Tea: Dragonwell
Type: Green Tea
Packaging: Loose Leaf
Company: thepuriTea
Purchase: Here
Description: Dragonwell, also known as Longjing, is a Green tea from China and is widely recognized as among the very best of Chinese Greens. The leaves are wide and flat which is a result of their unique drying process. They are pan fired, not fried, to stop the oxidation process. This in turn produces a yellowish-green liquid, almost nutty aroma and rich flavor that puts this Green tea in a class of it's own.
Steep Information:
Amount: 2+ heaping tsp - one whole sample bag - it was hard to measure by the teaspoon these long, wide, flat leaves
Water: 2 Zarafina cups
Tool: Zarafina green-loose-medium
Served: Hot
Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: nutty, vegetal
Steeped Tea Smell: nutty, vegetal
Flavor: ICK, hmm, at first I thought it was bitter, but it isn't bitter (as MilitiaJim pointed out) it's bold, bold in this vegetal prickly way. It prickles my tongue. Tangy. Astringent.
Body: Full
Aftertaste: Almost a citric acid feel.
Liquor: translucent yellow-green
This tea was one of 5 samples I received from thepuriTea. It arrived well packaged in pretty pillow boxes (see pictures for a side angle of the pillow box if you are unsure what I mean) with packing peanuts and business cards.
I felt bad for thepuriTea and for the Dragonwell when it arrived. I keep trying to like green teas, but I rarely do enjoy them.
So here goes, I probably used too much leaf, and the tea punched me in the tongue. It's strong, full bodied, no nonsense, earthy, savory green tea. Now that I cautiously sip at it I find it savory, and not unpleasant, but I do not plan to finish the other half of the sample. MilitiaJim seems to be enjoying savoring this tea, so he can bring it to work.
Post-Steep Additives: Honey - it added a sweet layer to the earthy vegetal flavor, it didn't chance the flavor just added another layer of flavor.
Resteep: Zarafina green-loose-medium now this time it is bitter, astringent, vegetal, bold green tea with a roasted not fresh nut flavor. Nope definitely not my kind of tea.
Iced: Less tingly and more refreshing, but still a strong earthy vegetal tea.
Rating: 2/4 leaves
Leaf system:
1=Bleh! not again if it were free
2=Acceptable, if it were free or there were limited other tea options
3=I might purchase this tea from time to time, or select it while out
4=A staple in our cupboard from now on, I will purchase and keep purchasing
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