Long Jing Dragonwell: How to Grade Chinese Green Tea

Hey teaheads! This is Don from Mei Leaf. In this video, how to grade Long Jing tea. By the end of this video you are all going to be experts in how to assess the quality of China's most famous green tea, Long Jing, a.k.a. Dragon Well. We call it Imperial Green. If you've not seen our video in China explaining how this tea is made, and giving you all the information that you need to know about sourcing Long Jing tea, then go check that out afterwards, or you can push pause and go check it out now, and rejoin us. But today we are going to be talking about how to assess the quality in the cup. In other words, what are the quality markers that you're looking for when you're looking at the leaf, and more importantly, when you're tasting the tea. In order to do that we have released a very limited edition flight box. This is our Long Jing flight box, so we're going to do that flight today with you. So if you've bought this flight box then make sure that you drink along with us. If you're planning to buy this flight box then maybe hit pause and rejoin us once you've received your flight box. But if you haven't received a flight box, if you have no intention of buying the flight box, or if it's out of stock, don't worry, because this information is going to be jam-packed with tips from me, a tea buyer, in what you should be looking for in this classic Chinese tea. So let's get started. Right. In this flight box we have three different cultivars of 2019 Long Jing. So the same year, but three different cultivars, and if you were lucky enough to buy early enough we've thrown in an Imperial 2018, so that we can assess the difference that a year makes in this tea. I've got to write a letter, which is going to be in this box, but in order to write a letter I need to get my tasting notes together. So let's dive into these teas. Here they are. All of these Long Jing are in the flight box. They are all pinnacle-grade, pre-Qing Ming tea, which means that they were picked before the Qing Ming festival at the beginning of April. If you don't know what I'm talking about go check out that other video in China. This was picked on the 16th of March, 2019, and is the earliest picking of the bunch. This one was picked on the 20th of March, 2019. This was picked on the 23rd of March, 2019, and this one here was picked on the 19th of March, 2018. So a year difference, almost exactly. Cultivar. Very, very important. One of the reasons why we created this flight box is so that you can taste the difference between these Long Jing cultivars. This one here is the modern Wu Niu Cao variety. This one here is Long Jing 43, also relatively modern, but more classically grown in some of the more original areas of Long Jing country. This one here is the original, the authentic. This is the old-school. This is Chun Ti Zhong variety, one for the traditionalists. And here we have a Long Jing 43, again, but again, a year difference. In fact, these two teas are from the same supplier, one year difference, so you can taste a direct head-to-head of exactly the same tea supplier, but one year difference. Origin. These three teas are from different locations, different parts of Zhe Jiang province. None of these teas are from Xi Hu, which is West Lake area. I don't personally to buy Xi Hu tea, because I think the price-to-quality ratio is way off, in my opinion. It produces very, very good tea, high quality, high consistency, but super expensive. Again, check out that video in China, and I explain that in more detail. This one here is from Wenzhou. This one here is from Xin Chang. This one here is from Shao Xing, and as I said, this one is from the same farmer as this one, so that's Xin Chang also. Picking and processing on these are going to be very, very similar. A bud and one leaf, or a bud and two leaf. They are machine-fired to fix, and then hand-fired to finish. Elevation on these are very, very similar. This one here is 780 meters. This one here is 750 meters. We have 600 meters here, and this was slightly lower down in the field, so this is 600 meters here. But the elevations are all very, very good for Long Jing tea, and as I said in my previous video, elevation is not such a big factor when you are purchasing early spring-picked tea. So let's dive straight in to assess the quality of the dry leaf. What are you looking for? I have to say, from the outset, that the most important thing is taste. It's very, very difficult to assess quality of Long Jing simply by looks, because you can find some stunningly beautiful Long Jing, and it doesn't quite hit the mark in the cup. So what are we looking for? Well, first of all, we're looking for a vibrancy of color. Okay? You can see that there are color differences here, but what I'd like to draw your attention to is that these three here have more of a vibrant color