I steeped this tea at 212 degrees for 2 minutes (using the entire sample packet). The packet suggested 1-2 minutes; I sampled it after 1 minute and decided I wanted it stronger, so I left it in for another minute.
The rolled leaves start to expand as soon as they’re submerged. They’re pretty tightly rolled, but they expand a LOT. I’m not really good at determining the level of oxidation in an oolong but I’d say it was fairly light to medium, based on the color of the leaves (and of the liquor). They seem to be high-quality, fairly intact leaves; I was able to pull out one crumpled piece and tease it open to discover that it was actually a couple of entire leaves attached to a bud by the associated stem. So cool! It makes me feel a lot closer to the plant, somehow, than when the leaves are pre-measured into a sachet and/or chopped up into eensy bits.
The tea liquor when steeped is a mid-light yellow, not quite as light as the average green tea, with that distinctive oolong-y fragrance (a bit floral and a bit savory).
First sip: tangy. There’s a definite presence of acidic/astringent aspect. A warming, slightly roasty flavor travels over the top of the tongue while the astringency pulls at the sides of the tongue. By “roasty flavor” I mean an almost nutty, hearty savoriness. It’s not exactly roasted (and certainly not smoky) but it’s a very hearty presence with more depth than just the floral/orchid oolonginess.
The flavor is overall quite smooth with no noticeable bitterness. This smoothness combines with the savoriness to give an almost buttery impression. There’s maybe a tiny bit of mineral-y-ness as well, combining with the green (in a good vegetal sort of way) and slightly roasty/hearty/buttery flavor to create a very satisfying flavor profile.
The tea is fairly sweet already, so I added just a pinch of sugar. I don’t usually prefer milk with oolongs, so I didn’t add any. I imagine you could re-steep this tea with good results as well, based on the quality of the leaves.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Description
The Nonpareil Taiwan DaYuLing High Mountain Cha Wang Oolong Tea is grown in the area at the altitude of 2500 meters, in which the climate is cold and forests grow well. This cold and moisture condition is suitable for tea trees’ growth. In addition, the soil here is fertile, meanwhile performs well in drainage. Thus the tea leaves carry a natural scent of flower and fruit.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Nonpareil Taiwan DaYuLing High Mountain Cha Wang Oolong Tea from Teavivre. . .
My daughter asked me what tea we were drinking tonight. When I told her the name of this one, I got quite a stare, followed by “All righty then.” What a delight this was to make and to drink. The tea is gorgeous before you even steep it – tight, hard twists and knots of deep army green and the most delicious aroma. And then you steep it and those hard knots become giant green leaves packing the infuser basket and promising many more steeps to come.
The tea is pale in color, but a buttery fragrance wafts from the cup. The taste is smooth and creamy, not quite a milk oolong but close. And a floral fragrance lays on top of the buttery aroma. No roasted oolong this, but a fresh green one. After the sip, a soft vegetal taste rises and lingers.
I love tea like this when I am going to be drinking it for an extended time, resteeping and sharing. This is a tea that the seasoned tea drinker can enjoy, but also would be a great introduction for those who are new to fine loose leaf and oolong. Interesting, flavorful, and accessible. Although it is a more expensive tea than some, the fact that it resteeps so well makes it well worth the price for the green oolong lover. And if anyone asks what you are drinking, look wise and mystical and impress the socks right off of them as you rattle of the name of this one!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Description
The Nonpareil Taiwan DaYuLing High Mountain Cha Wang Oolong Tea is grown in the area at the altitude of 2500 meters, in which the climate is cold and forests grow well. This cold and moisture condition is suitable for tea trees’ growth. In addition, the soil here is fertile, meanwhile performs well in drainage. Thus the tea leaves carry a natural scent of flower and fruit.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Ma Liu Mie the Monkey King and Monkey Picked Oolong from Teavivre
There’s a lot to take in with a name like Taiwan Monkey Picked (Ma Liu Mie) Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea, but the most exciting part is “Monkey-Picked.” What? Really? There were monkeys involved in getting this tea from the tree to my teapot? According to legend, the steep cliff-side where this tea is grown is too treacherous for tea farmers to reach the leaves, so they trained monkeys to pick the leaves for them. Ma Liu Mie is an honorable nickname for this tea used by the locals, as well as the name of the tea-picking Monkey King of legend. Read more about the tea under the “more info” tab here.
My first impression of this tea is that the leaves are small and dense, not cut or broken, but simply in a different shape than the long curls of black tea I’ve come to expect. Dry, this oolong smells pleasantly earthy with a bit of stone-fruit sweetness like raisin or apricot. I followed the recommended brewing instructions, using very hot, boiling water and a hefty serving of tea leaves.
At first sip, I notice strong roasted flavors. However, this tea is not full-on smoke-flavored like lapsang souchong, instead it is more complex, like the perfect warm, golden-char flavor of eating food cooked over a campfire. There are some of the aged, fermented notes I tend to associate with pu erh, but they are much more gentle and less sour. This type of earthiness is concentrated and layered, with notes of toasted grains, warm woods, and new leather.
