KOREA BLACK TEA JUKRO - FLUSH 2010

Origin: Korea, Hadong district
Tea colour: black tea
Length of infusion: 4’
Water temperature: 90°C

Dry leaves
Aspect: leaves rolled and twisted lengthways.
Colour: very dark brown.
Scents: cooked fruits and black fruits, vanilla pods, milky, pronounced chocolate notes.

Brewed leaves (infusion)
Colour: brown.
Scents: floral (geranium), preserved citrus, cooked fruit (jam), milky, toasted, pronounced cocoa (roasted beans, chocolate) and woody notes.

Liquor
Colour: a lovely coppery liquor.
Texture: round and smooth.
Flavours: sweet.
Aromas: milky vanilla, fruity (cooked fruit, jam), a hint of honey, floral (geranium), preserved citrus, toasted and liquorice notes.
Aromatic profile and length in the mouth: rich, round and elegant chocolate notes (cocoa). well balanced, lingering woody, toasted and vanilla notes.

Our verdict: This tea is really quite unique. Plucked and processed entirely by hand at the Jukro farm, this is one of the best black teas produced in the country. The cocoa, vanilla bouquet evokes the rich note of the China Qimen Mao Feng teas, but its strength, richness and intensity takes us more in the direction of the best dark Wu Longs from Taiwan. An outstanding gastronomic experience!

CHINA DA HONG PAO

« Big Red Robe »
Origin: China, Fujian
Tea colour: semi-fermented (40% to 50%)
Length of infusion: 7’ or by the Gong Fu Cha method : successive infusions lasting 30-60 seconds, almost as many as you want!
Water temperature: 95°C

Dry leaves
Appearance: large crumpled leaves which are very evenly sized and beautifully processed.
Colour: dark green and black.
Scents: complex: fruit (pear), fresh floral (lime blossom, verbena), spicy and peppery, with an underlying, heavier woody note.

Brewed leaves (infusion)
Scents: very rich: a fresh, fruity attack that also has cooked fruit characteristics. There are honey and floral scents too, followed by heavier notes: vanilla, woody, spicy.

Liquor
Colour: amber, with a few brown and black glints.
Texture: slightly astringent, with a good presence in the mouth.
Aromas: a gorgeous aromatic bouquet: floral (lime blossom, rose, ylang-ylang), fruity (stewed fruit, jam, pear, grape), citronella, honey and toasted. Underlying these are touches of wax polished wood, honey and flowers, accompanied by planty, mint and liquorice notes.
Aromatic profile and length in the mouth: long lasting. The complexity of the aromatic bouquet results in some very distinctive notes that are powerful on the palate.

Our verdict: Da Hong Pao is the best of the four exceptional Wu Longs produced in the Wu Yi Shan, in the mountains of Fujian, and is one of China’s truly mythical teas. Originally harvested from tea plants dating back to the Ming dynasty, most of this tea is now grown on cuttings taken from these ancient plants. A sumptuous, rich bouquet!

TAIWAN WEN SHAN BAO ZHONG « PREMIUM GREEN » - FLUSH 2010

Origin: Taiwan
Tea colour: semi-fermented
Length of infusion: 5’ – 7’
Water temperature: 90°C
Method of preparation
- By the Gong Fu Cha method: 4-6 successive infusions each lasting 20-40 seconds.
- In a tasting set: 6-7 minutes in water heated to 90°C.

Dry leaves
Aspect: large twisted leaves.
Colours: dark green.
Scents: nice and aromatic bouquet: buttery, milk, vanilla, coumarin, planty and floral notes.

Brewed leaves (infusion)
Aspect: lovely open leaves.
Colour: green.
Scents: buttery, milk, vanilla, coumarin, planty, floral (white flower) and fruity.

Liquor
Colours: green and yellow.
Texture: round, full and silky.
Flavours: sweet and acid.
Aromas: very fruity (fresh fruit), vanilla, milk, coumarin, floral (white flower) and coconut nuances.
Aromatic profile and length in the mouth: long in the mouth, developing over fruity (nectarine, peach, mirabelle), vanilla, zesty (grapefruit, lemon) and planty (grass, basil) notes.

