Bai Ji Guan (白鸡冠, White Rooster Ridge) is a rock tea that grows in the paradise of the Wuyi Nature Reserve. This reserve is part of the Sida Min Cong (Four Great Bushes) and is one of the most famous Wuyi oolongs. According to most modern Chinese tea experts, Bai Ji Guan is significantly superior to all of its rock counterparts, including Da Hong Pao.
An ancient Chinese proverb says: good tea comes from clean water and big mountains. The Wuyishan Nature Reserve in northern Fujian is blessed with both. Mount Wuyi, located about 15 kilometers south of Wuyi, a city in northwestern Fujian Province, boasts unparalleled natural scenery surrounded by emerald waters. Everything here is perfect for growing the best tea in the world! The leaves are yellow-green in color, making it different from other tea bushes in Wuishan. Produced mainly in April-May from young, tender leaves. Huyi's soil is composed of ancient volcanic rocks, which is why it gives the tea such a unique and strong character. Bai Ji Guan is considered a rare tea because it takes great skill to brew such a luxurious tea. There are only a few masters capable of performing such a miracle. One mistake can cause the leaves to become dark and overcooked, and the tea will be irretrievably spoiled. The production technology of this tea involves heating the leaf at a low temperature to reveal the finest bouquet and at the same time incredibly powerful and refined. This tea is produced in limited quantities, but unfortunately there are cheap imitations that are only a pale shadow; that's why the real Bai Ji Guan is always priced higher.
Location of origin
Wuyishan, Fujian, China
Tasting - Sight and Smell
The flavor of the tea is sweet, distinctly fruity with hints of chocolate and peach, with a soft aftertaste of fruit, honey and hints of cinnamon. A sweet orchid aroma that makes your head spin and takes you to faraway places. Overall, Bai Ji Guan has an unusually complex bouquet. This tea is able to change the perception of cliff teas; it does not have excessive "fire." The white cockscomb tea has a clean taste, with an elegant "cliff melody" that runs forever in the soul. We are more than confident that this beverage can become your favorite tea.
Infusion Method
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.
Warm the water to a temperature of 90°C and proceed to an initial infusion of 25 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 5 seconds each time (25 - 30 - 35...).
This tea has a longevity of about 7-8 infusions.
For a more classic preparation according to the Western style we recommend 3 grams of leaves in a 200 ml cup with water at 90°C for an infusion time of 3 minutes.
For a better tasting experience we suggest that you strain the tea as soon as the infusion time is over. The infusion timings we suggest can 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.
Benefits of Oolong Tea
The main benefits that can be derived from oolong teas come from the significant content of minerals and antioxidant phenols in the leaves.
Some studies, in fact, report that daily intake of oolong tea 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.
