Wenshan Bao Zhong Winter Tea, Lot 598

It’s a later arrival this year, but what counts is that it’s finally here, and nobody will object to having waited a little bit when you get to relive spring in late November! Mr. Ong’s garden suffered from the multiple typhoon visits that pounded the north of island this early Fall, especially the higher sections from which we like to get out teas from. A fairly drastic pruning had to be performed in September requiring further time for a pluckable regrowth to be harvested. This was somewhat of a blessing in disguise as this delayed new growth benefited from much better weather than the growers that proposed teas earlier on. We did investigate alternatives but we simply could not be convinced by the lacklustre teas that we were offered elsewhere. This Lot 598 was made from younger leaves than usual from the highest section of Mr. Ong’s garden. This, combined with the cooler weather of late November contributes to the thicker texture of this year’s winter offerings. There is definitely more material in this winter leaf that in previous year’s offerings. We would even dare say that it has the vitality of a spring tea! The aroma of buttered green beans with distinctive floral overtones is definitely there. Nothing aggresses the senses. The liqueur is smooth, refreshing, and very pleasant. In order to not delay this tea further, we ordered it un-finished and performed the light oven baking/drying of the tea in-house to perfection. As usual, this is sunshine in a cup that comes at a time when many of us are in need of extra warmth for the soul, mind and body. Enjoy!