Our verdict: The name of this tea, which translates as “wrapped in paper”, harks back to the Qing dynasty when fresh leaves for tea were wrapped in a square of odourless cotton paper, just before being roasted.
The oxidisation level of this tea (between 10% and 20%) makes it very like a green tea, yet it has a very different bouquet. Its leaves, which are mature and fully open, are gently crumpled lengthways. This 2010 plucking has fruity, vanilla notes and an exceptional aromatic richness!

CHINA DA WU YE DAN CONG - FLUSH 2010

« Large Black Leaf from the Solitary Tree »
Origin: China, Guang Dong, Chao An
Tea colour: semi-fermented
Length of infusion: 6’
Water temperature: 90°C
Preparation for Gong Fu Cha: 6 to 8 successive infusions of 30 seconds each.

Dry leaves
Aspect: large crumpled, twisted leaves.
Colours: black and brown.
Scents: aromatic, toasted, woody, fruity, vanilla.

Brewed leaves (infusion)
Aspect: large leaves, slightly open.
Colours: green and coppery brown.
Scents: rich : vanilla, very fruity (yellow and black fruit), floral, toasted notes, with honey hints.

Liquor
Colour: orange-coloured, with brown and black glints.
Texture: thick, full and smooth initially, becoming more lively and astringent at the back of the mouth, making this a very interesting tea.
Flavour: sweet.
Aromas: fruity: black fruit (blackcurrant, blackberry, blueberry), yellow fruit (apricot, nectarine), hints of citrus (grapefruit), topped by toasted (coffee bean), woody (dried wood) accents.
Aromatic profile and length in the mouth: honey, combined with mild floral notes (geranium, ylang ylang). A really lovely tea with a harmonious succession of rich, complex notes, which remain intense for a long time, leaving a lingering freshness on the palate.

Our verdict: The “Arbre Solitaire”, or “Solitary Tree”, teas come from plantations situated on the sides of the Fang Huang (“Phoenix”) mountains in the far east of Guang Dong.
The wu longs grown on these plantations are among the rarest and most highly prized in China. Produced in very small quantities, their name means that each lot comes from a single tea bush.
While this practice made sense in former times, when the teas were reserved for the emperor, today it is just a poetic souvenir from the time when the teas were first created.
From the Sui Xian cultivar, the Feng Huang Dan Cong teas are wu longs that have undergone partial oxidisation (30%) and have powerful bouquets, evoking scents like cinnamon, orchid and black fruit.
Grande Feuille Noire (“Da Wa Ye”, “Large Black Leaf”) has a sumptuous fruity bouquet.

TAIWAN LI SHAN GAO SHAN CHA - FLUSH 2010

“Tea from the High Mountain”
Origin: Taiwan
Tea colour: semi-fermented
Length of infusion: 6’
Water temperature: 90°C – 95°C
Method of preparation
- By the Gong Fu Cha method: 5-8 successive infusions each lasting 20-40 seconds.
- In a tasting set: 6-7 minutes in water heated to 95°C (203°F).

Dry leaves
Aspect: big pearls.
Colours: green and yellow.
Scents: initially planty, followed by vanilla notes, and then buttery notes in the back.

Brewed leaves (infusion)
Aspect: lovely whole leaves.
Colours: dark green with coppery tints.
Scents: floral (white flowers, jasmine, frangipani), milky, buttery, vanilla, coumarin, combined with subtle planty notes.

Liquor
Colour: clear and glossy green liquor.
Texture: very full, silky and oily, with a delicate astringency in the middle of the mouth.
Flavours: sweet and slightly umami.
Aromas: initially floral, with planty, aniseed, smooth milky vanilla and coumarin notes, and hints of fruit (apple, peach, grape).
Aromatic profile and length in the mouth: elegant and rich, with fresh planty (grass), aniseed, fruity and zesty notes that really linger in the mouth.

Our verdict: Gao Shan Cha means “Tea from the High Mountain”, a name only given to teas grown on plantations above 1,000 metres in Taiwan. At this altitude, with its subtropical climate, the mountains are shrouded in mist in the morning, in the evening, and for a good part of the day too. The tea grown here develops planty and floral notes typical of the great wu longs of Taiwan. The incredible milky, coumarin bouquet of this particular tea is sustained by planty, fruity notes that are unusually long-lasting in the mouth.

TAWARAMINE SHINCHA - ICHIBANCHA 2010

Mochizuki Shoji offers again one of the finest teas produced in Shizuoka this spring 2010. Renowned in every parts of Japan for his outstanding Shincha, this farmer from Tawaramine processes his harvests with an unusually high level of care. Remarkably fine and fragile, the leaves are the first sign that this tea is exceptional. This is then confirmed on infusion and subsequently in the cup, with a complex, subtle and wonderfully balanced liquor. A work of art!

