I don’t know why, but I wanted to drink a sample Lao Tea Shop sent me some months ago. I have already tried several of their teas (especially their Liu Bao), but the one I wanted to drink today was the 2020 Yunnan Lincang Maocha. I usually don’t drink maocha but this one is a nice change of pace.
2020 Yunnan Lincang Maocha
As the name suggests, this tea comes from the Lincang area in China’s Yunnan province. It’s not really specified where exactly, so I only know it’s from Lincang. These leaves were picked in April 2020 and have not been pressed into cakes.
Don’t know where to buy tea online? I made a list of over 300 online tea shops and I keep updating it regularly. You can check it over here.
This is maocha, which means that it’s ‘unfinished tea’. The tea leaves have been picked and dried and are then sold as maocha. It has the qualities of the terroir and the skill of the producer in them, but they haven’t been through sorting and pressing. So this means that it’s an unfinished product in a way and some maocha may be a bit rougher.
Tea Tasting
- Water 99°C
- 6.2g for a Qing dynasty Wuhuini teapot
These are some interesting looking leaves. I see all leaves of all shapes and sizes and also some stems. The colour is a more or less uniform brown tint with an olive green hue. The aroma has notes of dry wood and freshly harvested hay. There is also a refreshing twist as it’s a tiny bit vegetal.
Infusion 1 (15 sec): the colour is a beautiful yellow and some very small bubbles are floating in my cup. It’s a rather subtle infusion to start with. Slightly fruity with a vegetal touch. Some of the fruitiness goes on into the aftertaste.
Infusion 2 (20 sec): the colour of this one is a darker yellow. It has increased in intensity and I feel the vegetal notes are gone. The fruitiness is a bit more intense but there is also a bit of a bite. It’s a combination that works well and it’s a pleasant infusion.
Infusion 3 (25 sec): this one made me feel really poetic. The fruitiness waltzes into the room when I take a sip. Shortly after, a vegetal touch enters the room as well and they start waltzing in perfect harmony. The aftertaste has shifted more towards the vegetal side.
Infusion 4 (25 sec): more of the same combination of fruity and vegetal notes and it’s still nicely balanced. However, the aftertaste is astringent now. The flavours are good, but the astringency is a bit too intense for me.
Infusion 5 (30 sec): the colour is still really yellow. Vegetal notes have diminished and it’s more fruity again. Not really astringent anymore and it’s really good and enjoyable. I’m also getting some hints of fruits in the aftertaste.
Infusion 6 (35 sec): this one is really yellow and it looks yummy! No vegetal notes anymore and it’s subtle and fruity, soft and enjoyable. However, there is not really an aftertaste anymore.
Infusion 7 (40 sec): the colour is a lighter yellow. The flavours have faded and I’m only getting some very subtle fruity flavours.
Conclusion
For maocha, it did not feel too rough and fresh. The leaves looked unfinished but that was not noticeable in the flavours. I experienced some good and refined flavours.
The colour of the liquor looked really yummy throughout the session. There was an interplay of fruity and vegetal notes. I felt this combination worked well as it was both fruity and refreshing at the same time. Maocha is not something I drink on a regular basis but this one was good.
If you want to try it yourself, you can buy it over here.
