Gyokuro 2011

Name; Gyokuro 2011玉露
Type; Green, Japan
Price; £ 9.95 for 50 grams from Anteaques.

http://www.anteaques.co.uk

Brewing; 9 grams for .1 litres, 30 seconds at 60 degrees.

Review; Gyokuros are a beautiful tea, both in taste, appearance, and history.  The un-brewed leaves are long, thin and perfectly pinate.  However to me the most interesting factor of a Gyokuro is its scientific composition.  Gyokuro’s are a Japanese Sencha tea that is shade grown for 3 weeks.  This shade growing changes the light spectrum so that the plant has to generate new types of chlorophyll to match this spectrum.  Meaning that this tea is a “super enhanced” green tea with artificially increased levels of chlorophyll.  What gets even cooler is that plants are only able to produce starch and cellulose molecules in full sun, with a scavenger pathway kicking in resulting in more simple sugars.  This entails that one should expect a sweeter taste to this green tea than a regular green tea.  Or at least I tell myself so.  It is thought that Gyokuro was first made in 1835 in the Uji by Kahei Yamamoto. 

Gyokuro is also the base tea that is used for the making of Matcha in the Japanese Tea Ceremony.  In order to make this fine power, the tea must be stone ground very slowly (talking about producing only a couple grams an hour) lest the power is heated too high from the friction and oxidizes.

Gyokuros are made in a specific pot, that you put in at least 3 times the amount of tea in, with a very small amount of water.  Quick infusions still deliver a powerful kick of flavour that results in multiple different tastes as one progresses from the first infusion to the sixth.  Further more because of its delicate shade grown nature Gyokuro requires 60 degree water so as not to burn the leaves.

Taste wise there are beautiful umami flavourings, as well as spinach, seaweek, sea breeze and a sweetness that leaves the mouth astringent.  Snow peas dipped in butter (and maybe a little salt) in your mouth.  No bitterness or astringency if made correctly.

I’ve also had Gyokuro made other ways including room temperature brewing and ice brewing.  Tea is such a unique and diverse product, and different flavours, aromas and tastes all can change depending on how the tea is brewed.

While this tea is particularly expensive, Anteaques again has provided this high quality tea at an affordable price. 

Enjoy

-Tea Fan

Organic Jade Sword

Name; Organic Jade Sword 2011

Type; Green, China, Zhejiang Province, Fengwukou Village Garden, Harvested between May 5^th- May 20^th.

Price; £ 4.95 for 50 grams from Jing.

http://jingtea.com/tea/type/green/organic-jade-sword

“Mao Jian Lu Cha

Grown in misty mountains in China's Jiande green tea terroir. Jade Sword is a bright and fresh tea. Picked between the 5th and 20th of May 2011 from Fengwukou village garden.

Appearance: Fine, long and neat dark seaweed-green twists, turning a vivid, fresh forest green on infusion

Infusion: Vivid, pale lime-green liquor

Aroma: Rounded, full, complex aromas combining dry grass back notes with sweeter floral notes in the foreground

Taste: Clean, rounded, full and grassy with faint seaweed complexities. Brisk and refreshing with a textured finish”

Review; To quote Alicia Keys “how do you give me so much pleasure cause me so much pain”.  Chinese greens can inspire you, and make you switch to infusions for a month.  This particular falls square in the middle of sour end. 

Which is frankly a shame.  First impression on opening was that it smelled stale, and very much of dry grass.  When I was brewing it smelled a bit of chlorine, and now as I taste it I can’t help but notice a coppery taste.   Yes this tea is almost a year old, but Jing prides themselves on their storage of vacuum sealing the packets so that shouldn’t really be the issue.  To be fair you can get the standard roasted chestnut taste in it, but this tea is far too bitter.  Because of the metallic nature of the teas, I don’t believe the fault lies with Jing (well just how they sourced it), but with the garden and probably an over oxidation. 

Jing describes themselves as the premiere tea distributor in the UK, with prices that are often higher than your average local tea shop.  This tea is a fine example where I could easily buy 2 others in my local area for less than I paid.  Yes it is clear, and crisp, but not really in ways one should be proud of. 

I particularly enjoy when tea distributors describe what one should see in a tea.  What is more amusing is first to write what you think, and then see where the tea distributor’s imagination takes off.  I’m particularly amused by the “textured” finish.  Sounds a bit like someone is full of themselves as they try to pawn this mediocre tea as grand. 

Don’t Enjoy!

-Tea Fan

Pre-Rain Organic Anji Bai Cha

Name; Pre-Rain Organic Anji Bai cha
Type; Green, China, Zhejiang Province, Fengwukou Village Garden, Picked between 5^th April and 10^th April 201. Which means the 2012's should be harvesting soon

Price; £ 21.00 for 50 grams from Jing.

http://jingtea.com/tea/type/green/pre-rain-organic-anji-bai-cha

Review; There is nothing like a fresh green, green tea in the morning. That chlorophyll aroma in your pot, before the hectic chaos of the day begins. Pristine. The tea I’m tasting this week from Jing Tea, is the second attempt from them. Last year I tried two teas (a Goomtee Darjeeling and Keemun I believe), and I was left severely disappointed. Perhaps Jing shall fare better this time, as they to claim to be one of the UK’s top tea distributors.

