Hou Kui supreme
The top grade of Taiping Houkui, with leaves reaching fifteen centimetres pressed flat between cloth and mesh. The leaves are so large that they will not fit a normal gaiwan, and are traditionally brewed upright in a tall glass.
Character
Extraordinarily delicate given the size of the leaf, with an orchid aroma and almost no astringency.
- Flavour
- Floral, Vegetal, Sweet
- Aroma
- Orchid, Fresh
- Mouthfeel
- Light, Silky, Complex
- Complexity
- Layered
- Notes
- orchid, fresh melon, sweet grass
- Aftertaste
- Long, orchid-like and unusually clean.
Delicate intensity: light in the mouth with little grip. forgiving of a long steep.
Provenance and production
- Origin
- China
- Region
- Taiping
- Oxidation
- Unoxidised
- Harvest
- Spring
- Processing
- Kill-green (fixation) → Flat shaping → Drying
Brewing
Western brewing (teapot or mug)
1.5–2.5 g/100 ml · 75–85 °C · 1 authored infusion
Gongfu brewing (gaiwan)
3–4 g/100 ml · 75–85 °C · 4 authored infusions
No caffeine estimate is authored for this tea. TeaHQ does not infer one from its category, because category predicts caffeine poorly — matcha and gyokuro carry more than many black teas.
Common mistakes
- Brewing it in a small gaiwan — the leaves are too long and will not open properly.
If you like this
Grouped by why they were suggested, strongest reason first. Nothing here is a blended score — a suggestion appears under the best reason that exists for it, and never under a weaker one as well.
Editorially linked
Someone wrote down why these two belong together. The note below is theirs.
- Taiping Houkui
Standard and top grades of the same tea. The supreme grade’s leaves are long enough that a normal gaiwan will not hold them properly.
Similar sensory profile
Shares controlled flavour, aroma and mouthfeel descriptors. A looser match — two teas can share descriptors and still taste nothing alike.
- Alishan oolong
Shares 6 descriptors with Hou Kui supreme: floral, sweet, silky, complex, orchid and fresh.
- Bai Ji Guan
Shares 6 descriptors with Hou Kui supreme: sweet, floral, light, silky, fresh and orchid.
- Baozhong
Shares 6 descriptors with Hou Kui supreme: floral, vegetal, light, silky, orchid and fresh.
- Huang Jin Gui
Shares 6 descriptors with Hou Kui supreme: floral, sweet, vegetal, light, orchid and fresh.
- Meng Ding Gan Lu
Shares 6 descriptors with Hou Kui supreme: sweet, floral, light, silky, orchid and fresh.
- Shan Lin Xi
Shares 6 descriptors with Hou Kui supreme: floral, vegetal, sweet, silky, orchid and fresh.
- Wenshan Baozhong
Shares 6 descriptors with Hou Kui supreme: floral, sweet, light, silky, orchid and fresh.