Our 2023 Longjing Traditional Supreme has a warm, buttery aroma on an undertone of toasted nuts, cereal and peas, accented with sea salt and a light woody spice. It has a distinct, but pleasantly gentle floral aroma of a blooming orchard with an herbal undertone. The lively body has good weight & a silky to velvety mouthfeel, dependent on your water quality and infusion strength .There is a malty savoriness with hints of salt, chocolate & cinnamon, changing to sweet & refreshing. It finishes with umami, then sweet and then a quenching lingering aftertaste.
The special taste profile of a classic Longjing demands not only a fine harvest from a genuine pedigree, but also the mastery of hand-roasting the leaves. To attain such a skill takes the willingness to endure years of hard practice. On top of that, a fine Longjing is perhaps the most sought after tea in its native market that is China, and there are people there that are willing to pay thousands for half a kilo of this tea. As a result, good roasting masters are in high demand. A good master producing with top quality harvests is even more rare. To secure a genuinely high quality is therefore a very challenging task. Our Longjing Traditional Supreme is a proud representation of the best quality of this precious craft, a taste that would have won nobles and mandarins in their tea competition, and when the Qing Emperor Qianlong was still young and flamboyant, and crazy about this tea.
Ingredients: Artisan green tea
Origin: Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
The special taste profile of a classic Longjing demands not only a fine harvest from a genuine pedigree, but also the mastery of hand-roasting the leaves. To attain such a skill takes the willingness to endure years of hard practice*. On top of that, a fine Longjing is perhaps the most sought after tea in its native market that is China, and there are people there that are willing to pay thousands for half a kilo of this tea. As a result, good roasting masters are in high demand. A good master producing with top quality harvests is even more rare. To secure a genuinely high quality is therefore a very challenging task. More so at the accessible price we are offering at. Tea Hong’s Longjing Traditional Supreme is a proud representation of the best quality of this precious craft, a taste that would have won nobles and mandarins in their tea competition, and when the Qing Emperor Qianlong was still young and flamboyant, and crazy about this tea.
Longjing Traditional Supreme is produced from the first flush of the ancient local cultivar rather than the recently developed ones. It grows slower, yields less, and needs more horticultural attention, but gives you a lot more taste.
The fresh plucks are shade-withered and then roasted briefly at between 85°C to 95°C before resting for about an hour for auto-rehydration. They are then roasted at around 70°C repeatedly, while being pressed against the wok to finally take on the very flat form that this tea is known for.
By hand all the way. Many tea masters prefer actually the bare hand for achieving the desired result.
The flattening of the leaves is intended not for the look, but for the flavour. Gradual squeezing forces the leaf juice out in direct contact with the heat. The 200+ compounds are then roasted to the super rich umami and aromatic taste profile that made this tea famous centuries ago.
To experience its full tantalizing taste profile, steep the leaves in a well pre-heated high density Yixing pot between 6 ~7 oz at 165~176°C at 3 g of leaves to 6.75-oz of water for 5 minutes. Increase to 2g to 3.35-oz ratio when you prefer a stronger taste.
Yixing Teapot Method
Water Temperature: 168-175 degrees
Water Quality: Best with Spring Water with low mineral content
Amount of Leaf (per 6.75 fl oz water): 1 rounded tsp. (3 grams)
Steep Time: 5 minutes
Number of Infusions: 3
The best way to actualize the taste profile of this tea is with the use of water from a good but low mineral mountain spring. If a fine yixing pot is unavailable, a well formed porcelain gaiwan or even the taster mug gives satifying results.
This tea can also be infused very lightly too, like most other people do, at 0.5g ~ 1g to each 3.25-oz water for 30 seconds or various duration according to personal preference. Use higher temperature water in this case, such as 195°F.
Lighter/Shorter Method
Water Temperature: 195 degrees
Water Quality: Best with Spring Water with low mineral content
Amount of Leaf (per 6.75 fl oz water): 1 rounded tsp. (2.5 grams)
Steep Time: 30 seconds to 2 minutes
Number of Infusions: 3
As with all green teas, Dragonwell can be infused at least three times. Increase the time and temperature slightly with each subsequent infusion. Experimenting with your own temperatures and steeping times is encouraged. Cooler temperatures and shorter times yield more mellow, fruity elements, while hotter water and longer times produce more floral and full-bodied complexities. Always use the best-tasting water you can find, and adjust steeping times, quantity of leaves, and water temperature to your personal preferences.
We highly recommend brewing your tea in a teapot or mug with a removable infuser so that you can remove the leaves at the end of the steeping time. Whole leaf teas of this quality need room to unfurl and expand in the water in order to perform their "magic." If you don't have a removable infuser, you can brew the loose leaves directly in the pot. At the end of the steeping time, pour all of the tea into a warm serving pitcher or pot.
