Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Product Description:
Hand picked in high altitude, naturally mist-shaded tea gardens, withered in the shade fanned for several hours before being hand pressed into spears in a wok over low wood-fire.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I first tasted this tea, I was surprised, and checked the label again. I could have sworn it said Dragon Well on the label… and it does! But it says Dragon Well style, not Dragon Well (or Long Jing). And yes, the dry leaf does look quite similar to a Dragon Well tea. The leave are long and appear to have been flattened similar to a Dragon Well. The color seems to be a bit brighter green than many Dragon Well teas that I’ve encountered, and there is a little something more to the aroma of the dry leaf with this tea. There is something warm, toasty- perhaps nutty? – and slightly spiced to the dry leaf fragrance, and these are not scents that I typically experience with a Dragon Well. It sure smells interesting, though!
With the combination of the first two infusions in my cup, I notice a sweetness that reminds me immediately of brown sugar. Like a raw brown sugar … not a caramelized sugar or processed brown sugar – but that pure, molasses-y flavor that you only get when you taste raw brown sugar. The vegetative notes are softer than expected, and remind me a bit more of a baked bean than a “green” kind of taste. I also detect a nutty flavor, as well as a banana-ish kind of taste to it (the tasting notes on the website suggest a bananas foster flavor, and I get that, except that the warm cinnamon flavor is missing).
With a taste this good, you know I had to take the tea out for another infusion or two! The combination of the third and fourth infusions actually produced a flavor that reminds me of butter rum lifesavers. I took a few sips just to see if my mind was playing tricks on my palate, like it might have been telling it “now, you’re supposed to taste butter rum lifesavers.” I don’t know if that is actually happening now, but, I can tell you that I taste butter rum lifesavers (a flavor I’m very familiar with, because every year, my daughters give me their butter rum lifesavers from their “Lifesaver Storybook” which is a traditional stocking stuffer on Christmas).
There is also a faint vegetative note in these next two infusions, but it is fainter than in the first two infusions … which was faint to begin with. This is the kind of green tea I’d recommend to someone who finds other green teas to be too grassy, because this one would win them over.
This has to be one of the most intriguing green teas I’ve ever tasted. Bananas and Butter Rum Lifesavers? Weird? Maybe. Delicious? Absolutely!
Premium Grade Dragon Well Green Tea (Long Jing) from Teavivre
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Product Description:
A premium grade, classic green tea that, for good reason, is renowned as China’s best tea
- Grown in Xihu near Hangzhou in province Zhejiang
- Flattened tea leaves, with one bud and one or two leaves
- Pale green yellow when brewed
- A subtle, rich, orchid like taste and aroma, with no hint of bitterness
- Low caffeine (less than 10% of a cup of coffee)
- 1-2 teaspoons for 8oz of water. Brew at 176 ºF (80 ºC) for 1 to 2 minutes
XiHu (West Lake) Dragon Well green tea, or Long Jing as it is known in China, is commonly regarded as one of China’s top ten teas, and is often served to visiting head’s of states. TeaVivre’s grade 1 Long Jing tea is an absolutely fantastic example of this tea. Mostly handmade it has no hint of bitterness, instead it has a delightfully subtle classic green tea taste and aromatic scent.
Our Premium Dragon Well Green Tea (Long Jing) meets the most strictly European low pesticide residues standard for agricultural products. View Quality Safety Analyzing Report
Taster’s Review:
This is an exquisite Dragon Well tea.
The leaves look very much like other Dragon Well teas I’ve tried in the past, except that these look … fresher. Greener. The leaves have a brighter green color to them, while some other Dragon Well Teas I’ve seen have more of a grayish-green color to them… they almost look a bit dusty. That’s not to say they were bad Dragon Well teas, some of them I rather enjoyed. It is only to say that this Dragon Well is different. The color is vibrant. And no wonder! The production date on the label of this the is April 2011. How’s that for fresh?
The flavor is BREATH-TAKING! It is so crisp and bright. I brewed this tea in my gaiwan using short steeps and the flavor is … insanely good. Vegetative, to be sure, but, I wouldn’t categorize it as a bitter, grassy taste, but more of a delicate sweet grass flavor with hints of a nutty-like flavor (not a roasted nut, but, more like a sweet, blanched nut flavor) in the background.
There is absolutely no bitterness to this tea whatsoever, and such a mild astringency that unless I’m really paying attention, I don’t notice it at all. It is just incredibly smooth, from start to finish; starting sweet with hints of grass, middle notes of sweet, creamy nut-like flavor, and ending sweet and clean. There is a slight aftertaste that is sweet, but it does not linger very long.
