It was a really cold but beautiful morning so I wanted to drink something refreshing. The Bio China Enshi Hubei Cui Lü First Flush was the perfect tea for the job. Tee Kontor Kiel sent me a box of samples a few months ago and I remembered I still had a sample from this unusual green tea.
Bio China Enshi Hubei Cui Lü First Flush
This green tea comes from Enshi, which is a prefecture in the Southwest of Hubei Province. This region is known for its humid climate and thick morning fog. This allows for fresh and sweet green teas.
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.
Cui Lü means green jade and refers to the beautiful colour of the tea liquor. It’s produced in spring according to traditional methods. The fresh leaves are heated until dry to prevent the oxidation process as much as possible. The leaves are then rolled and dried over the course of several steps. This structure-friendly processing tries to preserve the leaves as a whole.
For more information and a video from the Enshi region, click here. Important to keep in mind is that the teas from this particular project are organic teas.
Tea Tasting
- Water 99°C
- 5g for a 130ml Tokoname Kyusu
The leaves of this Bio China Enshi Hubei Cui Lü First Flush have a dark olive green colour. I see smaller coil-shaped leaves (not exactly the same) and some stems, which makes it a really interesting tea. I did not expect stems in this kind of tea. The aroma is warm, nutty and I’m also getting brown sugar.
Infusion 1 (15 sec): this one is subtle, but the deliciousness of a good green tea is already coming through. It’s a bit nutty beneath the surface and it goes from nutty to a dark and warming sweetness.
Infusion 2 (20 sec): the initial impression of this one is definitely nutty, but there is also some light umami in the middle. The aftertaste is nutty and pleasant.
Infusion 3 (25 sec): there are tiny pieces of ‘fluff’ floating on the liquor in my cup. This one seems subtle as well, but it’s so full of flavour. It’s nutty and sweet and it feels like spring is waiting in this cup; waiting to come out when the time is right.
Infusion 4 (30 sec): no big changes in this one. There is a subtle nuttiness that becomes sweeter towards the end. It’s nice that the aftertaste kicks in around 30 seconds after swallowing. It’s not a dark sugar kind of sweetness, but it’s fresh and vibrant.
Infusion 5 (40 sec): the flavours are fading a bit. It has a nutty undertone with a more prominent freshness while still being enjoyable.
Conclusion
I’ve had this sample for a while and wonder why I did not try this one sooner. It’s such a pleasant green tea and reminds me of my first tea sessions with higher-quality loose leaf tea.
The Bio China Enshi Hubei Cui Lü First Flush had a nutty flavour profile with a touch of umami at the start of the session. There was also a sweetness that changed almost every infusion. It went from dark sugar to a fresh and vibrant sweetness like spring waiting to come out.
If you’re interested in the Bio China Enshi Hubei Cui Lü First Flush, click here. It’s only €12 for 100g!
