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Malawi White Teas
Malawi White Teas
I received some samples of the Malawi White teas that Nigel has mention
here. I don't have a lot of experience with white teas, a couple Bai
Mudan's and Yinzhen's. While I liked them, none really grabbed me as a
"must have on hand" tea. I usually drink Japanese greens and Chinese red
teas, with a few Chinese greens thrown in. I'll occasionally order a sample
of white or oolong just to change things up and see if my tastes have
changed.
I've been battling this sinus infection for the last month or so, so I
haven't wanted to waste my samples on my crippled sense of taste and smell.
However, I did get to try the Antlers d'Amour and one of the Yinzhen types
prior. Both are very delightful teas, and have sparked my interest in white
tea. I brewed both teas in a gaiwan and got many steeps from them. Two
traits that they both had in common were an increasing sweetness with each
brew, and a wonderful aroma upon opening the lid of the gaiwan. While they
are delicate, they seemed more flavorful than the other white's I've had.
Maybe the brewing suggestions that came with them were better. It did seem
like I brewed them for much longer than I remember doing in the past, 180F,
4-5 minutes, if I remember correctly.
I'm horrible at describing tea taste, but.. The Antlers d'Amour had a hint
of what I would call spiciness. It reminded my wife of Lapsang Souchong.
At first I just thought she was crazy. There was no smokiness at all. But
then I realized that there is a certain element of the pine taste in
Lapsang, that was similar to what I was tasting as spicy in the Antlers
d'Amour. Maybe woody would be a better term. This one really got sweeter
with each brew. A very delicious and unique tea.
Ok, maybe rather than try and awkwardly describe these teas, I'll just say
they are lovely and well worth trying for yourself, even if you are not a
fan of white tea. You can find the teas and their descriptions here
http :// www .nbtea.co.uk/acatalog/Wildcrafted_Teas.html .
Blues
I received some samples of the Malawi White teas that Nigel has mention
here. I don't have a lot of experience with white teas, a couple Bai
Mudan's and Yinzhen's. While I liked them, none really grabbed me as a
"must have on hand" tea. I usually drink Japanese greens and Chinese red
teas, with a few Chinese greens thrown in. I'll occasionally order a sample
of white or oolong just to change things up and see if my tastes have
changed.
I've been battling this sinus infection for the last month or so, so I
haven't wanted to waste my samples on my crippled sense of taste and smell.
However, I did get to try the Antlers d'Amour and one of the Yinzhen types
prior. Both are very delightful teas, and have sparked my interest in white
tea. I brewed both teas in a gaiwan and got many steeps from them. Two
traits that they both had in common were an increasing sweetness with each
brew, and a wonderful aroma upon opening the lid of the gaiwan. While they
are delicate, they seemed more flavorful than the other white's I've had.
Maybe the brewing suggestions that came with them were better. It did seem
like I brewed them for much longer than I remember doing in the past, 180F,
4-5 minutes, if I remember correctly.
I'm horrible at describing tea taste, but.. The Antlers d'Amour had a hint
of what I would call spiciness. It reminded my wife of Lapsang Souchong.
At first I just thought she was crazy. There was no smokiness at all. But
then I realized that there is a certain element of the pine taste in
Lapsang, that was similar to what I was tasting as spicy in the Antlers
d'Amour. Maybe woody would be a better term. This one really got sweeter
with each brew. A very delicious and unique tea.
Ok, maybe rather than try and awkwardly describe these teas, I'll just say
they are lovely and well worth trying for yourself, even if you are not a
fan of white tea. You can find the teas and their descriptions here
http :// www .nbtea.co.uk/acatalog/Wildcrafted_Teas.html .
Blues
Re: Malawi White Teas
On Dec 12, 3:30 pm, "Blues Lyne" <bluesl...@hotmail-nospam,com > wrote:
> I received some samples of the Malawi White teas that Nigel has mention
> here. I don't have a lot of experience with white teas, a couple Bai
> Mudan's and Yinzhen's. While I liked them, none really grabbed me as a
> "must have on hand" tea. I usually drink Japanese greens and Chinese red
> teas, with a few Chinese greens thrown in. I'll occasionally order a sample
> of white or oolong just to change things up and see if my tastes have
> changed.
