There are many types of Tea, and there are also various styles of purple clay pots. Different types of tea can be brewed with different styles of purple clay pots. So what kind of purple clay pot should be used for White Tea? How can one brew to bring out the tea's fragrance? Consider the following aspects.
brewing White Tea by Category
· Freshly Harvested ‘New White Tea' ·
New white tea has not been stored for a long time or transformed, its internal substances are active and rich, and its aroma is fresh and refreshing. A variety of grassy aromas, fresh bamboo shoot aromas, and floral fragrances blend together. This sweet and mellow richness is the most commendable feature of new white tea.
Such an aroma is very suitable for enhancing with a red clay pot.
Red clay pots generally have a high number of meshes and high density, they force out the aroma quickly and have strong aromatic power. They have little absorption loss of the aroma of highly fragrant teas, perfectly preserving and enhancing the tea's aroma, presenting it with excellent taste.
· Transformed ‘Aged White Tea' ·
The aroma changes from fresh to low-key, restrained, and gentle, transforming from intense to subtle, from rich to light. Such an aroma is warm and nourishing, an essential part of aged white tea.
The infusion color of aged white tea is orange-yellow, and it can be brewed at high temperatures. Its aroma is stable, so there is no need to worry about it being absorbed by the purple clay pot.
Purple clay, red clay, green clay, etc., can all handle it easily.
What to Pay Attention to When Brewing White Tea with a Purple Clay Pot
Brewing white tea with a purple clay pot retains its original flavor without the aroma dispersing. Since white tea is not subjected to fixation or rolling in its processing, its brewing process needs to be longer. The older the white tea is stored, the more durable it is when brewed. Aged white tea that has been stored for five years or more is suitable for brewing first and then boiling. For traditionally processed, well-stored aged white tea over ten years old, one brewing can last a whole day.
Here, we cannot only discuss methods based on new or aged white tea; let's talk about the brewing methods for different categories of white tea.
01 Silver Needle White Tea
Its tea buds are slender and tender, and the water temperature should not be too high, around 90 degrees Celsius is fine. When brewing high-quality white tea, hot water should not be poured directly onto the tea buds but along the side of the pot, avoiding damage to the appearance of the tea buds and preventing a large amount of Silver down from falling off and making the tea soup cloudy.
The shape of Silver Needle white tea is slender and delicate, with plump and lush buds, and the time to extract the tea is relatively long, making it very durable. Even after ten infusions, the tea color remains, although the taste becomes much lighter, it still retains its aftertaste.
02 Brewing White Peony
White peony consists of one bud and one or two leaves, with both the bud and leaf present. The tea buds are delicate and slender, while the leaves are bold and expansive. The water temperature should not be too low, as a low temperature makes it difficult for the tea flavor to come out, and if the water temperature is too high, it will damage the tea buds. The ideal brewing temperature for white peony is between 90-100 degrees Celsius, with other precautions similar to those for Silver Needle white tea.
03 Brewing Tribute Eyebrow or Longevity Eyebrow
Tribute eyebrow and longevity eyebrow are mainly made of tea leaves, their shapes are coarse and simple, exuding an ancient style. Their three outstanding features are: the deep red and beautiful infusion color, the full and rich taste, and their remarkable effects. Therefore, the water temperature for brewing tribute eyebrow and longevity eyebrow can be 100 degrees Celsius, and they can be brewed for a longer period.
04 Brewing Old Tea Cake
Old tea cakes are compressed and quite compact due to their long storage time, undergoing natural fermentation, which brings a unique and thick taste. Only boiling water can fully reveal their true colors. “One year as tea, three years as medicine, seven years as treasure,” to maximize the extraction of beneficial components from aged white tea, it can be brewed for two or three infusions before boiling.
For beginners, using a lid bowl allows better control over the temperature and the timing of pouring out the water, but for experienced pot users, the operation is more flexible. In fact, the reason why purple clay pots are used for brewing white tea comes down to their advantages.
Advantages of Brewing White Tea with a Purple Clay Pot
1. Brewing tea with a purple clay pot results in a rich and lasting fragrance.
2. Purple clay pots have good breathability and strong adsorption capacity.
3. Brewing tea with a purple clay pot keeps the temperature for a long time. When it is inconvenient to boil aged white tea, a purple clay pot is very practical.
4. Brewing tea with a purple clay pot produces a mellow aroma and good heat retention without a cooked taste. It can preserve the true essence of the tea, and the longer a purple clay pot is used, the better it gets. (Using a duan clay pot to brew white tea is also a good choice. Duan clay is light in color and is most suitable for brewing unfermented or lightly fermented teas, making it easier to maintain a clean and glossy finish.)
White tea paired with a purple clay pot complements each other beautifully.
Both purple clay pots and white tea are favored by collectors, becoming more vibrant over time. The longer a purple clay pot is used to brew white tea, the brighter and more elegant its luster becomes, with a refined and graceful aura.
Although it takes longer to nurture a pot with white tea, the effect is very delicate and smooth, pleasing to the eye. Over long-term use, the pot will become increasingly glossy and elegant due to handling and polishing. Source: Tea Pleasure World. If there are any copyright issues, please contact us to remove them.