Bai Ling Gong Fu

Tea: Bai Ling Gong Fu
Vendor: Canton Tea Co.
Price: £6.99/ 40g
Vendor Description: This soft red tea is made from only tender buds, which are shaped into tight and elegant strips. The leaves have fine orangy-yellow hairs hence its nickname - Ju Hong (clementine red). The ‘Hao Xiang’ (bud's aroma) is fresh and sweet with a hint of creamy caramel and the liquor is golden red with a smooth texture and a long, soft, mellow aftertaste.
Additional Vendor Information:
Origin: Bai Lin, Tai Mu Mountain, Fu Ding County, Fujian Province.
Harvest: Winter 08
Grade : Top Grade
Plantation altitude : 500 - 800 meters above sea level.
Varietal : Fu Ding Da Bai Cha variety.
Certification : Organic. Small production directly from local farmer.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea is very light and twisted. It is very delicate and coated with many little golden hairs. The tea has a stunning mix of black and gold coloration. There is a very bold black tea aroma coming from these very gossamer leaves.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5g, 208F, 45s

1st Infusion: This tea produces a very dark, semi opaque infusion. There is a heavy malty aroma coming from it. The flavor is very bold, rich, and full bodied. It is smooth with a sweet leading edge to it. There is a certain lightness and wateriness in it, which was surprising considering the color of the tea.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 45s, 208F

2nd Infusion: This infusion has the same dark color as the first infusion. It is still almost opaque from the dark leaf. There is rich sweet aroma from the tea. The flavor is much richer than before. It feels like a yunnan gold. It starts out with a very strong early flavor and finishes with a rich aftertaste.

3rd Infusion Parameters: 1:30, 208F

3rd Infusion: This infusion was brown hued and very opaque again. This tea has an amazing capacity for color. The flavor of this infusion was more of the rich malty flavor again. It was slightly lighter this time, but still quite rich.

Rating: 8/10

Conclusion: This was one of the best Chinese black teas that I have ever had. It was very smooth and subdued, yet rich and strong. It showed intense color through three infusions without any signs of lightening up. It is on the pricier side for a black tea, but quite pleasant.

Yulan Dancong

Tea: Yulan Dancong
Vendor: Canton Tea Co.
Price: £9.99 / 50g
Vendor Description: The leaves are a golden-green with a wrinkly surface and have a peach-like fragrance. The liquor is full-bodied with a thick texture and has a deliciously sweet, long-lasting aftertaste which means it is a good example of a high quality Yulan. The flavour develops with each brew saves should be infused several times.

Additional Vendor Information:
Origin: Wu Dong Mountain, Chao Zhou, Guang Dong.
Harvest : Winter 2008
Varietal : Single Bush Yu Lan
Altitude : 400m ~ 600m
Certification : Small production direct from the farmer.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea is somewhat unusual looking. The leaves are long, dark and twisted like other Dan Congs, but instead of the more traditional grey edges around the leaves the edges of the leaves have some green accents to it. They are very well formed though and well cared for. The leaves are large and intact.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5 oz, 208F, 5s rinse, 45s

1st Infusion: The first infusion produced a clear light yellow green hue. The aroma is very green it reminds me of green oolongs, like a dong ding or most Taiwanese oolongs. The flavor exhibits a very green crispness to it. The flavor overall is quite light. The aroma leads right into the flavor though and shows a harmony that is at times rare to find. It is light boded, but the flavor builds up more towards the backend.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 45s, 208F

2nd Infusion: This infusion produced a deeper golden yellow hue. The aroma is now a cross between the floral loftiness of a Dan Cong and a crisp green oolong. The flavor is more bodied, to the point where it is quite well bodied. There is a light astringency on the backend even though the flavor feels a bit light. The light flavor still feels very much like a Taiwanese green oolong.

3rd Infusion Parameters: 2:00, 208F

3rd Infusion: This time around the color took a yet darker hue almost at an amber yellow color. The aroma was very much still a green oolong, the floral points had faded away. The flavor was very light. The flavor and the color were somewhat out of sync with one another. It was quite light considering the darkness of the hue. Aside from a medium sense of bitterness the flavor was quite light overall.

Rating: 7/10

Conclusion: I still don't really know what to make of this tea. It is very unique to say the least. It feels very green, it shows many characteristics of Taiwanese oolongs, but at the same time shows the traditional Dan Cong flavors and aromas. It is a bit on the pricey side, I think I prefer the Milan Dan Cong to this one.

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.

