茶笔 Chá Bǐ – The Tea Pen

Category: White Tea

  • Fú Dǐng Bái Chá, 福鼎白茶, Fuding White Tea, Bai Mudan (White Peony)

    C. sinensis var. dabai; Spring, 2017; Tea Master Wu Zhijian, Puding Pan Xi, Dayang Shan, Fuding, Fujian. 700m; hand plucked, bud and 2 leaves, White Peony Grade 2, white tea process. #TodaysTea, #今天的茶, #JīnTiāndeChá#Tea, #茶, #Chá.

    Light and dark green leaves with silver grey furry buds, significant amounts of brown leaf, what a carob, candy cane, black cherry aroma. The wet leaves display olive green and brown colors, and have a vegetal, candy sweet, honey aroma.

    3g of dry leaf was steeped in 150ml of water for 20sec@80-85deg. The brewed tea liquor is golden yellow, sparkling color, with a chestnu,t and broken peach pit aroma. In the mouth it has a luscious creamy texture, mildly stimulating and fresh on the tongue, lingering sweetness with lasting retronasal carob hints and refreshing finish on the palate followed by late onset of fish bones in the back of the throat. Flash steep for 10 sec@90-95deg. C more pronounced minerality in the lingering, mouthwatering finish.
    Longer infusions give an initial slightly sour impression that mellows into tartnesss and gradually dicipates, giving way to a sharp minerality.

  • Lǎo Bái (Chá Bīng), 老白(茶饼), Old White (Tea Cake)

    C. sinensis var. Dabai; high mountain tea, Fuding City, Fujian Province; Spring, 2017, bud & 1-2 leaves, shoumei, aged, 100g pressed tea cake; . #TodaysTea, #今天的茶, #JīnTiāndeChá, #Tea, #茶, #Chá.

    brown to black pressed dry leaves with a hint of faded sage green and silvery buds. The smell mildly aromatic with vague hints of cinnamon, and a suggestion of mint. The wet leaves retain their dry coloured have a rich, dank aroma, along with hints of dried raisins, and prunes.

    3-4g of dried leaves were broken off the tea cake and infused in 150ml of water for 25-30sec@95deg. C. The brewed tea liquor is a pale brassy colour, with aromatic hints of sultanas, currants, and lychee. In the mouth it is creamy, moderately thick, milky, smooth, mildly spicy and stimulating with a mildly malty sweet, spicy, cinnamon, & nutmeg, slightly nutty taste, with an underlying, lingering minerality, and fresh finish.

    I’ve drunk this tea before and found it most enjoyable. Afterwards I took one cake and broke it up into a ceramic tea caddy and let it age, air, gas off in the caddy. The prune-like character of the wet leaves was even stronger and sweetly richer. The first steep was longer to basically to open the leaves, Whilst I drank it, I didn’t focus on it. With subsequent infusions I had the opportunity to relax and enjoy the tea for what it is.

  • Mò Lì Huā Lóng Zhū Bái Chá, 茉莉花龙珠白茶, Jasmine Flower Dragon Pearl White Tea

    C. sinensis var.da bai hao, & Jasminum polyanthum; Fuding County, Ningde City, & Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, >750m; Spring 2021, bud and two leaves, ball rolled, baimudan white tea, infused o/n 6-9 times with late Summer harvest Jasmine flowers; #TodaysTea, #今天的茶, #JīnTiāndeChá, #Tea, #茶, #Chá.

    Dry leaf: dark green and silver balls (pearls) of dry leaf with intently aromatic and floral aroma;
    Wet leaf: uniformly green which smell intensely aromatic, and floral, with an undertone of sweet stone fruit;
    Infusion: 3g of dry leaf (approx. 25 pearls) in 150ml of water for 20-30sec. @85-85deg. C
    Liquor: pale yellow with a noticeable floral scent;
    Mouthfeel: creamy, moderately thick, stimulating, lingering, light bitterness on the tip of the tongue;
    Taste: florist shop green, and peppery, strongly floral, and slightly soapy, ;

    This tea is intensely floral from the infusion with Jasmine blossoms. Even using 5 balls of dry leaf in a gaiwan, I find the tea to be aggressively and intensely florally dominant so much so that the base tea flavour is lost. Back in Australia, as a teenager I discovered “Jasmine” Green Tea at our local Chinese Restaurant. I was so enamoured of it that is was the first thing I’d order whenever we went there. It was the cheap stuff, and was never as intensely floral as this tea. Now, is that intensity a bad thing? I honestly don’t know. It is certainly fair to say, that as a concept, this tea? I just don’t get it… and the aroma gives me a headache. Seriously, it makes my sinuses throb.

