I think of the old saying, which rhymes elegantly in Chinese, 《上有天堂，下有苏杭》, “Above us there is Heaven and below there is Suzhou and Hangzhou.”

It would be all too easy to compare and contrast this to a layered puer tea of similar aging time frame, but that dilutes the experience. Yes, it is a good thing to be a discerning drinker, but being open to the tastes, the textures, just as they are, points to the essence of drinking tea.

There is a surprisingly toasty flavor and a nuttiness that you get in fresh longjing also comes through, though it’s a deeper nuttiness. It’s not strongly aromatic once brewed, but there is a light sweetness. Pleasant and very drinkable. The color of the tea is also interesting, like a matte peach or pale coral.

The caffeine punch is there too… or maybe there was some placebo effect at work as I was expecting green tea, young or aged, to have a kick. It did not disappoint.

So yes, we can all have our preferences, but try something new today!