The brew is a slow infusing one, with beautiful pinnate leaves that hang vertically. Aromas of wilted bok choi and spinach. A clear infusion almost, gives off an iridescent appearance. I’m brewing this in a tea pot, but I think a guywan would serve it more justice. This is a gorgeous tea. Delicate, but surprising strong despite the plain nature of the liquid. Tell-tale roasted chestnut with a strong vegetal notes as well. A delightful light and soft crispness awakens the tongue. Mid to no astringency. If this tea wasn’t over charged by Jing it could easily become a regular of mine. Tastes a bit like a Xin Jiang Mao Jian, in the sense that it has a delicious savory nature to it.

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This tea really is over priced, but usually the Pre-Rains are. And one can taste the difference, in reality though the tea just shouldn’t cost that much. Guess this is what market economies are there for though.

Enjoy!

-Tea Fan

White Monkey, Chinese Green

White Monkey
Type; Green, China, Fujian, Tai-Mi

Price; £ 4.50 for 50 grams from Anteaques.

http://anteaques.co.uk/greentea/whitemonkey

"Harvested from the Tai-Mi mountain in the Fujian province of China, this green tea has a large number of white tips. The fine white downy hairs on these curved and tangled leaves give the tea its unusual name. It is a superb and delicate green tea with the soft texture of white teas and a grassy and slightly sweet taste.
For this tea, only the tip buds and one leaf are picked during early Spring. The leaves are then gently withered and shaped by hand to preserve the white down. If you enjoy both white and green teas, this is an fantastic amalgam with a sweet silky taste."

Review; At a recent tasting I went to, White Monkey was the favourite chosen by the tasters. It has a unique characteristic of the Chinese green teas, mixed with the silky smooth texture associated with a white tea, that lets it sit on the tongue and dance. I find the leaves to be some of the most beautiful of all, trypanosomes curled around each other. Due to the high number of white hairs on the leaves I find one can actually brew this for longer than one would normally brew a green (I usually brew a green for around 2-3 minutes), as it has such a sweetness to it that follows through with savory chestnuts. Honestly I don’t make this up and dare any and all readers to give this tea a try. To me this is one of the highlights of Chinese green teas.

Enjoy!

-Tea Fan

Sencha, Fuji,

Sencha (Fuji)
Type; Green, Japan
Price; £ 3.60 for 50 grams from Anteaques.

http://anteaques.co.uk/greentea/senchafuji

"This is a very high quality large leaf Japanese sencha. It has a wonderful crystalline green colour and a superb flavour that eclipses those of other green teas.
Like all traditional senchas, the freshly picked tea leaves are lightly steamed to prevent them oxidising and turning black. This distinguishes them from most of the Chinese green teas, which are usually pan fried to prevent the oxidation. The steaming process gives the sencha a more intense, distinctive, flavour."

Review; It seems only fitting to write a review for Sencha after the review of Dragon Well last week. As I have mentioned before there is a distinctive difference between Chinese and Japanese teas and that is the nature in which they are dried. Japanese teas being steam-dried gives a stronger freshly cut grass, or seaweed taste. As Japanese Tea Master Mio Shapley said, “only with Matcha does one drink tea, all other teas are but the essence of tea”.

Wiser words have not been said in my opinion and holds true with Sencha. This essence of tea, one can taste the chlorophyll on ones tongue. Senchas like Dragon Wells, and like Darjeelings, have famous regions, and estates that they can come from, though often times this element is missed in the west. A statistic I once read stated that roughly 80% of all Japanese teas stay in Japan for consumption. I find Sencha to be one of the best teas to drink for studying for exams, especially if over-brewed.

Interesting things can be observed when it comes to comparing Japanese and Chinese green teas and where they are pre-dominantly consumed. Chinese teas have a trump in Europe while Japanese green teas are trump in North America and Australia/New Zealand.

Enjoy!

-Tea Fan

Dragon Well, Longjing

Dragon Well
Type; Green, China

Price; £ 4.50 for 50 grams from Anteaques.

http://anteaques.co.uk/greentea/dragonwell

"Dragon well is a renowned green tea with distinguishing broad and flat leaves. With its gentle sweet fragrance, delicate, clean, chestnut-like taste and cloudless jade green colour, it is an extraordinary and unique green tea.
Although first documented during the Tang dynasty (610-907), it was in the 17th century when Dragon Well (龍井茶) was given the status of Imperial Tea by the Chinese Qing dynasty emperor Kangxi. The highest grade tea was reserved solely for the Imperial household."

