Pouchong

Tea: Pouchong
Vendor: Canton Tea Co.
Price: £8.99 / 40g
Source: Xu Family Farm, Wenshan, Taipei province, Taiwan
Harvest: Spring 08
Vendor Description: Pouchong is one of the most famous of all Taiwan teas and ours is from one of the best producers. This deliciously smooth, very lightly oxidised green tea is almost an oolong. It has delicate floral notes with smooth, sweet undertones and a soft apricot finish. All the Pouchong produced at the Xu Family farm is bought up very quickly by local buyers. We are the only company outside Taiwan to have access to this exceptional tea.
Additional Vendor Information:
Grade: Top grade AA

Leaf: The leaf for this tea is a very light and fluffy green leaf. The shape and size somewhat remind me of a Wuyi or Dan Cong Oolong. There is a very fresh aroma to it and the leaves have a very matte green color to them, spanning the spectrum of green colors.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5 oz, 185F, 5s Rinse, 1 Min

1st Infusion: The tea has a clear green hue to it. The aroma reminds me of a Taiwanese green oolong. The flavor is very light and smooth. It has a very green and fresh feeling to it. Rather surprisingly it gives me a very wet feeling in my mouth. There is a strong central flavor with no bitternes or astringnecy.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 30s, 185F

2nd Infusion: Again this feels very much like most green oolongs. The color is a rich shade of green. The flavor is smooth with a barely noticeable sense of astringency. The flavor is very strong and intense.

3rd Infusion Parameters: 1:30, 185F

3rd Infusion: The flavor is still rich and fresh. This infusion feels very much like the second infusion. It is very pleasant and enjoyable, with just a hint of being lighter than the second infusion.

Rating: 7/10

Conclusion: This is a very enjoyable tea, it has an outstanding flavor to it. The downside to this tea though is that there is nothting that feels that oustanding about it aside from it's very fresh and light taste that it has. As enjoyable as this taste is it does not account for the somewhat steep price for this tea.