Bao Zhong Oolong包種茶

Bao Zhong Oolong is a oolong from Wenshan (Pinglin, Shiding), New Taipei City, Taiwan. Brew it at 85°C with 4g of leaf per 100ml of water; expect up to 7 short infusions in a small gaiwan or teapot. No rinse needed.

Tasting notes

If you want to understand how thin the line between oolong and green tea really is, brew a Bao Zhong. The leaf is long and loosely twisted, not rolled into pearls, and it's barely oxidized — maybe 10-15%. That means two things at the table. First, extraction is instant: the moment water hits, the gaiwan smells like gardenia and wet grass, and if you linger past 20 seconds on steep one you get a grassy bitterness that doesn't belong. Second, the session is short. Four good pours, maybe five, then the leaf gives up. Keep the water cool — 85°C, not boiling — because this is essentially green tea in an oolong's accent, and heat pulls astringency out of it fast. The cup itself is pale yellow-green, floral without being cloying, with a clean mineral finish. Wenshan in a glass.

Flavor profile

The closest oolong gets to green tea — delicate gardenia and lily florals over a light, buttery body. Gentle honeyed sweetness with grassy freshness and a clean mineral finish. The twisted leaf gives immediate extraction, so early steeps are intensely aromatic but the session is shorter than ball-rolled oolongs.

Terroir

Low-to-moderate elevation (~300–600m), heavy rainfall, subtropical

Cultivar: Qing Xin

Brewing

1. Steep 1: 20 seconds
2. Steep 2: 15 seconds
3. Steep 3: 15 seconds
4. Steep 4: 20 seconds
5. Steep 5: 25 seconds
6. Steep 6: 30 seconds
7. Steep 7: 40 seconds

Lower temperature than ball-rolled oolongs — 80–85°C protects the delicate florals. Twisted leaves extract fast; keep early steeps short or the tea turns bitter.

Aroma & taste

Processing

• withered
• semi-oxidized
• twisted

Sources

• https://beautifultaiwantea.com/products/baozhong-oolong-tea-taiwan
• https://teadb.org/baozhong/
• https://pathofcha.com/products/wenshan-baozhong-tea
• https://pathofcha.com/blogs/all-about-tea/wenshan-baozhong-taiwans-treasured-oolong-tea-legacy
• https://tecompanytea.com/blogs/tea-atelier/what-is-baozhong
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baozhong_tea