March Tea Tastings
March 5: Yellows. Mo Gan Huang Ya (Yellow Buds) and Meng Ding Huang Ya. We start the month with two of our three yellow teas. Meng Ding Huang Ya comes from Sichuan province in the west and has a lightly sweet flavor with a rich, velvety texture, while Mo Gan Huang Ya grows in the east, near Hangzhou, and is a little more similar to green tea. In this tasting we will discuss what makes a yellow tea so unique.
March 12: Whites. Bai Mu Dan (White Peony) & Shou Mei. Next we will try to different kinds of white teas. Whereas Bai Mu Dan is made with a bud and a leaf, Shou Mei is all leaves, including some rather large leaves.
March 19: Rock Oolongs. Shui Jin Gui (Golden Water Turtle) Light and Medium Roast. Rock oolongs are traditionally roasted over a charcoal fire in order to finish them and stop the oxidation process, a step that adds a wonderful toastiness to their complex flavor. For this tasting we will focus on one particular type of Rock Oolong and try two different levels of roasting, a medium and light roast, so we may discover what a difference the level of roasting can make on a tea.
March 26: Blacks. Imperial Lapsang Souchong (light smoke) and Premium Keemun. Finally we end with two rich black teas. The Imperial Lapsang Souchong is only lightly smoked over a pine wood fire, giving it more nuance and subtlety than the strong smoke version. And the Premium Keemun is wonderful for those looking for a taste similar to English or Irish Breakfast teas.
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