茶笔 Chá Bǐ – The Tea Pen

Category: Today’s Tea

  • Nanjing Yuhua Rain Flower Green Tea

    #TodaysTea: Spring, 2017; var. ; Yu Hua Tai, Rain Flower Terrace, #Nanjing, Jiangsu; 1 bud 1 leaf, manual processing into pine needle shape; Tea Gift or Tribute Tea.

    The aroma of the wet leaves is mild, green-ish, like a florist shop. The aroma of the liquor is delicate, almost unnoticeable. The taste is pleasant, light, fresh, with a syrupy mouthfeel, and slightly astringent finish, with a semi-sweet, almost fennel like after taste.

    This is a special tea. 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 #Nanjingmassacre. It was originally reserved as a #tribute Tea for gifting to high level officials and company leaders. Today it is a little more readily accessible.

  • Longjing Dragon Well Green Tea

    #TodaysTea: #Longjing “#DragonWell” Green Tea. Spring, 2020; var. ; Jiaxing, Zhejiang; 1 leaf, 1 bud, pan roasted.

    3g. 10sec infusions @85deg. C

    Both dry and wet leaves have a Nutty, buttery, slightly herbal/grassy aroma. The pale yellow tea liquor has a creamy mouthfeel, a soft, peppery or mint-like bite in the finish, and a gently sweet, lingering aftertaste.

  • Handmade Golden Eyebrow (Wild Climax) Jin Jun Mei Black Souchong Tea

    #TodaysTea: Fujian, China. 手工金骏眉 Shōu Gōng Jīn Jùn Méi.

    A type of Lapsang Souchong tea. Golden Horse Eyebrow. Tongmu Village, Wuyi Mountain, Fujian Province. Developed orig in 2005 by Jiang Yuanxun. 1200m. Single bud. Spring, 2015. Hand rolled.

    I’ve always found the aroma of the leaves of this tea to be somewhat challenging. Its spicy, aromatic , slightly acrid, like burnt pine, with hints of lavender and bergamot. The aroma does not present itself in the taste. Which is soft, mild, with a faint, floral, lingering finish.

    The second steep brings out a creamy mouthfeel, a light spicy tingling on the tongue, and a bit more of that floral finish. If you love Earl Grey Tea, then this Jin Jun Mei will be found quite pleasing.

  • Gaoshan Gongmei Fuding Old White Tea

    1yr • 1 year ago#todaystea#GaoshanGongmei#FudingOldWhiteTea; Autumn 2017; var. Dabai; Fuding, Fujian Prov.; gongmei picking, sun dried, cooled and aged; high mountain tea.

    The dry leaf aroma is a fruit salad explosion! Peach, tangerine, banana, mango… it’s wild!

    The wet leaf however is a complete contrast, leaf liter, Forest floor, wet burnt wood, spicy.

    The liquor promises hints of apricot, is thick, viscous and syrupy, and light in color.

    Intriguing!

    The burnt wood, lingers mildly in the back of the palate like a fond camping memory.

  • Feng Huang Ya Shi Xiang Tea. Phoenix Mountain “Duck Shit” Fragrance Tea

    #TodaysTea: Spring, 2017; var. yashixiang; Lintou Village, Chaozhou, Guandong; small leaves, no buds, oolong; 1300-1400m

    Dry Leaves: scantily pungent, evasive, elusive, taunting hints of wood smoke
    Wet Leaves: spicy, long pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, horseradish, fragrant, aromatic
    Liquor: buttery/creamy, peppery, mildly astringent, delicate, xmas biscuit, prickly ash
    Aroma: elusive, vague, a touch of unripe white peach, late elusive hints of coal tar after drinking.

  • Taiwanese Milk Oolong Tea

    #TodaysTea: This Tea is best allowed to cool a little in the cup before drinking to allow its delightful mouthfeel to present itself and to allow the tea liquor to linger longer in the mouth. It really is a delightful sensation of a tea.

    Taiwan Milk Oolong; Spring, 2019?; var. Jinxuan; Taiwan; leaf & stem, semi-ball rolled; elev. ? – 4g in 150ml at 95deg. C

    The aroma of the dry leaves have an immediate apricot pungency. This tends to a peach aroma in the hot water.
    The wet leaves are vegetal and buttery, (coconut oil?) with a faint hint of peach.
    The tea tastes syrupy, thick, creamy and buttery, with hints of apricots, peach, almond, and a lingering, gentle coconut finish. Very pleasant.

  • Feiner Friesen Broken Tee, Schwartzer Tee Nr. 168

    I don’t always drink Chinese Tea. I do like to sample around. #todaystea Feiner Friesen Broken Tee, Schwartzer Tee Nr. 168. German, Friesen blend of Assam #blacktea. Use before 2022.

    I was always taught, with Assam black teas, measure 1 spoon of tea per person plus 1 for the pot, then steep for 3-5min. No wonder its bloody strong. 🤪 The correct tea ratio is 1 spoon to 146ml water. I now prefer to brew this lighter and faster. 10-15 second infusions with 90-95 degree water.

    The dry leaf aroma is typical of almost all commercial loose leaf, unscented Assam teas I’ve previously drunk. Its not fruity, more floral but I can’t nail it down. The wet leaf looses the elusive floral note for more herbal grassy hints. The liquor is a deep copper red and has an immediate tannic bitterness that tapers off to a spicy, peppery mouth feel. The body is thin, and leaves a lingering, perhaps malty, perhaps smokey suggestion.

  • Smokey Tea

    #TodaysTea: something incredibly Smokey Black Tea. Age unknown, source unknown. Very dominant smoke aroma. Also noticeable in the taste. Creamy mouthfeel, mildly tannic. It seems to be a Wuyi Rock Tea? #LapsangSouchong, #DaHongPao, perhaps something else?

  • International Tea Day 2020

    On May 21, I held an event to commemorate International Tea Day, at the Kachelofen Brew House, in Shanghai, China. Here are some images.

  • ITA Certified Online Tea Course

    My Tea Course Completion Certificate.

    This program was put together by Shana Zhang who is based in Yunnan.

    https://www.udemy.com/user/shanazhang/