Bai Ji Guan 50ml Shi Pao Gisui Teacup

[Herb_Master]

I have a new favourite tea


Bai Ji Guan mother bush



I knew I would like it, because I sampled it before I bought it [William Ma at Jing Yu Tong teashop in Campbell street Penang]


It was a great evening I used my 50ml Qing Shui Ni Shi Pao [also bought from Jing Yu Tong]



and a Gisui Tokoname teacup bought from Hojo in KL.

[Herb_Master]

The tea cost 128 Malaysian Ringits for 100 grams.

Measuring back home it showed at 99.1 gm.

It smells exotically enticing



Looks intriguingly interesting



4 grams in a 50ml yixing

before the first Infusion


after the 1st Infusion


after the 9th Infusion


I really liked this tea when I sampled it in Penang, so it was disappointing when back in Kuala Lumpur and I mentioned my purchase in a couple of Pu Erh oriented teashops they kindly informed me that Bai Ji Guan was not performing very well these days, indeed rather poorly and that it was not as good as it used to be.

Fortunately when I was in Jian Dian teashop buying Shui Jin Gui - teamaster L M Chong disagreed - saying that it had been badly made by a few teamakers, and the younger generation's trend to require greener Oolongs had resulted in some mild and ineffectual offerings, but made in the traditional roast it was still a wonderful tea.

[Herb_Master]

Alas, Alack I made copious notes when in the teashop, but not in my main travel tea notebook and the notes I made do not seem to have made it home.

I bought a 50ml Shi Pao made with Qing Shui Ni clay - but my notes said who made it and how old the clay was -

I think it was mid to late 90's clay made in 2003?



I don't know who made it - any ideas?



producing when back in Kuala Lumpur 1 teashop owner suggested it was rather small and ugly, but 2 said it was very difficult to produce an elegant Shi Pao so small, and L M Chong said it was as good a small Shi Pao as she had seen.


It feels good in the hand, the tea tastes great and it pours nicely.


fellow tea drinkers / customers / friends in the Jing Dian Teashop questioned the fact that it was really made from Qing Shui NI - saying it was probably not

eventually L M Chong was called to pass judgement


after examining it she declared it to be QSN or Qing Hui Ni that had been underfired - she said when unused they often look similar but after months of continuous use the clay reveals it's true nature

If I use it twice a day for 4 months and take it back she will tell me what the clay is

[Herb_Master]

I took the opportunity to trial my Gisui Tokoname teacup from Hojo



Not cheap, but it performed well

The interior has a nice white swirl, but otherwise just the colour of the clay.


However - delightful to hold and to drink from, it was not easy to gauge the colour of the infusion


and the size being large, meant that I could have poured straight from the teapot to the cup


However to better see each brew I used a glass pitcher every time

Here showing a set of 3 purchased from Hojo



But with a 50ml pot, it is not difficult to guess whether I used the Large, medium or Small

[IPT]

Large?

This is a very nice post. Thank you. I like that cup from Hojo. I was looking at those.

[Herb_Master]

1st Infusion 8 seconds [No wash. 4 gm in 50ml]



easy pour, from the teapot



nice to drink from the teacup

2nd Infusion 10 seconds


a very special friend in the tea room 'Bai Ji Guan'

3rd Infusion 12 seconds


a tiny edge of complexity in the cup now

4th Infusion 15 seconds


like before but more so!

First 4 infusions very very similar

a background layer of mild butterscotch (very mildly so) with layers of brown woody notes and non bitter herbal edges

Easy to drink, very enjoyable but also intriguing

The 3rd and 4th infusions showing a slight touch of minerals.

[Herb_Master]

5th Infusion 19 seconds



Butterscotch fading
Roasting flavours starting
More minerals showing
Less herbal



I am enjoying this

6th Infusion 24 seconds



SMOOTHing out (not that it was not before)



Ultra smooth roast, ultra smooth wood, ultra smooth herbal edges
developing minerals



I like this tea

[Herb_Master]

With the 6th infusion,I drank the 2nd half [2nd gulp] down quickly without letting it wander over the tongue and interior of the mouth - as it washed down the throat I was struck by a sweet violet and honey type of fragrance wafting up the back of the nasal area

7th Infusion 31 seconds



flavours starting to mellow out and as I pondered that I forgot to let it gflow down my throat

8th Infusion 50 seconds


Dtermined to drink it all in 1 gulp
very, very pleasant but none of the complexity of the earlier (1st 6) brews as I let it flow over my throat I determined to have a much longer 9th Infusion

and as I waited the perfume over my throat stayed on, and on, and on!

9th Infusion 3 minutes



Minerals to the fore with a fading roast.

Sweetness, herbs and wood have all gone
still pleasant but
time to call it finished and declare

Tea = AmazingTeapot = Fantastic
Teacup = Wonderful

I guess you could call it a 'Great Tea Day!'

[auhckw]

I like your photos

[Herb_Master]

Large?

This is a very nice post. Thank you. I like that cup from Hojo. I was looking at those.

It masks the colour of the tea liquor, and is a little on the large size for Gong Fu - but if drinking alone you can get away with it - it is a delight to drink from!

[IPT]

Large?

This is a very nice post. Thank you. I like that cup from Hojo. I was looking at those.

It masks the colour of the tea liquor, and is a little on the large size for Gong Fu - but if drinking alone you can get away with it - it is a delight to drink from!

Then I must own one! Thanks.

[Herb_Master]

Tried the Bai Ji Guan again tonight in a recent acquisition

A 100ml Shui Pin commissioned by a Hong Kong Teashop in the early 90's from Zhuni mined in the mid to late 80s.



The tea had great similarities (obviously) with it's run out in the 50ml Qing Shui Ni Shi Pao - but the session varied greatly.
Instead of immediate butterscotch sweetness, followed by woody notes and herbal edges at the 4th infusion onwards with minerals and roasting tastes showing through later - it immediately tasted of wood and minerals, no great sweetness, no herbal edges.



The 7 infusions were all enjoyable a nice balance of medium complexity, there was a decent aftertaste from all of them, but minimal detection of the fragrance from my first session.



In the porcelain fair cup, the liquor seemed less starbright than I remembered - however for the 7th infusion I used a glass pitcher and the liquor showed the same twinking brilliance as in the first session.

Another difference from the first session was that I used a Gisui Teacup to drink from - mmmmn? - I wonder what the impact of the Tokoname clay was??

I also failed to note which water I used last time, tonight was filtered water, I suspect the first session may have been bottled water with a high mineral content

[fire_snake]

Incredible photos and beautiful teaware.

What kind of pot would this tea perform best in? Where might one find a Qing Shui Ni like yours?

Christian

[Herb_Master]

Back from travels - tealess in Madrid [but great seafood, Goose Neck Barnacles, Razor Shell Clams, Sea Urchin Scrambled eggs, Baby Squid, and more]

What kind of pot would this tea perform best in? Where might one find a Qing Shui Ni like yours?

Not sure about the best performer but Qing Shui Ni seems to be favoured by a few sites for the less strong Si Da Ming Cha. Old Zhuni seems to be favoured for DHP and TLH, I am happy to run with Qing Shui Ni and maybe even Qing Hui Ni for medium to low roasted BJG and maybe even Shui Jin Gui.
Life is a constant hunt for the size, shape and clay that you are seeking, when after a 'special' pot. The 2 Yixing studios represented on these boards both have access to the clays mentioned, I am intending at some stage to commission some pots from both of them, but financial restraint forbids that at the moment.

[ikpatje]

Very nice to see whit photo the evolution in the different stage of infusion for a newbie.