anney

Two Flavors

Beginners think of dragon well tea chestnutty roasted flavor. A more experienced green tea drinker will understand she has two distinct flavors: artificial and natural.

Roasted and Toasty

The roasted flavor is overwhelming in the first month, then gradually disappears towards the end of the season. It is more apparent in the lower grades (A or B), where the leaves are roasted longer with heavier hand pressure.

The taste is an extrovert toasted aroma that is the strongest in the first infusion, then fades away quickly.

Natural Sweetness

The higher grade (such as King, Jipin, AAA) leaves undergo minimal processing to preserve their goodness.

They are roasted for a shorter time using lighter hand pressure. This natural inner essence is exquisite, floral and long lasting, peaking only in the second and third infusion.

How to Store

The higher the tea quality, the more easily it loses its flavor. Put some effort and it should keep fresh for a year.

If the tea is sealed, keep in a freezer. Cover with a box to insulate from temperature change.  Warm the room temperature before opening. This prevents condensation.

Once the package has been opened, store away from light, moisture, smell and heat in an airtight container.

How to Brew

Brewing quality Chinese tie guan yin tea is the opposite of brewing a Japanese green tea.You should infuse a small amount of leaves in high temperature water for as long as it takes.

A good starting point is to use 2 grams of tea leaves with 8 ounces (225 millimeters) of water.

(For Dragon Well tea, 1 gram correspond to roughly 60 tea buds.)

Pour hot water of 195 Fahrenheit (90 degree Celsius). Steep until most of the tea buds has sink to the bottom of the glass and the tea liquor turns yellow. This will take 5 to 10 minutes for the first infusion.

Decant and leave one-third to use as the seed for the next infusion.

Infuse for another 2 to 4 times with progressively shorter steeping time.

(For Dragon Well tea, I also like to steep with the tiniest concentration at 1 gram per 8 ounce water.)