Duan Ni for Chinese Green?

[brandon]

Today I started out with Bi Luo Chun in an egg shell gaiwan. Flash rinse at 185, water at 160 for 5+ infusions, water at 170-180 for 5+ more.



The tea was still going, but it seemed like it would benefit from a bit of a "push." Pushing it in the gaiwan using the forces of time or temperature brought out more astringency than flavor.

Some folks specializing in Yixing pots, notably Jing, will often recommend a Duan Ni pot for Chinese green tea. This seems counter intuitive, as the common duan ni today (quite a bit of added sand) readily steals aroma away from light oolongs and ruins their day. So why would Chinese greens hold up to this abuse?



After over 10 infusions in the gaiwan I decided to test it out. I brewed in a tiny duan ni pot, lid off, for much longer than I did in the gaiwan. The result was fuller bodied, sweeter, with more hui gan - but the astringency did not present as strongly.

Does anyone else like Duan Ni for Chinese greens? Do you think it is a good pairing?

[fire_snake]

Lovely pot. Where'd you get it?

I'm on the fence about using clay, due to its flavour-altering properties. But perhaps Duan Ni does a better job than your average Yixing . . .

[Chasm]

Huh. I would never have thought to go there, but if you like the result you're getting, you're clearly doing it right. It's always nice to find out a tea can do something you didn't know it could.

[jaderabbit]

Could it also be that the shape/size of the pot allows the leaves to release its flavor more effectively?
Or maybe duan ni is just better for greens than porcelain in which case I want one too!!

[gingkoseto]

I use a Duan Ni for green, mainly because I can't use it for anything else but I really want the teapot It's too big (180ml) and slow-pouring for oolong, and Duan Ni may get a "dirty look" easily when used for puerh or Hei Cha - but then, that's why a friend of mine likes to use Duan Ni for these teas. He said the teapot gets seasoned fast with visible color change

I also know quite a few people use Ben Shan green clay for green tea and green oolong only, since darker teas can season the clay into a rather "dirty" color. Overall the Duan Ni I feel like to use for green would be generally high fire and smoother than some other Duan Ni.

[Chip]

I would not mind trying one, sure looks amazing.

I hope to see MORE in this topic!!!

[odarwin]

i would love to get a tea boat like that!