CHINA LONG JING SHI FENG GRADE A - 2010 NEW SEASON CHINA GREEN TEA

« Dragon’s pit, »
Origin: China, Zhejiang
Tea colour: green tea
Length of infusion: 4’
Water temperature: 75°C

Dry leaves
Aspect: evenly folded and flattened leaves. Truly impressive.
Colours: pale green and yellow.
Scents: toasted, vanilla, hazelnut, nuts, mineral, planty.

Brewed leaves (infusion)
Aspect: magnificent small, open, very regular leaves.
Colours: very pale green and yellow.
Scents: toasted, floral, mineral, mildly fruity, planty, nuts.

Liquor
Colours: a gleaming pale green, clear liquor, with yellow touches.
Texture: very smooth initially, then rougher notes that linger in the mouth.
Flavours: sweet and bitter.
Aromas: rich touches: toasted, pronounced mineral and planty (stems) notes, fatty (peanut), nuts (hazelnut, chestnut), fruit, with a few touches of vanilla.
Aromatic profile and length in the mouth: long and rich. Becomes very fresh in the mouth with the planty, herb, aniseed notes and touches of minerality.

Our verdict: This is the best of Long Jing: Lion’s Peak is a name originally reserved for the tea plucked from the 18 tea bushes growing on the mountain of the same name. Eighteen tea bushes selected by a Qing emperor and since then, carefully protected by guards! Today, Shi Feng refers to the highest quality Long Jing growing in the vicinity of that famous mountain. This incredible lot will delight connoisseurs.

CHINA ROU GUI XIANG DAN CONG - FLUSH 2010

“Scented Cinnamon from the Solitary Tree”
Origin: China
Tea colour: semi-fermented
Length of infusion: 6’
Water temperature: 90°C
Preparation for Gong Fu Cha: 6 to 8 successive infusions of 30 seconds each.

Dry leaves
Aspect: large twisted leaves.
Colours: dark green.
Scents: a rich, scented bouquet with fruity (black fruit, red fruit), vanilla, toasted, floral and spicy notes.

Brewed leaves (infusion)
Aspect: beautiful open leaves.
Colour: green, with coppery brown edges.
Scents: warm, mild notes: vanilla, butter, fruit (ripe, cooked fruit), caramel and white flowers, accompanied by subtle toasted notes.

Liquor
Colour: golden yellow.
Texture: a round, thick and lively texture, due to the delicate astringency.
Aromas: buttery, milky, caramel, vanilla, fruity (nectarine, apricot, red fruit, black fruit) notes, with subtle floral (white flowers) and planty scents.
Aromatic profile and length in the mouth: rich and complex. Present right from the start, the notes succeed one another, ensuring this tea really lingers in the mouth: planty, fruity (grapefruit, black fruit) and a subtle toasted note.

Our verdict: The “Arbre Solitaire”, or “Solitary Tree”, teas come from plantations situated on the sides of the Fang Huang (“Phoenix”) mountains in the far east of Guang Dong.
The wu longs grown on these plantations are among the rarest and most highly prized in China. Produced in very small quantities, their name means that each lot comes from a single tea bush.
While this practice made sense in former times, when the teas were reserved for the emperor, today it is just a poetic souvenir from the time when the teas were first created.
From the Sui Xian cultivar, the Feng Huang Dan Cong teas are wu longs that have undergone partial oxidisation (30%) and have powerful bouquets, evoking scents like cinnamon, orchid and black fruit.
Rou Gui has a sumptuous spicy, vanilla bouquet.

CHINA MI LAN XIANG DAN CONG - FLUSH 2010

« Orchidée Parfumée de l’Arbre Solitaire »
Origine : Chine, Guang Dong, Chao An
Couleur : semi-fermenté
Temps d’infusion : 6’
Température de l’eau : 90°C
Préparation au Gong Fu Cha : 6 à 8 infusions successives de 30 secondes chacune.

“Scented Orchid from the Solitary Tree”
Origin: China
Tea colour: semi-fermented
Length of infusion: 6’
Water temperature: 90°C
Preparation for Gong Fu Cha: 6 to 8 successive infusions of 30 seconds each.

