Pi Lo Chun

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Experience buying from Adagio http://steepster.com/places/2897-adagio-teas-online-naperville-illinois

Date of Purchase/Amount of Leaf/Age of Leaf/Date of Steeping: in December, 2011, I bought a 14 gram sample; age of leaf not available on website; steeped on 5/19/2012.

Appearance and aroma of dry leaf: mildly vegetal; small, fine, light-and-dark green curly leaves, some broken (lighter in color to another version I tried a day later).

Brewing guidelines: labeled as 14 grams of dry tea, six cups of H2O; glass Bodum six-cup teapot, leaves free to roam; stevia added; (I started the steep times a half-a-minute longer and the temps a little hotter than my normal green tea times and temps as most Bi Lo Chun green teas seem to call for this).
……….1st: 178; 1.5’
……….2nd: 182; 2
……….3rd: 182; 2.5’
……….4th: 185; 3’
……….5th: 188; 4’

Color and aroma of tea liquor: Cloudy, light-yellow color; mild, sweet, vegetal aroma.

Flavor of tea liquor (by steeping):
1st: mild, sweet, good
2nd: had at least as good a flavor as the 1st
3rd: decent flavor
4th: still decent flavor (leaves all on bottom)
5th: mild flavor (clear liquor)

Appearance and aroma of wet leaf: aroma similar to other versions, but not what I would expect from a quality green tea, as although it’s vegetal it has a somewhat stale smell (maybe because this sat in the sample bag for six months from when I bought it? Then again, maybe not …), and something else interesting I can’t place; lots of leaf movement from top to bottom of teapot while steeping, leaves mostly on bottom, lots of broken pieces floating around; wet leaf seems to be of decent quality: many whole leaves, a number of buds, and some pieces and stems.

Value: Currently $7 / 2 OZ. Most Pi Lo Chun (or Bi Lo Chun) is much more expensive (I’ve seen the fresh stuff go for close to $20/OZ, and even higher for organic), so although this price is pretty good, I don’t believe this tea is of a very high grade.

Overall:
At the end of 2011 I bought four samples from Adagio (all green teas), and this is the last of that bunch. In general, I have found their green teas to be of average quality with a commensurate price.

I have had at least five different Bi Lo Chun (Pi Lo Chun) green teas at this point, and I judge this one to be a pale comparison to the real thing; it’s decent tasting and worth drinking, but nothing stands out about it. Still, it seems to embody the basics of appearance, taste and aroma that the other versions had; as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. I’m on the lookout for a Bi Lo Chun of better quality, and I’m willing to pay a little more for it (not more than $5 / OZ), since, as a style of tea, Bi Lo Chun is one of the best green teas I’ve ever had (The one from H&S was incredible, but I’m not willing to pay $10/OZ for it). There are currently a few sellers on Taobao (through a Taobao buying agent) that I am very seriously considering buying some of the 2012 harvest from.

I didn’t know what to expect with this tea as I’d never tried anything like this before. It was very smooth and light. It wasn’t vegital until it cooled a bit. Must drink this one quickly before it cools. I quiet like it, about to try a second steeping.

After enjoying some more exotic green teas from the Adagio green tea sampler I was pleasantly surprised and delighted by the taste of this Pi Lo Chun. With a wonderfully smooth and mild body this tea offers a fantastic substitution for those of us looking to broaden our green tea palette. Nuances are the key to good taste and this tea isn’t lacking in exploration. A hint of saltiness compliments the classic green tea grassiness, a near perfect compliment. This tea’s character is one of full flavor that tappers off to a soft aftertaste that isn’t found in other delicate greens. Enjoy! Try a second steep for sure

Dry tea is a fine, light tumble of thin curls with white tips – a promising sight. Use more than a teaspoon per cup. A pleasant green sweetness rises from the liquor as an aroma, and the taste follows suit. Not bitter or astringent. A buttery, salty sea-scent and flavor runs along underneath. Second steep just as good. I like it.

Smells a bit rice-cakey. The coloring is somewhere between a white and green tea color. After steeping the rice-cakey smell turns into a slight – that’s a VERY slight – smoky scent. The taste seems a little reminiscent of green tea meets plain-NO-buttered popcorn. The aftertaste is a bit grassy. Not bad. But so far not in my fave TOP 30 Adagio’s. Will try again, however.

This reminds me of gunpowder, but not as strong. It’s slightly smokey and vegetal with some oceanic saltiness to it, like seaweed. It’s very interesting how the smokiness blends well with the salty vegetal notes. It’s not one I would have guessed I would’ve liked and while I probably won’t keep it in my permanent stash I am glad I tried it. It is very good, a nice lighter alternative to Gunpowder.

Well…
A good, smooth brew, yes. Water has a nice color, much more brown than most greens, and the flavor is a bit roasty. A nice tea to suit a taste that you might have, so a good tea to keep around. Hardly vegetal tasting, and the flavor isn’t too bold or mild.

Now for the kicker:
I compared this to a Bilouchun I bought at Mountain View Tea Village, a Bay Area store that I’m pretty sure is independently-owned by a Taiwanese family. The tea I got there was competition grade – I believe it placed first.

So how does it match up?
When compared, there’s a notable lack of nuance and delicacy. The Adagio tea seems to have a bolder leaf, keeping a good flavor in a broader temperature range. The competition-grade leaf, however, has a much narrower range of acceptable temperature – but, with that narrowness comes quality.
The flavor, truly, is rather different. They’re in the same realm of course, and a less discriminate tongue could probably find them pretty identical. The differences are really in line with the general comparisons that can be made between mediocre and quality tea. As I’ve mentioned, the delicacy, nuance, character, etc.

When it comes to the leaves, there’s an immediate visual difference. The Adagio leaves are a much lighter green before and after brewing, and I noticed there’s a lot of broken leaf, as well as a few stems. The comp. grade leaves have a much deeper hue, and are composed only of while leaf and there are no stems. As for smell… no comparison. the competition tea is very fragrant, rich and characteristic, while I find the adagio to be a bit light and generic-smelling.

This has been a bit of a beat-up on Adagio’s Pi Lo Chun, but keep in mind the scales were immediately tipped against it. As a basic tea, I enjoyed it, really. I’d say, though, if you really enjoy this tea, and you have the money, give the quality stuff a shot – you’ll be pleased by this tea at its finest.

This tea was included in Adagio’s green tea sampler. This is a very light tasting green tea, and on the vegetal side (think celery). It has a little bitter thing going on in the aftertaste, so this probably isn’t a green tea that I’d choose to buy more of.

A really nice, light, green tea. It has a very slight smoky note, but the dominant taste is that of mild, sweet vegetal flavor. Unfortunately, the aroma only lingers for an instant after swallowing.

I brewed and drank this tea out of my large gaiwan Chinese “glass brewing style”. A fairly good green tea overall with a slight floral grassy taste to it but somewhat flat at the same time. I’d say this tea falls into the good enough to finish what I have but not good enough to buy more when I do category, but then again I tend to enjoy more flavorful and fruity tasting green teas.