Dragon's Well versus Snow Dragon

 Today's post is another comparison of teas. In my last tea order, I got a bag of snow dragon green tea. This tea is described as being from Fujian province in China. The liquor is described as being earthy in aroma, and mellow in taste. When I got the tea, it really reminded me of dragon's well in look. It also appears to be a pan fired tea. According to the Tao of Tea website, a single bud and leaf are plucked, then gently pan roasted over low heat. The leaf is said to be dragon shaped, and the white down is carefully preserved during processing to lend the "snow" part of the name. 

Dragon's well (aka lung ching) is noted for 4 unique characteristics: jade color, vegetative aroma, mellow chestnut flavor, and its broadsword shape. It is collected just after the rains in the tea fields surrounding the famous Dragon's Well in the hills near West lake. It took me a bit longer to find West Lake China. It turns out that it is in Zhejiang province which is just north of Fujian province. Both are on the China sea. Fijian province is right next to Taiwan. The Tao of Tea website is a little more vague about this tea's description, but they have great pictures. Dragon's well tea is roasted in small woks for its distinctive flavor and shape. 

As you can see, snow dragon tea on the right is a little lighter in color. Actually, it has more of a downy covering than dragon's well does. That said, dragon's well is known for having some yellowish downy material on it, so snow dragon has more. 

I didn't want to brew a huge amount of tea for comparison. As I gazed around my kitchen at the various pieces of tea ware that had finished drying on the counter, I suddenly realized that I could gaiwan brew both and present them in white cups. 

I think I'm done with buying tea ware for a while, so things are a little mix and match. 

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I also took a picture side by side with similar lighting to really compare the color. The Dragon's well is on the left while snow dragon is on the right. 

The color is virtually the same. If you look closely, there is a slight difference. 

I pulled out my book with the tea flavor wheel in it. I chose roasted nuts and mineral flavors from the chart on dragon's well. It was harder to categorize the flavor of snow dragon. I started leaning more toward the grassy descriptions with a hint of minerality. The more time I spend with the 2 teas side by side, the more difference I notice. The snow dragon is definitely a more mild flavor. So there you have it, a comparison of "dragon" teas. 

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