Taste profile
Nose: Tones of lily blossoms, nectarine, and spices mingle to one smooth aroma on a creamy undertone, accented with touches of nectar in a warm, woodsy sensation. Palate: Velvety texture. Deep, dry body with slight bites of cinnamon and other wood spices. Light tingle of orange peel holds together the floral, spicy and buttery characters. Finish: Mouth watering after taste. Sweetness at the throat comes much later.
Infusion tip
Unlike most other Wuyi oolongs, Lily Eccentric is relatively easy to infuse. It is also more tolerant of longer infusion. As a matter of fact, steeping it longer will render a more intense and impressive taste profile. Our preference is to use a normal leaf to water ratio but brew for 15% more time. Veteran drinkers may want an even higher leaf to water ratio and even more time. Minimum water temperature 95°C if you want more of the aroma.
A little note about the translation of Qi Lan as Lily Eccentric
There are many different translations of the original name that romanises as Qi Lan. We have picked “eccentric” for the word “qi”, but one can argue that “fantastic”, “unique”, “amazing” etc are equally suitable.
However, those who understand the traditional literary context of the making of such and other poetic names may appreciate that the long tradition of the use of the word qi in referring to something or someone that is admirably different from others.
In the long history of Old China, eccentricity has been a virtue especially in dark times, when power and money corrupt to the core of the soul of a society. When all that we build our believes on are dying, such as now, a little eccentricity — a bit of holding on to the old virtues and not falling with the flock — helps to keep us sane.
As brilliantly pointed out by Tea Hong, eccentricity is an often misunderstood quality. This tea represents eccentricity at its best. Dry leaf is fragrant of flowers and subtle vegetal hints. Adding hot water, the tea releases a pleasantly fragrant and silky liquor. Continued steeping yields many more unique, exhilarating, eccentric cups of floral, woody, mineral, velvety tea. Budmo.
This is good Qi Lan, I really enjoy the way it opens up and the way it maintains its composure across multiple brews. It needs to be pushed hard, but has a lot of flavors to give, and the whole experience ends up being very enjoyable because every cup has great flavors and leaves some amazing sensations in the body & mind.
The flavor profile is complex, and immediately bursts out with perfectly-intertwined notes of florals and spices, along with a creamy-smooth sensation and a deep earthiness that is characteristic of zhengyan yancha.
The aftertaste is persistent, the sweetness is apparent, and the charm of this yancha lingers in the throat pleasantly for a while. Hui Yuan is one of the most expensive micro-terroirs in all of Wuyi, as it is one of the original “three pits and two streams” which define the most historically-accurate, and inner-most production regions in all of Wuyi.
This is a very good price for what is undoubtedly very good yancha.
Usually Qi Lan either too little fire or too much fire. This one is just right and very good smell. Excellent Wuyishan taste and after taste. Good for Zen tea for one person drinking. Also good for me and my family for breakfast tea.