Sunday, April 24, 2011

TongCheng Small Orchid

Another day of spring, another green consumed.
This tea is, again, from the much respected Gingko.

The vessel is a piece by Petr Novak, which I will introduce in a later post.

This tea is a great looking, family made product. The lack of uniformity makes this tea special, and gives it a personal touch.

Smelling the dry leaf brings to mind bamboo shoots, cream and cucumbers. There is no evidence of roasting, which gives this tea a very fresh, clean scent to it.

A submersion in cool water draws out the wonderful gift this tea has to offer.
The liquor is sweet and delectable.
Cucumber, grass and fresh mint come to mind when the first cup is consumed.
The light rain outside the window calms me, and the tea warms me.

This light, delicate tea is very fresh and clean, and truly tastes young. The small shoots used in production can attest to that.

A cooling menthol coats my throat.

I consume several more cups, with each infusion bringing out other subtle notes to capture and relish.

The large amount of leaf I used did not give off any astringency whatsoever.
This tea was well made, and is easy to brew.

Greens are never too much to handle, and never have one stumbling to find descriptors. Each one has its own simple medley of tastes and aromas.

The experience in tasting this fine tea was much improved when sipped out of the handmade cups from Petr. The roughness of one cup and the contrasting glossy smooth surface of the other compliment each other and give a different experience of the tea.

Happy Easter to all; He is risen.
He>I


~billy

6 comments:

  1. risen indeed...nice write-up...has me salivating for fresh tea.

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  2. Wuyi,

    Fresh tea at springtime is the best!
    It is a good time for it! Thanks for stopping by!

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  3. Have always loved your photos Sir Will.

    This tea looks like the best parts of springtime.

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  4. Ken,

    You are too kind. Thank you. I appreciate it!

    And quite a coincidence! It tastes like the best parts of springtime!

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  5. Good Post, Will. Now you've got me thinking about new green teas!

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  6. Green Poet,

    Thank you! I am hoping to get a few more good greens this year, including some shincha!

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