Country of Origin: Taiwan
Leaf Appearance: deep green, slightly twisted
Steep time: 30 seconds
Water Temperature: 200 degrees
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Liquor: greenish-gold
Baozhong is a Taiwanese oolong that can sometimes be confused with green tea because it is very lightly oxidized. There is also no roasting step during processing. Its popularity has been in decline as the more tightly rolled high mountain oolongs have been favored. A small family farm in Pingling produced this particular tea. It was machine harvested in small batches in the Winter of 2020 using the Qing Xin cultivar. As a company specializing in oolongs, I really appreciate that Eco-Cha always lists the elevation that their teas are grown at.
Leaf
The dry leaves were deep green with a twisted, almost curly shape. They had a noticeably sweet and floral aroma. I prepared this tea gongfu style in a porcelain gaiwan. It is a greener oolong, so I opted for water just under boiling to avoid bringing out too much bitterness. I prefer how a gaiwan concentrates the aroma, but it also did really well brewed casually in an infuser mug. Grandpa style would also be worth experimenting with because of this tea’s mellow nature.
Liquor
Eco-Cha Wenshan Baozhong brewed up a greenish-gold liquor. The taste was super floral and creamy. Notes of orchids lingered on my palate long after each sip. It was slightly vegetal but in a sweet, almost buttery way. There was no bitterness or astringency at all. The mouthfeel was somewhat thick with a clean and refreshing finish. I’m usually not a fan of greener oolongs, but this one was genuinely enjoyable. If you are a fan of jasmine green tea, I would definitely recommend giving it a try as an alternative to your usual.
Have you ever tried Eco-Cha Wenshan Baozhong? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Wenshan Baozhong sample provided for review by Eco-Cha.
I’ve realised that I prefer the more roasted oolongs but this sounds delicious!
I usually prefer roasted teas too. Aged baozhong can bring out some interesting flavors though!
I’m surprised to read you comparing this to jasmine green tea. I hate (yes, that strong) jasmine tea and quite love this one. Jasmine teas taste to me how zinc oxide diaper ointment smells. I just can’t with them. I was surprised by how honeyed the frangrance on the lid is with this one. I’ve bought other wenshan baozhongs as direct export from Taiwan and have been much less pleased with them. I think what I’ve really learned in buying tea is that if one is picky it’s important to buy from someone whose taste in tea seems to be similar to your own. Andy is that person for me.
Low-quality jasmine green tea can definitely taste unpleasant. I meant that someone who enjoys floral teas would also enjoy Baozhong like this one. It definitely helps a lot to find a tea seller with a similar palate to your own. Andy sources some really awesome teas!