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白雞冠 Bái Jī Guān “White Cockscomb”
白雞冠 Bái Jī Guān “White Cockscomb” 岩茶 yánchá “cliff/rock tea” from 武夷山 Wǔyíshān, in northern 福建 Fújiàn province, China.
Bái Jī Guān is a classic yánchá from Wǔyíshān. In fact, it is one of the four historical “famous” teas from the region (四大名欉 Sì Dà Míng Cóng, lit. “Four Great Tea Cultivars), which includes 大紅袍 Dà Hóng Páo (“Big Red Robe”) within its ranks. Unlike its darker-colored counterparts, Bái Jī Guān is notably lighter in color, despite receiving 60-70% oxidation and three roastings. This distinctive color comes from the leaf itself, which when it emerges in Spring is a bright yellow-green color. When brewed, the liqueur is a bright amber. This unique tea is equally so in flavor, with a wide range of flavors from honey and melon, marigold, sandalwood, and cream. The mouthfeel is soft and the aftertaste is a complex layering of florals, toasted wheat, and limestone.
Brewing Suggestions
To call Bái Jī Guān a bit of a dark horse is a bit of an understatement, as well as a bit misdirecting. As one of the Sì Dà Míng Cóng famous yánchá from Wǔyíshān, it differs wildly from its darker pigmented and roasted counterparts. The leaf is lighter and, so too, are the distinctive tea’s flavors. As such, it excels as a lighter brewed tea. To achieve this, place 3-5 grams of tea into a 120-180 ml (~4-6 oz) Yíxìng teapot or porcelain gàiwǎn, brewed with water at a near boiling temperature (~98C/210F) for 30 seconds to 1.5 minutes. The results should produce a candy-like sweetness, exuding the fruit/floral notes the tea has.
If you want to really push this tea, brew it akin to a dān cóng wūlóng chá from Cháozhōu. Pack the brewing vessel (4-7 grams) and increase the brew time to 2 minutes. The result will be a wildly different flavor profile, and mouthfeel, with huge fruit and floral notes, incense and spice, with a silky, almost creamy mouthfeel and layered astringency.
The following steepings for either approach should increase slightly in brew time. The tea will sweeten as you go from steep to steep.
白雞冠 Bái Jī Guān “White Cockscomb” 岩茶 yánchá “cliff/rock tea” from 武夷山 Wǔyíshān, in northern 福建 Fújiàn province, China.
Bái Jī Guān is a classic yánchá from Wǔyíshān. In fact, it is one of the four historical “famous” teas from the region (四大名欉 Sì Dà Míng Cóng, lit. “Four Great Tea Cultivars), which includes 大紅袍 Dà Hóng Páo (“Big Red Robe”) within its ranks. Unlike its darker-colored counterparts, Bái Jī Guān is notably lighter in color, despite receiving 60-70% oxidation and three roastings. This distinctive color comes from the leaf itself, which when it emerges in Spring is a bright yellow-green color. When brewed, the liqueur is a bright amber. This unique tea is equally so in flavor, with a wide range of flavors from honey and melon, marigold, sandalwood, and cream. The mouthfeel is soft and the aftertaste is a complex layering of florals, toasted wheat, and limestone.
Brewing Suggestions
To call Bái Jī Guān a bit of a dark horse is a bit of an understatement, as well as a bit misdirecting. As one of the Sì Dà Míng Cóng famous yánchá from Wǔyíshān, it differs wildly from its darker pigmented and roasted counterparts. The leaf is lighter and, so too, are the distinctive tea’s flavors. As such, it excels as a lighter brewed tea. To achieve this, place 3-5 grams of tea into a 120-180 ml (~4-6 oz) Yíxìng teapot or porcelain gàiwǎn, brewed with water at a near boiling temperature (~98C/210F) for 30 seconds to 1.5 minutes. The results should produce a candy-like sweetness, exuding the fruit/floral notes the tea has.
If you want to really push this tea, brew it akin to a dān cóng wūlóng chá from Cháozhōu. Pack the brewing vessel (4-7 grams) and increase the brew time to 2 minutes. The result will be a wildly different flavor profile, and mouthfeel, with huge fruit and floral notes, incense and spice, with a silky, almost creamy mouthfeel and layered astringency.
The following steepings for either approach should increase slightly in brew time. The tea will sweeten as you go from steep to steep.