Cultivar: Qilan (also known as Wu Qilan, black Qilan)

Harvested by hand: April 2nd, 2021

Origin: Pinglin, Wenshan

Process: Lightly oxidized Baozhong, twisted leaves, well dried, no stems.

1. View

The dry leaves are either dark green. The clear brew of this Baozhong is of a yellow hue. The oxidation level is traditional with red edges on the leaves.

2. Scents

The dry scents remind me of the Vosges forest (between Alsace and Lorraine). There are notes of pine trees and moss. The brew has fragrances of flowers and marshmallow. There are also notes of wet soil near a river.

3. Taste

The taste is clean, deep and sweet. The taste is light and it lingers softly during the aftertaste. It feels already gentle and refined.

Conclusion: As with the RouGui, this is a cultivar from WuYi, Fujian that is well adapted to Wenshan's terroir. Whereas high mountain Oolongs are almost exclusively based on Qingxin Oolong, Wenshan Baozhong are made from a very diverse and broad range of cultivars. This is what makes Wenshan Baozhong so interesting. I recommend also tasting the winter Qilan Baozhong if you are interested in understanding the differences between the 2 seasons.