Bu Zhi Chun不知春

Bu Zhi Chun is a oolong from Wuyishan, Fujian. Brew it at 100°C with 6g of leaf per 100ml of water; expect up to 9 short infusions in a small gaiwan or teapot. A quick rinse is recommended.

Tasting notes

Bu Zhi Chun means 'unaware of spring' — the cultivar buds so late it seems to miss the season. That late start shows in the cup: softer than most Wuyi yancha, no sharp edges, everything rounded. Honey and toasted sugarcane come first, with a stone-milk creaminess I can only describe as baked rice. The yan yun arrives late, steep four or five, as a quiet cooling at the back of the throat rather than a loud mineral slap. This is yancha you can drink a little lazy — it forgives slightly longer pours without turning bitter, which makes it a decent first yancha for people who normally find the category too intense. Boiling water is still the right answer; anything cooler and the roast character flattens into wet cardboard. Late steeps get thin before they get bitter, which is the honest signal to stop. Good through eight or nine infusions.

Flavor profile

A late-harvest yancha — the name means 'unaware of spring' because the cultivar buds so late it seems to miss the season entirely. Honey-sweet with a toasty fragrance and pronounced yan yun (rock rhyme). The palate is mellow and smooth with floral-mineral notes and hints of sugarcane, finishing with a cooling aftertaste and deep throat resonance.

Terroir

Wuyi rock mineral soil (zhengyan), narrow gorges and stream beds

Cultivar: Bu Zhi Chun (late-budding cultivar)

Brewing

Rinse: Quick rinse to wash off charcoal dust and warm the leaf.

1. Quick rinse — pour off immediately.
2. Steep 1: 10 seconds
3. Steep 2: 8 seconds
4. Steep 3: 8 seconds
5. Steep 4: 10 seconds
6. Steep 5: 15 seconds
7. Steep 6: 20 seconds
8. Steep 7: 25 seconds
9. Steep 8: 30 seconds
10. Steep 9: 45 seconds

Full boiling water brings out the best yan yun. The rock character (mineral, cooling) builds with each steep — be patient through the first few infusions.

Aroma & taste

Processing

• withered
• semi-oxidized
• twisted
• charcoal-roasted

Sources

• https://teadb.org/wuyi-oolong-compendium/
• https://store-chazhiji.com/products/wuyi-rock-tea-bu-zhi-chun
• https://dragonteahouse.biz/bu-zhi-chun-knows-not-of-spring-wuyi-yan-cha-rock-tea-oolong/