 |
Harvest: Spring, 2011
Varietal: Ye Sheng (Wild)
Origin: Longchuan County, Dehong Pref, Yunnan
10 Gram Sample Available
Overview:
This black tea was produced entirely from one of Yunnan's wild growing Ye Sheng (wild) varietal tea plants from Longchuan County in the Western part of Dehong Prefecture. These Ye Sheng varietals are distinct from the Camellia varietals traditionally used in the production of orthodox teas both botanically and from a flavor/aroma perspective. The tea factories of the region (most notably Xiaguan) use Ye Sheng varietals in some of their productions, and the ethnic groups in the Yunnan/Myanmar border region have been using these varietals to make tea for centuries.
Appearance, Flavor and Aroma:
This black tea has a distinctive appearance with its mix of long, twisted black leaves, brownish-purple buds and the occasional greenish brown young leaf mixed in. The aroma of the dry leaves is difficult to describe, but I get a mix of floral sweetness, some of the evergreen aroma I associate with other Ye Sheng tea (like our Ya Bao, which is produced from a similar varietal) and a bit of something like camphor (but not quite). When infused, this tea produces an aromatic, crystal clear, reddish-amber infusion. The flavor incorporates the floral sweet and "evergreen" elements from the aroma with more classic, malty, "black tea" type flavors into a complex, moderately mouth-coating infusion that leaves a lovely, lingering floral aftertaste in the mouth.
Steeping Guideline:
This tea is very difficult to over-steep or make bitter, and it is great for
Western-style steeping. To start out, I recommend about 3 grams of leaf or a small handful (good luck
getting this leaf to fit in a teaspoon measure) per standard size
cup. Use water just off the boil, and steep
for 3-5
minutes. Adjust the amount of leaf, steeping time,
and water temperature used according to your preference.
I, as usual, personally prefer Gong Fu
style preparation with this tea. Rather than sticking
to a specific weight of tea leaves to water volume measure, we
recommend simply filling your gaiwan or Yixing style teapot 1/4 to 1/3
full of dry tea leaves, use water just under a boil and a series of
short steepings. If you prefer to use a weight to volume measure, try
starting with 7 grams of leaf in a 150 ml gaiwan or teapot.
General steeping
guidelines for the different categories of Chinese tea and a short downloadable "how to"
video on Gong Fu style tea preparation are available on our Chinese Tea Steeping Guide page.
Weight: 0.025 lb
11.34 grams
0.4 ounces
|
|
|
Dry Leaves
Wet Leaves
Infusion
|
| Positive Customer Review |
| eljeffebrown |
17 Feb 2012, 11:36 PM |
|
Supiseing and Fruity
I've ordered this twice now, and today will be my third. This is my afternoon go to tea, i steep it "gong fu" style if you wanna call it that, which is one to one, 5 grams tea to 5 ounces water brewed in a gaiwan for 2:30 1st, 5:00 2nd 8:00 3rd and if you wanna 10/15 min 4th I usually just do 3 steepings. its fruity with hints of malt and wood very large tasting for such a big fruit taste this is a #1 tea in my book.
|
|