This is certainly one of the most impressive Dragon Well teas that I’ve ever encountered. I highly recommend it to all tea enthusiasts.
Dragonwell from Adagio Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Product Description:
One of China’s most famous green teas, Dragonwell (Lung Ching or Longjing in local parlance) comes from Hangzhou in Zhejiang province. This tea has a very distinctive shape: smooth and perfectly flattened along the inside vein of the leaf, the result of highly skilled shaping in a hot wok. This process, known as pan-firing or pan-frying, was perfected in China by tea masters over many centuries. It gives the tea an inviting, toasty aroma. Our Dragonwell also has a sweet, rounded flavor, perhaps reminiscent of freshly roasted white corn. Full, nutty and buttery texture and pleasantly dry finish. A truly satisfying cup of tea.
Taster’s Review:
There was a time when I would shy away from Dragonwell tea, but I’ve come to not only appreciate it, but actually really enjoy it.
This is a very fine Dragonwell. It has a light, crisp flavor. I find myself agreeing with the above description completely: notes of roasted corn, sweet, nutty, buttery, toasty. All of those describe this tea well.
There is a faint grassy taste in the distance. A sweetness in the foreground throughout. The buttery flavor is not a thick buttery essence, but rather, it is like a touch of butter on the fresh roasted corn. There is very little astringency that seems to be noticeable only when I’m actually trying to search for it. The finish is crisp and dry, and the aftertaste is lightly sweet.
This tea is available in loose leaf form, as well as part of the Artisan Comfort Gourmet Tea Collection which features a select variety of teas in pyramid sachets. Perfect for travel or on-the-go! (PS: The holidays are approaching and one of these Gourmet Tea Collections would make a great gift for the tea lover on your shopping list!)
Lover’s Lane from Indie Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Indie Tea
Product Description:
Ahhh…Who Can Argue Against Romance?
To Turn An Otherwise Ordinary Occasion Into A Treasured Memory Where If You Play Your Cards Right, You May Even Get To See A Full Moon.
Taster’s Review:
This is a unique and beautiful blend – one of the most unique blends I think I’ve ever come across!
The green tea base is an organic Dragon Well green tea. It offers a pleasant vegetative taste without tasting too grassy. It is lightly sweet but not buttery the way a Sencha would have been, and I think that the buttery tone would have overwhelmed the other ingredients. Dragon Well is absolutely the best choice for this blend.
The rose and the lavender together create a harmonious floral quality that is seamless. It is a sweet and romantic pairing, offering a lovely floral taste without coming across as a soap-like taste. The orange here is probably the softest flavor, but I like that it is there. It is just the right touch of bright, sunny taste.
I have been very impressed with this tea company – Indie Teas. They offer unique blends that you are probably not going to find anywhere else. These teas are works of art!
Dragon Well Green Tea (Lung Ching) from Enjoying Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Enjoying Tea
Product Description:
This extraordinary green tea comes from the city of Hangzhou in Zhejiang province. The flat leaves are harvested in early spring when the leaves are full of aroma and have a silvery shine. Dragon Well is prepared using traditional methods from the most tender tea leaves. These leaves produce a soothing and refreshing champagne colored liquid full of freshness. Semi-sweet in taste and orchid-like in smell, Lung Ching is one of the most famous green tea in China.
Taster’s Review:
This is a very pleasant tea to sip after a long, hard day! I can feel it invigorate my senses and energize me, while restoring a sense of calm to my spirit. All that from a cup of tea!
But my experiences with Dragon Well teas have not always been so positive. There was a time when I thought I didn’t like Dragon Well. But over time, I have grown quite fond of them. I don’t know if this change has something to do with my palate developing a taste for the vegetative green teas or if it has something to do with the fact that my brewing techniques have improved tremendously over the years, but I’m inclined to believe that it’s a combination of these two factors.
Yes, Dragon Well is quite grassy in taste – heck, the dry leaf even looks like carefully dried blades of cut grass! – but there is so much more to this cup than just a grassy character. It has so many layers of flavors that are just waiting to be discovered. This tea is sweet and slightly floral with a nutty quality lingering in the background.
It is delicious to sip – neat and clean – as a hot beverage and quite thirst-quenching when served over ice. When it is chilled I like it with a little bit of honey added to help pump up the flavor a little bit.
This Dragon Well is another example of why I really like Enjoying Tea. They have such a wide selection of teas, there is something for everyone, as well as a vast array of tea accessories. I highly recommend their sampler sets – they’re awesome!