On a day-to-day basis, I drink tea that is drinkable and easy-going. I have to be in the right mood to want a bold, smokey lapsang souchong, or a challenging, fishy pu erh. This Monkey Picked Oolong is a perfect compromise between all three. It is so much more than a basic breakfast tea, but it is not so sour or smokey to bowl you over. It is gentle and earthy, smooth and toasted, and it has a well-earned, legendary reputation.
How could you not give Monkey Picked Oolong a try?
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Description:
Using Taiwan autumn tea as material, this Monkey Picked Tie Guanyin carefully selected by TeaVivre is baked slowly by soft fire (the baking process falls into three steps and every step lasts two minutes). The degree of fermentation is 100 percent so that the dried tea can keep a long-lasting fragrance. After brewing, the smell of honey peach and the baked flavor can be perfectly appreciated and the beverage tastes gorgeously smooth.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Rose Dragon Ball Black Tea from Teavivre. . . . .
When I lived in Montreal there was a tea from a local tea store, Camellia Sinensis, that I loved. I usually am not one for florals but that blend, Des Roses et Des Bonbons was absolutely amazing. Unfortunately, that tea was discontinued.
This tea is reminiscent of that great rose flavor, even if it does lack the “bonbons” candy element. Nonetheless, it’s sweet and floral making for a delicate treat. The black tea base contributes a silky smoothness with a great deal of malt and a dash of smoke. The base and rose flavor combine quite harmoniously to make a lovely everyday sort of tea where there is enough flavor to keep things interesting but not too much that you will bore of it quickly. With that in mind, it’s probably a good transition tea for those trying to make the jump from flavored to straight teas (or vice versa).
Plus, this is also a fun tea to watch brew. The large pearl comes filled with rose flowers. As the black tea blooms, the roses inside float to the top making for a one beautiful looking brew. Could be the tea to go with when you want to impress a friend or perhaps if you just want something relaxing to watch for a few minutes.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Description
The materials of Rose Dragon Ball Black tea are from Yunnan arbor old tea trees combining with Phnom Penh Rose, expertly rolled into a large pearl-like shape. Phnom Penh Rose is a specialty among the categories of Yunnan’s edible foods. Compared with other roses, the Phnom Penh Rose has a smaller appearance with light taste, but it presents a more delicate sweet taste and fragrance. Because of this reason, it’s capable of covering the strong taste and sometimes even some extent of bitterness from the old tea trees.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Superfine Keemun Mao Feng Black Tea from Teavivre
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: TeaVivre
Tea Description:
- Original Place: Qi men County, Anhui
- Tree Species: Zhuye
- Appearance: black, tightly twisted tea leaves interweave with tight and straight tips
- Flavor: smells of naturally sweet and a flower aroma, smooth and fresh. It also produces a rich flavor with the subtle undertones of delicately aged tea.
- Tea Liquid: reddish in color; at the surface of tea water a golden loop appears along the circle of inner side of tea cup.
- Spent Leaves: bright brown in color, shiny and neat
Keemum Mao Feng, one special variety of Keemun black tea origins from Qi Men County in Anhui province of China, has famous reputation for its peculiar aroma and shape. It has also been made widely familiar as one of the four world’s best black tea. It is carefully processed so that the shape of the tea leaves resemble that of the Mao Feng Green Tea. This is why it got the name “Keemum Mao Feng“.
With the thin and twisted strips of tea leaves and peculiar aroma (fruity mixed with orchid-like), those russet interwoven tea leaves look neat and taste wonderful.
Aroma and Taste
With fresh, finer selections of tea leaves and traditional style processing method, this Keemum Mao Feng Black Tea do have floral notes in the aroma that could mature to a deeper, fruit-tone fragrance. This is the very tea you have been looking for.
Appearance
Once the tea leaves and buds are harvested, those tender leaves are sorted out by hand to create a premium Keemun tea. The selected leaves then go through an elaborate fermentation process which changes the color of the leaves from green to a deep dark brown or brownish-black color.
Where is TeaVivre’s Keemun black tea produced
Huangshan Mountain lies in the south of Anhui Province, circling from east towards west.
Mountain regions occupies 90% of its total area, with an average elevation around 600 meters. Tea gardens mainly spread in valleys between the elevation of 100 to 350 meters. Forests take an percentage of 80% of its total area. Day and night temperature here ranges greatly, while with cloudy climate and short time of daylight, forming a suitable environment for tea’s growth. This Keemun Fragrant Black Tea TeaVivre chose is from the tea base in Huangjing Village, Boxi Township.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
TeaVivre ‘never ceases to amaze me’ so I shouldn’t have been shocked to enjoy Superfine Keemun Mao Feng Black Tea from Teavivre! I can’t decide if I like this tea better piping hot or cooled naturally at room temperature or even iced. All 3 options are great! It’s a very flavorful tea without it being flavored with anything. By that I mean…the black tea leaves have character and class all on their own.
Superfine Keemun Mao Feng Black Tea from Teavivre is a medium strength black tea that is somewhat fragrant but just when you think you are smelling hints of flowers it switches it up to hints of fruit. Regardless – it’s delightful! The taste follows suit. It has a nice ‘even steven’ ratio of floral, fruity, nutty, and cakey, even!
This tea – Superfine Keemun Mao Feng Black Tea from Teavivre – keep you guessing – but – keeps you satisfied that is for sure! This is a a real winner!
