The White Buds Chelan Oolong Tea comes from a variety of medium-sized leaf camellia that is quite common in the Fujian region. By conformation, theWhite Chelan variety has many characteristics in common with the Tie Guan Yin cultivar although, aromatically, it leans more toward muted, floral tones.
When it comes to such delicate products, often, as in this case, there is a tendency to roast the leaves for longer times during processing. This can accentuate the sweet parts and give more body to the drink.
Chelan White Buds Oolong Tea shows in the cup the signs of longer roasting time with its nutty flavor and creamy, high intensity body; factors balanced by floral notes that give a sense of freshness and slight sweetness, a typical expression of this Chinese cultivar. It is a tea that goes well with vanilla cakes, shortcakes and butter cookies.
For those who want to delve into The floral tone in oolongs we suggest trying a variant in a more mineral and intense key by going on the Huang Mei Gui 50g Oolong Tea.
TASTING - Sight and Smell
White Buds Chelan Oolong Tea has leaves that are rolled in shape and dark brown in color with golden tips. Once infused, they give off roasted and floral notes and sweet hints of brown sugar. The liqueur, which is bright and deep gold in the cup, is marked by a dense body and the absence of astringency and bitterness.
Tasting notes
GONG FU CHA
The first gaiwan infusion of Chelan White Buds Oolong Tea is sugary and floral, with notes of white flowers and orchid. The body is sustained, almost creamy on the palate. With the second infusion, clear roasted notes of nuts (hazelnuts, sweet almonds) emerge and notes of water flower and orchid become more intense. With the third and subsequent infusions, sweet hints increase again and notes of butter cookie and custard are perceived, supported by a firm body. Floral notes are always present, remaining in the aftertaste and balancing the more "creamy" aspects of this tea with a good freshness and cleanliness on the palate.
TO THE WEST
The first sip of Chelan White Buds Oolong Tea gives roasted notes of nuts and very sweet notes of sugar and praline almonds. Floral notes (magnolia, orchid) and almost buttery hints are then perceived, with memories of caramel cookies and vanilla cream. The persistence is long and floral, without ever sensations of bitterness or astringency.
Location of origin
Pinghe County, Fujian, China
Production
After harvesting, the leaves of Chelan White Buds Oolong Tea are left to wither in the sun for some time before being passed to rest on bamboo trays under cover. Then oxidation is initiated by manual or mechanical massaging of the leaf by the producer.
The low level of oxidation of this tea (about 30 percent) will not take long before moving to the next stage where the leaves will be roasted. Then, by means of electric ovens, some of the residual moisture in the product will be removed so that enzyme activity can be blocked.
Finally, the leaf is given its final shape by rolling it on itself so that its aromas can be best preserved. The product, once dried, will retain its characteristic rolled shape and will be ready for consumption.
Method of infusing Oolong White Buds Chelan Tea
We strongly recommend infusing Oolong White Buds Chelan Tea in the traditional Chinese method (Gong Fu Cha) with a Gaiwan with a capacity of about 150 ml. By following this preparation, with 5 grams of leaves, multiple infusions can be made that are useful to best taste all the flavors of the tea.
After a quick rinse of the leaves with water at a temperature of 85°C, an initial infusion of 20 seconds can be made, and then, keeping the water at the same temperature, the product can be continued to be exploited by adding more to water and increasing the previous infusion time by about 10 seconds (20 - 30 - 40...).
For a more traditional preparation according to 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 established steeping time is over. However, the infusion timings we suggest can be slightly altered to your liking to achieve a more or less intense taste.
We recommend storing in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
Benefits of Oolong Tea
The main benefits that can be derived from Oolong Teas derive from the significant content of mineral salts and antioxidant phenols in the leaves.
A number of studies, in fact, report that daily intake of Oolong can affect bone health by improving the concentration of minerals in this tissue and promote a decrease in blood sugar due to the stimulating effect of phenols on insulin.
Oolong Teas also generally possess a low concentration of caffeine. This characteristic makes them suitable to be consumed at any time of the day even by people who are more sensitive to this exciting substance.