>
> I've been battling this sinus infection for the last month or so, so I
> haven't wanted to waste my samples on my crippled sense of taste and smell.
> However, I did get to try the Antlers d'Amour and one of the Yinzhen types
> prior. Both are very delightful teas, and have sparked my interest in white
> tea. I brewed both teas in a gaiwan and got many steeps from them. Two
> traits that they both had in common were an increasing sweetness with each
> brew, and a wonderful aroma upon opening the lid of the gaiwan. While they
> are delicate, they seemed more flavorful than the other white's I've had.
> Maybe the brewing suggestions that came with them were better. It did seem
> like I brewed them for much longer than I remember doing in the past, 180F,
> 4-5 minutes, if I remember correctly.
>
> I'm horrible at describing tea taste, but.. The Antlers d'Amour had a hint
> of what I would call spiciness. It reminded my wife of Lapsang Souchong.
> At first I just thought she was crazy. There was no smokiness at all. But
> then I realized that there is a certain element of the pine taste in
> Lapsang, that was similar to what I was tasting as spicy in the Antlers
> d'Amour. Maybe woody would be a better term. This one really got sweeter
> with each brew. A very delicious and unique tea.
>
> Ok, maybe rather than try and awkwardly describe these teas, I'll just say
> they are lovely and well worth trying for yourself, even if you are not a
> fan of white tea. You can find the teas and their descriptions here http :// www .nbtea.co.uk/acatalog/Wildcrafted Teas.html.
>
> Blues
White teas are my favorite type, but I could never get a decent brew
in a gaiwan.
When I make them in a glass infuser mug or in a glass pot, they are an
order
of magnitude better. I'm not sure why that is, but I thought that it
has something
to do with larger volume that holds the temperature high for a longer
time, so if
there was one of those oversized 8-10oz gaiwans, it might work out
better. My
favorites are yinzhen and pai mutan (from ipot). Anyway, if you are
getting
interested in white teas I thought I'd mention that a teapot (with an
infuser
that fills almost all volume) or an infuser mug may work much better,
YMMV.
On Dec 12, 3:30 pm, "Blues Lyne" <bluesl...@hotmail-nospam,com > wrote:
> I received some samples of the Malawi White teas that Nigel has mention
> here. I don't have a lot of experience with white teas, a couple Bai
> Mudan's and Yinzhen's. While I liked them, none really grabbed me as a
> "must have on hand" tea. I usually drink Japanese greens and Chinese red
> teas, with a few Chinese greens thrown in. I'll occasionally order a sample
> of white or oolong just to change things up and see if my tastes have
> changed.
>
> I've been battling this sinus infection for the last month or so, so I
> haven't wanted to waste my samples on my crippled sense of taste and smell.
> However, I did get to try the Antlers d'Amour and one of the Yinzhen types
> prior. Both are very delightful teas, and have sparked my interest in white
> tea. I brewed both teas in a gaiwan and got many steeps from them. Two
> traits that they both had in common were an increasing sweetness with each
> brew, and a wonderful aroma upon opening the lid of the gaiwan. While they
> are delicate, they seemed more flavorful than the other white's I've had.
> Maybe the brewing suggestions that came with them were better. It did seem
> like I brewed them for much longer than I remember doing in the past, 180F,
> 4-5 minutes, if I remember correctly.
>
> I'm horrible at describing tea taste, but.. The Antlers d'Amour had a hint
> of what I would call spiciness. It reminded my wife of Lapsang Souchong.
> At first I just thought she was crazy. There was no smokiness at all. But
> then I realized that there is a certain element of the pine taste in
> Lapsang, that was similar to what I was tasting as spicy in the Antlers
> d'Amour. Maybe woody would be a better term. This one really got sweeter
> with each brew. A very delicious and unique tea.
