Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Teacup's Winter 2009 Wenshan Baozhong

Yesterday morning I stopped by the Queen Anne Post Office to pick up 5 jin of Winter 2009 Wenshan Baozhong tea (文山包種茶). This tea is for Teacup (the tea shop I manage on Seattle's Queen Anne Hill) and will be available starting today.

The tea is from my friend Amin in Pinglin, Taiwan and it was processed early in November, 2009 (technically fall but it's still called winter tea). Amin said this winter's Wenshan Baozhong tea supply is decreased compared with the spring's because the weather was not stable, but he promised that this batch would meet my standards for quality.

I wasted no time opening up a bag and firing up my electric kettle. I brewed the tea in a small gaiwan filled about 60% with dry leaf. I used boiling water and short infusions.


The tea has everything I look for in Wenshan Baozhong... beautiful, twisted, forest-green dry leaves, a sweet, floral aroma, and a buttery-smooth liquor. The first infusion did have a bit of a light grassy note but after that infusion the flavor really opened up and steeps 2 to 6 were like thick nectar. My tasting notes included violet and ripe papaya.

Although this is not the best Wenshan Baozhong tea I've ever tasted (I am friends with Shiuwen, after all), I prefer to live in the present and in my opinion this is a fantastic tea that I am very proud to sell.

I look forward to hearing from some of you after you too have tried this fresh Wenshan Baozhong tea!

5 comments:

David said...

Sounds delicious. I'll be in this Friday for a cup and a few ounces.

Fossiame said...

Yummo.

Evan Meagher said...

Hopefully it won't sell out before I get a chance to come taste some. I'll try to pop into the store this weekend, if I find some free time.

Evan Meagher said...

Also, I just noticed a new post over on the Tea Masters blog about the 2009 Wenshan Baozhong. Can't wait to try it. http://teamasters.blogspot.com/2009/12/winter-2009-wenshan-baozhongs.html

buy lipton tea said...

I really wanna try to taste this,i am a tea lover and i love it. :)

vee