Country of Origin: Taiwan
Leaf Appearance: deep green, twisted
Ingredients: oolong tea
Steep time: 30 seconds
Water Temperature: 190 degrees
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Liquor: pale gold
This tea had a fairly light oxidation level, even for a Bao Zhong. Some might even confuse it for a green tea. The taste was incredibly floral and sweet with a lingering aftertaste. A touch of fruitiness came through in the background but the orchid aspect definitely dominated. The mouth feel was buttery smooth and there was no astringency to speak of. This tea stayed strong through four or five consecutive infusions. They probably could have gone on for a few more rounds beyond that. Pouchongs can bother my stomach a bit if I drink too much so I wasn’t able to do my usual marathon session. I put these leaves in my tea roaster after I was finished with them and my apartment smelled absolutely amazing.
Bonus tea nerd factoid: Bao Zhong is Chinese for “the wrapped kind”. It comes from an old technique where the leaves were wrapped in paper. This step is rarely done nowadays but the name remains.
Wen Mountain Baozhong Oolong sample provided by Tribute Tea Company.