Wenshan Baozhong Tea

US$14

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  • Flavor: Pronounced floral aroma. Notes of baby greens, coriander, and flowers. Mildly bitter, flowery finish.

    Garden:  Our winter 2023 batch of Baozhong Tea is made from the classic Qing Xin Oolong tea strain. Qing Xin is by far the most cultivated strain on Taiwan, and is used for making High Mountain Tea, Dong Ding Oolong Tea, as well as classic Wenshan Baozhong Tea. This winter's batch of Wenshan Baozhong Tea received "Youliang" or "Excellence Award" — ranking within the top 50% of all entries.

  • This farm is located in a small mountain range between Taipei and the north-eastern coast of Taiwan. This area was initially developed for tea production in the mid-late 19th century. Baozhong tea is less than two percent of Taiwan's tea production! This source is a small, family-run farm that is committed to keeping their local tradition alive.

  • Harvest: Machine harvested in small batches. Winter 2023. Pinglin, Taiwan. 

    Elevation: 600m

  • Wenshan Baozhong Tea has a pure character, in that the Qing Xin cultivar tea leaves undergo very little processing after being harvested. Like all Oolongs, the basic steps of withering, oxidation, and tumble heating are involved. But the level of oxidation for making Baozhong Tea is relatively minimal, about 10-15%. Baozhong is also an unroasted type of Oolong.

    Beyond this, the leaves are only slightly curled after the tumble heating/cease oxidation stage, then dried. This allows the leaves to maintain more of their structural integrity, both visually and in terms of the chemical compounds within the leaf. In this respect, Baozhong is more similar to Green Tea or White Tea, in that the leaves are not compressed, and tightly rolled as with other Oolongs, and they are not bruised as with Black Tea.

    The result of this minimal processing method is that the original, fresh green leaf character is preserved. Along with this is a substance of flavor and a distinct aromatic profile that puts Baozhong in a class of its own. It has an especially aromatic profile, with a fresh green character, yet with just enough oxidation to give it balance and substance. It is easily distinguished from its Green Tea cousins, but also stands clearly apart from High Mountain Tea and other traditionally made Oolongs.

  • It appears that minimal oxidation of tea leaves after they are picked was accidentally discovered to enhance the flavor profile of Green Tea. The goal of curing Green Tea is to lock in the freshness of the young tea leaves upon picking them. This is accomplished by drying them as soon as possible. Of course, this is not totally feasible, as the freshly picked leaves need to be taken in from the field to be dried. It is likely that this is how Baozhong Tea was invented, since Green Tea was the historical tea of choice in mainland China for centuries, and then in Taiwan. However, by the late 19th century, Oolong (partially oxidized) Tea was the main export to the West from Taiwan.

    The name Baozhong translates literally as "wrapped type", as it was originally wrapped in plain brown wrapping paper. This pre-modern packaging also allowed for post-production oxidation, which eventually led tea merchants aging this tea type for added value. Nowadays, some of the most sought after aged tea in Taiwan is Baozhong Tea. One reason for this is that curled leaves have a lot more surface exposure, and oxidize more quickly and easily than rolled leaves. This delicate finesse in the making of Baozhong, along with its conduciveness to aging is what has kept it a popular choice since the 1800's!

  • Mug: 6g tea in 300ml 90°C water. Steep for 2 minutes. Re-steep. Adjust to taste.

    Cold Brew: Use 5g of tea per liter of water. Brew tea at room temperature for 2-3 hours, and enjoy. Or you can put your cold brew bottle in the fridge to brew overnight and be ready to drink the next day.

    Gongfu Brew: Use 1g tea per 18 mL 100°C water. First brew 50 seconds, second brew 40 seconds, third brew 50 seconds. Can be brewed 4 to 6 times.

Customer Reviews

Based on 24 reviews
96%
(23)
4%
(1)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
C
Customer
Likes: Tasty
Yummy

Absolutely loved it

K
Kay
NPS score:
0 (Not at all likely)
10 (Extremely likely)
Likes: The leaves look lovely
Improvements: N/A, I just didn't like this variety
Perhaps too vegetal

Every time I drink this tea, I'm reminded of the extremely specific flavor of tinned bean sprouts. It's drinkable and the leaves are gorgeous, but the flavor doesn't really do it for me. I much prefer Tsui Yu, Jin Xuan, and Four Seasons Spring.

N
Natalie
NPS score:
0 (Not at all likely)
10 (Extremely likely)
Mellow vegetal brew

I did not pick up the floral notes in taste but there is floral aroma. Smooth, vegetal flavor more reminiscent of a black tea rather than oolong. Like all Eco Cha teas, high quality.

E
Elias Masri
Fantastic

At first I thought it tasted similar to other eco cha oolongs, light, buttery, floral…but a strong dessert like sensation arrived…something like carrot cake, cinnamon and frosting which is long lasting. I’m curious no other reviews got these flavor notes.

M
Michael Songbird
All time favorite

Nothing against other high quality tea options from eco-cha. I really enjoy everything I have purchased. The Wenshan Baozhong is my favorite. It's always available at my house.
Floral, solid finish, and a clean aftertaste.
I purchased the winter 2022. Pinglin, Taiwan harvest. Elevation: 600m.