茶笔 Chá Bǐ – The Tea Pen

Author: Char Hu

  • Taiwan Milk Oolong

    Spring, 2019; var. Jinxuan; Taiwan; leaf & stem, semi-ball rolled, oolong tea process;

    Infusion: 3g in 150ml for 20sec.@95deg. C
    Dry leaf aroma: sensationally aromatic, buttery/creamy, apricot, and honey melon;
    Wet leaf aroma: biscuity, buttery, like a custard tart, with an apricot finish;
    Liquor: pale yellow, with no noticeable aroma
    Mouthfeel: thick, viscous, creamy, milky
    Taste: fragrant, sweet, milky, retronasal hints of apricots, with coconut undertones.

    When brewed stronger the tea is mildly bitter with lingering aftertaste of liquorice and almond. When it the cools, the lingering, morphs towards liquorice and coconut. All in all, a very pleasant, fragrant, and drinkable tea.

  • Jibian Oolong Tea

    Summer, 2018; var. Qingxin (soft stem); Teng Chong, Yunnan; organic, Taiwan Style Oolong process; 1900-2500m

    Infusion: 3.3g in 150ml for 20sec.@90-95 deg. C
    Dry leaf aroma: subtle, mango, butterish;
    Wet leaf aroma: strong, spicy, pepper, rüstern;
    Liquor: yellow, with faint, elusive scent;
    Mouthfeel: at first watery and metalic, giving way to a syrupy tongue coating with distinct peppery, prickly ash tingling;
    Taste: apricot, sweet, cinnamon and raisins (when cooler) lingering retronasal floral , and spicy hints, underpinned by a distinct mineral, and lingering honey sweet aftertaste.

  • Xue Shui Yun Lü Cha , Snow Water Cloud Green Needle Tea

    #todaystea – Spring, 2020, pre-Ming; var. Snow Cloud Green; Sanyuan Village, Hecun, Tonglu, Hangzhou, Zhejiang; bud only, hand processed; 75-150 meters.

    Infusion: 3g in 150 ml for 20 sec.@85 deg. C
    Dry leaf aroma: dusty, with hints of melon, and lychee;
    Wet leaf aroma: buttery, vegetal, baby corn;
    Liquor: pale yellow colour, with almost no discernible aroma;
    Mouthfeel: thick, viscous, oily, with lingering fresh, spicy, tingling, astringency;
    Taste: bitter melon, with a mouthwatering sweet finish.

  • Nanjing Yuhua Rain Flower Green Tea

    #todaystea – 2017; var. ; yuhuatai; rain flower terrace, Nanjing, Jiangsu; bud and leaf, manual processing, pine needle shaping;

    Infusion: 3g in 150 ml for 20sec.@85 deg. C
    Dry leaf aroma:: fragrant, Bartlett pear, vaguely peach-like;
    Wet leaf aroma: mild, green-ish, watermelon rind; reminiscent of a florist shop;
    Liquor: pale yellow colour, with delicate, dilute honey, but almost unnoticeable aroma;
    Mouthfeel: light, fresh, syrupy when cooler, slightly astringent finish;
    Taste: pleasant, with a semi-sweet, with a bitter gourd-like after taste.

    This tea Has an interesting history and is considered to be a special tea. It is specific to Nanjing, where the CCP in 1950, allowed the residents of Nanjing to make this tea, as a memorial to those that died in the #Nanjing#massacre. It was originally reserved as a Tribute Tea, or Tea Gift, for giving to high level officials, and company leaders.

  • Long Jing Dragon Well Green Tea

    #todaystea – Surprisingly is the same as yesterday’s tea, just one year fresher. The differences are quite stark.

    Spring, 2020; var. ; Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province; one bud and leaf, green tea process;

    Infusion: 3g in 150ml for 15 sec@85 deg. C
    Dry Leaf Aroma: aromatic, fragrant, biscuit, caramel, hint of chocolate;
    Wet Leaf Aroma: strong, vegetal, canned peas, broccoli, hints of dried raw egg;
    Liquor: Pale yellow with a faint green tinge, aroma is soft, elusive, almost non-existent;
    Mouthfeel: creamy, moderately thick, mild peppery tingle, with a lingering sweetness & astringency;
    Taste: subtle vegetal hints, mildly floral hints of orchid and osmanthus.

