茶笔 Chá Bǐ – The Tea Pen

  • 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.

  • Xíng Jiàn Bái Mǔ Dan, 行健白牡丹, Xingjian White Peony

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

    The dry leaves are sage green and black with longish, pale silver buds and they have a sharp, pungent scent, like dried raspberries, red berries, and tropical fruits. The wet leaves appear to be pale green and brown, with a sharp, aromatic, vegetal scent, with a hint of wintergreen, and subtle undertones of honey.

    3g of leaves were steeped in 150ml of water for 20-30sec@75-85deg. C. The brewed tea has a thin, pale yellow colour, and a vague peach blossom aroma. In the mouth it is syrupy, viscous, sweet, mildly tingling on the tongue, and has a late, mild buttery finish, whilst it tastes mellow, comforting, luscious, sweet, mildly peppery… quite fresh, with retronasal floral hints.

    Compared to yesterday’s tea, this is a fundamentally different tasting tea. It is pleasant, and entertaining with no negative body impact. I thoroughly enjoy this tea.

    The Video…

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

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

    The dry tea consists of light and dark green leaves, many broken, and some stems, with occasional silver grey furry buds, and is resplendent in carob, candy cane, & black cherry scents. The wet leaves are olive green and brown in color, with a vegetal, hard candy & honey aroma.

    Flash steeping for 10 sec@90-95deg. C results in pronounced minerality in the lingering, mouthwatering finish. The brewed tea is golden yellow, sparkling, with a chestnut, and broken peach pit aroma. In the mouth there is a creamy texture, mildly stimulating, and is fresh on the tongue, and leaves a lingering sweetness with lasting retronasal carob hints.

    For some reason, this tea doesn’t appeal all that well to me. I find, after the second steeping, that my stomach tends to churn and turn in a not entirely pleasant manner, continues for quite some time after accompanied by a sense of bloating and occasional burpage.

  • Everything stops for Tea,

    Utterly fascinating. I love old newsreals like this one that provide an interesting and reportive view on aspects of tea culture. #TodaysTea, #今天的茶, #JīnTiāndeChá #Tea, #茶, #Chá.

    https://youtu.be/BdtQAEFM2Sw

  • Bái Háo Yín Zhēn Chá, 白毫銀針茶, Baihao Silver Needle Tea

    C. sinensis var. Dabai; Ningshi Shigulan Agricultural Co., Pingqiao Village, Chengbei Community, Shuangcheng Town, Zherong County, Ningde City, Fujian Province; Autumn, 2018; buds only, white tea process; #TodaysTea, #今天的茶, #JīnTiāndeChá#Tea, #茶, #Chá.

    Dry leaf appearance of Zherong Baihao Yinzhen is longer, thinner, and slightly darker than Fuding Baihao. It is also more slender and includes the occasional dark leaf tip. Its aroma aroma is fundamentally different, pleasant, fragrant, with hints of peach, pear, lychee, and melon. Wet leaves become more noticably green and maintain colour variation from light to dark. The wet leaves have a noticeably acrid scent, with a slight undertone of sweet stone fruit.

    Liquor is pale pear in colour and has a slight, pleasant, buttery scent. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy with a peppery bite, followed by a drying astringent finish in the throat. The taste is mild with a very faint hint of lychee, nashi pear, and sweet stone fruit.

    4g of tea was steeped in in 50ml of water for 10sec.@80deg. C then a further 100ml of water was added for 60sec.@80deg. C.

    This is as lovely, aromatic and fruity tea which is a pleasure to drink. Is it true Baihao Yinzhen tea? Many adamantly insist, from appearance, it is not – “buds are too thin, poor quality!” That’s a controversy still to solve.

    Zherong Country is the direct neighbour on the eastern border to Fuding City: considered the “Home” of “North Road” Silver Needle Tea; and two counties further west is Zhenghe County in Nanping Prefecture: the centre for “South Road” Silver Needle Tea. Curiously, all three counties seem to occupy a similar latitude, so the designation of North or South appears to be somewhat hair-splitting.

    What is clear, is that geography and terroir is critically important to the designation, taste, and appearance, of this tea style. It does not smell, or taste like Fuding Baihoa Yinzhen, the character is completely different. But? Is that a bad thing? Is it something else that deserves it’s own space, rather than accusations of being an imposter? I do like the drinking experience that this tea brings.

