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Organic Dragonwell Lung Ching Green Tea from Arbor Teas

Steepster Score 6 Ratings Rate This Tea

79/100

Organic Dragonwell Lung Ching Green Tea

Green Tea by Arbor Teas

Dragon Well (Lung Ching) is perhaps the most famous green tea from China, named after the Dragon’s Well landmark in the West Lake area of the Zhejiang, where the tea was first made. Dragon Well tea (“Lung Ching” in Chinese) is known for its unique shape and remarkable flavor. During pan firing, the leaves are folded in on themselves, forming the characteristic sword-like shape. The rose-tinted gold infusion of this organic, Fair Trade Certified tea is smooth and light bodied. The well-balanced flavor profile of the liquor suggests freshly cut grass and toasted chestnuts, with a somewhat floral fragrance.

Sustainability is a cornerstone of Arbor Teas’ business philosophy. In addition to offering an exclusively organic selection of teas, they recently became the first tea company to offer their whole catalog in 100% backyard compostable packaging. They’ve also carbon-offset the entire supply chain of their products, from origin to the customer, making Arbor Teas the greenest option for Earth-conscious tea drinkers, and one of few tea companies recognized by Green America.

13 Tasting Notes

LiberTEAS
86

An excellent Dragon Well. I find it really enjoyable to sip as I sit here, working on my latest art project. It keeps me company and keeps me inspired.

Delicious, lightly vegetative without tasting too much like grass, with hints of a pleasing chestnut flavor that arrives just before the finish. Quite pleasant.

TeaEqualsBliss
94
TeaEqualsBliss 2 tasting notes

Lovely! Squeaky-Clean, Crisp Green! This smells like veggies…almost like green peppers along side a lighter aromatic spinach. The taste is creamy but also a lot like asparagus or Brussel sprouts which I LOVE. This has a buttery end sip on to the after taste and it’s great. There is a hint of nuttiness to it too…maybe chestnuts or maybe almonds? Chestnuts!

YUM! One of the best Dragonwells I have had so far!

HEY! I remember you! We used to be friends! Perhaps you will make some news ones, soon! Sipping on a cuppa before passing it along :)

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CupofTree

Study break Tea Time! Thank you TeaEqualsBliss for this sample.
The leaf scent is very pleasant and earthy.
Taste wise, I’m finding it difficult to judge because I’m new to straight loose-leaf green teas and don’t have any others on hand.
With that said, I’m not sure how to rate this tea either. I don’t taste much but after reading the other reviews, I have to say I agree mostly with the smooth, mellow, lightly buttery, veggie taste.
Its not really my thing but perhaps I am just not ready for straight green teas and have yet to develop an appreciation for them. Glad to have tried it though.

cody
85
cody 3 tasting notes

So, this was the Dragonwell that I actually meant to grab from the cupboard. It’s amazing how quickly samples amass, and how little attention I pay sometimes.

This one is much better. I’m not a big green tea connoisseur, but it has its moments. The vegetal taste (which was also present in the Adagio, but in a less pleasant way) reminds me of something I can’t put my finger on. Not grass or hay. Almost… asparagus? Or some other green vegetable. That one is going to bug me until I figure it out.

I am really starting to dig this, despite usually being non-green-tea-drinker. I’ve had two cups this morning, while playing WoW before class. Yummy.

Had two mugs this morning, then took it to work in my Thermos. Bumping up the rating a little bit, because I think I was able to appreciate it a little more than I did the first time. I’m definitely going to have to try more green tea, but I don’t know if my cupboard can take it.

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Annie
60
Annie 2 tasting notes

Very mellow, grassy, vegetal. Buttery and smooth- Not bitter at all and rather savory. A more “chilled out” green tea (vs. say, intense & bitter sencha)

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Shelley_Lorraine
80
Shelley_Lorraine 4 tasting notes

Much different that Japan’s staple green tea. Dragonwell is a lot less grassy. It is somewhat nutty and reminds me vaguely of the tea I remember having in Chinese restaurants (though I’ve heard that they usually serve oolongs or jasmine, none that I went to ever served a tea that tasted like oolong or even the least bit floral).

After sampling so many different types of tea and then returning to this, one of my originals, I find that it is not as good as I remember. It has a hint of that dirty/muddy flat taste that I associated with my Sencha for a while (until I figured out how to brew it correctly!). But I prepared this the same as I always have, so I dunno why it seems different now.

I’m trying to drink this one more often to finish the bag. I went and got 2oz of it originally, when I thought it would be one of my faves. It really isn’t bad, but i’ve been too spoiled with options since I bought this one and it’s hard not to be picky.

I didn’t think much of it before, but this dragonwell has a lot of twigs in the mix, maybe that is what is taking from its potentially more vegetal flavor? It’s very mildly smoky, I think.

Brew notes:
3.5g/12oz water 1.5min@170deg

I tried different brewing parameters this time. Trying to get it just right! I used 3 grams for 16oz of water and steeped for 1.5min at 175. It was a pretty decent cup. I haven’t been careful about introducing the water slowly at the edge before pouring directly on the leaves. I wonder how much difference that even makes. I’ll have to try it next time.

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smurfinconverse

Too vegetal for me.