2024 Chinese Green Tea Sampler

🥳 As someone who usually loves sweet drinks like lattes, juices, and milk tea, I’ve always been curious about trying proper teas. Maybe it’s age catching up with me, but I think my Chinese genes are finally waking up, haha!

Packaging That Steals the Show
The moment I opened the delivery box, I was floored by iTeaworld’s elegant packaging. You can clearly feel the love the founder and designer have for Chinese ink-wash culture—it’s truly stunning!

[Brewing Guide] Making Tea Made Easy
Since iTeaworld primarily caters to an international audience, they thoughtfully included a brewing guide. For a beginner like me, this was an absolute lifesaver!

Water Temperature: 80-90°C
Tea-to-Water Ratio: 1:35-50
Steeping Times: 3-5 infusions
Steeping Duration: 10-20 seconds
Each tea is individually packed for convenience. A single pouch contains about 3g, which you can transfer to your teabag or brewing method of choice—then you’re all set!

Exploring Six Green Teas Like Sampling Perfumes
The box features six different types of green tea, which totally triggered my inner INTJ personality. I couldn’t wait to line them up and try them one by one, like a tea-tasting adventure!

[Long Jing Tea]
This tea has slender, pale-green leaves. The flavor is super gentle, with a distinct sweetness and lightness that’s very beginner-friendly. The lingering aftertaste is lovely too!

[Bi Luo Chun]
From Dongting Mountain in Suzhou, this tea’s deep-green leaves are tightly curled like tiny spirals. It has a floral-fruity aroma and tastes even fresher and crisper than Long Jing.

[Huangshan Maofeng]
Grown in the misty, high-altitude regions of Huangshan, this tea is infused with the rich aromas of the natural surroundings. Its flavor is more “earthy” and plant-like—a pure, natural vibe.

[Jasmine Green Tea]
This one’s a no-brainer! As a jasmine milk tea fan, I had to add a splash of milk, and wow—the creamy milk combined with the jasmine floral notes made it the perfect afternoon treat!

[Enshi Jade Dew]
I’d never heard of this tea before and had to look it up! From Enshi, Hubei, this tea is rich in selenium thanks to the local soil. It has a slightly bitter and cooling taste—very different from the floral and fruity teas above. Definitely a more “authentic tea” flavor with energizing effects.

[Old Tree Green Tea]
This tea comes from ancient trees over 100 years old. The leaves are thicker, darker, and packed with nutrients from their long growth. The first sip was intense—quite bitter and bold, with a heavy body. But it left a strong aftertaste and was amazing for recharging energy!

Final Thoughts on My Tea Journey
🤩 Overall, this tea set is perfect for anyone new to green tea who wants to explore different flavors. The youthful, elegant design also makes it a great gift for friends around your age! Definitely recommend giving it a try!

As a lifelong green tea lover, this green tea gift set is truly irresistible. The moment I held it, I knew I was about to embark on a delightful journey with green tea.

Packaging First Impressions: Soft and Sophisticated
Honestly, the packaging is stunning. It’s wrapped in a delicate, translucent white paper—minimalist yet ceremonial. Removing the wrap reveals a beautiful Chinese-style ink painting of serene mountains, exuding elegance and calm. Detailed tea info, including storage guidelines, is thoughtfully listed on the box. This design feels premium and is perfect for personal enjoyment or gifting.

Six Classic Green Teas: A Mini Tour of Green Tea World
Opening the box felt like unwrapping a present. It features six green teas, each distinct:

Jasmine Green Tea: Unique aroma from seven rounds of scenting—floral notes in every sip.
Dragon Well (Longjing): Nutty, fresh, and smooth—a true masterpiece of pan-fired tea.
Bi Luo Chun: Springtime in a cup with floral and fruity notes, sweet and lingering.
En Shi Yu Lu: First time trying a steamed tea, and the seaweed aroma is incredibly fresh.
Huangshan Maofeng: High mountain elegance with orchid notes—a cup of pure sophistication.
Ancient Tree Green Tea: My favorite! Golden liquor, full-bodied sweetness, and a long-lasting aftertaste from century-old Yunnan tea trees.
Ancient Tree Green Tea: My Absolute Highlight
This tea deserves a special mention! The dry leaves have a natural charm, and the aroma unfurls beautifully during brewing. Its golden tea liquor is mesmerizing, and the taste is rich, sweet, and exceptionally enduring. I brewed it Gongfu style, and even after 4-5 infusions, the flavor remained robust. This tea invites you to slow down and savor the moment.

Practical and Thoughtful:
Each tea comes in an individual packet—clean, convenient, and easy to brew anywhere. The guidebook inside is incredibly detailed, with backstories for each tea and step-by-step brewing instructions, including water temperature and ratios. Even a beginner can dive right in.