  • Gāoshān Báiháo Yínzhēn Chá, 高山白毫银针, High Mountain Silver Needle White Tea

    Spring, 2018; C. sinensis var. Dàbái; elev. unknown, Fuding, Guanyang, Fujian; young buds: one flag-one spear, pre-Qingming, white tea process; #TodaysTea, #今天的茶, #JīnTiāndeChá#Tea, #茶, #Chá.

    The dry leaves appear to be thick, fat, sage green, closed buds with silver hairs all over, and have an earthy, biscuit like scent, with a hint of charcoal; when wet the leaves become more ore less uniformly green with occasional yellow hints whilst they have a notably sharp, and mild acrid like wet ash aroma.

    The brewed tea, which was steeped with 4g of tea in 50ml of water for 10sec.@80deg. C then a further 100ml of water was added for 60sec.@80deg. C.; has a white pear to pale yellow colour, accompanied by a mild buttery aroma. In the mouth it has a creamy, milky texture, is slightly thin and watery on the sides of the tongue, with hints of pepper, and a subtly metallic sensation, followed by a lingering sweet finish.The taste precedes from being full, creamy, mildly buttery with floral notes on swallowing, followed by an earthy, metallic, mouthwatering drift into a long, sweet aftertaste and a gradual drying presence in the throat.

    This tea is now three years old and according to the saying, “One Year is tea, two years is medicine, three years is treasure;” this tea should be at its optimal best, IF it was stored well.

    From my research, there seems to be two types of Silver Needle Tea from Fujian: “North Road” from Fuding City in Ningde prefecture, and “South Road” from Zhenghe in Nanping prefecture.

    Comparing my tasting notes from last year, this tea seems to be mellower, and slightly darker in colour, but that could be attributed to brewing differences related to time and temperature. It does seem to have a notable minerality to it however, this does not detract in any way from its dominant, sweet, lingering finish, which is very pleasant.

  • Jiāng Shān Rú Huà Dà Hóng Páo Wū Lóng Chá, 江山如画大红袍乌龙茶,Picturesque Landscape Big Red Robe Oolong Tea

    Spring, 2021; C. sinensis var. unknown; 2000m, Haoshan Town, Wuyishan, Nanping, Fujian; 2-3 leaves, oolong tea process; #TodaysTea, #今天的茶, #JīnTiāndeChá#Tea, #茶, #Chá.

    The dry leaves are large, dark-brown to black in colour, with a dried hay/straw scent with a touch of smoke, and a hint of chocolate. When wet, the leaves appear uniformly dark with a hint of olive green whilst the aromatic aroma is a touch vegetal, with hints of fresh cut cabbage, allspice, pepper.

    The brewed tea has a clear, golden honey colour with a honey, malt, & Bischoff biscuit scent. It is thick, syrupy, viscous in the mouth with prickling, fresh, mineralish, mouth watering, sensation and sweet finish, and delights with the flavours of malt, honey, hay, and an aftertaste of smoke and carob.

    3.5g of dry leaf was flashed steeped in 150ml of water for less than 10sec. at 90-95deg. C. The pack recommends 6-7g in 180-200ml for less than 6 sec. which is the full contents of a single sachet. This is a rather pleasant tea to drink.

    What is frustrating about this tea is the total lack of information on the packaging. It is a gift set of what seems to be eminently drinkable tea that cannot be traced back to either farm, or producer. Is it true Da Hong Pao? Probably not, and therein lies the rub.

  • New Tea Order

    After a year, I’ve finally reorganized my tea shelf. We are now diving into Autumn and darker days.

    Nice to have some good tea to drink. #今天的茶, #JīnTiāndeChá #Tea, #茶, #Chá

  • 生的有机蒲公英根茶与木槿和锡兰肉桂。Raw Organic Dandelion Root Tea with Hibiscus and Ceylon Cinnamon

     #TodaysTea, #今天的茶, #JīnTiāndeChá#Tea, #茶, #Chá.

    Today I was reorganizing my tea shelf, and decided that I wanted to sample this tisane, after all it’s supposed to be healthy. 😂