Description
Aged Wen Shan Bao Zhong (文山包種老茶) is an expertly aged pouchong from Pinglin District, New Taipei City, Taiwan. Traditionally it is a lightly oxidised oolong, however the ageing process introduces more complex and unusual flavours. It was made by Mr Chen, a 91 year old tea master still practising his tea craft. The tea was stored at his house at optimum ageing conditions so it does not have the musty dull flavours found in poorly aged teas. This vintage was made circa 2008, so it has been aged around 12 years prior to us being able to purchase it.
You may be interested in other Aged Oolong teas that we currently offer.
We are extremely excited to be able to offer three vintages on this occasion: 2000, 2005 and 2008. These teas were all made by Mr Chen from Qing Xin ‘Green Heart’ (青心) plants that are handpicked on the hills next to his ancestral home in Pinglin. He has been making tea here since the end of the Japanese occupation of Taiwan in 1945, although he does get assistance with his craft from the younger generations of his family. His capacity as a tea master for making great teas is evident from these beautifully aged oolongs.
Even though this Aged Wen Shan Bao Zhong has been aged for about 12 years, the original pouchong flavour profile still comes through quite strongly. Expect the usual light, bright floral aroma and taste. However the ageing in this case has made the flavour deeper, smoother and brought out an intriguing acacia honey taste. The overall impression is still of a complex tea, with notes of red florals, light dry wood, orchids and acacia honeycomb. The finish is clean with a smooth aftertaste.
Brew at 90°C in western style for 2-3 minutes according to your taste. However, we strongly advise gong fu brewing for these teas, with 5g per 100ml brewed in a gaiwan or good quality clay teapot. Use 95°C water with an optional rinse and an initial infusion of 45 seconds. Add an additional 10 seconds to subsequent infusions. Different teaware will perform differently, so the infusion times may be shortened or lengthened to taste.