than this one here, which just looks a little bit more muted, and a little bit more sort of opaque. A little bit like it's got a little bit of a gray, muted quality. These ones are more vibrant. A year difference does start to just take down the vibrancy of the color. But you can see, even within these three, there's quite a significant difference. Obviously, the Chun Ti Zhong variety is the most yellow. Now, traditionally, Long Jing tea should look like this. This is the color of traditional Long Jing tea, that sort of pistachio-yellow-green color. These teas definitely look more green. I would say this has more of a vibrant, darker green, and this has more sort of lime-flex to it. It's got dark areas and lime-flex. What are we looking for? We're looking for a consistency of color. All of these have a consistency of color. If you saw really wild fluctuations in the color, where you saw a lot of greens, and then browns, and yellows mixed up together, that would mean that the consistency of the tea is not so good. The level of attention to detail paid in the processing was not high enough. So you're looking for a consistency of color. If you prefer your tea to be more bright and fresh in its green tea taste, and we're going to get on to taste very soon, then you're going to be looking for slightly greener teas. If you want more of the traditional, roasted, nutty notes of a Long Jing then you're looking for slightly yellower leaves. What you don't want to see is very distinct burn marks on the leaves. You don't want to see that it looks very, very dark brown, or it has that sort of copper, rusty-brown color, because that means that it's been scorched during the firing. Again, demonstrating lack of attention to detail in the processing, which will, of course, affect the taste. Apart from color, let's look at shape. The shape of the Chun Ti Zhong is definitely smaller. You can see you've got smaller, more plump leaves than these, which just have a little bit more length to them, and a little bit, I would say, thinner looking. They don't look as plump as this one here. So you are looking, ideally, with Long Jing for slightly smaller, shorter, and fatter leaves. You don't want to see a lot of inconsistency, so lots of different shapes tons of different, like from small to large. Again, that shows lack of consistency in production and picking. Also, you don't want to see teas that have excessively long leaves, or don't have any buds. You're going to see the buds reveal themselves when we brew the tea. Also, take a look at the difference in perceived volume here. Now, we've measured these all out. These are all 6 grams exactly, to the point, and this Chun Ti Zhong variety, I think, visually clearly looks like less leaf. These look like much higher volume than this one here, and that shows you that the density of this tea here is higher. Higher density tends to relate to quality. If you've got very, very early spring pickings that have got a lot of body to them, and they haven't been allowed to grow, so it's not like late in the season. So late in the spring the tea grows a little bit faster. It doesn't have as much body to it. Then you're going to get tea which is lighter and less dense. So you're looking for heavier tea as well. So shorter, fatter, and consistent shape, and a consistent, vibrant color. Those are the two things that you're looking for in the dry leaf, but as I said, it's very difficult to assess. I have tasted some ugly, ugly Long Jings, and really, really enjoyed them. So these are just sort of pointers, but I wouldn't use them as gospel. Okay, we've got our flute brewers here. A nice way to brew these teas. I'm going to put them all out in front of you here, and we're going to throw these leaves in. 6 grams exactly. So we recommend 3.5 grams per 100 ml. You can reduce it if you'd like, but this is how I like to drink my Long Jing. Nice, big, leaf-to-water ratio. Really extract the best out of these leaves, and get a full, long, enduring session of tea drinking. I'll put these away. Right. Let's take a look at these. Let's just drop them down, and you can see what I mean here. This one here, the volume is definitely much, much lower, which means that they are denser. I'm going to give them a quick rinse. I'm literally going to pour hot water just over them. I'm not even going to cover them, so the flute brewer allows me to do that. It just collects the rinse at the bottom. This is 80 to 85 degree water, so about 175 Fahrenheit. I have my lovely little Ni Xing clay pig teapot. These are fresh in. If you want to grab one then they're available at MeiLeaf.com. Really, really love the feel of this. So smooth, and just so nice to hold. It's made of Ni Xing clay, so it's going to develop, over time, a nice patina, because the clay is porous. So, lucky day for the tea pig. Four different Long Jing teas. Delicious. Right. So