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This spring, I caved in to the hype for pre-Qingming tea and picked up this premium Bi Luo Chun as one of the more “affordable” options. It was a good decision, and I finished most of the package in April and May while it was at its freshest. Then, predictably, I forgot about it, so here we are in August. I steeped 4 g of tea in a 120 ml porcelain pot at 185F for 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds. I also bowl steeped 3 g of tea in around 250 ml of water at 185F starting at 5 minutes, refilling the cup as needed.

The dry aroma is of chestnuts, green beans, orchids and other flowers, pear, and pineapple. The first steep has notes of chestnuts, green beans, butter, asparagus, minerals, pear, grass, and other florals. Because of all the trichomes on the tiny snails, the tea feels soft and a little fuzzy. The next couple steeps have hints of pineapple and apricot, plus those nutty and beany notes. Broccoli and lettuce appear in the final few steeps, and the tea loses its fruitiness. However, even near the end of the session, it doesn’t get bitter.

Bowl steeped, the tea is smooth and has no bitterness or astringency, with notes of green beans, butter, chestnuts, grass, minerals, and pear in the first few rounds. Pineapple, asparagus, and spinach come out around the middle of the session, though the tea remains buttery and smooth. The tea has good longevity and fades into grass, beans, and faint florals.

Although this tea has faded a bit from being open so long, I still think it’s very good. It’s more fruity than most of the green teas I’ve had and it’s almost impossible to make it bitter. The price is a bit high, but I think you get what you pay for with this tea. I look forward to seeing what Daylon has to say.