Long Jing's 2022
Finally, we have found a little time to let you know about our tea whereabouts.
Fresh new TEA season 2022 is here and even if we are little late with this update, mostly due to overgrown madness in our garden, which needs to be dried, gathered, distilled and cared for (this includes our tea bushes, as you know we have processed quite a few batches of tea this year) and due to the magnificent hills which are constantly calling (even in our dreams), nevertheless we are here with the update, at last.
Because some of our lovely customers drank all our Long Jing teas (Dragon well), shockingly unacceptable for me as this is my most beloved tea! I’ve ordered samples of three top class pre-rain Long Jing teas to try and carefully chosen one with the best 2022 profile. All 3 teas are of course from Zhejiang province and are picked from late March to April. Due to difficulty in shipping & costs they took a little while to arrive this year, hopefully this will change next season. Fingers crossed!
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Long Jing Superior grade
Fragrance of dry leaf: Vegetal (asparagus, green beans), creamy, freshly cut grass
Leaf appearance: Tightly pressed bud & 1 leaf into sharp spears, which are quite small in size. Buds appear to have a yellow hay & silver like hues and leaves are more towards light olive green colour.
Infused leaf & aroma: Bud and leaf is very soft, the colour is a bit more unified olive green with a little yellow parts. Aroma is sort of sweet and vegetal with notes of asparagus, sage and green beans.
Cup: Soft yellow liquor with vegetal aroma of fresh spring asparagus & tiny garden courgettes. Body is light and silky and mouthfeel is smooth and green. Notes of asparagus, green beans & umami are presented in the cup. Aftertaste is short and vegetal with sort of velvety & salty flavours and hints of roasted walnuts. It leaves almost tarty aftertaste in the mouth with clove like finish. This tea has strong astringency & little acidity.
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“It feels like swimming in lake after long hot day under the scorching sun.”
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Long Jing Mei Jia Wu Xi Hu – West Lake - Imperial grade
Fragrance of dry leaf: Creamy, herbal (drier notes, more roasted), vegetal (sweet pea, asparagus)
Leaf appearance: Tightly pressed bud & 1 leaf into sharp spears of small size. Buds appear to have a yellow hay & silver like hues and leaves are more like bright pistachio green. It appears to be more roasted than Long Jing superior grade.
Infused leaf & aroma: Bud and leaf is very soft and young, the colour is a bit more unified yellow green. Aroma is sweet and vegetal with notes of sweet peas, asparagus & herbs such as thyme and sage.
Cup: Soft yellow liquor with vegetal aroma of fresh green peas, asparagus and thyme. Body is light and silky and mouthfeel is smooth and green. Notes of sweet peas, roasted edamame beans and thyme are presented in the cup. Aftertaste is long lasting and vegetal with a finish of creamy cashews. It leaves pleasant creaminess in the mouth. The cup is complex and well balanced. This tea has strong astringency & little acidity.
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“It feels like floating above mountain while warm east wind is gently whispering.”
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Qiandao Hu Long Jing - Imperial grade
Fragrance of dry leaf: Creamy, vegetal (asparagus, adzuki beans) roasted chestnuts
Leaf appearance: Tightly pressed bud & 1 leaf into sharp spears of small size. Buds appear to have a yellow hay & silver like colour and leaves are more like light bright kiwi like green. It appears to be more roasted and it’s nicely crunchy on touch.
Infused leaf & aroma: Bud and leaf is very soft and young, the colour is beautifully yellow green. Aroma is sweet and vegetal with notes of asparagus, adzuki beans and courgettes and with pleasant undertones of roasted chestnuts and walnuts.
Cup: Soft yellow liquor with vegetal aroma of fresh asparagus and roasted chestnuts. Body is light and silky and mouthfeel is smooth and green. Notes of asparagus, adzuki beans and fennel are presented in the cup alongside of roasted chestnuts and walnuts. The cup is well balanced. The finish is smooth and sweet and it leaves pleasant fennel like freshness in the mouth. This tea has strong astringency & little acidity.
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“It feels like walking through the forest in the moonlight, the earth is soft & warm and the sky is wide open.”
The tasting was so good we did not sleep the whole weekend, lol.
Our choice to order is number 2: Long Jing Mei Jia Wu Xi Hu – West Lake Imperial grade as we just love the taste of sweet peas, edamame, herbs and creamy cashews in the cup of LONG JING tea.
Which one would you like?
Coming soon....
Now, let's have another cup of this Imperial goodness and do some yoga.
Drink Tea... Be Free...