This tea is produced in Jinggu, Yunnan by the Zhang family and is sold by Pedro's O5tea. O5tea also sells White Moonlight and Yunnan Golden Curls from the same tea farm, produced by the same family. This sample was gifted by Pedro months ago. Jess from Une Cachette Pour La Coeur asked for a post on this tea, so with the last of the sample, here we go...
On a cool cloudy winter day one quietly prepares this tea. The dry leaves are fairly hairy and smell of soft frosty sweetness with honey-pungent and distant floral notes.
The first infusion comes out very faint, icy, and tasting of light frosting. There is very slight suggestions of malt and orange peel in the background. The mouthfeel is soft and slightly fuzzy especially on the middle tongue. Minutes later a faint cantaloupe melon and apricot taste is left on the breathe.
The second infusion offers up a soft, frosty icing sugar initial taste that pops pure sweetness on the tongue, making the back of the mouth salivate just slightly. The pure icing sugar taste is very soft and long.
The third infusion is much the same as the second but now the mouthfeel is much more expansive- coating the mouth and throat. The qi cools the body slightly and brings an almost unnoticed carefree calm.
The fourth infusion has more soft, malty-oxidized notes barely peeking out, otherwise it is much the same profile. The fifth infusion gives us very light, sweet, and now, slighly oxidized tastes.
The sixth and seventh infusions are light and offer up a slightly sugary taste there is even a light spicy note that appears now as well. The mouthfeel is more viscus here in the later infusions.
Link to Jess' (Une Cachette Pour La Coeur) post on this tea.
Peace
Leaves look tasty. I like the way which 05tea presents their teas- to point out the family and gardens of origin is still rather rare. I like to see people behinde the tea I am drinking. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHappy day Matt!
Petr
Beautiful photography for your beautiful tea.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures, as always. I particularly liked your teapot, rustic looking but refined. Can you share what its origins are?
ReplyDeleteYunnan Sourcing sells some Yue Guang Bai. Their price is significantly lower though. I liked it a lot though, a unique taste.
Petr Novak,
ReplyDeletePedro has always stressed the relationship with the tea farmers even back under his Daotea label. It certainly gives the tea we drink interesting background.
Steph,
The cloudy rainy winter day really added to the beauty of the white dry leaf of the silver needles and softly mimicked and excetuated the grey of the Kim Kyoung Soo teaware. Glad you enjoyed it!
Hektor Konomi,
The teawear is by famous Korean tea master Kim Kyoung Soo. See here for a post on this teapot:
http://mattchasblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/appreciation-wear-of-kim-kyoung-soos.html
Most people find Yue Guang Bai most always tastes good! Will have to try the Yue Guang Bai from Yunnan Sourcing:
http://www.yunnansourcing.com/store/product.php?id_product=2175
It is also from Jinggu and has gotten alot of good reviews:
http://blekte.blogspot.com/2012/03/yue-guang-bai-fran-yunnan-sourcing.html
http://texteromte.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/yue-guang-bai-fran-yunnan-sourcing/
http://o5tea.com/shop/type/white/white-moonlight.html
Think Yunnan Sourcing's Yue Guang Bai is more comparable to O5tea's White Moonlight:
http://o5tea.com/shop/type/white/white-moonlight.html
Too many links!!! hahahaha
Enjoy.
Peace
o5's White Moonlight was completely off the chain.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely have to pick some of this up at some point, as it sounds fantastic. Really appreciate you posting your notes, Matt, thankyou.
Jess,
ReplyDeleteWasn't this the tea you had sampled months back?
http://gongfuchaadikt.blogspot.ca/2012/10/2012-spring-harvest-ancient-tree-silver.html
Peace