2008 Baozhong ‘Fleur de Lys’
Posted on 6 January 2009
Lilies galore
This is one of several Taiwanese Baozhong teas available from Tea Masters, where you can find extensive first-hand information on its background. (Please note that Stéphane offers a première qualité and a qualité supérieure; this is the former, more expensive @ 18 € for 100g). The following is a synopsis of several recent tastings.
Brewed in: gaiwan
Dosage: 5g / 150ml
Dry leaf: Large and delicate, with a luxuriant mixture of green shades. A pleasant if slightly dry-hayey aroma.
Dry leaf: Large and delicate, with a luxuriant mixture of green shades. A pleasant if slightly dry-hayey aroma.
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Wet leaf: Consistently large and healthy-looking but showing a bit more oxidation round the edges than I expected.
30s @ 90C: First impressions are very positive, with a wonderfully intense floral nose of white lilies and peonies. Palate shows a degree of depth. Not a lot of body, this is very typical of a green oolong and is showing rather light really.
40s with boiling water: Interesting how the register shifts towards pink lilies and other dark flowers; there is also a minor impression of leaf burn so I recommend cooling the water just a bit.
45s: Quite less aromatic and intense but flavour on palate is very good, perhaps a little fuller and more harmonious than brewings #1–2.
Later brewings are weaker, calm, with less personality, so I recommend keeping them rather long. While not unenjoyable I much prefer the first three.
Being a declared Baozhong lover I was very keen on trying this, and as usually with Tea Masters was certainly not disappointed. However it needs to be said that this is quite a light-bodied and airy tea, and probably best kept for the warmer season (or lighter moods). If looking for a bit more content in your Baozhong you can always choose Tea Masters’ Forêt Subtropicale (to be reviewed here soon).
Sub –15C, the poor pheasants sleep on the trees. Not quite the season for this light tea…