Winter time is the perfect time for Hong Cha (red tea, black tea). In the winter the bitter flavor of hong cha and its strong, quick rising yang energy is perfect to warm your soul on a cold winter day. According to the theory of five transformations, drinking bitter flavours in winter allows ones energy to descend before it is stored throughout the cold winter.
One always has a few pots of hong cha over the winter especially on the cold days. Today is one of those cold days.
The tea of choice is a second flush from Darjeeling. It is an offering from Giddapahar Estate- one of the gardens visited last March. The dry leaves smell of nice light ferment- a dry, not too grapey muscatel. They make up a mixture of reddish browns and whites in the predominately dark brown-green mix. These leaves are put in a big yixing and hot water follows.
This first infusion shoots off a sharp, brisk taste of light, dry, faint fruitiness that peeks out before ducking away. The saliva from the mouth, lips, and tongue retreats under light dryness. Even fainter sweet fruit tones are left on the breath.
The second infusion is prepared. In it is dry, mainly woody, raisoney notes that peer through a nice juicy bitterness that softly saunters by. The mouth seems void of all saliva, leaving sweet notes way down the throat. The feel in the mouth is valued for its uniqueness.
At this point in the session one succumbs to the hot active chaqi. The head heats first then ones core soon follows- the face flushes. Mind is pushed into alertness. On a blustery cold winter day this affect is wholeheartedly embraced.
The third steeping brings an expected lighter, less sweet, fruity body that is almost completely eclipsed by woody dryness. The mouthfeel reflects the wood in the mouth.
The fourth infusion is a touch salty, mainly woody, with a bit of tang.
Peace
Note: Check out this link to the Polish Wine Guide's review of this tea.
Taken from http://mattchasblog.blogspot.com/
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