Baozhong Roasting

[jayinhk]

I had 100g of 2014 Baozhong that had gone flat from storage (airtight). I also have most of 150g of aged roasted Baozhong that is rather nice. Decided to attempt roasting my Baozhong at midnight last night. Loaded 100g into a Pyrex bake dish and set my electric oven at 100 C (it has a digital control). I'm moving the tea around every 15-30 minutes and I let it cool down overnight, and it darkened significantly. Drank some after two hours of roasting and it tastes maltier and rather pleasant. Kind of like a greener shuixian, but sweeter.

Got the oven going again. At one point last night, I clearly smelled chlorophyll coming off the leaves. I'll keep going for another few hours and when I detect aromas that resemble the finished roasted baozhong I have, I'll stop the oven. Looks like it'll take quite a while at 100 Celsius though, but from reading last night it appears 80-100 C is right where you want to be for oolong roasting.

Will report back on my results when it's done! I'll have to put the tea aside for a while of course, but hopefully the finished product will be an improvement.

[jayinhk]

Getting an orchid aroma at this point with some grassy chlorophyll. I suppose it needs more time? Or maybe the chlorophyll would break down in storage.

[jayinhk]

I had a sample left in the gaiwan--after a few hours, it tastes a lot like good dancong, with no chlorophyll aromas. Pretty interesting. There is a hint of baozhong character there too, under the dominant sweet orchid aroma. Definitely a fast improvement already. Giving it another 90 minutes at 100 degrees C. With each roast, the tea darkens after cooling. It's still a little lighter/greener than the laocha I have, and less twisted. Picking up a good flip-top glass jar for aging now.

[pedant]

i wish i had seen this sooner.
i drank through a bunch of baozhong that had lost its sparkle.

[jayinhk]

Read your post earlier and got home and popped the jar open. It made a popping sound, which means the tea is off-gassing. Smells much better now than immediately after the roast. Still kind of dancong/sweet Wuyi-smelling. Going to have to brew some more up to see what it's like now!

[tenuki]

My experience with refreshing Baozhong leads me to think it peaks a couple of months after you roast it and then needs it again in a few years. That probably is more information about how bad I am at roasting.

[jayinhk]

No, that sounds exactly like what baozhong farmers do!

[jayinhk]

Now, in July, this tea is outstanding--perhaps better than when it was fresh. The orchid aroma and flavor is INTENSE. Better than any dancong I've ever had. No chlorophyll aroma anymore at all. The flavor lingers for a long time, too. I definitely suggest roasting your green baozhong at 100 Celsius and then letting it sit for six months if you find it goes flat. This stuff is a real pleasure to drink now! It needed to rest to come into its own. I detect cinnamon, plum and date, too, without the slight roughness the fresh stuff had when brewed strong. You can still tell it's baozhong, especially a few minutes after drinking a cup, as the distinctive character of baozhong is then dominant on the palate. I may have to pick up more to roast the next time I'm in Taipei!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHcE_BhADk_ ... y=jayinhkg

Infusion 3 is giving me a buttery taste with a mint chocolate finish. This tea is substantially smoother than it was when green (pre-roast). Lovely! Glad I put this tea aside after roasting. If I'd tossed it after a year (when it went bland) I would've thrown out premium, top grade baozhong without realizing its potential!