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2012 Cloud Watching from The Essence of Tea

2012 Cloud Watching

from The Essence of Tea
Wet Leaf Aroma
Not much here, mostly wild herbs, dried grass and a hunch of animal/stable
Tasting Notes
The profile is quiet and elusive throughout. Dominant character is wild herbs, with an enjoyable bitterness and a faint fruity-floral note; hint of maltiness suggests some aging. A kind of metallic note sits within the broader spectrum. In later steeps the profile becomes more pronounced in its understatedness: elusive, almost ethereal, hard to grasp but clean and consistent throughout.
In a Sentence
colourless, ethereal, deep
What it feels like
The energy is centering and calm, slow to arrive and with good depth. It creeps in gradually, settling into the body.
Quick
Sheng ★★★★ The Essence of Tea
Details
Entry Date
19.05.2026
Country
China
Region
Forest along the China/Myanmar border
Season
Spring
Storage
Jinghong
Price EUR/50g
45
Link
essenceoftea.com
Rating (1-5)
4.2
Properties
Kōu Gǎn i Mouthfeel: texture, density, softness, or dryness.
light and silvery clean mouthfeel, good texture
Hóu Yùn i Throat resonance — the depth and length of the finish.
Runs down cleanly, waterlike
Huí Gān i Returning sweetness after bitterness, perceived after swallowing.
A little sense of returning sweetness in the throat, lively puckering. lubricating Salivation
Qi (1-5) i The tea’s felt effect on body and mind.
4.5 - the tea’s strong point: centering, hypnotic with nice sense of depth
Journal

2026-07-22

Starts with an interesting sense of bitter notes, intertwined with an underlying soft floral sweetness. The bitterness is not one dimensional, it leaves a sense of refreshment, if you're used to it. Noticable silky texture, and mostly right away a sense of energy that pulls you in. Something makes me feel good about this tea, even though the taste is not outstanding in any way. The throat and nostrils open up, relaxing and a lively feel in the cavity.

There is a sense of fullness in the mouth, even though it is not a thick or heavy tea, - it is experienced in the tongue and body. - the leaves speak through perceived depth, while the taste remains elusive. Good endurance.

late steep
late steep

EoT claims these are ancient trees growing in the forest along the China/Myanmar border, to the east of the Bulang mountain range.

Also the name has a story. A friend of the vendor apparently felt compelled to simply sit and watch the clouds whenever she drank this tea.

Colourless tea, beautiful to enjoy.

Quick
Sheng ★★★★ The Essence of Tea
Details
Entry Date
19.05.2026
Country
China
Region
Forest along the China/Myanmar border
Season
Spring
Storage
Jinghong
Price EUR/50g
45
Link
essenceoftea.com
Rating (1-5)
4.2
Properties
Kōu Gǎn i Mouthfeel: texture, density, softness, or dryness.
light and silvery clean mouthfeel, good texture
Hóu Yùn i Throat resonance — the depth and length of the finish.
Runs down cleanly, waterlike
Huí Gān i Returning sweetness after bitterness, perceived after swallowing.
A little sense of returning sweetness in the throat, lively puckering. lubricating Salivation
Qi (1-5) i The tea’s felt effect on body and mind.
4.5 - the tea’s strong point: centering, hypnotic with nice sense of depth