Mrs. Li's 1st Picking Shi Feng Dragonwell

I have been meaning to post a review of this one for a couple weeks now, but I’m only just now getting around to it. To kick this one off, let me just say that if anyone who reads this is not familiar with Dragonwell tea, then you really need to try it. Dragonwell is one of the most famous teas in all of China. In my opinion, it is also one of the most easily approachable green teas out there. Most Dragonwell teas sold in the West are actually more or less middle-of-the-road in terms of quality. The earlier pickings, however, are more highly valued in China, where they are renowned for their light, delicate aromas and flavors. This tea is an example of a high grade early picked Dragonwell.

To brew this tea, I used my usual method for green teas: a two step Western infusion with steep times of 2 and 3 minutes respectively. The temperature was set at 175 F. I also tried brewing this tea grandpa style. Before I move on to the actual review, allow me to state that this is the sort of green tea that I feel would really be best enjoyed gongfu style. I would have tried it this way as well, but unfortunately I am still waiting on my new gaiwan.

First Infusion: The infused liquor was a very, very pale yellowish green. In terms of color, this was one of the lightest steeps I have ever seen. Mild aromas of grass, straw, sweet corn, and honeydew were present on the nose. In the mouth, I immediately detected notes of sweet corn, freshly cut grass, straw, asparagus, peas, and bamboo underscored by honeydew, cream, and a slight minerality.

Second Infusion: The liquor produced was slightly darker and slightly more yellow than the first infusion. The aroma was very mild. I again detected grass and straw, but this time honeydew, cream, and mineral aromas showed up on the nose. In the mouth, mild notes of grass, peas, straw, asparagus, sweet corn, and bamboo were joined by more pronounced notes of honeydew, cream, and minerals that grew even stronger on the fade.

Okay, I like this tea. I tend to be a bit of a Dragonwell freak, and this one is very good, but I don’t think it’s my favorite. As I have mentioned in at least one previous review, I tend to like my Chinese green teas very vegetal, and this one is a little on the light and sweet side for my taste. Still, this is a very worthy higher end Dragonwell. I just think that I still prefer some of the others that I have tried.

I bought this tea in February 2016. I hope this is the right place on Steepster to record this note. My package says “Shi Feng Longjing Green Tea 1st Picking.” I usually brew dragonwell gongfu style with my gaiwan. But I decided to try the open pitcher method that Verdant made a video about. This is the first time I’m using my new glass pitcher and this lovely flower cup (see pictures below).

The pitcher brew method makes for a much stronger cup of tea. I’m not really sure how long I steeped it since the leaves were always in the water. I found this method was very difficult to keep the leaves out of the cup when I poured from the pitcher. I tried using a strainer but it was hard to pick the leaves out of it afterwards. Then I tried pouring really slowly but that only kind of worked. Finally, I used a wooden spatula to strain the tea as I poured. This seemed to work best but the leaves would stick to the sides of the pitcher and then I’d have to poke them back down. All in all, I think I probably prefer using a gaiwan.

The tea itself is good. I’m sure it would have been better back in February, as it’s now May. It’s Mother’s Day, in fact! I’ve been absent from Steepster for a long time because I am now myself a mother since January 2015. Babies are a handful. I don’t have much time to myself these days and certainly no time whatsoever to enjoy tea. I don’t have a whole lot to say about this tea in particular. It’s buttery and a tad bitter. My mind is on other things.

On April 26th, my mother was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer. It was a total shock. She had no symptoms for years. She ended up in the hospital with kidney failure. She had two different surgeries and her kidney function is slowly improving. I have no idea how many Mother’s Days I’ll have left with her. It’s a nightmare. You’re never prepared for this kind of news. I suppose no matter what the circumstances, we would have been caught off guard.
It’s such a hard thing…there are no words.

I hope and pray that she has many years left. There’s really no way to know.

The tea:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BFKAzUIl-o3/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BFKA8Grl-pZ/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BFKBHDXF-qK/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BFKBN5Yl-qp/

Me and my baby:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDd7MmVl-tm/

Me, my mom, and my daughter (This was taken exactly one year – to the day – before she was diagnosed.):
https://www.instagram.com/p/18NGUjF-nY/

Sad Sample Sipdown! Thanks again Terri!

I’m definitely going to order some first flush dragonwell next spring. Not sure from where yet but the stuff is DEELISH! I’m ambivalent about regular dragonwell though. It’s not bad but doesn’t thrill me like this really young stuff does.

On an unrelated note- I think I’m going to make some homemade matcha and frozen yogurt popsicles this weekend. Doesn’t that sound fab? Oohh maybe I’ll throw in some avocado too…

I’m on my third cup of this tea using the traditional Long Jing method of steeping the leaves directly in your glass. I used 4g of leaves with water roughly 75C to the volume of 350ml/12oz.

It is the best Dragonwell I have ever tasted. On my first sips my mouth was met with corn husk, perfumed flowers, sweet grass and melon which has continued into my third cup and with little to no dryness. It’s light and sweet but also buttery and as a whole it lingers in my mouth as if it’s giving my tongue a hug. There is a very slight astringency but it tastes more mineral than anything else and it adds to the flavour.

I highly recommend trying the cup steeping method, it’s very easy and it gets the most flavour out of the leaves.
This method works well (though she is using less leaf than is recommended by Verdant) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kff7OxaWhM