Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Winter 2009 Wenshan Baozhongs

Oolong = black dragon. This close up of four dry leaves lets us guess where this name comes from...

Cultivar: Luanze Oolong
Harvest: November 5, 2009 (mix of 3 fields), by hand.
Stem removed, slightly higher oxidation.

The 'subtropical forest' is one of my favorite Baozhong type. (Voir ici pour des descriptions en français.)

Most modern Baozhong are mostly fragrant and light ('lily flower' type). This Baozhong is a more traditional, with a little bit more oxidation. This translates into more complex fragrances that are true to their environment: the subtropical forest of northern Taiwan. The taste has a touch of fruitiness and lots of sweetness. The aftertaste is long and delicate.

During the winter season, the smells are less exuberant than during spring, but the taste is finer. This is a very nice winter version of this Baozhong.

On a sad note, the semi-wild Baozhong isn't good enough this season to be selected. And the other Baozhongs I tasted weren't at the level of this spring. Too much rain and a period of high temperatures are to blame.

To find really excellent Baozhong this season, I had to turn to the Pinglin Baozhong competition. My farmer won the First Prize (Tou Deng) with a Baozhong harvested on November 4. It is very clear, light & fragrant ('lily flower' type), and an active qi.

I have purchased some of it to let you discover how the best Baozhong of this season tastes like.
(Available in sample size of 30 gram).

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