Last year we released the Frosted Papers Zhangping Shuixian blind box that compared a few different makers and different styles of the pressed Shuixian Oolong we found out in Zhangping. Through the feedback and results, we settled on one of the maker’s young Chen. This year, we are bringing Chen’s teas back to the ring to battle with a new producer we found: an Inheritor of the Zhangping Shuixian Intangible Cultural Heritage Lin Genghua.
This box aims to compare the consistent practice of maker Chen with the recognized pinnacle of craft represented by master Lin Genghua.
The Maker’s Teas:
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Fragrant Zhangping Shuixian (1 brew - 10 grams)
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Roasted Zhangping Shuixain (1 brew - 10 grams)
The Maker Chen’s dedication to his craft creates an affordable tea that is consistently quality, this tea to us represents the standard of excellent Zangping Shuixain one can reliably find on the market today. It is a product born of practice, of consistent and dependable methods like the baking of bread or following a recipe.
The Master’s Teas:
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Fragrant Zhangping Shuixian (1 brew - 10 grams)
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Roasted Zhangping Shuixain (1 brew - 10 grams)
The Master Lin Genghua on the other hand lives and breathes the tea process. Obsessed with checking every aspect of the production, through touching and smelling the leaves, he has an intuition on what it needs to flourish. He isn’t simply following the steps, but adjusting on the fly as each batch of leaves is truly unique.
While Chen’s approach could be viewed as simply scientific, Lin’s approach brushes the edges of artistic expression.
Art comes at a cost though, as Lin’s teas are almost ten times the price of Chen’s. We invite you to sample through all these teas, compare Chen’s Roasted and Unroasted tea’s to Lin’s Roasted and Unroasted offerings. While we find Lin’s teas to be on another level, we are still skeptical if they are truly worth the staggering price difference, and we ask you to taste and decide for yourselves.
In the box:
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Chen’s Fragrant Zhangping Shuixian (1 brew - 10 grams)
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Chen’s Roasted Zhangping Shuixain (1 brew - 10 grams)
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Lin’s Fragrant Zhangping Shuixian (1 brew - 10 grams)
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Lin’s Roasted Zhangping Shuixain (1 brew - 10 grams)
Brewing Recommendations: We recommend brewing this tea the same way they do in Zhangping, that means brewing the whole 10 gram tea biscuit in a 100-120ml gaiwan. At first, we were afraid to brew so much tea, but the tea is perfectly suited for this style of brewing and creates a fragrant cup of tea that is long lasting and not overtly bitter.