>
> Ok, maybe rather than try and awkwardly describe these teas, I'll just say
> they are lovely and well worth trying for yourself, even if you are not a
> fan of white tea. You can find the teas and their descriptions here http :// www .nbtea.co.uk/acatalog/Wildcrafted Teas.html.
>
> Blues
White teas are my favorite type, but I could never get a decent brew
in a gaiwan.
When I make them in a glass infuser mug or in a glass pot, they are an
order
of magnitude better. I'm not sure why that is, but I thought that it
has something
to do with larger volume that holds the temperature high for a longer
time, so if
there was one of those oversized 8-10oz gaiwans, it might work out
better. My
favorites are yinzhen and pai mutan (from ipot). Anyway, if you are
getting
interested in white teas I thought I'd mention that a teapot (with an
infuser
that fills almost all volume) or an infuser mug may work much better,
YMMV.
Re: Malawi White Teas
> White teas are my favorite type, but I could never get a decent brew
> in a gaiwan.
> When I make them in a glass infuser mug or in a glass pot, they are an
> order
> of magnitude better. I'm not sure why that is, but I thought that it
> has something
> to do with larger volume that holds the temperature high for a longer
> time, so if
> there was one of those oversized 8-10oz gaiwans, it might work out
> better. My
> favorites are yinzhen and pai mutan (from ipot). Anyway, if you are
> getting
> interested in white teas I thought I'd mention that a teapot (with an
> infuser
> that fills almost all volume) or an infuser mug may work much better,
> YMMV.
>
Thanks. My gaiwan is about 4oz or so. I mainly used it because I don't
have a large quantity of these teas, and I'm used to drinking my greens from
my 2oz japanese cups. I also figured that if they were good for multiple
steeps (which they are), I'd get more out of the gaiwan. I'll give them a
try in an infuser mug. I have a good pot with a large infuser, but
considering it's size, I don't think it would be a good use of these
samples.
Blues
> White teas are my favorite type, but I could never get a decent brew
> in a gaiwan.
> When I make them in a glass infuser mug or in a glass pot, they are an
> order
> of magnitude better. I'm not sure why that is, but I thought that it
> has something
> to do with larger volume that holds the temperature high for a longer
> time, so if
> there was one of those oversized 8-10oz gaiwans, it might work out
> better. My
> favorites are yinzhen and pai mutan (from ipot). Anyway, if you are
> getting
> interested in white teas I thought I'd mention that a teapot (with an
> infuser
> that fills almost all volume) or an infuser mug may work much better,
> YMMV.
>
Thanks. My gaiwan is about 4oz or so. I mainly used it because I don't
have a large quantity of these teas, and I'm used to drinking my greens from
my 2oz japanese cups. I also figured that if they were good for multiple
steeps (which they are), I'd get more out of the gaiwan. I'll give them a
try in an infuser mug. I have a good pot with a large infuser, but
considering it's size, I don't think it would be a good use of these
samples.
Blues
Re: Malawi White Teas
Blues, Glad you liked these African Whites - my particular pleasure
too is to sniff from under the lid and chase the changing aroma as the
infusion cools. Your "woody" I always note as cedary - not so much
the smell of cedar wood as the smell in a room where cedar wood has
been worked, However the chief odor I identify from these Malawi
Whites is a light but distinct floral note that reminds me of wild
rose flowers (very much unlike China Whites) - some people seem to get
this stonger than others - this I think is your "sweetness". I cannot
think of another commercial tea with this character, though I have
made a few experimental ones with it.
In theory these teas should not work as they are made from Camellia
sinensis var assamica bushes - bred for gutsy black teas. Five years
ago I would never have believed it possible. Now also looking at some
South Indian artisanal teas with a remarkable Darjeeling aroma -
wouldn't have believed this either!
Nigel at Teacraft
On Dec 12, 8:30 pm, "Blues Lyne" <bluesl...@hotmail-nospam,com > wrote:
> I received some samples of the Malawi White teas that Nigel has mention
> here.
