The Chelan White Buds Oolong Tea was born from a varietal of camelia with a medium size leaf quite diffused in the Fujian region. Because of its structure the White Chelan varietal has a lot in common with the Tie Guan Yin cultivar though, on the aromatics sides, it results more soft and floral.
When there’s a delicate product like this it’s common to roast more the leaves during the processing. In this way it’s possible to emphasize the the sweetness and give more body to the beverage.
Oolong White Buds Chelan Oolong Tea demonstrates in the cup the signs of increased 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, shortbread and butter cookies.
For the people who want to dive into the floral aspects of oolong we suggest you to try a more mineral and intense version going with the Huang Mei Gui Oolong Tea.
Tasting – Sight and smell
Oolong White Buds Chelan Oolong Tea has leaves with a rolled shape and dark brown 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 Oolong White Buds Chelan 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, the sweet scents 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 good freshness and cleanliness on the palate.
WESTERN
The first sip of Oolong White Buds Chelan Tea gives roasted notes of nuts and sweet notes of sugar and praline almonds. Floral notes (magnolia, orchid) and almost buttery hints are then perceived, with hints of caramel cookies and vanilla cream. The persistence is long and floral, never feeling bitter or astringent.
Place of origin
Pinghe County, Fujian, China
Production
After harvesting, the leaves of Oolong White Buds Chelan Tea are left to wither in the sun for a time before moving to rest on bamboo trays under cover. Next, oxidation is initiated by manual or mechanical massaging of the leaf by the producer.
The low level of oxidation of this tea (around 30%) doesn’t take too much time before going into the next phase where the leaves are roasted. Then, thanks to electric ovens, the tea master remove some of the residual humidity in the product in order to stop the enzymatic activity.
In the end, the leaves are rolled into their final form so they’ll be able to preserve better the aromas developed during the processing. After a drying period, which fixed the ball-rolled shape, the product is ready to be consumed.
Brewing instruction for the Chelan White Buds Oolong Tea
We invite you to brew the Chelan White Buds Oolong Tea in the traditional Chinese style (Gong Fu Cha) with a Gaiwan of an approximate capacity of 100 ml. Following this brewing technique you can, with 4.5 grams of leaves, do multiple infusions and have the most complete tasting experience of your tea.
After a brief rinse of the leaves in water at a temperature of 90°C you can do a first infusion of 20 seconds and, after that, maintaining the same water temperature, you can continue to push the product rising up the previous steeping time of 10 seconds (20 – 30 – 40…).
In order to have a more traditional brew in the Western style we suggest to steep 3 grams of leaves (about 2 teaspoons) for one minute and an half, using water at a temperature of 90°C in a mug with an approximate capacity of 150 ml.
For a better tasting experience we suggest to filter the infuse as close as possible to the proper steeping time indication. Our brewing time recommendations can also be slightly adjust by your personal taste in order to obtain a stronger or more delicate cup of tea.
Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
Oolong tea benefits
The main health benefits of Oolong Teas come from the relevant content of minerals and antioxidant phenols in the leaves.
Some studies, in fact, report that the daily assumption of Oolong can influence the bone health by improving the quantity of mineral in the tissue and also reduce the sugar content in the blood thanks to the stimulation of insuline provide by the phenols.
The Oolong Teas, furthermore, show, generally, a reduced concentration of caffeine. This feature make the oolong easier to be consumed in every moment of the day also for the people more sensitive to this exciting substance.