Baozhong is fragrant, open leaf oolong on the green side of the spectrum. Leaves are long and spindly. Our Farmer's Choice version is made with an old fashioned cultivar called 'Man Zhong' that has a unique fruity-savory taste, and is oxidized a bit more than its Competition Style counterpart. It was one of the dominant Baozhong cultivars before the popularity of high mountain brought Qing Xin Oolong to the North of the island. Man Zhong's notes are more the realm of fruit (rather than the bright flowery bouquet of prize seeking Baozhong) and it is also considered a better option for aging.This Baozhong is made by the Chen family in Pinling, with whom we've had a long relationship that has now followed them into the second generation of tea makers. We have been working with them since 2005. Master Chen, the patriarch, was born into a family of rice farmers and switched to tea when he was 17. He is a delightful, hard working and upbeat man. His son inherited his optimism, his good nature and his curious mind. Their family does every step of the processing in house (instead of outsourcing as is common practice). Farmer's Choice is a bold, big boned tea with a fresh, springy profile. Last year the tea was toasted a little more which gave it a bit more of an earthy quality, but this year we decided to go a bit lighter to retain more of its bright fruity tones and refreshing feel. Color is golden, and aroma has hints of pineapple and sweet zucchini. Broth is impactful in a rustic sort of way that we find very satisfying. This tea has a special place in our hearts, as it reminds us of the lush vegetation and sultry weather of Pinglin. It also has some power behind it, and tends to age well - usually tasting even better 6 months to a year after the harvest date. It’s forgiving to brew, and works just as well grandpa style or ‘Western style’ as it does gongfu style.
