09/08/2009, posted by Cha in tea
This is truly an awesome black #tea from @JINGTea. I would love to serve this tea to George Orwell, especially because he said this:
Tea is meant to be bitter, just as beer is meant to be bitter.
And further more :
First of all, one should use Indian or Ceylonese tea. China tea has virtues which are not to be despised nowadays—it is economical, and one can drink it without milk—but there is not much stimulation in it. One does not feel wiser, braver or more optimistic after drinking it. Anyone who has used that comforting phrase ‘a nice cup of tea’ invariably means Indian tea.
How could he? This tea would certainly make him sorry for his words. ( I don’t like Orwell at all from the tea perspective). Read about it here .
This tea , in one word, is AWESEOME. Here is how Jing describes it:
Picked from Zhengshan Garden in Wuyi, Fujian province in China. Composed of remarkably long twisted black leaf, typical of the Bohea area in Wuyi. Full of caramel sweetness, maltiness and mineral and floral complexities. For the true black tea fan this is a must.
And
Aroma: full of caramel sweetness, maltiness and floral complexities typical of the finest Wuyi Bohea black teas
Palate: incredible depth of floral and mineral complexities in balance with a syrupy mouthfeel and sustained malty caramel sweet finish. The subtlest hint of smoke.
I can’t properly describe the tea, but I can say it has a really really sweet finish. My girlfriend didn’t feel the sweet part, but defined it as something else and really really cool.
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I’m using my black tea teapot.
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These are my favourite teapots
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Jing made sure the tea is stored properly by double sealing it.
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This tea looks awesome. My photo camera couldn’t fully catch all the nuances.
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I’m using a glass pitcher because I want to pay attention to the tea color.
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I’m washing the teapot
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And the cups
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And the pitcher
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I’m using some tea fangs to wash the cups
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Because the water’s temperature is close to the boilong point.
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All clean and warm.
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Except the tea
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I’m washing the tea now.
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I imediatly pour the water out of the teapot.
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And I repeat all the ‘washing the cups’ part.
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Tempting.
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I’m ready for the first infusion. So is the tea,teapot and the cups
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Pouring water over the teapot ensures it remains as hot as possible.
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And when the water evaporates (max 10 seconds) , first infusion is ready.
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mmm
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Awesome.
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Usually I pour tea by passing trough each cup several times.
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But this time I wanted to make sure no tea is spilled.
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It’s taste was great starting from the first infusion.
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Infusion 1
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Infusion 1
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Imperial Concubine’s Smile Infusion 2
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Infusion 2
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Infusion 3
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Infusion 4
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It looks like honey
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Infusion 5 , still good, but first three were the best.
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Wet leaves
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Left , dry leaves. Right , wet leaves
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Cleaning the set is an important part.
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I’m preparing another infusion so I can clean my teapot with it
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With the leaves discarded, I’m pouring some tea back in the teapot
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And now over the teapot
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I’m using a brush to take the tea off
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Most of the times I rub it with my hands.
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Cleaning the set is as relaxing as prearing the tea.
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The next part is ‘washing the cups’ again.
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If you clean your cups right away, they will always shine
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I’m using a towel to remove the extra water
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Cool cup
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A cup has to ( literally) shine
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I’m puring the water out of the pitcher
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I also clean the exterior part
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Now I’m pouring the tea out of my teapot
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I make sure it remains dry
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It’s time to clean my chapan
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I’m using my teapot brush again.
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One final look at the wet leaves.
If you want to try the tea, you can buy it from here . I’m placing a link because this tea is awesome and you should try it if you love tea and especially Chinese black tea.
