Imperial Yunnan Dong Ting Bi Luo Chun White tea

My mind keeps chanting ‘Bi Luo Chun, Bi Luo Chun, Bi Luo Chun’ and it’s driving me insane! I have to give in to my urges and drink it’s delicious nectar.

This tea is has a sweet and floral (peony, jasmine combo) scent. The leaves are small and very curly with green and shiny silver colours.

First steep – 1 minute – Tea is pale yellow in colour and has a light but sweet vegetal/cabbage aroma. Flavour is subtle but matches the cabbage smell. Very delicious. Smooth, green, cabbage, sweet and buttery.

Second steep – 2 minutes – Flavour is thicker and more vegetal but still fairly smooth and very fresh. Also still very sweet and a little astringent.

Third steep – 3 minutes – Back to light again but still deliciously cabbagey and with a touch of dry, floral perfume.

As far as Bi Luo Chun goes I’m really digging this white version over the green. It’s much lighter but still has the same characteristics and flavours with a lot less astringency.

6.5g / 200ml in 360ml Banko-yaki

Had to try this tea in a reduction fired pot. since its easy to have a high astringency result. Banko-yaki gives a more mellow flavour with a strong aftertaste. Kind of perfect for green/white tea.

I did 2 infusions.
1m/2m @ 75C

The result was marvelous. The first cup was light and clean. Very smooth. The second cup had a much fuller flavour with nuttiness and a hint of astringency. Mouthfeel was slightly dry. I think second infusin should be perhaps 1:45?
Anyways, reduction fired pot is much prefered compared to glas.

I think this is the first white tea I tried that I thoroughly enjoy. The aroma is very sweet floral, with some hay/dry grass notes too. It is strong and calming, I spent a lot of time just sniffing :D

As for the taste it is complex enough even at low temperatures, which is something I lack in other white teas I’ve had. As such, one can adjust the astringency levels up to their liking without compromising the flavour depth too much. Overall, the mix of floral and vegetal qualities makes for a very delicious drink. The mouthfeel is not particularly pronounced, although it can get quite drying at high temperatures.

I am going to try to cold brew this one soon too, I think it could yield good results.

this is for the Spring 2015 tea.

Dry leaf aromas of smoked meat and edamame
liquor is more floral with orange peel
Sweet peachy taste with some bitter astringency

tasty