now we're going to have a sniff of these wet leaves, and already I'm getting this incredible palette of aromas. Ah! Okay, let's have a sniff. So this is the Wu Niu Zou. Wu Niu Zou cultivar, as I said in the video previously, this is the most modern cultivar. Early harvest. What does early harvest mean? It means you can bring it to market quicker, which means you can charge a higher price for it. It also has higher yields than the original Chun Ti Zhong. I'm getting some savory note, like a vegetable-soup note. I'm getting artichokes. I'm getting a little bit of a sour, like unripe, green mango. I'm getting some sea air, a little bit of that beach-rock note happening, and a little bit of the chestnuts. A little bit of that roasted nuttiness, but not that much. Here's Long Jing 43. Long Jing 43 is probably the cultivar which is being used the most all around Zhe Jiang. So if you are picking up a Long Jing tea chances are it's going to be a Long Jing 43. The odds are it's going to be a Long Jing 43. It has a very different aroma. I'm getting a bit more lotus seeds. I'm getting artichokes as well, maybe steamed artichokes. Yeah, definitely artichokes. I'm getting a slight floral note, a little bit of orchid, a tiny bit of orchid floral note happening. It's definitely warmer than this one here. Yeah, this one's definitely brighter, has more of that sea air and green mangoes going on. This one here is a bit calmer. It's still got vibrancy, of course, but is definitely a nice balance. And this one here, for those of you smelling along with me, roasted bean note. It's incredible. It's just like so beany, but like roasted bean. I can't explain it, and I know that will put off some people. It certainly was something that I had to get my head around, but Wow! Nutty. I'm getting roasted chestnuts. Not too dark roasted, but it's there. There is some brightness happening as well. Some vegetal note, but also a herbal note, like juniper. A little spice happening. So vegetable soup, bay leaves, juniper. I'm getting roasted beans. It's definitely in that sort of winter, soupy, vegetable note. Please don't let that put you off, because I know when I smell that it means it translates to sweetness. And finally, 2018. For those of you lucky enough to get one of these, immediately sweet cherry sakura. Cherry blossom. It's amazing. Very, very cherry note, and I'm also getting some of those roasted chestnuts. Similar. I can pick up similar notes to here, and smell these two together. That's the difference a year makes. Bright, fresh, vibrant, even though it has those nutty notes, and here it's just gotten a little bit more dense, the aroma. It's definitely got more fruity, a little bit more of a fermented note. So one of the things that I want to talk about in this session is, is one-year-old green tea always not worth buying? In my opinion, that's not the case. Some people will really love that cherry sakura note. If you do, then you might be actually looking for a tea which is a year old, or buy a fair amount of your tea and allow it to age naturally in your cupboards yourself. All right, we're going to give these a brew. You could, in fact, you should take your time with this tasting session. I'm going a bit fast, because I'm conscious of your time, but make sure you hit pause. Take your time. You could have smelt the dry leaf, for example, rather than straight into smelling the wet leaf. So take your time. No problem. Pushing pause. I will be here. Right. We're going to be brewing these up. Again, just over 80 degree water. We want to brew them for about 15 seconds. I'm going to try and do a simultaneous brew, so let's go. Fill it up. I'm counting in my head, and then into the Long Jing 43, and straight out with the other one. For all of those timing me, it'll be there or thereabouts. You're going to get more accurate yourselves, I'm sure, but it's going to definitely give me enough information to assess these teas. So same here, the Chun Ti Zhong variety, and from 2018. This one comes straight out. This is Gong Fu brewing. Very, very quick. That's the advantage of using this many leaves. And there you go. We have four Long Jings for us to enjoy. I'm going to put these to the side. Again, making sure I don't mess up the order. I'll put this flight box down. There we go. So now we're clear. Like this. Let's take a look at the color of these liquors. Do they differ? Do they differ for you? Let me take a look. Well, clearly here I can see this one is definitely the most yellow. This is sort of like a hay or buttercup yellow. This one here is very, very vibrant. Surprisingly, this one is pretty vibrant too, but these two, I would say, are very similar. Right. Here we go. Tasting time. The best time, and really the only way to truly assess the quality of Long Jing. The visual markers that I gave you before do hold true. You can definitely