Early Spring Mao Feng Loose Green Tea

Early Spring Mao Feng Loose Green Tea was harvested in the early spring season in Puer, Yunnan. The first harvest of the season guarantees a superb taste, as the plant retains all the nutrition gathered during the winter. The leaf is long and curled, with a light silver bud and green tones. The infusion has a light yellow color and a sweetly fragrant taste.

Tasting – Sight and smell

Early Spring Mao Feng Loose green tea leaves are long, delicately rolled and thin as hair, as the name itself suggests: Mao Feng actually means “hair tips,” indicating its tapered shape. They have a dark green color mixed with silver: this tea is in fact very rich in buds, covered with clear, soft fur. Once infused, the leaves give off very sweet notes of honey and delicate plant scents, with floral hints. In the cup it is pale yellow, almost transparent: this is a tea with fresh scents and a pleasant fragrance, very gentle and surprisingly sweet. The body is light and silky, and the taste is free of any astringency or bitterness.

Tasting Notes

GONG FU CHA

Early Spring Mao Feng Loose green tea infusion gives a very sweet liqueur, with notes of white sugar and very slight vegetable hints. There is a prevalence of candied and slightly roasted notes, similar to the taste of praline almonds. A second infusion gives more character, although the sugar component remains substantial; the vegetable is more present but still delicate (buttered carrots, boiled chard). With the third infusion, sweet hints turn to memories of green tomato jam and spinach, while fruity notes such as apricot and yellow fruit emerge in the closing.

WESTERN

On the palate, the first sensation when tasting Early Spring Mao Feng Loose green tea is one of sweetness: notes of caster sugar intertwine with vegetable hints such as carrots and butter spinach, pleasantly enveloping the tongue. Only secondarily do fruity notes of apricot and dried fruit become perceptible, always very sweet-the taste is reminiscent of an almond crisp. The persistence is sweet and prolonged, and leaves a fresh mouthfeel.

Place of origin

Puer, Yunnan

Brewing method

We strongly recommend infusing Early Spring Mao Feng Loose green tea by thetraditional Chinese method (gong fu cha) to best enjoy these leaves. Following this preparation, 5 grams of leaves (about 3 teaspoons) can be used in a gaiwan of about 150 ml to make several infusions with different tastes. With water heated to 75°C, one can proceed with an initial infusion of 25 seconds, and after that, keeping the water at the same temperature, proceed with multiple infusions increasing the time by 5 seconds each time (25-30-35…).

This tea has a longevity of about 5 infusions.

For a classic preparation according to the Western style, we recommend 3 grams of leaves (about 2 teaspoons) in a 200-mL cup with water at 75°C for an infusion time of 2-3 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.