Bai Ji Guan (白雞冠)
archetype: White rooster
A white rooster cries on the cliff: a clear lemon note through the cliff's fire.
History
Bai Ji Guan is the 'lightest' of the four famous Wuyi yancha: its leaf is not dark green but pale yellow, almost golden. The oxidation and roast are shorter — only 30–40 % — to keep the high citrus-floral note. It differs from the other 'dan cha' by a bright voice that breaks through even the deepest mineral base of the mountain.
Terroir
The best gardens are Huiyuan Yan and Yin Zu Yan, on less shaded slopes; the leaf there gets a little more sun, and the citrus note speaks louder.
Leaf
lemon zest, ripe melon, green grass, warm stone; in the middle infusions a honey sweetness long, cool, leaving in the throat a thin citrus note and a stony minerality
Properties
rich in volatile citrus esters and moderate catechins; gently invigorating, good for the nervous system light, rising into the head; felt as 'a window opening' at the temples moderate (30–45 mg)
Brewing ritual
a 110 ml gaiwan — so the freshness is not lost; 98 °C; 7 g / 110 ml. 8s — the first call: lemon zest, meadow grass; 10s — the peak: ripe melon, warm stone; 12s — a sweet finish, a faint honey; 18s — a long fresh note; 30s — a late call — thin coolness.
When to drink
morning and early day. spring and early autumn — for the thin air. when you need freshness, clarity of thought, voice; in the morning after poor sleep