use them to make some decisions, but ultimately it's all about the taste. So here we go. We're different in the cup. I'm going to show you here. So these two here are a little bit clearer, and therefore they sort of give the appearance of brightness, but they're definitely clearer. This one is definitely a little bit more yellow than the others, but this one here is so clearly different. Very, very different color for the Chun Ti Zhong variety. Here we go. Wu on texture. For a Long Jing tea I would say that it's relatively light, it's fresh, it's not very thick. We're going to roll through them, and we're going to just be talking about texture. This one here is definitely thicker and smoother. It has less of that astringency. This one didn't have a lot of astringency, but this one definitely has less astringency. Long Jing 43 is thicker and softer. Chun Ti Zhong, the thickest of the lot, in my opinion, has a sort of creamy texture to it. Really thick and creamy, and soft. And finally, Long Jing 43 2018, similar, I would say, in terms of texture to the Long Jing 43. This is the most important part of quality, is now taste and aftertaste. Wu Ning Cao, what are we getting? I'm getting a raw, green note coming through. Of course, it still has some of that Long Jing nuttiness, but the nuttiness is more light. It's sort of like peanut butter, or steamed or boiled peanuts. So a light nuttiness, not roasted in any way, and I'm getting this astringency, a dryness, a green, raw note, like a sappy sort of meadow note, a little bit of cut grass, not a lot. The term cut grass is used so often in the description of green tea, and something that I'm really starting to appreciate as a tea buyer is that for a lot of green teas, especially for Long Jing, cut grass is actually something that you're not looking for in green tea. Green tea shouldn't taste just like raw leaf for most of these teas. For the Chinese, green tea should taste like something that has been transformed. So that rawness, that greenness, has been transformed. Long Jing 43, altogether softer, altogether more gentle. The nuttiness has moved a little bit more into those chestnut notes. Slightly roasty, toasty note going on there. A little bit of that roasted bean note that I know this one is going to be packing a big punch with. This one here has some greenness. What is that greenness? Maybe like green beans. So if this was more meadows, this is moving a little bit more into the vegetal, roasted green beans. It's also got a sweeter note, like sweet rice milk. So it's got a bit of a creamy note and a sweeter note. Chun Ti Zhong, the traditional. I have to say, we have selected this tea as our standalone Imperial Green for 2019, so I know I love this tea. I'm a little bit biased. Wow! Roasty, roasted beans. I'm getting bolotti beans. Roasted bolotti beans. But there is still some green in there, especially after you've swallowed. It's sort of like you get this warmth of bolotti beans and roasted chestnuts, and after you swallow then you get this brightness that suddenly emerges. This sort of fresh, very cooling, refreshing note coming in the mouth, and a slight citrus zing going on, like a lemony-citrus zing happening. This transformation is what I love, and is something that I would urge you to seek out for when you are selecting not just Long Jing, but teas in general. You're looking for that journey. Thick, creamy, nutty, moving to, bright, citrus, a little bit of just like... Imagine that sort of dewy mountain, like waking up from camping, and you've got that dewy note that's in the air, that fresh, dewy note. It's not cut grass, but it's like the liquid, or the dew, that has settled on that grass. And the sweetness that is starting to emerge from this is excellent, like a limoncello sweetness. Lemony and sugary, very, very distinct sweetness coming on through here. So if we ignore this for a second, and we just focus on this, I would say that generalizations, and I'd be interested to hear what everybody tasting along thinks in the comments section below, I would say that this one is the most light, in terms of texture, has the most green, raw note to it in terms of taste, and also in terms of astringency on the tongue, even though it is light astringency, with things like flowery, meadowy sap, and cut grass with some steamed peanuts, and a little bit of that green mango tang. The Long Jing 43 is definitely more lotus seed, and a little bit of roasted green beans. Not heavily roasted, but just imagine you've taken some runner beans, or you've just sort of steamed them, and snap. It's got that sugar-snap, edamame note going on there. So it's warmer than this one, and the Chun Ti Zhong gives you the most transformation. The texture is thicker, creamier, softer. You get deep, roasted bean note, moving to this citrus, bright, fresh, dewy sweetness. Now we're going to taste