Tea Reviews | It's All About The Leaf

Posts Tagged ‘Mainland China’

I like big chunky tea leaves and the Mark T. Wendell Formosa Keemun fits the bill. A fully oxidized black tea from Formosa (aka Taiwan) is unusual as Formosa typically produces the famously large-leaf fragrant oolong, a green tea. Taiwan is known for its superb tea industry and its workers handle tea with care and appreciation. Mark Wendell referred to this tea as “the burgundy of teas” boasting a mellow full-bodied brew with a superb bouquet. However, some reviewers say it’s too mild a tea . This black tea is typically served as a breakfast beverage so I can understand that a robust tea would be expected by some. A keemun would typically not be taken with milk or sugar and a light sponge cake would probably accompany this tea if served in Taiwan.

The dry leaf is cut and dried with a gentle curve. The pieces are about a 1/2 inch in length and thick, not wirey as you would expect from a mainland China Keemun. The colour of the leaves is not jet-black either. There is a silvery appearance reminding me of fermented Pu-erh tea. The scent of the dry leaf is a bit minty and bit chocolate and a bit floral.

The recommended preparation from Wendell is “1 rounded teaspoon and 1 for the pot. Steep for 4-5 minutes in 190-200 degF (88-93 degC) water”. The amount of water is not specified. So, I will use 2.5 grams in a pre-warmed 5 oz Gaiwan as my tasting measure with 200° F filtered water. I think 4 minutes would be best. The leaf is quite thick so a longer steep is needed. I would use the full 5 minutes if I were preparing a larger quantity (12 oz.) in a tea pot and I would keep it warm under a tea light. As a special note, I tried a heaping teaspoon (from my kitchenware) of the tea and weighed it. I was at 2.4 grams with my kitchen teaspoonful, almost bang-on. I tried a traditional kitchen measuring spoon ( 1 tsp.) and ended up with 1.8 grams, considerably less. So, you can see that if you’d end up with a lighter tea if you were too scientific about it.

On the examination of the wet leaves, I noted brown-leather coloured, fully opened leaves. There were some stems but generally a quality leaf was used. The leaf and stems were a bit dry on rehydration. This tea could go up to 5 minutes but has little more give after the first 4 minutes. There is a distinctive floral scent to the wet leaves to enjoy as well.

The liquor pours off clear and bright with a light amber-red colour. There is the scent of caramel and a slight malt note from the oxidization, similar to an Assam. With low astringency the natural sweetness comes out. There is a hint of smokiness. The liquor is full in the mouth, leaving a pleasant residual and minty-cool freshness in the mouth, almost like after brushing your teeth in the morning. I can see adding a tiny bit of lemon to pick up the brigntness. I tried the tea after an initial tasting with a blueberry bran muffin to see how it would stand up to additional sweetness and flavours. The tea tasted quickly like an orange pekoe, losing its sweet floral notes and leaving some astringency that seemed to now ask for milk.

My recommendation is to enjoy this tea mid-morning to early afternoon where you are not expecting robustness. While it would be best to drink this tea solo, try serving the Formosa Keemun with light fruits such as melons or pears as the tea will not stand up to strong flavours. I don’t think its meant to be. I can see Mark Wendell sitting in his office sipping this tea while working on his business papers. Light and mild, this tea would not distract his attention. What a contrast from his dearly loved smoked Lapsang Souchong Hua-Kwa tea!

You can purchase the Formosa Keemun directly from the Mark T. Wendall Tea Company website.

The little leaves are twisted wiry leaves that are dark green in color. The smell of the dry leaves is sweet and nutty.

Recommended brewing time is 3 minutes. I started out with a 2 minute infusion. The color is light.

First smell reminds me of a Japanese green. The taste reminds me of Genmaicha. A nutty tone is present, smooth, light, savory. The nutty tone is described by Leaf Spa as a woody note. This is a “pan-dried fine spring harvest green tea from the Jiangsu province of Mainland China.”

Went for a second flush on the leaves, it is ok, but not as good as the first pot. The nutty/woodsy notes are much weaker in this second flush. All I taste now are the grassy notes. Not bad, just different from the first cup.

You can purchase the Organic Bi Luo Chun Tea directly from the Leaf Spa Tea website.