The Gift Set’s Essence: Sharing Tea and Love
This set isn’t just about great tea. It’s a perfect gift: minimalist, elegant, and versatile. It’s ideal for friends, family, elders, or clients—thoughtful and refined.

If you love green tea or are just starting your green tea journey, this iTeaworld gift set is a must-try!

As someone from Fujian, the birthplace of many important Chinese teas, I feel incredibly lucky to be able to taste six different green teas from various provinces all at once.

About iTeaworld:
iTeaworld is a company with over 20 years of experience in the Chinese tea industry, involved in both production and sales. In 2022, iTeaworld officially launched its brand internationally, offering a premium Chinese tea experience to tea lovers around the world through its independent website.

iTeaworld focuses on helping tea beginners by offering specially designed educational tea sets that systematically guide users through understanding the types, qualities, and subtle differences of tea.

As far as I know, the main flavor differences in Chinese green tea are due to processing methods. There are nearly 100 types of Chinese green tea, but the core processes are only four: roasted green tea, sun-dried green tea, steamed green tea, and stir-fried green tea. Understanding these processes helps you grasp the basic flavor characteristics of green tea.

Tea Brewing Steps:
#1 Warm the teapot – Pour hot water into the teapot to warm it up, which helps release the aroma of the tea.
#2 Add tea – Place the tea leaves into the teapot or gaiwan.
#3 Rinse the leaves – Add hot water to open up the tea leaves.
#4 Wake the tea – Discard the rinse water and let the tea leaves rest for a moment.
#5 Brew the tea – Pour hot water into the teapot and brew the green tea, then pour it into a serving cup.
#6 Serve the tea – Pour the brewed tea into cups and serve to guests.

Introducing the Green Teas:

Old Tree Green Tea – Sun-Dried Process – Yellowish Tea Color
This tea comes from old trees that are over 30 years old. The leaves are thicker, with more stems. It has a sweet taste with a slight bitterness, though the bitterness doesn't linger too long. When brewing, there’s more tea residue.

Li Hua Green Tea – Scented Tea Process – Whitish Tea Color
From the moment you open the package, you’ll be greeted by the light scent of jasmine. After warming the teapot and rinsing the leaves, the jasmine fragrance lingers in the air. This tea might be my favorite! It has fewer stems and larger leaves.

Made from high-altitude large-leaf tea from Yunnan, it has a rich, fragrant aroma. This jasmine tea is scented seven times (most jasmine teas are scented 2-3 times), which makes its fragrance incredibly strong. It’s made from pure buds and was harvested as fresh tea in April 2024. The taste is refreshing with a sweet aftertaste.

Longjing – Stir-Fried Process
One of China’s most famous tea types, Longjing has large, flat leaves with very few stems. The tea is nearly free of residue during brewing. It has a fragrant, nutty aroma and a full-bodied sweetness, with a strong aftertaste.
Handcrafted by a tea master with 30 years of experience, iTeaworld selects tea leaves picked after the Qingming festival. Though the taste doesn’t differ much from pre-Qingming tea, it’s more affordable. The tea is grown at higher elevations (900-1000 meters) and has a fresh, nutty aroma and a rich, sweet, and refreshing taste. Harvested in April 2024.

Huangshan Maofeng – Roasted Green Tea Process
This tea has long, thin leaves with a bitter taste at first, but it has a sweet aftertaste. The liquor is slightly yellow and clear.
It’s from the core production area of Huangshan Maofeng, grown at over 800 meters above sea level. The tea has a more intense aroma and is harvested directly from local tea farmers. It has a distinct mountain flavor with a hint of orchid fragrance. One bud, two leaves, harvested during the Grain Rain season in April 2024.

Bi Luo Chun – Famous Tea for Over 1,000 Years
One of China’s top ten teas, Bi Luo Chun has thin, tightly curled leaves that resemble spirals. It’s rich, sweet, and has a long-lasting aftertaste.
iTeaworld chooses tea from Xidongting Mountain, where tea trees and fruit trees grow together. Made by a tea master with over 30 years of experience, this tea has a floral and fruity fragrance, with a fresh, full-bodied, sweet taste and a lingering aftertaste. One bud, one leaf, picked before the Qingming Festival in April 2024.

En Shi Yu Lu – The Only Steamed Green Tea in China
This tea looks like pine needles, and personally, I find its taste to be quite bitter with no sweet aftertaste.
It comes from the core production area, where the tea trees are grown collectively. Purchased directly from local farmers, it has a strong seaweed aroma and a rich, fresh taste. One bud, one leaf, harvested in April 2024.

iTeaworld’s teas are truly top-notch, offering the best of the best in premium tea! When I received this beautifully packaged green tea sampler, I was immediately intrigued and wanted to learn more about the brand. Turns out, they have a wild tea plantation spanning over 6 million square meters, with more than 3,000 ancient tea trees that are over 100 years old. Their products are free of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and synthetic growth agents, ensuring high-quality, safe, and organic teas for consumers.

