Grading a Famous Green Tea

Рет қаралды 18,804

7 жыл бұрын

Bi Luo Chun aka Jade Green Snail Spring is a really famous Chinese tea often cited alongside Long Jing as one of the greatest Greens in China.
To Buy Green Coil: meileaf.com/p/tea-grcc
Top grade Bi Luo Chun commands a high price but it has such a snob value that even medium quality tea is quite expensive.
The problem with Bi Luo Chun is that it is a very fussy tea. Everything from the terroirs, to the picking, to the processing has to be perfect otherwise Bi Luo Chun can fall very quickly from its lofty heights and become an overpriced tea without much character.
Most teas are a lot more forgiving than Bi Luo Chun and that makes finding the perfect batch such a mission for us at Mei Leaf.
Video about Jade Sword Tea: • Getting to Know Anji B...
Video about Brewing Tea Grandpa Style: • Brewing Hou Kui Green ...
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Пікірлер: 49

@relaxation9475 6 жыл бұрын

Excellent work. Your knowledge is incredible and you are doing an excellent job in speaking and overall clarity.

@jennyobiliseen4301 7 жыл бұрын

Hey Don, this is an exciting video. I really like to see more videos on teas like green and white tea, for you cover mostly puerh and oolong. May I ask if you do have a bonsai tree in the bottom right? I have one and I recently took the time to wire and style mine. Have a great rest of your day, Don and the team at Mei Leaf. :)

@MrMikkyn 6 жыл бұрын

Your descriptions are amazing! I can almost taste the flavor of the teas as you describe them. What a talent for words you have! Highest Quality Bi Luo Chun: Brothy, artichoke, asparagus, starchy sweetness, elderflower notes in the tea sounds amazing!

@deadtouch666 7 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the video, full of information as always. Also I love those crackle finish teacups you are using, i think i am going to see if i can pick up a similar set.

@michellecarlos 6 жыл бұрын

Hi Don, this was really helpful. I was in Suzhou last month casually in search of good Chinese tea. I met a lady with a coffee shop and she served me her tea, which she gets directly from a farm, where she helps during harvest time. This tea, she plucked herself. She kindly sold me her early 2017 spring stock but didn't get to ask her what kind of green tea it was. I brewed it this morning just to make sure if it was Bi Luo Chun and I believe it is and a super high quality, too, based from your description and the visuals of the high definition wet tea leaves. I did some web research and also visually compared the Chinese characters on the canister. So thanks for helping me identifying them. It really is a wonderful tasting tea.

@LY_tearain 7 жыл бұрын

keep up the good work! hope you have the chance to visit Jingxian county in Anhui in the future to scout some green teas. My parents only drink Tingxi Lanxiang grandpa style and are always excited to get the new tea in. I spent some springs in Tingxi village where my dad is from, so buzzing and crazy during tea picking season unlike the rest of the year when life is slow and mellow. Cheers!

@GeoffBernard 7 жыл бұрын

The story of the naming of the tea was quite fascinating. Thank you for sharing your tea knowledge.

@ThomasL.116 4 жыл бұрын

Again a wonderful review! Your expertise is profound! ... very interesting that you do not get the fruits - and when I tasted mine (I think medium quality formosa) I could follow your thoughts pretty good, for example the chicken soup and the asparagus ... I want to order the tea from mei leaf, I need to try the good stuff! Thank you for your videos and the vast amount of information!

@osmosisazman 7 жыл бұрын

I wish there's smell-o-vision on KZfaq. Great video, Don.

@oneskill_ppt 6 жыл бұрын

Hello Don :) love your videos :) would you have any suggestions or help on black tea grading? I know there are letters like FOP (Flowery Orange Pekoe) and many other letter variations and it seems a bit overwhelming to me :) It would be great if you could show us how navigate in the world of black tea grades :) thanks a million

@515leopard 7 жыл бұрын

I absolutely love your reviews, it gives me more expectations and a better look at my teas! I had a question about my biluochun, would what I'm looking for differ because the biluochun I have is made as a black tea and is a gold biluochun? I'm sure there should be some differences seeing as its process as a black tea would be different, but would you know what I should look for to see if it's a good quality? It's from the Yunnan province and was harvested last spring if that helps any. Thank you and happy brewing!

