I went to the Best Tea House again… and tried that Yiwu small arbour sample that I have. Interesting observation — the tea got better, and changed character, since last time.
I don’t know what it is, but last time the tea brewed a rather insipid and boring tea, but this time, it’s much more flavourful. It’s still a bit on the weak side, but it came out a lot better. Part of it has to do with the sheer amount of leaves used, but I think the other reason is because it’s really changed a bit…. it’s different from the last three times I’ve had it.
Humidity here today is 98%. Somehow I think the taste change has to do with the very high humidity in Hong Kong. I think it ultimately makes teas change faster, and probably better. After all, almost all the older stuff we have on the market today came through Hong Kong. I am more and more convinced that a place like Beijing will develop terrible tasting teas.
1 response so far ↓
sjschen // March 5, 2007 at 9:28 pm |
Will it tast terrible? Or just age much slower? A 1993 tuo I have, which had been stored mainly in Toronto, does not taste too bad, it is simply not as smooth and non-astringent as a >10 year tea should. Perhaps your teas in Beijing will just not “age” as much in the same way? After all, both places are cold and dry in winter.
Perhaps this is a good reason to carve out some real-estate at your parent’s place in HK for tea.