Bai Lin Gong Fu Black Tea
Bai Lin Gong Fu Black Tea
Other names: Golden Needle Congou, Bai Lin Jin Zhen Congou, Ju Hong
One of the earliest (and best) Chinese black teas ever to be produced, Bai Lin Gong Fu is made from buds twisted into tight elegant gold-streaked curls. The liquor is reddish-brown and tastes naturally of caramel and cream so needs absolutely nothing added. This is a wonderful example of whole leaf black tea. It it is a glorious breakfast tea and so reasonably priced for a tea of this calibre, it can be an everyday affordable luxury.
Our Buyer’s notes
“The leaves of this tea have fine organgey yellow hairs, indicating the use of buds by the makers. Delightful, easy drinking black tea.”
Read more about Bai Lin Gong Fu black tea in Canton Tea School
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Range |
Premium |
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Country |
China |
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Origin |
Bai Lin, Tai Mu Mountain, Fu Ding County, Fujian Province. |
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Plantation Altitude |
500 - 800 meters above sea level. |
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Harvest Date |
Spring - 2009 |
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Varietal |
Fu Ding Da Bai Cha variety. |
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Leaf Appearance |
Only tender buds, which are shaped into tight and elegant strips. The leaves have fine orangy-yellow hairs hence its nickname - Ju Hong (clementine red). |
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Aroma |
The ‘Hao Xiang’ (bud's aroma) is fresh and sweet with a hint of creamy caramel |
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Liquor |
Golden red |
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Tasting Notes |
Smooth texture and a long, soft, mellow aftertaste. |
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Quick Brewing Instructions |
Use 2tsp per cup (200ml); water temperature around 80°C (176°F): and infuse 2-3 mins.
Read more in Canton Tea School. |
Conclusion: This was one of the best Chinese black teas that I have ever had. It was very smooth and subdued, yet rich and strong. It showed intense color through three infusions without any signs of lightening up."
I have not encountered very many black teas that were suitable for brewing using thegongfu method, but as the name would suggest, Canton Tea Co’s Bai Ling Gong Fu is one of them. It is quite a marvelous tea, with a rich, velvet-like character much smoother than most black teas, even Yunnan Gold (Dian Hong) teas, which are notoriously quite smooth
Customer Reviews
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Wonderful! Review by Mrs H Robyn
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This is a most interetsting tea; rich, smooth and wonderful with a ginger nut....
(Posted on 01/07/2010)
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I cant recommend this Bai Lin Gong Fu highly enough... if you havent tried it you havent lived!! Review by Tewse
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I start the day with the most wonderful subtle flavours of CTCo's Bai Lin Gong Fu... not too strong and its caramel flavours explode in the mouth as the sunrises.... If I havent had some more by midmorning then Im working too hard and I stop, take time to absorb myself in the ritual, a couple of tea spoons of leaves gently steeped for 5 mnutes in water off the boil, and I sit and reflect as the individual leaves rise and fall.... life is GOOD with exotic notes of burnt orange and subtle chocolate overtones... totally absorbing. Needless to say CTCo's Bai Lin Gong Fu is always there for afternoonTea with a biscuit or almond slice... and finaly as the lights go out I retire with a good book and YES the delicate warm embrace of this exceptional Chinese Red Tea...
Its almost too good to share!!
Thank you to Canton Tea Co for finding it...
(Posted on 18/06/2010)
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This leaf is absolutely gorgeous. Review by Gretchen
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On a shopping trip the other day I saw a box labeled Chinese Red tea. Chinese *red* tea? I’ve never heard of that, I’ve heard of white, green, black, herbal, oolong, honeybush and rooibos teas, but not Chinese Red. I’ve heard rooibos called red, but don’t think Rooibos grows in China. So what is this red tea? Then, a package arrived in the mail with a packet of Bai Lin Gong Fu in it, and it said Red Tea on it! YAY! I get to try this thing!
Then, I found out that Chinese red tea is the local Chinese name for black tea. Oh. Phooey. I was hoping for a whole new experience. But upon further thought, I don’t know how many non-blended Chinese black teas I’ve had – most have been Indian, Sri Lankan, blends, or flavored. So this is still something new. Excellent. Time to open the packet.
This leaf is absolutely gorgeous. Light brown fuzzy leaves make up about 50% of the sample. And the aroma is luscious. Malty, with hints of cocoa and sweetness. Once brewed up, this is a lovely light orange. And the flavor? Mellow, smooth and sweet smelling. If it wasn’t for the caffeine content, this would be the tea equivalent of wrapping up in a blanket in front of the fire for a nap. I tend to sweeten my black teas, and I am just fine drinking this without any additives.
As an introduction to Chinese red teas, this is a great start. I look forward to trying others, especially if they’re at all like this one.
See more reviews of Canton Tea products at: http://www.itsallabouttheleaf.com/ (Posted on 16/06/2010)
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This is a fabulous tea and I will need to stock up on it Review by Jamie
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When this tea arrived, I didn’t recognize the name and the only red tea that I’d tried was rooibos (I love rooibos). Seemed a curious name for an African ‘tea’ though hmm. Yes, this grasshopper has a lot to learn.
So I grabbed my brand new tea bowl and my Finum basket and opened the tea. I still had an image of rooibos in my mind so I was surprised to see the tightly curled, golden brown leaves. Steeped it for a few minutes and watch the water go from clear to a soft reddish color. The scent was familiar but I couldn’t place it, really sweet and malty, I was still thinking it must be a tisane.
Then I tasted it and the first sip was tangy, almost fruity, but smooth and malty. Got to the second steep right away and the taste seemed to have changed. It became even more complex with different tones, it was like drinking candied fruit. I still couldn’t place the tea and was stunned to find out that this is a black tea. So now I have no idea where the fruity taste came from because it’s a pure tea, not a blend nor a tisane. I want to say that it tasted like candy apples but it wasn’t a crisp apple tone, more of a soft plum taste.
This is a fabulous tea and I will need to stock up on it. And I’m really pleased to know that I still have a long learning adventure with teas. It’s always nice to be surprised – now I’m off to learn the Gong Fu process of tea preparation.
See more reviews of Canton Tea products at: http://www.itsallabouttheleaf.com/ (Posted on 16/06/2010)
From $14.19 for 50g Sample: $3.94
From $12.61 for 50g Sample: $3.15
From $20.49 for 50g Sample: $5.52