@dexterjones4902 6 жыл бұрын

Another great video. Shame that I wasn't able to watch as soon as it was released!

@emperorgiggles6768 5 жыл бұрын

I agree. Dry Bi Luo Chun actually reminds me of grassy herbs. Oregano, Fresh bright hay, mainly savory vegetation. But when it brews it becomes quite fragrant. The Vegetation is still there, but something else comes up. I used to describe it like a pear without any sweetness, but now realize that it's more like elderflower. I don't think that mine is the super high quality one that you showed, but I still get these things from it.

@davyboyo 6 жыл бұрын

I'm pleased that my recently purchased 'green spiral' looks identical to your highest grade of bi luo chun. I shop at T Life in Adelaide Australia and I believe they are a very reputable seller. The superior bi luo chun is mine and the owner's favourite tea. Suffice to say we made fast friends.

@k.haugland129 7 жыл бұрын

I will definitely be trying this tea. Will you be releasing any Huangshan Maofeng or a similar Anhui green this year? I do miss your Misty Peak.

@w0033944 7 жыл бұрын

So do I!

@jangtsedude 7 жыл бұрын

It's interesting to compare the Meileaf business philosophy to the business model of my local tea shop. You seem to stock a tea only when you get a tea for the right price. This leads to the situation of a tea being only available occasionally. My local tea shop stocks lots and lots of different types of tea all the time but adjusts the price to the market. I can see the appeal of both approaches

@kristianrother 7 жыл бұрын

Good timing as I'm on a bit of a green tea bender currently (your Long Jing is still my #1). Unfortunately the link to Green Coil in the description is currently broken.

@MeiLeaf 7 жыл бұрын

+Kristian Rother it should be working thanks for pointing that out to us.

@kristianrother 7 жыл бұрын

Yes it's working now :)

@samstiner4342 6 жыл бұрын

I currently have a very nice Bi Luo Chun from my local tea shop and I have to say, when I'm done brewing it is a very nice tea to eat, perfect with a little lime juice, so I truly get the most out of my very expensive tea.

@adamgreenhaus4691 7 жыл бұрын

I tasted those brothy chicken soup notes in one of my senchas and I thought I was crazy until you said it. Guess my palate is working right after all!

@MrMikkyn 6 жыл бұрын

Adam Greenhaus Its amazing what tastes you can get out of a leaf, its almost like the leaves remember the animals that died and the flavor continues to live in the tea - all manufactured by mother nature without killing any animals. Its so intriguingx

@chrisw7347 6 жыл бұрын

Hey Don, what are your thoughts on Pure Bud Bi Luo Chun? I recently got some from China, looks completely different, very fat balls, tightly rolled up and literally looking like baby snails. Very light green color, no dark since I guess no leaves, but only buds? The taste of this tea is way different from the other bi luo chun I've tried(which was amazing,a fruit bomb with passion fruit and other tropical notes). I think I misbrewed the pure bud though, because the fragrance was not like the first one I had. The pure bud was way more grassy, slightly flowery, slightly almost... smokey? If you've ever made stock from bonito flakes, it was almost like that. I don't know if I maybe brewed wrong or what, I'm going to try the chinese glass method next time where I drop 3-4 grams into a tall glass and infuse for 2 minutes.

@jaaleleet 7 жыл бұрын

the leaves are beautiful, i'd like to taste it

@richlaue 6 жыл бұрын

I would like to see a video on the way you make Kombucha

@dostma1 4 жыл бұрын

Hi Don, I've tasted a version of Bi Luo Chun that was rolled into small balls and it's pretty common version in China. Can you spare a word about this kind of Bi Luo Chun? Thanks, Martin.

@AAmado1993 7 жыл бұрын

Hey, do you have any reccomendations for a Teahead? I start my day with matcha and when I come home from work I will have some tea brewed in my celedon gaiwan. I Like japanese Steamed sencha, chinese grassy green teas, and i love one specific flavoured green tea, Jasmine Dragon pearls. Citris notes and grass/midicinally bitter green tea i love. I drink alot of herbal teas like Valerian, Ginseng, ect, and have a thorough appreciation for that medicinally bitter or extrordinarily floral taste. Like i said, I also love sencha with it's steamed sea/fishy flavour lingering amongst the grassyness. Thanks and Cheers!

