I have been looking forward to this one for awhile now. While I liked Mrs. Li’s First Picking Shi Feng Dragonwell, I tend to prefer the stronger aromas and flavors presented by the later pickings. I know that the Chinese generally feel that the first picking is the highest quality, but I tend to like heavier, more vegetal green teas, so a tea like this is far more appealing to me. I am a big fan of Dragonwell, and predictably, I really enjoyed this tea.
I prepared this tea using a two step Western infusion. I tend to use this method for most Chinese green teas. I do not perform a third infusion since I find that I normally like the first two infusions best. I steeped 4 grams of this tea in 8 ounces of 175 F water for 2 minutes and then performed a 3 minute second infusion.
On the first infusion, the aroma of the liquor was lovely. I picked up strong scents of grass, asparagus, green beans, chestnut, hazelnut, and cashew. I also thought I detected a very subtle floral touch. In the mouth, I detected lovely, well-integrated notes of grass, straw, asparagus, artichoke, green beans, chestnut, hazelnut, and cashew with slight mineral, honey, and floral underpinnings. The second infusion produced an aroma that was much lighter. I noted mild aromas of green beans, grass, asparagus, and straw balanced by nuts and minerals. In the mouth, the nutty, grassy, and vegetal notes remained, though the mineral presence was much stronger.
I really like this tea, but then again, I almost always enjoy Dragonwell. This one, at least, is a very nice one. The layering of aromas and flavors is superb, and the tea displays a very pleasant, lingering aftertaste. I would have no problem recommending this tea to anyone looking for a tasty, reliable Dragonwell to use for regular drinking.
Flavors: Artichoke, Asparagus, Chestnut, Floral, Grass, Green Beans, Hazelnut, Honey, Mineral, Straw