the 2018. The 2018 is exactly the same supplier as this one here. Very, very different color. Mmm. So immediately it's like I've taken like a cherry cough sweet, and I've just sort of just stirred it into this tea a little bit. So, Sakura. It's just cherry blossom note, and this brings a sweetness to the tea. Now when I'm tasting teas, and I taste that note, it's immediately a sign to me that that's an older tea, and that may influence my buying decision. But just on the basis of taste, do I think it's worse than this one here? Depends what I'm looking for. This one has more of a bright, fresh, almost slightly soapy note to it. This one here, definitely a little bit less of those top notes. You definitely lose some of the vibrancy, but you gain in some sort of fruity sweetness. Let's have a sniff of the empty cup. Here we go. The Wu Niu Zhao. Light. Mmm. A little bit of sweetness. A tiny bit of zest. Almond-y, I would say. Like a very sort of raw almond sweetness to it, but it is quite light. A tiny bit of almond-y nuttiness, maybe frangipane. A little bit of sugared almonds in there. The Long Jing 43. Light again, but there is definitely a bright, sort of grapefruit-pomelo zest note happening. A bit more stony, a bit more mineral. It feels like there's more substance to these leaves in the smell of the empty cup. Chun Ti Zhong. Big, big difference. To my nose, big difference. This is why I keep on banging on when I talk to people about the smell of the empty cup being a real marker for the quality of the leaf. I'm getting a sweetness that's not so zesty. It's more real fruity sweetness. Maybe it's strawberries. Yeah, I think it is. Strawberries, and maybe a little bit of almonds. Yeah. Really, really lovely, and the taste. Definitely, the finish on it is the longest, but we'll talk about that in a second. Finally, yeah, that Sakura smell. That cherry smell stays. Very cherry-like. Amazing that that's the same tea, just a year older as this one, because the difference in aroma is remarkable. If anything, longer-lasting on this one, although it does seem to be fleeting away. Finally, we're going to talk about finish, and I can tell you immediately what I think about this. This is one of the skills that you gain when you taste a lot of teas, is that even though you're tasting multiple teas you can pick out the one which is giving you the longest finish, and it is, for me, by far, this one here. The Chun Ti Zhong variety is giving me the longest-lasting finish. It's a sweet, lemony finish. How do I know that? I know you're thinking, I've tasted lots of teas, because of the fact that when I taste that tea I notice a note that develops immediately after I swallow, and that is the note that has persisted. So I know it's this one here. That's how I know it. But let's go through it. I'll try the Wu Yun Zhao again. Really lovely. I really do love this tea. That's why I selected it. Really raw, bright. It's got a sort of slatey, rockiness happening in the texture. Very, very nice structure in the mouth. It definitely leaves you with a dry finish, moving to a sort of simple, sweet, like powdered sugar, sweet aftertaste. Gentle, light, simple, but very, very nice. Long Jing 43. Definitely more orchid note coming through on this tea. That is usually if they have fertilized the soil with rapeseed. So if you take rapeseed, and you extract the oil to make rapeseed oil, they then have the sort of by-product, and they will sometimes use that in fertilizing the soil, and that will bring out more of the orchid aroma in the tea. Again, it has the structure, has the minerality of this one, but it's just a little bit warmer. Just a little bit warmer, and the finish has more citrus to it. A little bit more of the lemoniness that the Chun Ti Zhong does, less of the simple, icing-sugar sweetness of the Wu Yun Zhao. Chun Ti Zhong, I've fallen in love with this tea. Finish, much longer, much more vaporous. You breathe out through your nose, and you can feel this sort of fog, this sort of density of aromatics just hanging around in your mouth, in your throat, and in your nose. Definitely more rich in those bassier, deeper notes. The finish moves from a slight dryness to this sort of bright, bursting sweetness. Limoncello, lemon. I'm getting some frangipane. I'm getting some almonds. It's just altogether more complex, which is why when I smelt those wet leaves and I was like, that roast bean aroma tells me that I'm going to get a more complicated, and more complex finish. That certainly is the case. Longer-lasting, sweet, juiciness around the sides. Really, really lovely. Long Jing, 2018, from the number 43 cultivar. Obviously, got that cherry note that lingers, and I would say, yes, it has got a sort of citrus zing around the sides. I really like it. So let's try to wrap this up. We're not going to do body sensation. It's impossible for me to