Dry leaves
Aspect: large, beautiful, regularly twisted leaves.
Colours: black and brown.
Scents: woody, toasted, fruity notes.

Brewed leaves (infusion)
Aspect: lovely, slightly open leaves.
Colours: dark green, brown and red.
Scents: toasted (coffee beans), woody, spicy (curcuma), with a touch of rose and black fruit.

Liquor
Colour: orange-coloured, with brown and black glints.
Texture: full and round with a delicate astringency at the back of the mouth, giving this tea remarkable length.
Flavour: sweet.
Aromas: initially toasted (coffee beans), woody, spicy (ginger, curcuma), then opening up in the mouth with black fruit – blueberry, blackcurrant, blackberry, prune – and vanilla notes.
Aromatic profile and length in the mouth: the notes remain intense and rich for a long time. The complex characteristics last well, thanks to the toasted, fruity, floral (rose, geranium) notes, with a few planty, woody hints.

Our verdict: The “Arbre Solitaire”, or “Solitary Tree”, teas come from plantations situated on the sides of the Fang Huang (“Phoenix”) mountains in the far east of Guang Dong.
The wu longs grown on these plantations are among the rarest and most highly prized in China. Produced in very small quantities, their name means that each lot comes from a single tea bush.
While this practice made sense in former times, when the teas were reserved for the emperor, today it is just a poetic souvenir from the time when the teas were first created.
From the Sui Xian cultivar, the Feng Huang Dan Cong teas are wu longs that have undergone partial oxidisation (30%) and have powerful bouquets, evoking scents like cinnamon, orchid and black fruit.
Mi Lan Xiang has a sumptuous floral scent.

DARJEELING PHUGURI DJ11 «PURE AV2» - 2010 FIRST FLUSH

Origin: Darjeeling
Tea Estate: Phuguri
Tea colour: black
Length of infusion: 3'30
Water temperature: 85°C

Dry leaves
Aspect: large, loosely rolled leaves with beautiful silver buds.
Colours: brown, khaki.
Scents: a fragrant bouquet: floral (rose, violet, hyacinth) and fruity (mango, apricot, peach, lychee, sweet mild vanilla and a very fresh, lively planty note.

Brewed leaves (infusion)
Scents: the first notes are floral and sweet, with almond, fruit and vanilla (cooked fruit), followed by heady notes of camphor and herbs. When cold, it has hints of vanilla, cooked fruit and chocolate.

Liquor
Colour: a gleaming orange liquor.
Texture: a delicate astringency that fills the mouth and sustains the aromas.
Flavour: slightly sweet at the start.
Aromas: almond and sweet vanilla notes, combined with floral fragrances, developing planty, herbal notes (camphor, rosemary, thyme).
Aromatic profile and length in the mouth: a feeling of lingering freshness fills the mouth, combined with planty (herbal) and floral notes.

Our verdict: this is one for those seeking rich and luxurious liquors! This very fine batch from the Phuguri estate consists of mainly AV2 leaves and presents all the key features of this famous cultivar: aromatic complexity, a full floral bouquet and rich base notes, perfectly balanced by the flavours and texture of the liquor. A work of art!

CHINA TAI PING HOU KUI - 2010 NEW SEASON CHINA GREEN TEA

« Taiping Monkey King »
Origin: China, Anhui
Tea colour: green tea
Length of infusion: 4’
Water temperature: 75°C

Dry leaves
Appearance: the leaves have been folded and flattened using a wooden mallet, leaving the marks on the leaves.
Colours: very green with a few yellow shades.
Scents: animal, toasted, planty and floral notes.

Brewed leaves (infusion)
Colour: pale green with hints of yellow.
Scents: rich. The planty, toasted and floral aromas come together in a single note.

Liquor
Texture: round and full, combined with a delicate astringency at the back of the mouth.
Flavour: sweet.
Aromas: a complex bouquet, both rich and elegant: planty, toasted, animal, mild vanilla, marine, iodine (shellfish, shells), then developing mineral, raw planty notes with a few toasted aromas.
Aromatic profile and length in the mouth: lingering planty, aniseed and fruity notes (blackcurrant, grapefruit).

Our verdict: An absolute must, produced in very small quantities, combining poetic and gourmet delights. The aromatic richness, multiple and subtle, is a work of great quality and exclusive to the best new season teas from China!