  • Longjing Dragon Well Green Tea

    #todaystea – Spring, 2019; var. ; Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province; one bud and leaf, green tea process;

    Infusion: 3g in 180ml for 20 sec@85 deg. C
    Dry Leaf Aroma: aromatic, fragrant, cotton candy, eggy;
    Wet Leaf Aroma: vegetal, overcooked green beans;
    Liquor: Pale yellow color, mild vegetal, and faint scrambled egg aroma;
    Mouthfeel: luscious, creamy, viscous, and mild peppery tingle, with a lingering slightly astringency;
    Taste: subtle vegetal hints with a slow to arise lingering sweetness, & perhaps some retronasal hints of orchid.

  • Lion Peak Dragon Well Green Tea, Shi Feng Lóng Jǐng Lǜ Chá

    #todaystea – Spring, 2019; var. #43; Shifeng, West Lake, Hangzhou; 1leaf &1bud, green tea process; 200-300 meters; Shifeng Longjing grows in white sand soil.

    Infusion: 3g in 150ml for 10sec@85deg. C

    Dry leaf aroma: sweet, malty, candy/caramel, boiled lollies
    Wet leaf: canned green peas, cooked green leaf veg;
    Liquor: Pale yellow with almost no noticeable aroma;
    Mouthfeel: thin, creamy, buttery;
    Taste: slightly herbal/grassy, nutty, a soft peppery or mint-like bite in the finish, & a gently sweet, lingering aftertaste.

  • Mén Dǐng Huáng Yá Chá, Mending Yellow Bud Tea

    #todaystea – 2020, Spring Equinox; var. Sichuan Xiao Ye Zhong, small leaf; Ya’an Mountain area, Mendingshan, Sichuan; single bud, hand roasted by Tea Master Lìu Wànchèng, yellow paper wrapped, yellow tea process; 1000m.

    Dry leaf aroma: herbal, nutty, and hints of unscented white rice;
    Wet leaf aroma: sweet, herbal;
    Liquor: pale yellow with almost no scent;
    Mouthfeel: viscous, syrupy, with a malty or honey-like, lingering sweet finish;
    Taste: like the aroma, elusive, malty, with elusive nutty, rice notes, and retronasal touches of honeysuckle and lemon.

  • Lì Yáng Tiān Mù Hú Jīn Yá Bái Chá, 溧阳天目胡金牙白茶, Liyang Tianmu Lake Golden Bud White Tea

    #todaystea  Spring, Mingqian, 2020 ; var. bai ye yi hao – white leaf No. 1; Tianmu Lake, Liyang County, Jiangsu; Bud and 1-2 leaves, green tea process.

    Dry leaf: alfalfa, straw, hints of dry biscuits, pea shoots or sprouts;
    Wet leaf: strong vegetal aroma, fading to a mild fishiness;
    Liquor: light yellow, very faint honey aroma
    Mouthfeel: creamy, thick; lightly astringent, soft lingering hints of white pepper;
    Taste: Chestnut, green, snow peas, sweet, floral, honey.

  • Gaoshan Gongmei LaobaiCha, High Mountain Tribute Eyebrow Old White Tea

    #TodaysTea; 2017, Autumn; var. Dabai; #Fuding, Fujian; bud & 2-3 leaves, white tea processed, aged, loose leaf;

    Dry leaf aroma: floral, fruity, fragrant, apricots, and orange blossom;
    Wet leaf aroma: mild, earthy, damp forest floor, pleasant;
    Liquor: Golden Amber colour with a cooked vegetable aroma with hints of malt/honey;
    Mouthfeel: creamy, vicious, tingling on the tongue, no throat sensations, all top of the tongue;
    Taste: sweet, lingering, fresh and peppery like mint or menthol.