6 Tasting Notes
This is a very famous tea in Qingdao which I tired various versions of when there.
This one is a top-pick though. My favorite character in green tea is sweet ‘huigan’ and umami flavors that linger long after each sip, but these often wash out rather quickly and green tea can become ‘flat’ after a few infusions. Usually for such teas I brew with far fewer leaves for a just a few long infusions. I find this one lasts gongfu style though, and even returning to the leaves a few hours later for another infusion, it still retains its charm and those lovely flavors I want to find in a green tea.
Preparation
I love this tea that reminds me of a deep steamed sencha with an oolong tone. It is floral with grassy astringency and a sweet thickness reminding me of oolong. HuiGan / 回甘 is very quickly noticeable and lingers for a long time afterwards. I prefer to over-leaf, and use a lower temperature as if brewing green tea, in a gaiwan starting with very short infusions (unforgiving if over-brewed this method). Stretches out. This tea is a winner for me and worth experimenting with brewing methods. Read Less
Preparation
Brewed Gong Fu style in Yixing teapot. Initial aroma is very strong and enticing: it instantly reminds me a lot of an aged and re-roasted Da Hong Pao (especially the 9 year old DHP carried by Yunnan Sourcing). However the taste is more subtle than that, and softer than the aroma suggested. Rich yet smooth with a nice intense hit of dark roast that does not linger on the palate for too long, revealing a softer side, making it a nice all-round tea for a long relaxing tea session.
Brewed 9g in 160ml teapot (Da Hong Pao clay from Fudong). After a very quick rinse I allowed a minute for the tea to come to life, then brewed as follows: instant-pour/5/10/15/20/30/45…
Roasted raisin and prune, with some spiciness in the upfront aroma. My first brew yielded a cranberry-like tart dryness that abruptly cut-off a richer baked taste in the background, but this sweet-baked taste began to linger much more noticeably after the first brew and the tartness mellowed to just a perfect level.
This is my first time trying this particular tea and I found the first 4 brews quite rich (almost sickly but enjoyable!), so I found my drinking pace to be slower than usual for this style.
From the 5th onwards I found that richness had disappeared and the predominant taste was tart cherry juice without the sweetness and instead some nutty-notes. Enjoyed these nice easy-drinking smooth later infusions too.
I think this will be a good tea to experiment with, there is a lot going on.
Preparation
(This is for the Autumn 2015 harvest) Brewed very simply from one glass Cha Hai to another, as I usually do for pan-fried green teas. I brewed with a good amount of leaves (not weighed) for short infusions at 75c / 167f. Lovely thick green tea that coats the mouth and throat with lasting ‘umami’ taste (usually the reason I drink stronger Japanese Sencha because I find that taste more intense). This is a nice green tea though, and not too expensive so I would definitely recommend it to green tea fans.
As a very big fan of Da Hong Pao, I was excited to try this.
The leaves are very dark, and glisten almost black when wet. This tea has been skilfully roasted, leaving no offending burnt aromas behind, just a lovely strong but not overbearing roast flavor that lingers on in the first 3-4 brews especially, then lifts off to reveal the more delicate and recognisable yancha fruity tastes. A great experience to drink this tea as that transformation happens.
Nice relaxing Cha Qi and goes many rounds gongfu style. It has quickly become a favorite wuyi rock tea for me, as a drinker who would normally favor a lower roast than this. I really appreciate when I can taste and smell a great roast that brings out the best qualities of the tea leaves, without masking them, and rubbing your face in a pile of charcoal and ash.
I have not given this tea a points value. Just try it, the proof is in the cup.
