I got this as a sample from a Mandala order. I didn’t know what to do with it, so I looked up other reviews on this type of tea and went from there. Gongfu, used the whole sample (about a tablespoon I guess? I forgot to weigh it) and water at 175. First steep two minutes. The aroma is absolutely lovely. Fruity sweet. The flavor is also sweet initially, with a slightly bitter aftertaste and lingering mouthfeel. I don’t know what it is with me lately and thinking green teas smell/taste of mangoes, but there it is, and so much for my one-dimensional palate.
I’m in a experimenting kind of mood, so I’m going to do a shorter steep at a higher temp. 30 seconds at 185: oh, that’s much better! Hardly any bitterness now. If I hadn’t screwed up the first one and had just gone with 30 second steeps, I’d be at 7 right now. I feel very relaxed and mellow; this is a nice tea to come home to after a stressful day. I would add this tea to my wishlist, but alas I do not see it on Mandala’s site. It reminds me a a little bit of Mandala’s Valley Peak green tea, but it lasts much longer.
EDIT: Today I learned that Bi Luo Chun and Green Snail Spring are one and the same!
http://shopmandalatea.com/green-tea/green-snail-spring-organic.html
Bi luo chun is "green snail spring. Thanks for writing up your thoughts on this one. I really like this tea brewed up in the tea thermos aka “grandpa style”. Very nice.
Grateful,
Garret
Ah, I didn’t realize it was Green Snail Spring! Sorry about that. Well, at least I know how to buy it now :-)