CHINA LU AN GUA PIAN « PREMIUM » - 2010 NEW SEASON CHINA GREEN TEA

"Watermelon seed".
Origin: China, Anhui
Tea colour: green tea
Length of infusion: 4’
Water temperature: 70°C

Dry leaves
Aspect: delicately hand-crumpled leaves.
Colour: a beautiful dark green.
Scents: an aromatic bouquet: fruity, planty, toasted (caramel), butter and iodine.

Brewed leaves (infusion)
Aspect: open leaves.
Colour: a beautiful vibrant green.
Scents: a lovely aromatic bouquet: planty, toasted, fruity and mineral, interspersed with a few floral accents.

Liquor
Colour: green.
Texture: astringency throughout the mouth gives this tea plenty of body and liveliness.
Flavours: sweet and slightly acidic.
Aromas: a lovely planty attack, aniseed, fruit (with toasted, mineral touches) and marine notes.
Aromatic profile and length in the mouth: complex and lingering, a long planty (fresh plants, grass), fruity (fresh fruit) note.

Our verdict: Magnificent leaves, delightfully green and tender. Gives the impression that you are drinking a bowl of pure greenery. An exceptionally intense planty note.

DARJEELING PUTTABONG DJ34 «CLONAL QUEEN» SFTGFOP1 - 2010 FIRST FLUSH

Origin: Darjeeling
Tea Estate: Puttabong
Tea colour: black
Length of infusion: 3’30
Water temperature: 85°C

Dry leaves
Aspect: lovely twisted leaves with plenty of silver, downy buds.
Colours: khaki, dark green, silver.
Scents: warm notes of vanilla, toasted bread crust, fruit (preserved citrus), and a few fresh, planty notes.

Brewed leaves (infusion)
Scents: floral (rose, some powdery violet notes), mild sweet notes of vanilla and almond, with a few citrus notes (sweet orange).

Liquor
Colour: a gleaming liquor with a pronounced orange-yellow colour.
Texture: round and smooth in the mouth with a delicate astringency which gives it good body from start to finish.
Flavour: sweet.
Aromas: a sweet attack of butter, vanilla, yellow fruit and floral notes (rose, honeysuckle and violet) combined with citrus notes.
Aromatic profile and length in the mouth: very aromatic, full and long in the mouth. Long fresh, planty notes (fresh herbs, artichoke), fresh floral (peony) and almond notes.

Our verdict: At Puttabong, the term “Clonal Queen” denotes the highest grade of plucking, mainly comprising leaves from clonal tea plants. Just a few lots receive this label out of the hundred or so that the estate produces with its first harvest. This year, Le Palais des Thés has once again managed to obtain this exceptional lot thanks to its close relations with the producer. This DJ34 has incredibly rich aromas, with unusually long-lasting qualities across all notes. Brilliant.

DARJEELING NORTH TUKVAR DJ50 «CLONAL QUEEN» SFTGFOP1-2010 FIRST FLUSH

Origin: Darjeeling
Tea Estate: North Tukvar
Tea colour: black
Length of infusion: 3’30 - 3’45
Water temperature: 85°C

Dry leaves
Aspect: rolled, twisted leaves with plenty of buds.
Colours: brown, khaki, silver.
Scents: a fruity bouquet of mango, preserved citrus fruit, apricot syrup, breadcrumb. A sweet, rose, floral note, and toasted aromas.

Brewed leaves (infusion)
Scents: a rich, floral bouquet (rose), with almond (sweet almond), vanilla, butter (cake mixture, brioche) and fruit (yellow fruit, stewed mango in syrup).

Liquor
Colour: a clear, gleaming orange liquor.
Texture: thick and smooth to start, followed by a delicate astringency that makes it lively and long in the mouth.
Flavours: sweet and slightly acidic.
Aromas: an attack of citrus (orange), with fruit (mango, sweet yellow fruit in syrup), sweet floral (rose, orange blossom), vanilla and butter, brioche, almond, and pronounced planty notes.
Aromatic profile and length in the mouth: long coumarin notes and great complexity. Very elegant, with the different fruity, vanilla/butter/brioche, floral, and planty notes. Lingering floral, fresh planty notes with a touch of almond. Presence of stone fruit (fresh apricot). Smooth, with astringent accents.

