Bi Luo Chun Red (Black) Tea

This red tea from Yunnan is called Bi Luo Chun (literally “spring green snail”) because, during processing, its leaves are carefully rolled. The final form of this product is not exactly identical to that of the Chinese green tea of the same name, but it closely resembles it.

The practice of working the leaves in this way is intended to bring the aromas and essential oils to the surface of the leaf as much as possible, so that they can be easily extracted in hot water. The famous Bi Luo Chun green tea is very renowned for its special aromas, and this red tea aims precisely to express its aromatic potential in the cup.

Tasting – Sight and smell

Bi Luo Chun red tea has small, curled, snail-shaped leaves, deep brown in color; it is very rich in buds, with a shiny surface covered with bai hao and coppery gold in color. Once infused, they give off sweet aromas of honey, malt, and cocoa, floral notes, hints of fragrant wood, and hints of baked fruits and red fruits in the closing.
In the cup, the liquor is bright orange-red in color.

Tasting Notes

GONG FU CHA

The first infusion of Bi Luo Chun red tea has delicate notes of flowers and lime honey, followed by malty notes that denote the characteristic sweetness of this tea. With the second infusion, the sweetness increases in intensity: we find notes of caramel and cocoa, while a hint of fragrant wood also emerges. With the third and subsequent infusions the floral notes return, with distinct hints of rose, and notes of cooked fruits such as apples and plums appear, as well as a hint of red fruit compote on the finish. The persistence is sweet: the liquor is full-bodied and envelops the palate, with notes of forest honeydew lingering for a long time.

WESTERN

Bi Luo Chun red tea opens with notes of fragrant wood, followed by very sweet hints of chestnut honey, malt, and sweet cocoa. Secondly, there are floral notes of rose and orange blossom while the finish has fruity notes of pear and baked apple, with a slight spicy hint reminiscent of cinnamon. The body is dense and enveloping, round on the palate with no trace of astringency or bitterness. The persistence is long and has sweet notes of honey and baked fruit.

Place of origin

Yunnan, China

Production

After harvesting, the Bi Luo Chun red tea leaves are allowed to wither in the sun for some time depending on the producer before moving on to the folding stage. The leaves are then folded and rolled so that the juices inside are stirred and the oxidation process can begin. For this tea, the leaves are exposed to a progressive increase in temperature during oxidation and, once the leaf reaches its typical brown colour, the residual internal moisture is removed. After a few days’ rest, the tea is ready for consumption.

How to prepare

We strongly recommend infusing Bi Luo Chun red tea in the traditional Chinese method (gong fu cha) to best enjoy these leaves. Following this preparation, 5 grams of leaves (about 4 teaspoons) can be used in a gaiwan of about 150 ml to make several infusions with different tastes. After a quick rinse of the leaves in water at 90°C, an initial infusion of 25 seconds can be made, after which, keeping the water at the same temperature, the time can be increased by 10 seconds each time compared to the previous infusion (35 – 45 – 55 …).

This tea has a longevity of about 6 brewings.

For a classic preparation according to the Western style, we recommend 3 grams of leaves (about 1 level teaspoon) in a 200-mL cup with water at 90°C for an infusion time of 3 minutes.

The tea can be filtered for greater ease at the moment of tasting, and also the infusion times indicated above are intended to be purely indicative, so you can also adjust according to your personal taste.

Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.