Tea Review: Yunnan Wild Gu Shu Black Tea Cake (The Chinese Tea Shop)

Yunnan Wild Gu Shu Black Tea Cake
The Chinese Tea Shop
Type: Black
Origin: China, Yunnan Province
Product Description: 

Bigger Yunnan leaf material give this red tea character and a crisp flavour. The sweet bright red liquor has a fruity aroma with a hint of vanilla and a smooth mouth feel. A popular tea with regulars at the tea shop.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 3-7 minutes

The dry leaves have an aroma of aged wood, sweet grains, and plums.

The copper orange infusion has a fruity aroma reminding me of apricots with a slightly medicinal/herbal taste, light notes of agave, mild astringency, and a long fruity finish.

Though the fullest flavor was in the first infusion, an increased steeping time of 5-7 minutes helped to bring out more flavor for an enjoyable second and third infusion.  An intriguing almost minty note developed by the second infusion, adding a refreshing sensation to the finish.  This tea is at its best when prepared gongfu-style, using more leaf and a smaller brewing vessel.

This tea was purchased by me.

The Chinese Tea Shop 2018

The Chinese Tea Shop opened in Vancouver's Chinatown in 2004 under the name Arts De Chine (Arts of China).   To better reflect owner Daniel Lui's focus on tea, the shop interior was reconfigured and the name changed to The Chinese Tea Shop in 2009.  The tea shop is located prominently on the corner of East Pender and Columbia Street, less than one block away from the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.

My previous visit to The Chinese Tea Shop was in 2012 and a return visit to Vancouver and to the tea shop had been long overdue.  While attending the Vancouver Tea Festival last November, I was able to visit the Chinese Tea Shop booth where Daniel was preparing tea throughout the weekend and to break away for a visit the tea shop itself where Jennifer Lui was our gracious host.

As the name suggests, the Chinese Tea Shop offers an impressive range of Chinese teas including green, white, yellow, oolong, black, puerh, and heicha.  Their selection of aged teas including, but not exclusive to puerh, is especially intriguing.

The teaware selections are no less impressive and include Yixing, glass, and porcelain teapots as well as gaiwan, tea cups, and more.

Address: 
101 East Pender Street, Vancouver,B.C. V6A 1T6

Hours: 
1:00pm to 6:00pm (Wednesday-Monday)

Closed Tuesday

Tea Review: Fu Ding Bai Cha White Tea Brick (2000) (The Chinese Tea Shop)

Fu Ding Bai Cha White Tea Brick (2000)
The Chinese Tea Shop
Type: White
Origin: China, Fujian Province, Fuding
Product Description:  Incredibly deep and long lasting aroma. Buttery and fruity fragrance.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 3 minutes

The dry leaves have an aroma reminiscent of hay and dates.

The golden infusion has a mellow aroma of baked fruit and something that reminded me of buttery pie crust.  The taste is mellow with notes of baked fruit and a hint of honey.

Steeping at 195° F for 5 minutes provided pleasantly mild results with hints of fruit in the aroma and taste.  I most enjoyed the results when steeping at 208° F and found that the color, flavor, and aroma deepened with each infusion.  I would expect even more depth of flavor using more leaf.  

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Iron Buddha Aged Traditional (The Chinese Tea Shop)

Advent Tea Calendar Day 15

Iron Buddha Aged Traditional, 20 Years Old, Charcoal Roasted
The Chinese Tea Shop
Type: Oolong
Origin: China, Fujian Province, Anxi
Product Description:  This rare and traditional Aged Oolong tea comes from a farmer’s private stock. As is common in the tea business in China, it took me many years of buying teas from him and many visits to his farm to convince him I was an earnest and worthy buyer. This tea has been stored since the early 1990’s and unlike inferior varieties roasted by machine, this tea has been carefully re-roasted by hand over charcoal every 3 years to enhance the aged flavour. The tea leaves are a semi-ball shape and are a dark brown colour.

The rinse has a bright pink/reddish colour. The first infusion has a light smoky flavour with an incredible chocolate taste that just has to be experienced! The aroma is rich and complex with deep fruity tones. Then an amazing, mouth tingling sensation bursts out from both sides of the tongue and also from the back of throat. Immediately afterwards, a strong sweet after-taste develops which moistens the palette.

Temperature: 195° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 3 minutes

The dry leaves have an aroma of smoked wood, warm hay, and molasses.

The infusion is golden and pink with an aroma of smoky wood and a sweet hint of cocoa.  The flavor is smoky with notes of caramelized sugar and a broth-like quality.  The finish is long, a little sweet, and mouth-watering.

I got three very good infusions from this tea and could expect at least a couple more that would continue to produce a light and pleasant taste and aroma.  It does make the mouth water a bit at the end with a hint of sweetness.

Tea Review: Wild Buds Yabao (The Chinese Tea Shop)

Advent Tea Calendar Day 12

Wild Buds Yabao
The Chinese Tea Shop
Type:  White/Puerh
Origin:  China, Yunnan Province
Product Description:  Ya Bao tea is buds picked from wild arbor tea trees. The wild arbor tea trees are grow in Jingmai reagon of Yunnan Provance where the altitude is about 1,500 meters. After a long, cold winter, the wild trees start to grow new branches in the early spring. For protecting new branches, their shapes look like buds or shoots. Because this tea is picked from tea trees in Yunnan and it is in light green color and white color, we put this special and rare tea under the category of White tea and Pu-Erh tea.  Ya Bao is only harvest once a year at early March, so it has limited quantity. This tea was very expensive when it first came to the market at the beginning. Now, its price goes down and become very reasonable.  Most people first attracted by Ya Bao teas special shape and unique flowery aroma. The taste is very delicate with a hint of natural vanilla-like flower flavor. The cooling and honey sweet taste is another present from this tea.

Temperature:  195° F
Amount:  3 grams
Steeping Time:  2 minutes

The dry buds have a spicy aroma of red pepper and wood.

The infusion is very pale green with a floral, peppery aroma and a hint of warm hay.  The flavor is delicate and lightly floral with a crisp, cool bite that reminds me of green peppers.

This surprising tea provided several worthwhile infusions, though the first was most flavorful.  The tea tree buds are unique in both appearance and aroma when compared to the buds of domesticated tea bushes and, while the liquor was very pale, it was also quite flavorful and aromatic.  While the results at two minutes were satisfying, I believe this would also do well with lengthier steeping times. 

This tea was purchased by me.