Tuesday, July 05, 2011

Ten Ren Tea 2011 First Flush Dragon Well Tea Review

Ten Ren Tea's 2011 First Flush Dragon Well is a very nice Dragon Well green tea. This tea is composed of young buds and unbroken tea leaves, with a few stems. The aroma is very vegetal, and so is the taste. The flavor is very good and savory, and has an almost seaweed-like quality. The tea has very little bitterness or astringency, and has a smooth clean taste. The big negative aspect is that, as it is a first flush tea, the tea is expensive. I can't help but think that one could get a slightly lower grade Dragon Well at a lower price that has a comparable experience, but my experience with Dragon Well is very limited. Still, over all a very good tea.

Rating: ****

Here's an excerpt from Ten Ren's website.

The 2011 First Flush Dragon Well is the finest and freshest Dragon Well available. Harvested at the very beginning of the Spring harvest and before the Ming festival, this Dragon Well is in very limited quantities. The First Flush Dragon Well is also know as "Head" tea as it is the first and best of the season.


The tea leaves are a bright spring green color and the tea has a pale green color, fresh taste with roasted undertones, and a clean aftertaste.


A steeping time of 1 to 2 minutes with about 70°C/160°F water is recommended, with an additional 15 seconds for each successive infusion. Use about 1 tablespoon (3 grams) of tea leaves for about every 5 ounces (150 ml) of water. This tea may be infused 3 or more times. The use of a covered glass or ceramic cup is recommended for steeping in order to fully appreciate the tea leaves.
Slightly dilute

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