Organic Gunpowder Supreme Green Tea

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I am no great fan of green tea, and even less fond of gunpowder green tea. But sometimes I do get surprised by a really good greenie.
The good folks at JING Tea apparently felt my pain, because they deliberately set out to source a quality gunpowder. The first hint that this tea is something special is in its appearance: Instead of nasty little blackened pellets, the tea leaves are a beautiful green, and are rolled somewhat loosely: From a distance, they might be mistaken for a rolled green oolong. The dry leaf has a very faint herbal/green nose.
I prepared this tea in three different ways. The suggested water temperature for this tea differs on the package from the instructions posted online. I’m not sure why this is, but I decided to try making the tea both ways, and then as a cold-brewed iced tea. Here is what I came up with:
• 60C/140F: The hot tea prepared at this temperature produced a beautiful, light-bodied, green-gold liquor. The taste was simply delicious, and best described as “green”. It reminded me of the first bite of young, super-fresh, lightly steamed broccoli or a tangle of freshly picked baby lettuces. I have never had a green tea, never mind a gunpowder, as sprightly as Organic Gunpowder Supreme brewed at this temperature.
• 80C/176F: This temperature produced a very different tea from the previous batch. While the tea is still very good, it has a more “united” presence, with all of its flavors blended together, and thus lacks the sprightly, herbal nature of the cooler preparation. On the other hand, this tea has a savory quality, particularly at the finish, that is deeply satisfying.
• Cold Brew Iced Tea: I put four tablespoons of this tea, along with some of the lovely fresh water that I get here in Southern Oregon, into my Iced Tea Maker and let it sit in the fridge overnight. The result was an incredibly fresh-tasting iced green tea. The herbal/green notes were fully evident in this preparation, as are the “subtle mineral notes” that Jing mentions on this tea’s packaging. Wonderfully refreshing, this is the quintessential iced green tea.
I have to say that I like Organic Gunpowder Supreme as an iced tea best, though all three preparations were good. Incidentally, the leaves on this tea are simply beautiful when unfurled. So beautiful, in fact, it seems a shame to throw them away. I actually had a nibble on one (after the 80C/176F infusion, and found it remarkably tasty and peppery. So much so, that when I get the ingredients, I am going to whip up a vinaigrette and try ‘em as a salad.
Highly recommended.

The Gunpowder Supreme is a full and flavoursome tea. It has a bright and smoothly textured taste. Its subtle citrus undertone comes through particularly in the aftertaste.

I personally like to brew this tea in cool 60C to 70C water for a quick three minutes, using a large amount of leaf. I prefer JINGs own Gong-Fu glass teapot for this tea, in order to show off the tea’s natural straw colour, balanced with a vibrant green hue.

I find this tea is wonderfully suited to drinking in the mid to late afternoon, a perfect time to relax and unwind. I drink it without food, as this enables my palette to properly appreciate its range of subtleties.