Milan Dancong

Tea: Milan Dancong
Vendor: Canton Tea Co.
Price: £6.99 / 50g
Source: Wu Dong Shan, Chaozhou, Guangdong province.
Vendor Description: This wonderful oolong comes from a plantation on the lower slopes of Wu Dong mountain. The leaves are thoroughly fermented and baked to produce a rich liquor with unique flowery and honey notes that can be enjoyed through multiple infusions

Leaf: The leaf for this tea appears to be thin delicate wiry black leaves. As normal for a Dan Cong it is very low density and it has a very floral aroma. There is a bit of green coloring to the edges of the leaf.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5oz, 208F, 45s, 5s rinse

1st Infusion: There is a very strong and sweet floral aroma to this tea. It is very characteristically Dan Cong in nature. The tea has a rich golden brown hue to it, this hue is quite surprising for a 45s Infusion. The flavor is very up front and very characteristically Dan Cong. The flavor is centered in the early to mid portions of the flavor with little to no portion in the late flavor. It is light bodied, yet has a very intense flavor. The flavor has a sharpness to it, but not so much so that it becomes a bitterness.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 45s, 208F

2nd Infusion: This infusion has the same golden brown color. The aroma is more floral this time, but not as sweet as the first infusion. The flavor is sweeter and still light bodied. The flavor is much longer lasting and has a nice tapering aftertaste.

3rd Infusion Parameters: 1:00, 208F

3rd Infusion: This infusion was lighter yet, but still had quite a floral aroma to it. The flavor is a bit lighter. Despite being lighter in flavor it is quite rich in taste. Despite being lighter it is still quite enjoyable.

4th Infusion Parameters: 2:00, 208F

4th Infusion: This infusion has a sweeter aroma than the 3rd. The tea still shows a beautiful golden brown hue to it. The flavor this time around is very even throughout. It carries a bold flavor from the beginning all the way to the end to finish in a long lasting lingering aftertaste.

5th Infusion Parameters: 3:00, 208F

5th Infusion: This infusion has a light aroma now. There is no color change to speak of, but there is a waterniess in the flavor that shows signs of the tea giving up. Despite the watery aspect of this flavor it is still a very good flavor.

Rating: 8/10

Conclusion: This is a very good Dan Cong. It's not necessarily the best on that I've had, but it's also far from being the worst. On the scale of Dan Congs it's priced right in the middle of things, closer to the bottom end than the top though. The quality of the flavor though leans more toward the higher end ones, which makes it quite a good value DC. The sweetness aspect was a bit unique to this one in the DCs that I have tried. I very much enjoyed this tea.

Silver Needle

Tea: Silver Needle
Vendor: Canton Tea Co.
Price: £8.99 / 40g (~$13.21 USD)
Souce: Fuding County, Fujian Province, China
Harvest: Spring 2008
Vendor Description: This rare and delicious Silver Needle white tea is entirely hand-made from Fuding Da Bai Hao tips and is simply picked at dawn and scattered in the sun to dry. It is a very high quality Yin Zhen showing a dense covering of the characteristic white hairs on a healthy, plump, pale green leaf. The liquor is very pale and bright - the colour of champagne and it has a sweet nutty aroma. It tastes soft, creamy and mellow with a long and pleasant aftertaste.

Leaf: The leaf is very nicely shaped for a SN. The leaf is very light and fluffy with a barely noticeable amount of chips and dust. The needles are well cared for and the underlying leaf has a nice green hue to it.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5oz, 185F, 1 min

1st Infusion: This tea has a bold and sweet aroma to it. The tea itself is a pale yellow hue. The taste is fresh and light. There is a tiny amount of sediment on the bottom of the cup. The flavor is very good for a SN, both sweet and bold matching the aroma. The flavor is smooth and long lasting with a very enjoyable lingering aftertaste.

2nd Infusion: This infusion is murker with a yellow hue. The aroma is absolutely sublime. The flavor is bolder yet still stubtle. It has strength, but is not overpowering. It is light to medium bodied and finishes with a light sense of astringency. The flavor in this infusion is also very good and strong without inducing any negative traits.

Rating: 10/10

Conclusion: This SN is absolutely fabulous. It could very well be the best SN that I have had to date, but without a direct comparison to Seven Cups it would be hard to tell. The flavor is bold, sweet, and delicate. Everything I look for in a wonderful SN. The price is on par with Seven Cups so there is not too much difference there. If you're looking for an absolutely top notch SN, this is a good choice.