It's been a long tough year! With 2019 coming to a close I have started to work on re-invigorating the Tea Company, and in 2020 we will be re-birthed into the future with wonderful Australian teas, Organic high quality Green and White Teas, and a delicious range of Herbal tisanes!
Please be patient! The Tea is Coming!!
New White Tea Delight
As I sit here reading through and finishing off this tea tasting review, I realise how long I have been enjoying and hoarding this beautiful tea to myself. And after many pots, some over brewed, some steeped to 5 and 6 infusions to get the utmost, very last delicious drop possible. I have to say I have not been disappointed.
Tea name and meaning of tea name,
Jin xuan White Tea is a very special tea, this tea is cultivated in Huangshan, China. Jin Xuan (often referred to as the ‘cultivar’) is the type of tea plant that this delightful tea comes from. The Jin xuan tea plant has typically higher yields of tea and is primarily used in Taiwan to make Oolong teas, especially milky oolong teas. It presents with small bright white flowers that have delicate yellow centres. This tea plant variety creates wonderful flavours, especially when cultivated to create this interesting white tea. More info and links are at the end.
Huangshan is located in the Anhui province in China, it also encompasses a UNESCO World Heritage Mountain Region. For more information about this beautiful region and the famous Huangshan Mountain famed in Chinese literature and art visit, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/547
Tea Type, look, feel dry leaf aroma?
This is classed as a White tea, with some downy white buds and small dried leaves that are whole, some stems are still attached leaves, it has a very sweet strong aroma, woody and a syrup smell, like maple syrup, there is a light fruity aroma also.
If you’ve not tried White Tea before it is well worth the journey, and I’m not talking about tea with milk!
How did I infuse this tea?
80 degrees Celsius, I infused this one for 1 ½ minutes, I have tried it shorter, but I feel to gain the full rounded flavours that it needs a longer infusion time. This tea is a White tea and I treated it as such. Over time I have experimented with it and it does take to an Oolong temperature well for the 2nd, 3rd infusions, for the 4th and more I would increase the temperature to black tea and lengthen the infusion time.
I always clean and warm my teapot and cup, an important part of taking tea anytime, and the best way to bring everything to the same temperature, keeping the flavours consistent and delicious at the right temp.
First impressions, and lasting impressions, liquor colour, aroma.
Sweet and full, filled with the flavours of soft peach and apricot, there is no bitterness even to the last infusion. It has a delightfully buttery feel on my lips and in my mouth, there is the light woodiness and sweetness that is very pleasant and complements the other flavours. The aroma reflects the aroma of the dried leaves which is not always the case with many teas, and I am really delighted that it does, I wanted to be able to drink and taste the heady aroma of the dried leaves as they smell delightful.
How many infusions did I make with this tea?
I would make a minimum of three infusions, I like to take tea with me when we go out, and today is a Soccer day so the third and fourth infusion will go together into my thermos to take with me. It will be perfect as I fight the cold wind and cheer my young fella on as he plays with his team.
When did the flavour fade?
I find after the 4th infusion there is little flavour left, but I always like to get the last if I can.
Leaves after the 4th infusion.
What is the history, origin, and certification of this tea?
This particular tea is Organically Certified and we source it in small quantities from our wholesaler in Hong Kong. This tea is relatively new and doesn't have a long history, it sits into the new age of teas being experimented with, and is successful.
How to purchase this tea
We have a limited quantity of this delightful boutique tea available for sale, please follow this link to purchase.
https://bluemountainstea.com.au/collections/premium-world-teas/products/jin-xuan-organic-white-tea
Further reading;
Huangshan is located in the Anhui province in China, it also encompasses a UNESCO World Heritage mountain region. For more information about this beautiful region and the famous Huangshan Mountain famed in Chinese literature and art visit, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/547
Dianhong Cha,
This Dianhong is a high-end tea, classed as a China “Red Tea” it is relatively new to production in China. This particular Dianhong “Regular A” while not the highest Dianhong grade of tea, is still high quality and very nice, and therefore suited to a more regular drinking tea. This also makes it more affordable.
Dianhong comes from the Yunnan Provence in China. The word “Dian” is a shortened name for Yunnan and Hong means “Red” (https://chinese.yabla.com).
Yunnan province is in China. Yunnan does claim to have some of the oldest growing tea plants some are reputed to be over 1000 years old (http://worldvitae.com/blog/search-original-birthplace-tea-plants/). Which therefore give it a “Mother” land of tea for the world aura, especially around it’s present teas and production of tea. While I am not sure this is completely true, tea most certainly originated and was first drunk in China over 5000 years ago. For more info check out the links at the end of this article.
Tea Type, look, feel dry leaf aroma?
This is a very different appearing tea. And it's taken me a little while to get round to trying it. I feel this tea is very special and different, it presents with delightful orange and black buds, long twisted leaves that form beautiful shapes. While it invites you to touch it an aroma that is very malty, with a very sweet strong aroma, woody and a syrup smell, like maple syrup, there is a light fruity aroma also.
This tea is classed as a Red Tea.
What does that mean???
Red tea, when referred to in a discussion with tea from China, is a tea which brings a red liquor. So this can encompass what we in the west would normally call Black Teas, as we name our tea's for the colour of their leaves.
But here I'm going to go out on a limb, and I'm going to say that this tea doesn't present to me as a black tea. It doesn't quite make it that far, not in liquor colour nor in flavour. It is far too gentle for that, and the infusion at Oolong temperatures suited the tea and the tea experience better. So this tea, like a darker oolong teas, floats, it isn't stead fast in the black tea range, but it doesn't go near the spectrum of green teas either. So I don't think this really is a black tea, and it shouldn't be treated as such. To really enjoy it treat it like you would an Oolong.
How did I infuse this tea?
85 degrees Celsius, I infused this one for 1 ½ minutes to start off with then I tried it, and put it in for another 1- 2 minutes and found better flavours coming out. So to gain the full rounded flavours it needs a longer infusion time.
I made the 2nd infusion at 95 degrees Celsius for 2 minutes and the flavours were good and enjoyable however not as rounded as the first.
When making it’s important to remember to always clean and warm your teapot and cup, an important part of taking tea anytime. When you bring everything to the same temperature the flavours have more opportunity to remain through the whole tea experience.
First impressions, and lasting impressions, liquor colour, aroma.
Sweet and soft, it heads towards a darker tea but doesn’t quite go there. The flavours are woody, malty sweet with a slight hint of maple syrup, and a light floral touch.
This tea takes up the whole mouth with flavour (I’m not sure how else to describe this experience, which is similar to a umami flavour experience) when infused in the lighter Oolong range of infusion. The second higher temp infusion flattens this experience out which is a really interesting to have this range with the one tea. Both infusions are delightful and enjoyable. Both make me want to taste more.
The aroma of the liquor brings out a soft musty light stable, there is a little forest mushroom too.
How many infusions did I make of this tea?
I made four infusions, I like to take tea with me when we go out, and today I was at The Nook, so the remaining of the first infusion came with me in my trusty thermos. And the pot and infuser I then wrapped up and I brought it in my basket with all the rest of the chaos I seem to need to carry around with me daily.
When did the flavour fade?
I find after the 4th infusion there is little flavour left.
What is the history, origin, and certification of this tea?
This tea originates from the Yunnan Province in China. For more info about Yunnan visit;
http://www.china.org.cn
How to purchase this tea
We are only taking pre-order interest for this tea, we will order a small quantity and have it in stock in September 2016. Until it sells out.
Further reading;
http://worldvitae.com/blog/search-original-birthplace-tea-plants/
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