Dragonwell

This week is going to be all about challenging the conceptions I’ve built about tea throughout the first leg of my tea journey. I’ve written off whole categories of tea including green, black, and sheng (too grassy, too boring, too savory) but that was so many months ago that my tastes have changed, and my brewing methods have changed and I’m sure that many of the teas I didn’t like it was because I brewed them incorrectly.

I wasn’t optimistic about this tea when I looked at the dry leaf because they are nearly gray in color which I believe signifies low quality, but I went ahead anyway.

2 infusions: (5s, 10s) Not bad! It does taste a bit grassy, but not so much that it bothers me. I actually like it. It has a verry small hint of floral note at the end. Surprised that I noticed that.

Of to try more green teas!

my entire blog is Colin and everything hurts

I brought a whole lot of teas with me back home, and a lot of them I jsut brought enough for one serving because I know mother doesn’t like the teas that I enjoy. This one is a bit… it’s very much on the green/spinachy side. Very very grassy. I don’t know if I like it.. like it’s good and I’m sure it’s a great tea! But not my taste.

I enjoyed this – it seems like a very traditional tea in taste, and it holds up to several steeps. It is a bit sweet, grassy, tastes exactly what I feel like people imagine green tea should taste.

well, this is ok. i think with a name like “dragonwell” i thought it would be spectacular, but it is not. (spectacularly what, i’m not sure)
it is not bad. it is green, vegetal (vegetable-y?), earthy, it is fine. it is not spectacular. it is not bad. i am neutral on this one.

This tea surprised me. I didn’t like it at first, but I made a whole pot of it and by the time I got to the last cup I had fallen in love.

First let me say I didn’t follow the recommended instructions! I tend to just let tea steep until it looks like it’s done, and by the time this was done the tea was a medium gold color. At first I didn’t like it, because at first taste it’s slightly bitter and strongly green. The aftertaste is sweet and clean, though, and it had me reaching for another cup. I’d definitely recommend steeping this a little longer, because three minutes isn’t enough.

Sarah thought it was really good.
Brad likes it too. 

my morning cup for today and I must say it’s a good cup of green tea….

Dry Leaf Nose: Vegetal with slight floral notes

Liqour: A light Green-Yellow color

Flavour: Slightly grassy with an ending dryness. Also there is a slight tang present.

Please Note: A quick rinse was done on the leaves.

When I opened the package, the dry leaves smelled strongly and unpleasantly grassy. I was concerned, but plunged forward.

Once brewed, it turned out really nice—there was a touch of grassy flavor, but it was subtle, and not the ugly harsh sort of grassy. Mostly it was a bright but gentle blend of other scents and flavors, with a sweet kind of spinachy vegetal, a hint of spring blossoms and honey, and just a bit fruity. The spinach comes out more on the second steep.

Dragon Well is one of my favorite green teas ever, so this one really disappoints me. I don’t know why, but every time I make this particular brand of Dragonwell, it’s bitter and tasteless. I’ve tried varying steep time and temperature, but it never seems to come out tasting like Dragon Well at all. Sad :(