Pre Rain Organic Anji Bai Cha Green Tea

I've never been a fan of green teas, Be they Chinese or Japanese I have in the past never managed to get a flavour out of them that i have liked.
Recently i decided i would try and actually find a green tea i liked, aside from the different health benefits over say puerh or oolong, I also wanted something a little different; a different colour in my pallete so to speak.

The first decent green tea i tried was a dragons well, under the assumption that as this is pretty much the definitive green tea if i don't like this i'm going to give up on green.

Needless to say I didn't like it.
I tried brewing it at 80, 70, 60 degrees c and still the flavour was in my mind just meaty and highly unpleasent (actually tuna fish was closer to the flavour)

On my last order with Jing i had purchased one of their amazing 2003 wild puerh bings (see review)and i also thought i would give this tea a go, I said to myself if i don't like this im never ever going to waste money on green tea, and i shall put its whole popularity down to some kind of emperor's new clothes syndrome.

So in my slightly chubbier than normal though not unsightly hand i had clasped a bag of Jing's finest Anji Bai Cha.

I opened the bag (not uncommon when wishing to get to a product) I was greeted literally by the Command In Chief of the Aroma Republic.
I don't think there are words in the english language to explain how exquiste the smell of those dry leaves are, its something slightly tropical, lingering, its just fantastic.

So you can imagine my deep dispair (maybe annoyance) when i brewed this at 70 degrees to find a cup of tea that only slightly varied from my arch nemesis Dragon Well.

I concede it wasn't as nutty, nor as tunary, but alas it did have elements i found unwholesome in a tea.

disillusioned i wandered the house in a semi daze, trying to fathom exactly what went wrong.
Surely (i said to myself) Anji Bai cha was sent a savior, an ambassador for green tea, the green tea which every other green tea wants to be when it grows up.

As if in answer to my deep and perplexing self questioning i suddenly spied the beautiful jing tea pack.
60 degrees they say!

Ah says I, website says 70 bag says 60, the bag i think is talking my language.

So same thing again, this time a 60 degree brew.

My heart sank, flavour still more or less the same, it didn't really have any elements that the fantastical dry leaf smell gave.

About a week passed and i had something of a revelation, what if i try brewing it under 50 degrees?
Insane they will call me, this is surely meant only for Gyokuro teas.

So third time round, not really expecting this to work.
By now i feel a little like a muggle who has gotten hold of Harry Potter's spell book, I don't really expect to make any magic, but what the hell im here now.

So in goes the water just under 5o degrees celcius, I leave it for the customery 3 minutes.

YESSSSSS
Finally that tropical fruit taste is here! and whats more? it is the dominant flavour!
None of this hint, nonsence, this is a full on centre stage flavour which although gentle on the tongue is strong in the mix.
Finally a green tea I can enjoy.

After more fuffing around and tinkering i've worked out the best method for me.

I take about 2.5g of the Anji, add to my beautifully functional Jing Small gong fu teapot,
add water of around 50 degrees and wait 3 mins.

Next infusion same as before but 4 mins.

The water should be cool enough so that you can actually hold the glass teapot in your hands without it burning you ( i am not endorsing this method atall, please do not do as i do lol " legal bit done")

All in all i have to say this is a wonderful if not delicate tea.
If like me you have never been fond of long jing dont fret, try anji.

As a final word of warning i cannot stress highly enough how temperature critical this tea is.

Gyokoru has a wider latitude of error than Anji!

Brew it right though and its glorious.

Thanks for reading.