I have come to expect very high quality teas from Narien, and thus far, I’ve not been disappointed.  This is one of the finest quality Dragonwell teas that I’ve encountered.

The dry leaves are long and thin, looking a bit like dried grass clippings.  They give off a very strong grassy aroma that reminds me of the smell of a freshly mowed lawn.  That fragrance intensifies when the leaves are brewed.

The flavor is enchanting.  A lovely vegetative flavor – very fresh tasting – washes over the palate.  There is a soft sweetness to the flavor.  It has a pleasant, almost-buttery mouthfeel to it that reminds me of a green Oolong, although it’s not quite as substantial as an Oolong.

There is only a slight bitterness to the taste of the tea – but it is an agreeable bitter taste – not off-putting.  The astringency is also very slight… just barely there.  Because of the natural, mild sweetness of this tea, it does not need to be sweetened.  In fact, I think it would ruin a perfectly good tea to add sweetener to this!  It’s delicious just the way it is.

Narien Tea describes this tea as

Dragonwell (Longjing or Lung Ching) is a delicate green tea known for its gentle, sweet flavor.   Dragonwell Green Tea is from eastern China from the providence of Zhejiang.  It is famous throughout China for its superior quality and still the most widely

Origin

This delightful tea come from the Hangzhou’s West Lake district in in the Zhejiang Province of China. Dragonwell is grown in the mountainous area where mild climate and rainfall are plentiful year round.

The term “Lung Ching” or “Lungching” translates to “Dragon Well.”  The tea has taken the name of its village of origin.  Legend tells of a drought that took its toll on the village around 250AD.  Several Taoist priests told the villagers that if they prayed to the dragon who lived in nearby spring, he would bring rain.  Many believed that the spring was connected to the sea underground and the since the dragon lived there, he could bring them new water.  The villagers prayed to the dragon and rain came to end the drought.  The village and monastery have since take on the name of Dragon Well, which is what is it called today.

You can read more about the history and production of this Dragonwell tea here.

While it is very good iced, it is not one that I would recommend as an iced tea, only because a Dragonwell of this quality should be enjoyed at its full flavor – which can only be achieved hot.   As I said, it does not require any sweetener, but, a wafer-thin slice of lemon is nice in this tea – and the citrus helps the body absorb the green tea’s healthful properties… and not only is Dragonwell delicious, but it is VERY good for you, too.

This is a really lovely Dragonwell tea that can be infused several times.  The first infusion takes just a minute, so don’t over brew it.  After that, add about 30 seconds on to each subsequent infusion.  I got four very flavorful infusions out of the same measurement of leaves – each cup is serenely sweet and delicious!  Perfect!

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