Bao Zhong

These leaves are pretty sad. A bit broken up, lots of long twigs, a bit older looking than what I expected even for something that is admittedly a bit old. But as I poured the tea into cups, I got a nice whiff of fresh, buttery greenness. So fingers crossed.

The taste is pretty nice actually, much better than I was expecting/fearing. One of the best baozhong/pouchongs I’ve had was thick and rich, almost chewy and definitely buttery. This one isn’t that intense. But it’s floral, green, soft, tropical, fresh and very sweet.

Aside from the depressing little leaves, there’s nothing wrong with this tea. Sure, it doesn’t hit my baozhong perfection of thick, rich, make-your-mouth-water-buttery. But this is still a really good daily tea. I’m pleasantly surprised, especially based on the sad leaf. When I opened the package, I was afraid I’d have to force myself to drink through the 75g I got but now I don’t think I’ll have any trouble finding the bottom of the tin this tea is now in.

ETA: Oops, forgot to rate it. And…
2nd steep @ 2:30 – the floral has transitioned a little from light floral to a faintly spicy floral.
^6g/12oz

I do really love the greener oolongs, I have to say. Sometimes the greenness of them — by which I mean that tip-of-the-tongue astringency that says, ‘hey! I used to be a green and growing plant, and I thought that you should know that!’ — can put me off after a few steeps, but when all of the buttery, creamy, floral, greenish goodness is in balance, it’s a truly aromatic, comforting cup.

Something about this one reminds me of popcorn! Very lightly buttered popcorn. It was more intensely floral when it was much hotter, and now seems to be settling down and softening, such that the floral and green elements are nicely balanced by a round, buttery flavor.

It’s not an overly-complex oolong, but it’s a very friendly one. There’s enough going on there that focusing on each sip is pleasant (thank you, popcorn flavor!) but not necessary — I can sip it while I’m doing other stuff and enjoy it sheerly for the smooth flavor and broth-like texture.

Yum!

The Bao Zhong oolong I have is called “Branches of Serenity.” I purchased it at the Tea Centre in Courtenay (it is exclusive to them). It consists of the stems, sticks, and leaves remaining after processing Bao Zhong oolong. I brewed this in my iron teapot for three minutes, but decided to leave it for the full five, as the flavour was too light after three. Taste is almost imperceptible, though there is a faint fruit note to it. It is very refreshing, and perfect for a quiet evening.