@mattcoss9176 4 жыл бұрын

People talk about not brewing green tea with a lid on it (something about the lid keeping too much hot air inside and warping the leaves / flavor / tea itself?) ... would love to hear your professional perspective Don (et al!)!!

@jasonblack4208 7 жыл бұрын

chocolaty notes from a green tea? o.O honestly, I would be just as eager to try that one lol

@nebojsa1104 6 жыл бұрын

I have problem with my Bi lou chun tea. It is not very well disolved in boiling water (They dont open up, like regular green tea leaves i used to drink, they are kinda like the same aswell as on 30:00 of this video ) I can open it with my hand and see they didnt blosome in hot water.) Also when the tea arrived, under my fingers its seems to be little wet. Should i put him out of the package seal and leave him on the air to dry a bit? On the package tea is labeled as |Yunnan Plateau Organic Supreme Bi Lou Chun Pre Ming Green Snail Spring" Got it from Dragonteahouse. Thank you

@susannekaiser8247 6 жыл бұрын

i am looking for a strong green tea and also for strong green tea with mint.thank you kindly.(i have ordered from that shop before).

@Vildmis 6 жыл бұрын

I know its a bit silly writing it here, but whats your opinion on Coffee? Tea vs. coffee?

@DevilleJean 7 жыл бұрын

Hi Don, is the Dong Ting you are referring to in the video the mountain where Dong Ding Oolong initially came from as well? I'm getting a bit confused with all the Chinese names haha.

@mario7027 7 жыл бұрын

They're different - the Oolong one, Dong Ding (凍頂 dòng dǐng), is a mountain in Taiwan, whilst the video mentions Dong Ting in Jiangsu province in China (which I believe it to be 東亭 dōng tíng). So if you just compare 凍頂 and 東亭 it all looks much clearer without any confusion :)

@DevilleJean 7 жыл бұрын

Wow, looks very clear now, thanks for your insight!! :)

@heidiw3615 6 жыл бұрын

actually in Chinese, it should be 洞庭山 :)

@Elim1974 5 жыл бұрын

When visiting China, May this year, I had my first experience with Bi Luo Chun...and I never want to part from it again.

@Keyboard12850 5 жыл бұрын

Everything up to look at wet leaves is fine but after I did first and second brew my leafes look just like good quality, not super good quality :( Anyway it's very good tea, I hope I will taste the best one someday in the future ^_^ Taste you describe in this super quality one is similar I taste in mine.

@PastorErickDMarquez Жыл бұрын

Wow Excellent 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

@user-hm9mj1hc3j 7 жыл бұрын

Hi, I'm looking for a tea leaf saucer like that, is there any specific name to it, it seems that i can't find any results, thanks

@hrcostigan 7 жыл бұрын

The name is cha he (茶荷). In English they mostly go by tea presentation vessel or tea holder.

@mistyblu4485 6 жыл бұрын

I found a good one here in the GTA in Canada but it was $40 for 150g. I didn't get it i got a cheaper one that is $20 (they had a sale of buy 2 get 1 free on some of their teas). I will try it tonight to see if it is as good as the $40 one i sampled at the Chinese Tea shop.

@Izuuun 3 жыл бұрын

What's the shop called?

@mistyblu4485 3 жыл бұрын

@@Izuuun I don't shop at that place any more since i found a tea place that has Tea from China. Tao Tea Leaf is the new place. I honestly don't remember the name of the old place, but it was in Square One is Mississauga.

@Izuuun 3 жыл бұрын

@@mistyblu4485 thanks 👍🏻

@takeabreak7179 6 жыл бұрын

Potatoeness LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

@Moksha0108 6 жыл бұрын

*****Thank you for this video! ***** Bi Luo Chun is one of my favourite teas and I have always bought it on eBay directly from China. It is usually in taste quite "perfumy" , especially if I brew it strong. The leaves have white hairs and there is some poweder along with it in the bag. I really enjoy the ones that has a roasted taste to them. May I suggest that you have available in your shop a set with the different variations of grades that you try in the videos so that we can do the exact same test you do while watching the video? That's real tea education, not?