ascertain which one of these teas is giving me any body sensation, but we can take a little look at these wet leaves. Please, please, please infuse these teas. Have a nice, long, expansive session. That's what this flight box is for. Really, you can dive deep with second, and third, and fourth infusions, and see how they develop. I would love to hear your comments as well. Please do let me know which tea you prefer, and which flavor notes you are getting out of these teas. It's just me drinking, so I don't mind me sticking my fingers in these leaves. I know that there will always be comments saying, "... Please use tea tools." But it's just me, and I have no problem with that. So let's take a look at them. Now, you can see the picking. Super, super fine picking. A bud, a leaf. Definitely, I would say, the Chun Ti Zhong has more consistency and wholeness. These ones here are fine pickings, but look a little bit more raggedy. Especially, I would say, the Wu Niu Zhao here, which just has a little bit more of those sort of flared leaves, but they are all very, very high-quality pickings. Right. Let's wrap up all the things you need to consider when you are assessing the quality of your Long Jing tea. First of all, the look of the leaves. You're looking for leaves which have a consistency of color, a vibrancy of color, and a consistency of shape, ideally edging towards the more shorter, fatter, and heavier, more dense leaves and buds. Pick up the tea leaves. This is one of the things that they do in China. When you've got lots of sacks of Long Jing you pick them up, and you just start to get a feel of the weight of the tea leaves. Heavier tends to be higher quality. After they've unfurled you can certainly take a look at the pickings. Again, you're looking for consistency, a nice, fine picking like these all here, ideally moving towards this as the more pinnacle grade, which is very, very consistent with more of those shorter and fatter buds. In terms of taste, this is really personal opinion. If you're looking for more of the green, fresh notes of a green tea then move towards Wu Niu Zhao as a cultivar to choose. If you're looking for warmth, complexity, that traditional roast bean aroma moving to a more sweet, complex finish then go for Chun Ti Zhong. If you are looking for that balance in between then I think Long Jing 43 has its rightful place, and is one of the reasons why it is one of the most cultivated Long Jing varieties, because it has that balance. The trend in tea drinking is definitely moving towards more of the green notes. I actually am moving the other way, as you can probably tell from this video. I am loving the traditional, warmer, nuttier notes that then transform into a sweeter, more zesty note, then going for the more bright, verve, and green notes of these cultivars, but I am definitely going against the trend. I have to say, I wonder whether or not the trend is directing the movement towards these newer cultivars, or it's the other way around, and whether or not the farmers want to move towards these cultivars because they are earlier harvesting, and have higher yield, and therefore the market is sort of naturally moving, thinking that that is what Long Jing should taste like. Certainly, if you go to Zhe Jiang province, especially if you go to Xi Hu, all of the traditionalists are wanting Chun Ti Zhong, and wanting that roast bean aroma. But as I said, totally up to you, totally up to your taste, and maybe get a few different varieties depending on how you're feeling on any one day. Very important, though, is that to assess quality you need to focus on the aftertaste and the smell of the empty cup, because this will give you so much information about the quality of the leaf, how much endurance you're going to get out of the leaf, how many different infusions, how long the session is going to last. That is really going to be defined by the substance of the leaf. So you're looking for those heavier, denser leaves, but you're also looking for a longer finish, and you're looking for more persistent aroma in the empty cup. Please take your time with this. Enjoy this flight box. Dive deep. Really, really write tasting notes. You've got tasting cards in the box. I've written a letter. Well, I'm going to write a letter all about these teas with my own detailed tasting notes, so focus in, take your time, don't rush it, knowledge, and you will be a Long Jing connoisseur by the end of it. That's it teaheads. Check out our other videos, and fire over any questions or comments. Taste our teas wherever you are in the world by visiting MeiLeaf.com, and if you're ever in London then come visit our tea house. Other than that, I'm Don from Mei Leaf. Thank you for being a part of the revelation of true tea. Stay away from those tea bags, keep drinking the good stuff, and spread the word, because nobody deserves bad tea. Bye.