2 days ago, I filled these jars (above) with (a very good!) fresh, unroasted Spring 2009 Baozhong that I had kept in a vacuum sealed bag (top right). This time, the jars are filled almost to the top. This and the lack of roasting explain why the differences in smell are not as obvious as in my Qizhong Oolong test. The tea in the porcelain jars seemed most similar. That's why, I made a more precise parallel tasting from these 3 jars of similar size and shape:
Dry smell (compared vs each other and vs the smell from the original plastic bag):
- The porcelain jar has the most intense fragrance, but it seems also more oxidized.
- The zisha clay jar has a weakened smell. I also smell some faint roasting, probably a remain from a previous heavy roasted Baozhong I used to store in it.
- The pewter jar smells greener and a little asleep. Maybe also a little bit metallic and finer.
Brew:
- The tea from the porcelain jar was more intense in fragrance.
- The tea from the zisha clay had some bitterness in the aftertaste.
- The tea from the pewter tasted a little lighter and fresher, more like green tea.
It's difficult to draw definitive conclusions at this early stage, except that the clay jar was not a good fit for this tea. The porcelain and the pewter jars had slight different impacts on this Baozhong. I will continue to monitor the changes over time.
Stay tuned!
For this Cha Xi, I put a ... lily flower, of course, in the middle of my setup. It is surrounded by other plants and flowers (like in a forest). The fabric is dark brown, earthlike, for a very natural feeling. The 2 levels add a mountainous atmosphere to this scenery.
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3 comments:
So serene and appropriate to the season. It would be nice to come home to after a stressful day.
These are very interesting experiments you are doing, I will be following them right along.
Stéphane,
Your experiment with containers answers many questions about short term storage of tea in small containers. I am happy to know that you are pursuing this particular issue.
Historically, the materials of tea pots and storage vessels were topics of constant and often heated debate. During the Ming, there was a great deal of disagreement over the virtues of different media: stoneware, porcelain, pewter, gold, and silver.
I look forward to your continued examination of the baozhong as time goes along.
Steve.
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