The final sample of the Wuyi oolong tea sample pack Teasenz sent me a while ago is the Bei Dou Yi Hao. I wasn’t really a frequent yancha drinker before I got this pack, but I had a lot of fun tasting these teas. Who knows what my next yancha adventures will bring…
Bei Dou Yi Hao
Even though I’m not an avid yancha drinker, I had heard the words ‘bei dou’ before but did not know what it meant exactly. Apparently, Bei Dou is a cultivar that is supposed to be similar to the original six mother trees. They took cuttings from these original trees and reproduced them to harvest them more frequently.
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.
The Bei Dou Yi Hao I’m drinking today is a lightly roasted version from right outside the Wuyishan protected area. This makes it a bit cheaper because teas from inside the park are usually sold for a much higher price. This one is sold as banyan tea, which means that it comes from right outside the protected area. Many tea shops sell their yancha as being from inside the park when it’s not… Make sure you are getting what you’re paying for!
Tea Tasting
- Water 99°C
- 3.3g for a 80ml porcelain gaiwan
Fairly big and twisted leaves with a greenish-brown colour. The roast looks lighter than usual. I’m getting a fruity aroma with a touch of brown caramelised sugar that is really sweet. Once the leaves get wet, the fruitiness becomes dominant.
Infusion 1 (10 sec): there is a slight sourness at the start that quickly fades. The fruitiness kicks in right after this sourness and I’m also getting cinnamon towards the finish. The aftertaste has cinnamon and some fruity notes to it. Really good infusion to start the session.
Infusion 2 (15 sec): it’s fruity right from the start with a slightly fresher edge. There is also a hint of cinnamon in the finish. The aftertaste is fruitier than the previous infusion.
Infusion 3 (20 sec): this one is fruity with a sour twist. The cinnamon is gone and it becomes really fruity and sweet towards the finish and aftertaste. I’m also getting some floral hints in the finish. The aftertaste is really long-lasting.
Infusion 4 (25 sec): the freshness is gone and it’s a gentle and fruity infusion. The finish and aftertaste have changed a bit and I’m getting more of the caramelised sugar that I got when smelling the leaves. So sweet! It’s long-lasting and almost like crème brûlée.
Infusion 5 (35 sec): more of the same as there are no big changes. The only thing that is different is that I’m getting a slight freshness. The aftertaste is still pleasant with notes of dark and caramelised sugar.
Infusion 6 (50 sec): the flavours have faded but the aftertaste is still going strong. The infusion itself is slightly floral and the aftertaste is sweet with a touch of dark sugar.
Conclusion
This was a really good tea session. The fact that the Bei Dou Yi Hao was lightly roasted was nice and made it a bit fresher in some infusions.
The flavours were good as I got a fruitiness with hints of cinnamon. The aftertaste had strong notes of caramelised sugar. So delicious! The final infusion was even more floral than fruity.
If you’re interested in trying this tea, click here.