  • Zá Jiāo Bái Chá, 杂交白茶, Hybridized White Tea

    C. sinensis var. hybridized sub-varietals; Yunnan Natural Agri Tech Co., Menglian County, Yunnan Province, 1400-1800m; Autumn, 2020, EU Organic, bud and 1-2 leaves, white tea process; #TodaysTea, #今天的茶, #JīnTiāndeChá, #Tea, #茶, #Chá.

    Sage green to brown dry leaves, and hairy silvery buds, with a spicy, sweet melon, fragrance. When wet, the leaves take on a more variegated brown colour with a sweet, palm sugar, vanilla, and pleasentaroma.

    3g of dry leaves were steeped in 150ml of water for 20-30sec@85-95 deg. C. The brewed tea liquor is a crystal clear, pale amber with a soft, loquat scent. in the mouth it is creamy, thick, peppery, stimulating, with a moderately thick finish and mildly fresh, bitter aftertaste. It tastes like dried tangerine peel, pomello, and ginger, with a hint of star-anise/licorice, and very soft honey sweetness in the finish.

    I like this tea but I find that the mid infusions tend to leave me with an uncomfortable feeling of acidity in the stomach.

  • Shí Hào Bái Chá, 十号白茶, #10 White Tea

    C. sinensis var. blended sub-varietals; Agri Tech Co., Menglian, Yunnan, 1400-1800m; Autumn, 2020, EU Organic, bud and 1-2 leaves, White tea process; #TodaysTea, #今天的茶, #JīnTiāndeChá, #Tea, #茶, #Chá.

    Pale to dark brown, loose, dry leaves with silvery grey buds, and aroma that is spicy, with hints of ginger, cinnamon, dried citrus, dried apricot, and an undertone hint of molasses. The leaves change to a sage green, and brown colour when wet, and have a slightly acrid, sharp aroma, with spicy hints of liquorice, galangal, and loquat.

    3g of dry leaf was steeped in 150ml of water for 20-30sec@85deg. C. The brewed tea liquor is a pale, yellow-amber in colour, with a faint, honey and slightly soapy, scent. in the mouth it feels thick, creamy, mildly stimulating, with pleasant bitterness, fresh feel, and a watery, drooling finish, whilst it tastes spicy, like ginger, and pomelo peel, with a pleasant honey sweetness.

  • Fó Xiāng Bái Chá, 佛香白茶, Buddhist Incense (Buddha’s Essence) White Tea

    C. sinensis var.blended sub-varietals; Menglian County, Pu’er City, Yunnan Province, 1400-1800m; Autumn, 2020, 1 leaf & 1 bud, EU Organic, White tea process;; #TodaysTea, #今天的茶, #JīnTiāndeChá#Tea, #茶, #Chá.

    The dry leaves are well represented by both leaf and bud and appear to be evenly distributed. The buds are a furry grey colour and the leaves in various shades, from brown to black. their aroma is sharp, with a touch of apricot, and molasses, with an undertone of licorice. The wet leaves, both leaf and bud appear to be a uniform brown colour, and smell at first sharp & pungent, then sweet & honey-like.

    3g of dry leaf in 150-180ml water, were infused for 30-50sec @85-950deg. C followed by a 10sec pour. The brewed liquor is a dull amber, with a honey-like aroma. In the mouth it is thick-viscous-syrupy, stimulating-tingling-mouthwatering, astringent-spicy-savory, which softened into sweetness, with a late onset of minerality (metallic) in the finish. The taste hints of tangerine, licorice, & lychee, with a mild, honeydew melon-like finish.

    Over time this tea has subtly changed in character. The honey-like character has become more pronounced and rounded, and on longer infusions the viscosity becomes creamy, and the liquorice, and lingering minerality, become more pronounced. It really is an intriguing and engaging tea that demands to be paid attention to and focused on.

  • Yǐ Shēng Gǔ Shù Bái Chá, 野生古树白茶, Wild Ancient Tree White Tea

    C. sinensis var. wild tea trees, 300+ y.o; Dayao Shan, Lingcan, Yunnan, 1800+ m; post-Spring Festival, 2017, very young juvenile buds, sun dried, minimally processed White Tea; #TodaysTea, #今天的茶, #JīnTiāndeChá, #Tea, #茶, #Chá.

    3g of tea steeped in 150ml water for 50-60sec.@90-100deg. C

    Thick, downy, grey-brown buds present an apricot flavor in the middle back of the tongue with hints of passionfruit, and fruit salad plant (Monstera deliciosa) in a clear golden liquor. It really is a delightful and fruity tea.

    Today, I went to watch my son play tennis, so I packed a travel kit for making tea and drank this tea from the sidelines whilst watching my son play. Forgive me for not rendering a more complete evaluation of this tea.