Review; While we’re on the subject of classics, Dragon Well is perhaps the most well known Chinese green tea. And there is certainly diversity to it. Without knowing much about whether this is pre-rain or what grade, lets dive in. Dragon Well is easy to distinguish in the leaves, broad flat leaves that have been pressed flat, yielding a beautiful aroma. The taste follows and magnifies this aroma with the tell tale chestnut taste coming through. Dragon Well is to China what Sencha is to Japan, in that both have surprisingly levels of grades, and can leave an beginner drinking a misnomer. China has a particular problem with its quality not always matching, so as I’ve done before, I urge caution when buying Chinese teas, and to never buy online unless you are buying from a vendor that knows what he is selling. As I briefly mentioned name branding is prominent in the tea world, and if one can sell a knock-off Dragon Well, it’s a considerable amount of more money. Perhaps this is why the distinctive leaf shape and character is important to examine before hand.

The nicest component of a Dragon Well, its sweetness. No sugar need be added, and hopefully I don’t need to mention that no milk should be added (it is a green tea…). This Dragon Well was purchased from Anteaques, however almost any good tea shop will carry this tea. A following review will probably be done in Pekoe with a pre-rain Dragon Well as well as their house Dragon Well.

Oh and please never brew a green tea at boiling water.

Enjoy!

-Tea Fan

Xin Yang Mao Jian

Xin Yang Mao Jian

Type; Green, China

Price; £ 9.00 for 100 grams from Pekoe Tea.

http://www.pekoetea.co.uk/?pagename=Xin%20Yang%20Mao%20Jian

Review; When it comes to green teas, there are two main schools of thought, pan dried and steam-dry. These two schools represent the Chinese and Japanese ways of tea with Chinese teas being made predominately in the pan dried fashion resulting in the tell tale style undertones of chestnut, and the Japanese resulting in a crisp fresh green of freshly cut grass.

While this tea continues the Chinese traditional method of pan drying it is certainly one of the more unique teas. Relying on a Wikipedia article until my new book arrives, Xin Yang Mao Jian is suppose to be one of the top 10 teas of China. And this I can easily believe, crisp and fresh, little astringency. The light amber hue, tickling the tongue, Xin Yiang teas are wonderfully full of flavour. However despite being a Chinese green, my first thought would not be that of chestnuts, its…hard to explain. While that may seem like a lame response especially for a blogger review, if I try to explain it; sounds more like “the essence of the tea”. And by the “essence of the tea” I don’t mean the freshness or the greenness I associate with the essence of Japanese green teas, but just a slight curl at the edge of the tongue as it sits in ones mouth. Second brew still brings out many flavours, this is a superior tea.

Pekoe tea does a wonderful job of packaging their teas, and it does show. This tea was actually purchased months ago, however is still incredibly fresh. Vacuum sealed in plastic/metal packets this does add to the cost.

Enjoy!

-Tea Fan (changing from Tea Fanatic to Fan, as I’d like to be less of a fanatic this year)

Jasmine Pearl

Jasmine Pearl

Type; Green (Chinese), Flavoured with Jasmine

Price; £ 12-13 for 100 grams (shy of 4 oz)

Reasoning;

While this tea is techincally a green flavoured tea, I often times feel that the flavoured teas should be in a class all by themselves. Different production methods do make all the difference, and with different elements added, this adds a new complexity to tea.

Jasmine pearl is perhaps a beginner’s tea. I do not mean that it is simple; merely that it is a classic. Jasmine has long been used as a flavour to chinese teas, and the element is magnified in the pearl structure. I have seen many variations of this tea, and the one that struck me as the most fascinating, was in each pearl, a jasmine flower lay.

The effort and mount of time that is spent on the Jasmine Pearl, usually mean it is a bit pricier, but one can taste the difference in comparison to a simple jasmine tea. The essence is added to the teas by laying layer of tea, silk, jasmine, silk, tea, silk, and jasmine. Rarely letting the elements be mixed. The effort that is spent assures a well flavoured tea that is often strong, but not over powering. In a high quality Jasmine Pearl, each individual pearl is rolled, into its shape with just 2 leaves and a bud. One can judge the quality of the tea by the appearance of the pearls, the leaves once they've unraveled, and of course the taste.

I often times enjoy having a Jasmine Pearl as a way to gauge how serious a tea place takes their tea. Once you have had a nice, crisp, fresh, tasting Jasmine, you can tell which shops focus on their tea, and which ones focus less. I know it is overly harsh to judge a tea shop on a single tea, but the advantage is that Jasmine Pearl is becoming/is so popular that most shops carry it. And while one always has their favourites, there are so many different teas it is nice to see a variant on a fairly stable type.

I enjoy watching a good Jasmine Pearl in a glass tea pot, as it is always fascinating to watch them unravel. Unlike blooming teas, (a blog post hopefully later), these are rolled for their flavour, not for beauty, and yet it is striking to see them as they transform.

I will admit my bias, that Jasmine Pearls were my introduction into the world of teas, and as such, will always hold a place in my heart. (overly cheesy yes?) Though I will admit to be cautious and not to let this one over-brew, as there can be a thing as too much Jasmine.

-Tea Fanatic