Oct 10
Dan’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "To me, this is a green tea that acts just like a white. The flavors are subtle, and it's sweet - not vegetal. The presentation is unique, there are a few surprises along the way, and the longevity of enduring 3 infusions makes it a great value."
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California Tea House has a relative-few offerings compared with some others, but most all of them look like something I would want to try. The Daughter Ring Green Tea is exclusive (I believe) to CTH -- they call it a "private stock" tea. This is yet another tea from the Yunnan province - home to the tea plants that produce some of my personal favorites. This is the first green tea I've encountered from the region.Once in a while a nifty little gimmick comes along that either makes you roll your eyes in pessimistic apprehension, or think "neat-o, I can't wait to try that!" I straddled the line between both emotions when encountering Daughter Ring. I took the stance of the latter at first -- these are really nifty little things. Then I began to take the pessimist approach: "This is a total gimmick, and probably says nothing of quality; plus, how in the world could a tightly rolled up leaf infuse properly? Hogwash!" I emitted in my mind. Then I tried it.
The buds are harvested by hand and - as you would surmise from the tea's name - hand-rolled into tight little rings. It's all very cute, and interesting to boot. The scent of the dry rings is rich - a grand white tea aroma with a smidgen of vegetal note. Appearance-wise, the rings are a dusty gray-ish green.
CTH recommends "one teaspoon" of tea per cup - I translated this to about 6-8 "rings". Then they split their steeping recommendation in two: one such recommendation is for keeping it under 3 minutes. The other is for three short steeps, about 1 minute each, to "to maximize flavor and keep the tea from having a over-cooked or burnt flavor." That said, I opted for the latter! One minute in, and the tea is barely steeped. The liquor is completely clear and colorless. However, a very nice surprise in the cup in terms of flavor. This cup was very gentle -- again, like a nice white tea, as opposed to a green, not unlike a silver needle or Peony in terms of light but pleasant flavor. The rings have stayed mostly intact at this point, but they start to come apart in the second infusion. After the second round of 60 seconds, the flavor really starts to come out. It becomes apparent, as they start to unravel, that the rings are each actually comprised of multiple leaves, and I ponder how they can pack them so tightly. Back to that flavor, it's becoming beautifully sweet. I start to get a surprising aftertaste on the back edges of my tongue, a spicy cinnamon akin to "red hots". Third infusion is a bit weaker on flavor, but still a very enjoyable cup.
To me, this is a green tea that acts just like a white. The flavors are subtle, and it's sweet - not vegetal. The presentation is unique, there are a few surprises along the way, and the longevity of enduring 3 infusions makes it a great value.
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