A sunny winter day with a taste of spring

What a wonderful day outside! What am I still doing inside my apartment? Let's have a look over my shoulder.

You've guessed it: Tea and a beautiful Cha Xi!

Here are the leaves that will quench my thirst for freshness and spring-like energy: Ali Shan qingxin Oolong from April 5, 2012.

The latest comment on that article reminded me how good this tea is. I don't drink unroasted high mountain oolong so often in winter... Right now, my leaves are stored in this qinghua jar below. It's half empty, now, but it was almost full when I filled it this fall. The cover is just sitting loosely on it, but I haven't noticed any storage problems.

On the contrary, the tea seems to get more refined and pure as time goes by. I'm using very few leaves only, as it's a tea I want to experience light. The zhuni teapot clay helps getting a lot of aromas out of it. It also adds a depth and warmth that you don't get with silver.

The light fragrances bring scents of spring flowers. The taste feels powerful and pure. The aftertaste is like a high frequency buzzing in the mouth.

The qingbai singing cups on old qingbai plates underline the feeling of freshness, while the zhuni teapot on the beige porcelain plate remind of warm winter colors. The waste water comes from Michel François, the artist potter, who creates very well balanced and unique wares.

Here, I love the warm feel of this bluish celadon. And there is this big beauty spot inside the bowl... It captures our attention and lets us examine the cracklings of the glaze in detail.

The spent leaves are big and healthy. Some were eaten by insects on the edges. They look thick and healthy, proof of their top quality. 

It really felt like spring on this last day of January!