    Special thanks to Yunnan Ancient Moon Tea House, in Shanghai for the tea.

  • A Yuè Guāng Bái Chá, A月光白茶, “A”-Type Moonlight White Tea

    C. sinensis var. blended varieties; Menglian County, Pu’er City, Yunnan Province, 1400-1800m; Autumn, 2020, bud and 1 leaf, EU Organic, White tea process, unfixed; #TodaysTea, #今天的茶, #JīnTiāndeChá, #Tea, #茶, #Chá.

    Large, dry two tone leaves, a high concentration of furry silver buds, with a noticeable aroma suggestive of juicy, semi-dried apricots.
    The spongy wet leaves are aromatic, spicy, and vegetal, with an undertone of vanilla, and are a good mix of sage green and brown in colour.

    3-4g of dry leaves were steeped in 150ml of water for 30-50sec@80-90deg. C. The brewed liquor is a light golden colour, with faint, indistinct aroma, and late suggestion of sweetness. In the mouth it is creamy, smooth, minty fresh, stimulating, sweet, and tastes pleasant, sweet, and floral, with a spicy fresh finish.

  • Yuè Guāng Měi Rén Bái Chá, 月光美人白茶, Moonlight Beauty White Tea

    C. sinensis var. jinggu big white leaf; from Autumn Tower in Erjinggu, Pu’er City, Yunnan Province, >950m; Spring, 2019, loose leaf, bud & 1-2 leaves, withered and dried at night (no exposure to sun), micro-fermentation process. #TodaysTea, #今天的茶, #JīnTiāndeChá, #Tea, #茶, #Chá.

    The dry leaves are very large, white on one side, dark on the other, with long white furry buds and the occasional brown leaf. The smell sweet, fragrant, and kinda like candied fruits or boiled lollies. The wet leaves are a relatively uniform mix of green and brown, with a spicy, peppery, vegetal, and black cardamom scent.

    3g of leaf was steeped in 150ml of water for 15-20sec.@85-95deg. The brewed liquor is a very pale yellow colour, with a vaguely citrus peel aroma. In the mouth it is creamy, syrupy, mildly tingling and spicy, with a sweet lingering finish, whilst the taste is bright, vibrant, light, hinting of sweet stone fruits and honeysuckle.

    Legendary Story: Long ago, far, far away, there was a beautiful young Dai princess living in Xishuangbanna: kind and intelligent, she was named, “Seven Princess.” The friendly relations between the Dai and Bulang nationalities led to her marrying a handsome young Bulang man, and with her help, the Bulang people learned to plow, sow, and craft tea. She was later honoured as the Tea goddess of the Bulang people. Moonlight Beauty tea was chosen as a tribute to her, as the people agreed that this tea embodied the wisdom and beauty of Seven Princess.

    This tea was supplied by Guyue Tea Co. (古月茶号) Special thanks to 鐗箪噯^O^ Yunnan tea.

  • Yún Nán Yuè Guāng Bái Chá, 云南月光白茶, Yunnan Moonlight Beauty White Tea

    C. sinensis var. big pekoe; Yunnan Natural Agritech Co., Jinggu County, Pu’er City, Yunnan Province, 950-1000m; Autumn, 2020; 1 bud and 1-2 leaves, native moonlight white tea process; #TodaysTea, #今天的茶, #JīnTiāndeChá#Tea, #茶, #Chá.

    The dry leaves are large, dark on one side, light on the other, with thick, hairy, whitish buds, and smell of apricot, peach, and a touch of passion fruit. The wet leaves and buds have a glossy green and brown appearance and possess a heady smell of sweet musk candy, and honey, underpinned by a hint of allspice.

    3-4g of leaves were steeped in 150ml of water 20-30sec. at 85-95deg. C producing a bright, crystal clear, golden coloured liquor, with a faint, sweet, Belgian candy-sugar scent. In the mouth it is thick, creamy, sweet, stimulating, and mouthwatering with a long, lingering, sweet finish, while the taste is fruity, with hints of peach, candy, and honey melon, with a mild, orchid-like, retronasal finish.

    I’m reading an ARI Working Paper entitled, “Opiate of the Masses with Chinese Characteristics: Recent Chinese Scholarship on the Meaning and Future of Religion,“ and I can’t think of a better tea to drink whilst immersed in scholarly reflection. I don’t spend enough time reading for pleasure, but I should. This tea is a delight for the senses from start to finish. It’s soft, non-aggressive character makes itself quietly and welcomely known in a comforting and supportive manner. A great tea to drink when reading for pleasure or study, or simply for self-indulgent navel-gazing, well… contemplative meditation.