> I've been battling this sinus infection for the last month or so, so I
> haven't wanted to waste my samples on my crippled sense of taste and smell.
> However, I did get to try the Antlers d'Amour and one of the Yinzhen types
> prior. Both are very delightful teas, and have sparked my interest in white
> tea. I brewed both teas in a gaiwan and got many steeps from them. Two
> traits that they both had in common were an increasing sweetness with each
> brew, and a wonderful aroma upon opening the lid of the gaiwan. While they
> are delicate, they seemed more flavorful than the other white's I've had.
> Maybe the brewing suggestions that came with them were better. It did seem
> like I brewed them for much longer than I remember doing in the past, 180F,
> 4-5 minutes, if I remember correctly.
>
> I'm horrible at describing tea taste, but.. The Antlers d'Amour had a hint
> of what I would call spiciness. It reminded my wife of Lapsang Souchong.
> At first I just thought she was crazy. There was no smokiness at all. But
> then I realized that there is a certain element of the pine taste in
> Lapsang, that was similar to what I was tasting as spicy in the Antlers
> d'Amour. Maybe woody would be a better term. This one really got sweeter
> with each brew. A very delicious and unique tea.
>
> Ok, maybe rather than try and awkwardly describe these teas, I'll just say
> they are lovely and well worth trying for yourself, even if you are not a
> fan of white tea. You can find the teas and their descriptions here http :// www .nbtea.co.uk/acatalog/Wildcrafted Teas.html.
>
> Blues
Blues, Glad you liked these African Whites - my particular pleasure
too is to sniff from under the lid and chase the changing aroma as the
infusion cools. Your "woody" I always note as cedary - not so much
the smell of cedar wood as the smell in a room where cedar wood has
been worked, However the chief odor I identify from these Malawi
Whites is a light but distinct floral note that reminds me of wild
rose flowers (very much unlike China Whites) - some people seem to get
this stonger than others - this I think is your "sweetness". I cannot
think of another commercial tea with this character, though I have
made a few experimental ones with it.
In theory these teas should not work as they are made from Camellia
sinensis var assamica bushes - bred for gutsy black teas. Five years
ago I would never have believed it possible. Now also looking at some
South Indian artisanal teas with a remarkable Darjeeling aroma -
wouldn't have believed this either!
Nigel at Teacraft
On Dec 12, 8:30 pm, "Blues Lyne" <bluesl...@hotmail-nospam,com > wrote:
> I received some samples of the Malawi White teas that Nigel has mention
> here.
> I've been battling this sinus infection for the last month or so, so I
> haven't wanted to waste my samples on my crippled sense of taste and smell.
> However, I did get to try the Antlers d'Amour and one of the Yinzhen types
> prior. Both are very delightful teas, and have sparked my interest in white
> tea. I brewed both teas in a gaiwan and got many steeps from them. Two
> traits that they both had in common were an increasing sweetness with each
> brew, and a wonderful aroma upon opening the lid of the gaiwan. While they
> are delicate, they seemed more flavorful than the other white's I've had.
> Maybe the brewing suggestions that came with them were better. It did seem
> like I brewed them for much longer than I remember doing in the past, 180F,
> 4-5 minutes, if I remember correctly.
>
> I'm horrible at describing tea taste, but.. The Antlers d'Amour had a hint
> of what I would call spiciness. It reminded my wife of Lapsang Souchong.
> At first I just thought she was crazy. There was no smokiness at all. But
> then I realized that there is a certain element of the pine taste in
> Lapsang, that was similar to what I was tasting as spicy in the Antlers
> d'Amour. Maybe woody would be a better term. This one really got sweeter
> with each brew. A very delicious and unique tea.
>
> Ok, maybe rather than try and awkwardly describe these teas, I'll just say
> they are lovely and well worth trying for yourself, even if you are not a
> fan of white tea. You can find the teas and their descriptions here http :// www .nbtea.co.uk/acatalog/Wildcrafted Teas.html.
>
> Blues
