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“Rubbery. Just really rubbery. I really hope that this is not how it’s supposed to taste, because it’s one of China’s top 10 teas. The aroma was like a new packet of rubber bands wrapped in...” Read full tasting note
Long Jing loose leaf Green tea from Tekkoon Tea in Balmoral, Auckland.
$26/100g
Company description not available.
Rubbery. Just really rubbery.
I really hope that this is not how it’s supposed to taste, because it’s one of China’s top 10 teas.
The aroma was like a new packet of rubber bands wrapped in blutack.
The flavour was pretty much the same. Unpleasant.
I have a feeling the aroma and flavour are a taint, due to storage – perhaps a rubber/plastic container?
I hope someone else has tried this tea and can clarify that it isn’t supposed to taste or smell like this. Disappointed!
Could I have burnt the tea? Does it taste like this if the water is too hot?
Probably. 90 is very high for a green tea. I usually use water between 75 an low 80 for this type of tea. The rubbery taste is probably a mix of bitter notes from too hot water and the nutty notes often found in these teas.
Next time I buy some I’ll ask to try it there (Tekkoon Tea shop) to see if it still smells/tastes the same, and if the tea master has anything to say about it. I did leave the boiled water sitting for longer in other attempts, but it still had the same rubbery flavour (It could have still been over 80 though). Inspite of this aroma was much the same, even of the dry tea leaves. How would you describe the aroma of this tea (pre/post brewing)?
That’s complex question, lie wine it can depend on where it’s from, when it was harvested, and what cultivar it has. Many ties I have seen it noted as nutty, sweet, orchid like( which I usual determine as some bitter green floral unless they specify a type of orchid), and fruity, some describe it as toasty at times as well. I haven’t had my long jing in a while. I don’t remember the dry leaf smelling as bright or as sweet as some of the greens I have had. If you can find more information about the harvest date , it might help you with this tea as well I find that earlier harvest teas tend to be more sensitive to temperature. When brewing for green teas I usually don’t let the kettle come to a oil I watch for the first small bubbles rising off the base of the kettle and then I take it off the burner. For sensitive greens it is sometimes better to brew them uncovered. For my more finicky teas I leave the lid off my gaiwan for brewing. You might want to try cold brewing this tea if you have any left as it might confirm if the rubbery taste is a result of the tea itself. Good luck.
Hey thank you for that extensive comment, it was very enlightening! I dawdled down to a newly opened commercial tea store called T2 to check out their range of teas and tea implements and found that they have a loose leaf LongJing. The dry leaf aroma was completely different to the one I had bought previously from Tekkoon. I recognized the nutty floral notes you mentioned, but am yet to try it. I have a feeling the rubbery taste/aroma was due to poor storage :( there was also a dragon well tea purchased from there with similar rubbery characteristics. Oh well, learning curves aplenty!
Your welcome! It’s true, there’s definitely a lot to learn when it comes to tea, but that’s part of the fun exploring different tastes and discovering your own preferences when it comes to flavours, brewing styles etc. Have fun.