We don't know when or if this item will be available.
“Sweet and creamy, then floral and vegetal. Smooth, still, thick water.” Read full tasting note
“My second Floating Leaves Baozhong. Between this and the Farmer’s Choice, this was the better of the two but not by a whole lot. Dry leaves have a slightly staleish aroma of grass and turnips. ...” Read full tasting note
Story
This Smooth Water Baozhong is from the birthplace of Taiwanese Baozhong, Nangang. Around the turn of the 20th century, Baozhong was produced as a flower scented export tea to South Asia and Northern China. The Taiwan Tea Reform Institute challenged farmers to create a Baozhong with the floral scent that drinkers were looking for, but naturally without adding any scenting. The two farmers who successfully produced that flavor were both growing tea in Nangang. Now, Nangang tea farmers are very proud of their tradition of producing excellent Baozhong.
The first time he and Shiuwen met, he opened with “I bet you’ve never tasted real Baozhong”. He’s very proud of what he makes as it was passed down through his family, and he wanted to show what Nangang tea could do. Shiuwen, never wanting to lose out on an opportunity to learn, said “Oh, I must not have. I’ve only had Pinglin Baozhong. What’s the difference, can we try some?” Of course he was excited to share his tea and his knowledge, so they whipped out some Pinglin Baozhong, his Nangang Baozhong, and some bowls. The take away was that after 20 minutes soaking in a tea bowl, this Nangang Baozhong maintained a beautifully smooth, soft texture without breaking down. So we call it Smooth Water!
Description
The scent of this tea is delicate and soft with a deep sweetness. The notes reminds us of flowers and marzipan, which are carried by a gentle lifting feeling, penetrating deeply into the sinuses. The broth is elegant, almost ethereal at first, but full and round. It fills into every corner of the mouth, and there’s a puffing texture that reaches the roof of the mouth.
The capacity of this tea is similar to Dong Ding Traditional, even though the general feeling is MUCH lighter. It has the same capacity to reach the throat with a warming sensation, and it pushes past to leave an ‘aftertaste’ in the chest. The aftertaste in the mouth is both ‘fragrance’ style aftertaste and ‘feeling’ style aftertaste. What I mean is the floral, almondy fragrance evaporates and fills the mouth after you swallow, and, at the same time the broth leaves behind a light salivation and puffy feeling to let you know it was there.
We are very proud to carry this tea, just as the farmer who makes it is proud to share it. It is very clean, and it has a deeper capacity to ‘move’ than most teas at this price point. A customer pointed out that she loves this tea because it makes her feel like she just finished Qi Gong practice. The way I feel is that it is ‘opening’; it is gentle enough to move in between the cracks. With such a soft feeling and floral fragrance, it is thoroughly refreshing.
Facts
Harvest Location : Nangang, Taiwan
Harvest Date : November, 2020
Cultivar : Qingxin
Company description not available.
My second Floating Leaves Baozhong. Between this and the Farmer’s Choice, this was the better of the two but not by a whole lot.
Dry leaves have a slightly staleish aroma of grass and turnips. When steeped, it changes to egg yolk and buttered lilacs. The tea starts off with a soupy, brothy flavor mingled with lilac and violets. Second steep is clearer with more sweetness and water lily like florals. The next steep is similar but with a thicker body. Eventually, it flattens a bit and settles into a floral-grassy flavor.
This tea lacks the thick mouthfeel and depth of better Baozhongs but is still serviceable.
Flavors: Broth, Flowers
Egg yolk! That’s a new one.
I always associated the scent of lilacs with insect spray. So we’ve got stale grass, turnips, sulpherous egg yolk and Raid in this tea. I think I’ll pass. LoL!
@TeaEarleGreyHotabout Lol! It’s more creamy yolk than sulfur. A bug spray that smells like flowers? I gotta get me some!
@LuckyMe, yeah I was just joking around! Your descriptions are vivid, and I am sure helpful to those who may enjoy this tea. Egg yolk is, after all, the basis of delicious pudding/custard. I had never smelled lilac blossoms until moving as an adult to an area where they were common, and then I instantly recognized the fragrance as that used in a some bug spray. Unfortunately, the connection is firmly established for me. :-)
