The Melting Teapot

Baked Wenshan Baozhong Tea
brought back from Taiwan this spring, by Brett Boynton
currently available at The Teacup in Seattle

Brett’s description of this tea was very appealing to me, with his tasting notes of fresh baked whole wheat bread, snap peas, and baked apples. I contacted him and purchased a few ounces (along with two other oolongs he brought back from Taiwan).

I usually brew baozhong oolongs in a gaiwan, but for this I decided to use something a bit more special and chose a small celadon pot from my mother.

This pot is from An Ta Pottery Art Col, in Taipei.  There was an informative insert in the teapot, with much information about celadon, including this:

The famous poet Lu Yu of the Tang dynasty (A.D. 618-907) insisted that the full glory of celadon ware could be manifested and appreciated only through the subtle shades reflected in tea ware (Lu is author of the famous Tea Classic).  One of his fellow Tang poets described the understanted elegance of celadon with such phrases as “celestial glow,” “thin sheet of ice,” “tender shoot of the lotus,” and “tantalizing jadeite."

With teapot and cups pulled out, I put my kettle on to boil. Before brewing, I sniffed the dry leaves.

The aroma was buttery, nutty, not as green and flowery as many baozhongs I’ve had before.  The fragrance was almost savory.  Brett talked about this having an aroma of fresh baked whole wheat bread, and I definitely get that nutty whole wheat characteristic.  Indeed, I’d say this is like a whiff of freshly-buttered wheat bread.

After a quick rinse, the aroma of butter disappeared and the a warm almond note took over.  There was a zesty note of peppers and spices coming through, and a touch of citrus is in the background.

Upon brewing and sipping, I found this tea to be silky smooth, with an aroma that was almost sweet.  The flavor was fresh, reminiscent of spring shoots, yet it still had that savory wheat note.  There was a subtle twist of lemon peel on the finish that made things interesting.  As the tea cooled in the cup, the floral element popped out, but it was not strident or overwhelming.  It was almost like clover or clover honey.

Aromatically satisfying, silky in texture, with several layers of flavor -- this is a beautiful tea, and I am very happy to know its history at the same time I enjoy sipping it.