The Dragon Scale White Tea comes from a very rare wild variety: the very young shoots of this tea, picked directly from the branch of the plant, have purple tips that resemble dragon scales. This tea offers incredible flavors and aromas of rose and lychee. It is rich in antioxidants and minerals, thanks to the high quality of the early spring shoots and due to anthocyanin, a natural pigment that makes the shoots purple.
Tasting - Sight and Smell
Dragon Scale white tea consists of leathery textured shoots plucked straight from the branch, with numerous green and silvery scales that fade to a bright purple-pink. Once infused, they give off delicate, floral aromas reminiscent of rose, fruity hints of lychee and tropical fruit, and notes of green wood. The liqueur in the cup is a very pale yellow, almost transparent and very clear.
Tasting Notes
GONG FU CHA
The first infusion of Dragon Scale white tea is soft on the palate and carries with it all the floral delicacy of the rose, as well as a sweet lychee note and a hint of freshness on the finish. With subsequent infusions, sylvan notes emerge, with hints of young wood and pine cones, up to the more assertive flavors of the last infusions: surprising notes of tropical fruits, such as maracuja and papaya, are perceived here, always accompanied by the delicate fragrance of rose perceived initially. A tea with a light and silky body, devoid of astringency, with a long fresh and floral persistence.
Location of origin
Vietnam
Preparation
We strongly recommend infusing this tea in the traditional Chinese method (Gong Fu Cha) with a gaiwan with a capacity of about 150 ml. Following this preparation, multiple infusions can be made with 5 grams of leaves that are useful to best capture all the flavor nuances of the tea.
Heat the water to a temperature of 85°C and proceed to an initial infusion of 40 seconds. Keeping the water at the same temperature, you can then continue to exploit the same leaves by adding more water and increasing the infusion time by 10 seconds each time (40 - 50 - 60...).
This tea has a longevity of 6-8 infusions.
For a more classic preparation in the Western style, we recommend 3 grams of leaves (about 2 teaspoons) in a 200 ml cup with water at 85°C for an infusion time of 3 minutes.
For a better tasting experience, we suggest that you strain the infusion as soon as the infusion time is over. Our suggested infusion times, however, can also be slightly modified to your liking to achieve a more or less intense taste.
We recommend storing in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
