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“130ML water 7.2 G tea leaves oolong-seasoned yixing white jade teapot I rinsed this tea in near boiling water for 5-10 seconds and steeped for 30 seconds to start. My first brew was light colored...” Read full tasting note
Story
This Smooth Water Baozhong is from Nangang, the birthplace of Taiwanese Baozhong. Around the turn of the 20th century, Baozhong was produced as a flower scented tea, exported to South Asia and Northern China. The Taiwan Tea Reform Institute challenged farmers to create a Baozhong with the floral scent that drinkers were looking for, but naturally, without adding any scenting agent. The two farmers who successfully produced that flavor were both growing tea in Nangang. Now, Nangang tea farmers are very proud of their tradition of producing excellent floral Baozhong.
The first time he and Shiuwen met, he opened with “I bet you’ve never tasted real Baozhong before”. He’s very proud of what he makes as it was passed down through his family, and he wanted to show what Nangang tea could do. Shiuwen, never wanting to lose out on an opportunity to learn, said “Oh, I must not have. I’ve only had Pinglin Baozhong, never Nangang. What’s the difference, can we try some?” Of course he was excited to share his tea and his knowledge, so they whipped his Nangang Baozhong, some Pinglin Baozhong to compare, and some bowls. The take away was that after 20 minutes soaking in a tea bowl, this Nangang Baozhong maintained a beautifully smooth, soft texture without “breaking”. So we call it Smooth Water!
Description
Dry leaves are a deep, vibrant forest green and broth the color of jade. Aroma is flowery with sweet notes of marzipan and freshly picked snappy beans from the garden. There is a powdery texture as the scent enters the nostrils.
The broth is extremely soft and thick, it coats the mouth and throat and leaves behind a refreshing sweet aftertaste and gentle salivation. This tea brings a pleasant ‘fresh oolong’ buzz in the body.
Shiuwen really loves this tea. She says “I don’t know how to describe it, but the broth is REALLY GOOD.”
We have to be very quick to get an order in with this farmer, because he likes to enter his teas in the Baozhong competitions. He often wins prizes at those competitions, in which case he can get a MUCH higher price for the tea. We’re very lucky he’s willing to sell us this tea directly!
Facts
Harvest Location : Nangang, Taiwan
Harvest Date : May, 2022
Cultivar : Qingxin
Company description not available.
130ML water
7.2 G tea leaves
oolong-seasoned yixing white jade teapot
I rinsed this tea in near boiling water for 5-10 seconds and steeped for 30 seconds to start.
My first brew was light colored which reflected the amount of flavor imparted initially. Notes for the first brew are marshmallow cream and syrupy with vaguely vegetal aftertaste. I’ve been sick for some time so my tastebuds may not pick up nuanced flavors as well.
I’d enjoy a richer flavor so I reduced the volume of water to 110 and increased steep time to 45 seconds. The broth was marginally deeper colored, still a mix of faint gold and light lemon. this time, notes of stone and minerals gently wafted on the nose. if i searched hard enough, i might have detected a trace of kiwi. the taste presented an unexpected experience of what i can only describe as rain or even a thunderstorm — perhaps due to a limestone undertone. maybe thats why they call it smooth water?Flavors: Kiwi, Limestone, Marshmallow, Spring Water