Our verdict: the second “Clonal Queen” in our selection for 2010. Unlike the DJ34, this fiftieth lot stands out because of its zesty, fruity bouquet, which clearly dominates the planty notes. To remind you, the Puttabong garden uses the term “Clonal Queen” for its highest grade of plucking, composed mainly of leaves from clonal plants. Only a few lots benefit from this distinction out of the hundred or so first flush teas produced by the garden.

JAPAN FUJINOMIYA SHINCHA – ICHIBANCHA 2010

Origin: Japan,Shizuoka
Tea colour: green tea
Length of infusion: 2’
Water temperature: 70°C

Dry leaves
Aspect: needle-shaped folded leaves.
Colour: intense fir green with a glossy appearance.
Scents: pronounced planty notes, buttery, iodine.

Brewed leaves (infusion)
Colour: vivid green.
Scents: opens with planty aromas (grass, cooked vegetables), mild floral, marine notes (white fish flesh).

Liquor
Colour: a slightly cloudy, bright green liquor.
Texture: thick, smooth and velvety.
Flavour: umami.
Aromas: planty (grass, stems, vegetables), marine and iodine (white fish flesh), quickly developing zesty, fruity notes (grapefruit) and planty aromas (stems, sage, box).
Aromatic profile and length in the mouth: lively and long lasting.

Our verdict: Fujinomiya is one of the regions of Shizuoka that is well known for its Shinchas. This delicate, unusual tea grows in the foothills of Mount Fuji. Its complex bouquet will delight connoisseurs of Japanese new season green teas.

CHINA ANXI TIE GUAN YIN - FIRST FLUSH 2010

« Iron Goddess of Mercy »
Origin: China, near Anxi, in the Fujian district
Tea colour: semi-fermented tea, light oxidation (10%)
Length of infusion: 6’
Water temperature: 90°C
Method of preparation
• By the Gong Fu Cha method: 5-8 successive infusions each lasting 20-40 seconds.
• In a tasting set: 6-7 minutes in water heated to 95°C.

Dry leaves
Aspect: leaves rolled into pearl shapes.
Colours: pale green and dark green.
Scents: planty to start, followed by pronounced floral, vanilla, butter, milk and coumarin notes.

Brewed leaves (infusion)
Aspect: unravelled balls.
Colours: green leaves, slightly red and brown around the edges, the sign of oxidisation.
Scents: very warm, rich notes: milk (hot), vanilla, caramel, floral, mild coumarin notes, combined with fruit (stewed, warm fruit).

Liquor
Colour: yellow liquor with green glints.
Texture: round and velvety.
Flavours: acidity and light sweetness,umami.
Aromas: a lovely planty attack, then mild and floral (frangipani,honeysuckle), coumarin, vanilla, butter (fresh butter), followed by pronounced fruity notes (exotic fruits, nectarine).
Aromatic profile and length in the mouth: vine peach notes, zesty hints (mandarin, grapefruit), topped by a planty, minty (green mint) accent. Very intense, rich notes that linger, with an explosion of aromas in the mouth!

Our verdict: Tie Guan Yin from Anxi, made using the same tea plants as traditional Tie Guan Yin, has undergone much lighter oxidisation, of around just 10%. This is about an hour of gentle brewing during the sweating stage, compared to the usual 6 to 7 hours for traditional Tie Guan Yin. The final roasting is brief, and is simply to dry out the leaves. The result is a tea that is often intensely floral, with fresh planty notes, the complete opposite of the dark, roasted flavours of a classic Tie Guan Yin.

CHINA YUN FENG - 2010 NEW SEASON CHINA GREEN TEA

“Cloudy tip”
Origin: China, Yunnan
Tea colour: green tea
Length of infusion: 4’
Water temperature: 75°C

Dry leaves
Aspect: delicately twisted leaves with large downy buds.
Colour: very dark green.
Scents: toasted, animal, planty (grass).

Brewed leaves (infusion)
Aspect: lovely large open leaves.
Colour: luminous green.
Scents: initially toasted, animal, planty, aniseed, with a few mineral and fruity (yellow fruit) notes.

Liquor
Colours: a clear pale green liquor.
Texture: very smooth initially, then a roughness that lingers in the mouth.
Flavours: sweet and liquorice notes.
Aromas: planty (cooked vegetables), toasted, animal, fruity, mineral (silex).
Aromatic profile and length in the mouth: lingering planty, mineral, aniseed notes. The sweet note lingers too, along with the roundness and thickness.

