For someone who loves Taiwanese oolongs, I haven’t tried many Baozhongs, possibly because I’m unsure how to brew them. Thanks to Fong Mong for the sample, which is perfect for this cool spring day. I steeped 6 g of these long, mostly unbroken leaves in a 120 ml teapot at 176F for 25, 20, 25, 30, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds.
The dry aroma of this tea is intensely buttery and sweet pea floral. The first steep has sweet pea, lilac, butter, grass, and vegetal notes. The second is more herbaceous, with a long, floral aftertaste. Upping the temperature to 180F in the next few steeps brings out notes of pepper and what could be called lime; it also makes the tea more vegetal. The crisp, vegetal and floral balance persists until the end of the session.
This is a nice, uncomplicated tea that’s a cross between an oolong and a green. For me, the heady florals are the best part of the drinking experience, and the aroma lingers in the cup after the session is over.
Flavors: Butter, Floral, Grass, Herbaceous, Lime, Pepper, Smooth, Vegetal
