Shanghai Ganchun Tea Company

GCTTBR6

Ehh, this is pretty plain. Slightly nutty, tastes like a green tea (but not vegetal). I used 1.5 tsp leaf and steeped 6 minutes in 500 mL water (85 deg C), but it was a tiny bit bitter in the aftertaste. Mostly it was just really plain and not very flavorful.

GCTTBR6

This is your standard jasmine dragon pearl tea.I used 8 of the small pearls in 700 mL hot (but not boiling) water, 3-4 minute steep. I think it would resteep well a few times.

GCTTB (round 6) entry

5 second rinse, hottish (not boiling water)

Steep 1: 1 minute steep, 1.5 tsp leaves with 50 mL hottish (not boiling water)
Mild flavour, nice aroma. Smells like a solid Chinese oolong. Slightly sweet and floral.

Steep 2: 2 minutes, 50 mL water
Much more flavourful. Leaves are unravelling. Lots of tannins. Brew smells a little bit like pan fried tea or tobacco smoke.

Steep 2: 1 minute, 50 mL water
Getting a bit bitter. Lots of tannins. No longer floral, now it is quite nutty and toasty. Smells very fragrant.

More written notes from a long time ago.

These small tightly-woven pearls unfurl to reveal beautiful long leaves and stems, still whole and attached to each other. It’s amazing how much of the tea plant is rolled into one small pearl.

The tea has a delicate jasmine aroma and a robust – almost floral – flavour. I wrote that I detected some sweetness to it, although I don’t recall experiencing that now. There is no aftertaste and it’s very smooth.

Slow day at work today, but right when I started brewing this tea, had to pick up a few phone calls. Then I forgot about it.

Oops.

Steeped it for like 10 minutes. Had to water it down slightly because it was too bitter. Tastes OK now, but every sip makes the sides of my tongue feel weird, like its really sour but not? Oh well.

Drank this one at work the other day. At work I have a bunch of teas that I brought from home, but all of the black teas I have there are flavoured, and sometimes I am just not in the mood for coconut or maple syrup in the morning. I brought over this wonderful oolong from home (yes I know its not a black tea, but the roast level on this one puts it more in black territory than green).

I remember the fist time I tried this one I thought the taste was a little off putting. I think that was long before I tried a few of the Rishi oolongs (FFS IPHONE STOP AUTOCORRECTING, OOLONG IS A WORD KAY?) and decided that I really enjoy the unique flavour of this type of tea. This one is quite nice, slightly malty and earthy at the same time but not overpowering. Quality straight oolong tea, love it! It’s actually very similar to the Ruby Oolong I finished recently; brews the same tone of Amber and has very similar flavour notes, just less of the cocoa/cherry undertones.

100th tasting note, and this one is bittersweet for me. On the upside I’ve reached a mile stone writing 100 reviews (and reviewing near 100 different types of tea presumably, excluding any duplicates), but on the downside, I had to say goodbye to my Teavana double-walled glass mug that I absolutely adored. A while ago I somehow managed to crack the inner walls of it while doing dishes, but I was able to keep using it because the crack was not on the exterior of the cup and didn’t seem to be letting any liquid through. However, after taking out of the drying rack today I noticed the crack had spread all the way down the side of the mug, and I could now feel the edges of it. So there goes my favourite mug, which is not even for sale anymore. I am down to my very last one, but I keep that one at work 24/7 since I spend most of my time there anyway. Maybe I can mooch one off of my mom, who has 4 of these. So I guess it’s not that bad, hah.

I am drinking a green tea to help perk me up for an after-work study session, which are usually harder to stay focused than in the early mornings before work (although that’s a whole different kind of difficulty!). I haven’t had this dragonwell in a while, so I felt like refreshing my memory of it. The aroma of the dry leaf and the tea itself is very light and delicate – almost indiscernible. The flavour is much the same. I added a bit more leaf than my instincts told me to, because I remember from my last tasting that the tea is quite weak in flavour, so I was hoping to draw some more distinct notes out of it.

Freshly brewed and quite hot, the tea doesn’t have much of a flavour profile. It’s very light on the tongue and doesn’t leave much of an aftertaste either (something I personally look for in a green tea.) As it cools, the body improves slightly, but still not enough to make a noticeable difference.

This tea is probably supposed to be a lighter type of green tea, but for my own enjoyment, next time I will try to add even more leaf and steeping time and see how that goes.

First time drinking a longjing tea. This one was given to us by one of my boyfriend’s Chinese customers. It came in a pack of 4 Chinese teas: longjing, olong (green variety I think), pu’er, and jasmine green. They were in a very nice gift box with Chinese artwork, and made for a lovely gift. The tins are very nice too: each a different colour with more Chinese artwork on them.

First impressions: wow, what a long leaf! I’ve never seen tea leaves that are so long and flat. I read this is one of longjing’s distinctive features, and I must say, I don’t even know how the tin could fit all of it. When I tried to pour it out of the plastic bag that was in the tin, it wouldn’t all go back in! I was left with maybe a third of the bag that wouldn’t fit. I guess the position of the long leaves are to blame.

Brewing the tea turned it in a very light yellow colour, and the aroma is delicate and similar to sencha or other pure green teas. Flavour is not very distinctive, but consists of a grassy profile with a lighter body than I am used to green teas having. Usually they leave a pretty strong aftertaste, but I don’t really get any of it from this tea. I actually like the more hearty green teas, so this one I find to be a bit on the weaker side. However, it is still good for a green tea. Next time I will try to add a bit more leaf and get some more flavour out of it.

This anonymous little dragonwell has suffered perhaps not deliberate, but obvious, neglect and still steeps up beautifully despite its long languish in nothing but a cellophane packet. Gentle golden color, with a very nutmeggy personality. May have to research source and availability more carefully once it’s gone.

Tastes like a bright spring day instead of the mucky, muddy, half-thawed, questionably cloudy sloggy afternoon outside my window.

Ahhhhhhhh. Weather mild enough to work outside in shirtsleeves, finally able to continue picking up branch fallout from the ice storm a week before Christmas. This is my break and I am drinking it with immense pleasure in the patio glider. Just a good quality longjing with long, flat leaves and a little sweetness.

For second steep, I threw in a pinch of mystery white chai from a work buddy; there’s just a tiny hint of cinnamon in it now. Equally pleasant.

This was a little surprise in a small box of treats sent from a friend. I’ll have to ask her about its origin; whether it was a local purchase or a pass-along (she and I regift with no qualms whatsoever). No English on the box except company name and the awkwardly humorous description I transcribed for you.

I wasn’t expecting a lot. Surprise! This is mouth-wateringly pleasing. Big, flat, ragged leaves with the scent and taste of nutmeg and citrus. I’m going to enjoy this immensely.