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derk drank Yunnan Green Spring Snail Bi Luo Chun Green tea * Spring 2018 by Yunnan Sourcing

1615 tasting notes

Finishing up my bag of this.

Gone western. 1tsp, 8oz, 175F, 60/90/120s all combined into one big glass. Don’t oversteep! It can get really astringent.

Who doesn’t love snails?

I bought this tea right after it became available in the spring. I can’t recall what the dry leaf smelled like when it was really fresh but at the moment I can’t pick up on anything definable. It’s just soft. Plop these downy snails on the top of some hot water. Watch them unfurl. The brewing liquor smells much like bacon-wrapped sweet scallops. Very umami!

After pouring all three steeps together, the liquor is a light green-yellow with a ton of down floating around even after using a strainer. If you don’t use a strainer, you’ll end up with some black char bits floating around that eventually settle to the bottom. The taste is soft with scallops, grass, mineral lemon water, white florals and a sweet, very light peach. The peach becomes quite prominent in the aftertaste and resembles peach gummy rings, though not nearly as strong. The mouthfeel is thick, light and glassy, with a complementary astringency and saltiness as long as you don’t overbrew. Salivation is also present.

This tea is still nice, light and refreshing 6 months after harvest. Very affordable.

Preparation

175 °F / 79 °C 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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This place, like the rest of the internet, is dead and overrun with bots. Yet I persist.

Eventual tea farmer. If you are a tea grower, want to grow your own plants or are simply curious, please follow me so we can chat.

I most enjoy loose-leaf, unflavored teas and tisanes. Teabags have their place. Some of my favorite teas have a profound effect on mind and body rather than having a specific flavor profile.

Favorite teas generally come from China (all provinces), Taiwan, India (Nilgiri and Manipur). Frequently enjoyed though less sipped are teas from Georgia, Japan, and Nepal. While I’m not actively on the hunt, a goal of mine is to try tea from every country that makes it available to the North American market. This is to gain a vague understanding of how Camellia sinensis performs in different climates. I realize that borders are arbitrary and some countries are huge with many climates and tea-growing regions.

I’m convinced European countries make the best herbal teas.

Personal Rating Scale:

100-90: A tea I can lose myself into. Something about it makes me slow down and appreciate not only the tea but all of life or a moment in time. If it’s a bagged or herbal tea, it’s of standout quality in comparison to similar items.

89-80: Fits my profile well enough to buy again.

79-70: Not a preferred tea. I might buy more or try a different harvest. Would gladly have a cup if offered.

69-60: Not necessarily a bad tea but one that I won’t buy again. Would have a cup if offered.

59-1: Lacking several elements, strangely clunky, possesses off flavor/aroma/texture or something about it makes me not want to finish.

Unrated: Haven’t made up my mind or some other reason. If it’s puerh, I likely think it needs more age.

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