When I was a kid I dreamed of becoming a writer when I was older. Over the years that dream has faded, but I still enjoy putting pen to paper. This morning, as I drank Tea Trekker’s Bai Lin Gong Fu with the intention of reviewing it, it suddenly struck me how writing a tea review is great practice for a writer, because it forces you to be deliberate and thoughtful about the words you use.

When I write a review, I usually base it around two or three words or phrases, which I think accurately depict something about the tea ? either its appearance, flavour, aroma or character. You could condense any of my reviews down into two or three words or phrases, and you would have roughly the same thing, minus all the contextualizing with which I pad the reviews.

So then, to talk about today’s tea: Bai Lin Gong Fu from Tea Trekker. The first phrase I think of describes its appearance: pine needles of black and gold. The tea is thin like spider legs, but long.

I decide to prepare it in the gaiwan, which is something of an experiment. Two teaspoons and about a minute of steeping time (all very imprecise, I confess). It seems to work. The tea yields a brew that seems sweeter than other Chinese black teas, though on the second infusion that sweetness has disappeared and seems to have been replaced by a mild saltiness. So then, do I describe this tea as sweet, or salty? Words. They’re tricky things.

Tea Trekker’s description of this tea indicates that Bai Lin is a town near Panyang, which produces Golden Monkey tea. The similarities are fairly obvious. Both are buttery, with a more delicate mouthfeel than black teas from India or Ceylon.

For a while I struggled to think of how to describe this tea’s character. I considered the word bold, but that doesn’t quite fit. Eventually, I found the word: darting. This contrasts with Golden Monkey, which I consider to be a rounded, full-bodied sort of tea. Bai Lin Gong Fu is rich but playful.

Bai Lin Gong Fu is available from Tea Trekker for $15 for 1/4 LB.

© Eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2009. | Bai Lin Gong Fu from Tea Trekker | No comment |
Post categories: Black tea, Tea reviews
Post tags: Bai Lin, Tea Trekker