Not sure what prompted me, back in 2018, to order a plain white tea from August Uncommon Teas (a company known for blends), but I suspect that it had to do with the fact that, back at that time, all their flavored teas were in massive 100g size tins but this tea only sold for an ounce.
I first made a batch as cold brew, but it turned out super weak with my typical parameters… it just tasted like water to me, with an inkling of a citrus-hay note in the background. I increased the leaf for the next cold brew pitcher as an experiment to see if that gets some flavor out of it, and will have to see what tomorrow brings on it. I usually love cold brewed greens and whites, but maybe this one just isn’t cut out for it…
So this morning, I decided to drink it gong fu.
7g / 200ml / 185F / 20s|30s|40s|50s|60s|90s
The liquor smells wonderful. There is this effervescent and sort of vinegary-bite to the smell alone that makes me think of wine or champagne. There is an autumn leaf aroma, but somehow more golden and sweeter, like it is mixed with the scent of honeyed fruits. Unlike the cold brew, there is definitely flavor here. The main sip is filled with the flavors of honey, dates, hay, and autumn leaves, with a sort of dandelion blossom floral/pollen note at the end of the sip that lingers on the back of the tongue. There is a hint of melon there as well. The second steep brought out a fruitier flavor, tasting of dates, nectarine, and raisin, still with a strong hay/floral/pollen flavor in the close. On steep four, the flavor was starting to be less intense, but that also brought out a strong peach/nectarine note. The flavor was quite delicate by the fifth infusion, but I did a sixth just to use up the water I already had heated.
A nice aged white… at least prepared warm. Jury is still out on cold-brewing.
Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Champagne, Dandelion, Dates, Floral, Fruity, Honey, Hot Hay, Melon, Nectarine, Peach, Pollen, Raisins
Preparation
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This sounds nice! I’d love to be able to catch all the nuances in white tea that folks write about, but I think my tastebuds have been dulled for life by too many years of strong black stuff!
I have found that I just can’t warm up to puerh no matter how much it is considered the “classy tea drinker’s choice,” but have really been enjoying aged white tea. Though I find it takes gong fu preparation to really get the most out of them, and I nearly never have the time for that. I tend to only have the time to western brew a big thermos to last an entire work day, or to dump tea in cold water and leave in the fridge overnight.
Ditto. Someday when I retire, I shall learn to gong fu properly, but until then, if it won’t work in a steeping basket, it’ll just have to wait :)
This sounds nice! I’d love to be able to catch all the nuances in white tea that folks write about, but I think my tastebuds have been dulled for life by too many years of strong black stuff!
I have found that I just can’t warm up to puerh no matter how much it is considered the “classy tea drinker’s choice,” but have really been enjoying aged white tea. Though I find it takes gong fu preparation to really get the most out of them, and I nearly never have the time for that. I tend to only have the time to western brew a big thermos to last an entire work day, or to dump tea in cold water and leave in the fridge overnight.
Ditto. Someday when I retire, I shall learn to gong fu properly, but until then, if it won’t work in a steeping basket, it’ll just have to wait :)