High quality gunpowder teas?
Gunpowder tea is often described as being of somewhat low quality, and usually has a low price to back it up. Does anyone know about contradictory examples of higher quality versions?
Re: High quality gunpowder teas?
Yes! I once bought such a tea from Upton Tea Imports, but unfortunately, it's no longer available. It was ZG58: Qianjiang Hubei Jade Organic (this record will remain archived permanently even if Upton takes down their page for the tea), and I thought it was excellent minus a fairly strong camphor quality in the aroma, suggestive of some very young sheng pu-erh.
I would imagine that perhaps Upton's ZG20 or ZG26 gunpowder teas (which are still offered) are probably above average, but probably not like that example I gave above.
I recently sampled a gunpowder tea from a new company, Infuze; I haven't posted the review yet, but it was a bit above average...but still nothing like that Qianjiang Hubei tea...that was a bit of an anomaly and I've never quite seen anything like that.
One other example, which I also had from Upton, and which was also discontinued, was a tea from Java, Indonesia. It wasn't particularly high-end, but it was interesting in that it had none of the smoky tones that gunpowder usually has.
Yet another one, which I haven't tried, but which looked interesting was the Pin Lin Gunpowder from Apollo Teas. That tea is from Taiwan, and I'd imagine it might be higher-quality than a typical gunpowder.
If you like gunpowder...have you tried many chun mee or young hyson teas? I've found that these are somewhat gunpowder-like (smoky but usually somewhat less smoky) and they tend more into the higher-quality range more often than gunpowder teas typically do. There are also interesting examples of them produced in Sri Lanka which can be quite good.
I would imagine that perhaps Upton's ZG20 or ZG26 gunpowder teas (which are still offered) are probably above average, but probably not like that example I gave above.
I recently sampled a gunpowder tea from a new company, Infuze; I haven't posted the review yet, but it was a bit above average...but still nothing like that Qianjiang Hubei tea...that was a bit of an anomaly and I've never quite seen anything like that.
One other example, which I also had from Upton, and which was also discontinued, was a tea from Java, Indonesia. It wasn't particularly high-end, but it was interesting in that it had none of the smoky tones that gunpowder usually has.
Yet another one, which I haven't tried, but which looked interesting was the Pin Lin Gunpowder from Apollo Teas. That tea is from Taiwan, and I'd imagine it might be higher-quality than a typical gunpowder.
If you like gunpowder...have you tried many chun mee or young hyson teas? I've found that these are somewhat gunpowder-like (smoky but usually somewhat less smoky) and they tend more into the higher-quality range more often than gunpowder teas typically do. There are also interesting examples of them produced in Sri Lanka which can be quite good.
Re: High quality gunpowder teas?
I wonder if it's similar to yong xi huo qing ("jade fire"). I just read about it, and it's said to resemble gunpowder, but of a higher quality.AlexZorach wrote:It was ZG58: Qianjiang Hubei Jade Organic
I have my first bag of chun mee right now actually.AlexZorach wrote:have you tried many chun mee or young hyson teas?
I don't find this particular one very similar to gunpowder, but I'm sure there are variations. Thanks for the suggestions, I sure won't run out of teas to try anytime soon!