Our verdict: A tea that can be described as lacy, with its fragile, delicate leaves. Gently crumpled, the youngest shoots have been briefly roasted to produce these “cloudy tips”, as fine as hair, as light as cloud. Pure poetry, Chinese style. Delicious!

TAIWAN WEN SHAN BAO ZHONG - FLUSH 2010

Origin: Taiwan
Tea colour: semi-fermented
Degree of oxidation: 10% to 20%
Length of infusion: 6’
Water temperature: 90°C
Preparation: for the Gong Fu Cha, 4 to 6 successive infusions of 20 to 40 seconds.
Using the tasting set: 6 to 7 minutes in water at 90°C.

Dry leaves
Aspect: large twisted leaves.
Colour: a beautiful dark green.
Scents: buttery, planty (sweet cooked vegetables and fresh planty notes), floral (white flowers).

Brewed leaves (infusion)
Scents: an elegant floral bouquet, with aromas of butter, milk, vanilla, cooked fruit and cooked vegetables.

Liquor
Colour: yellow with green glints.
Texture: round, full and smooth, with a delicate astringency that develops at the back of the mouth, giving the tea exceptional length.
Flavour: slightly sweet.
Aromas: floral (white flowers), sweet milky vanilla notes, becoming lively, with fresh planty aromas (herbs, sage), blackcurrant and nectarine.
Aromatic profile and length in the mouth: elegant. The initial impression is sweet and floral, with vanilla, milky notes, developing very lively, fresh notes that seem to open up on the palate. Exceptionally long, with lingering planty notes (sage, mint) and fruit (blackcurrant).

Our verdict: is bestowed upon the very best harvests. The complex milky, floral bouquet is sustained by the planty, fruity notes that are exceptionally long in the mouth. The aromatic richness of this wu long is expressed note after note in the successive infusions with the Gong Fu Cha.

DARJEELING GIELLE DJ14 «CLONAL» F.T.G.F.O.P.1 - 2010 FIRST FLUSH

Origin: Darjeeling
Tea Estate: Gielle
Tea colour: black
Length of infusion: 3’30 – 3’45
Water temperature: 85°C

Dry leaves
Aspect: large crumpled leaves with lots of downy buds.
Colours: copper, green and silver.
Scents: rich buttery, toasted, fruity, vanilla and fresh planty notes.

Brewed leaves (infusion)
Scents: round, sweet and mild, with white flower, butter, vanilla, yellow fruit and planty notes.

Liquor
Colour: gleaming golden yellow.
Texture: smooth and full in the mouth.
Flavours: sweet and slightly umami.
Aromas: a sweet, very floral attack (white flowers, rose, lily) followed by citrus, fruit (yellow fruit), sweet vanilla and buttery notes.
Aromatic profile and length in the mouth: elegant and long, lively, fruity notes (rose) and fresh planty notes (aniseed).

Our verdict: A sweet, mild tea with well balanced textures and aromas that linger elegantly. A lot to tempt those who are sometimes put off by the astringency and delicate bitterness of first flush Darjeelings.

CHINA HUANG SHAN MU DAN - 2010 NEW SEASON CHINA GREEN TEA

« Peony of the Yellow Mountains »
Origin: China, Anhui
Tea colour: green tea
Length of infusion: 5’
Water temperature: 80°C
Method of preparation: To appreciate the visual aspect of this tea, choose a pretty glass holding about 150 ml (5 fl oz) and infuse the ‘tea-flower’ in it for 5 minutes in water heated to 80 °C (175 °F). It may also be prepared in a zhong.

Dry leaves
Aspect: around 100 young buds are tied together in a star-shaped bunch.
Colours: green with yellow highlights.
Scents: fruity, animal and planty (dried grass).

Brewed leaves (infusion)
Scents: smooth, planty (cooked vegetables), fruity, vanilla, animal, a few toasted notes, and herbs.

Liquor
Texture: a delicate astringency gives this tea a good presence in the mouth.
Aromas: initially planty (cooked vegetables) with hints of herbs, mineral notes, and toasted middle notes.
Aromatic profile and length in the mouth: long and rich. Becoming very fresh in the mouth with planty, aromatic herbs, aniseed and mineral nuances notes.

Our verdict: A shaped tea worthy of being classed among those new season green teas that are a true gourmet delight. The aromatic bouquet of this Huang Shan Mu Dan matches the beauty of its leaves!