This sampler includes 20 tea bags: 3 bags each of Dragon Well, Huangshan Maofeng, Jade Dew, and Ancient Tree Green Tea, plus 4 bags each of Jasmine Green Tea and Bi Luo Chun.

The box provides instructions for two brewing methods: one for using professional tea sets and another for simple brewing with a regular cup. They even included empty tea bags for convenience—super thoughtful! Now, let’s talk about the flavors.

Jasmine Green Tea

Aroma: Rich jasmine fragrance, fresh and elegant with a sweet floral and fruity scent.
Taste: Smooth and sweet, with a perfect balance of floral and tea notes. The aftertaste has a gentle sweetness.
Dragon Well (Long Jing)

Aroma: Refreshing bean scent with hints of grass and wood, subtle and elegant.
Taste: Crisp, sweet, and smooth with a clear lingering aftertaste.
Bi Luo Chun (brewed in a teapot)

Aroma: Fresh floral and fruity notes, rich but not overpowering, very pleasant.
Taste: Sweet, smooth, and full-bodied with a fruity sweetness and a refreshing aftertaste.
Huangshan Maofeng

Aroma: Delicate and fresh with a light chestnut note.
Taste: Pure and sweet, with a smooth tea soup and a crisp finish.
Jade Dew (En Shi Yu Lu) (brewed with a tea set)

Aroma: Fresh grassy scent with a hint of floral, very clean and refreshing. The bright green tea soup is a feast for the eyes.
Taste: Sweet and smooth with a cooling sensation and a refreshing aftertaste.
Ancient Tree Green Tea

Aroma: Deep woody and earthy notes with a hint of aged fragrance, rich and mellow.
Taste: Bold and full-bodied with a slight bitterness that quickly transitions to a strong, sweet aftertaste. Complex and layered.
Quick Recap:

Jasmine Green Tea: Floral and sweet
Dragon Well: Fresh bean aroma, sweet aftertaste
Bi Luo Chun: Rich floral and fruity, sweet and refreshing
Huangshan Maofeng: Light chestnut aroma, smooth and crisp
Jade Dew: Grassy and floral, sweet and cooling
Ancient Tree Green Tea: Earthy and bold, complex flavors
Each tea offers its own unique aroma and taste, with distinct tea soup colors that reflect their unique processing methods and characteristics. iTeaworld has an extensive range of teas and sampler sets, which I highly recommend!

When I opened the Green Tea Sampler Gift Box, here’s what I found inside:

Two info booklets
A bunch of empty tea bags
3 packs of Huangshan Maofeng
3 packs of Dragon Well
3 packs of Ancient Tree Green Tea
3 packs of Enshi Jade Dew
4 packs of Bi Luo Chun
4 packs of Jasmine Green Tea
(I was honestly shocked—at first glance, I thought there were only three kinds of tea because the box was divided into three sections. Turns out, there are six kinds in total!)

The booklets included detailed descriptions of each tea’s origin and brewing methods, covering both the easy “lazy brew” method and the more elaborate Gongfu style. Naturally, since I don’t own a Gongfu tea set (and let’s be real, I’m lazy), I went with the lazy brew method.

Speaking of lazy brewing, I’ve got to give a shoutout to those empty tea bags included in the box (like the ones in picture 3). They’re a lifesaver for anyone who doesn’t have a tea strainer or infuser at home. No more fishing loose leaves out of your cup or teapot—it’s a game changer.

Now, let’s talk about the tea itself. I’ve attached some unedited pictures of the teas, but since there are so many, I’ll focus on my favorites and the ones that stood out the most:

Enshi Jade Dew
This was hands down my favorite from the box. It’s the lightest of the six, with a clean, fragrant taste after brewing. If you prefer a milder, more delicate tea, this one’s for you.

Jasmine Green Tea
I’m usually not a big fan of drinking jasmine green tea on its own, but this one deserves a mention because it smells amazing. The jasmine aroma hits you the moment you open the pack, and even after handling the tea leaves, my fingers smelled like jasmine. If you’re into floral teas, you’ll love this. Bonus: It’s perfect for making jasmine milk tea at home—the jasmine flavor is strong enough to shine through even when using whole milk.

Ancient Tree Green Tea
This one’s the boldest and most robust of the six. Most green teas lean toward a lighter profile, but this one has a richer, fuller body. If you like the freshness of green tea but want something with more depth and strength, this is the one to try.