An Ji Bai Cha

When I pulled this out, I thought it was going to be an oolong. I mean, “Bai Chai” just sounds like an oolong-y sorta name. Surprised me that I was looking at a needle-thin green tea. I should read more.

Anyway…the liquor was clear and the taste alternated between grass and grape. Very close to Long Jing, methought.

This artisan green tea struck my eye on account of the purported re-steep-ability. I love being able to resteep my teas, and I had been wanting to try a new green tea. This An Ji Bai Cha called out to me and I answered it.

Okay, so that sounded a bit pretentious, but it did catch my eye. The Tao Tea Leaf website is full of great information. So, in following with all of their guidelines, I measured out about a teaspoon and a half of this for a cup of water at about 170 degrees Fahrenheit. I changed it up and used a ceramic teapot, as my glass steeping cup was unavailable. I am sure this tea would look very pretty in a glass cup, as the leaves dance in the water. Preheating the teaware is important for a potentially delicate tea like this, as steeping tea in cold teaware can alter the flavor substantially.

After two minutes of steeping, the resulting brew is a smooth and slightly sweet, yet much muted version of the sweet, grassy dry leaves. While there is not a big “wow” factor to this tea, it goes down very smooth and is very enjoyable to sit and sip…and sip and sip… The resteepability and how much that maintains its flavor is an added bonus that I think makes this tea a worthwhile try. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would give it an 86/100.