Ancient Forest

Tea Information:

Leaf Type: Oolong

Tea Description:

This handsome tea is worthy of all our esteem and veneration because it comes to us exclusively from stands of protected ancient growth tea plants in the Yunnan province of China, all of which range in age from 500 to 2,700 years old. The most alluring aspect of this tea is the deeply penetrating flavor and aroma that it imparts, which is unlike any other black or green tea on the market. Bold, dark and inviting; this certified organic and fair trade tea is not to be missed. Partially fermented which will appeal to the senses of both the black tea lover and the green tea lover.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Mountain Rose Herbs is one of my favorite places to get large, bulk amounts of herbs and spices because they’re local, they’re organic, and they are dedicated to protecting the environment. All of that, plus their herbs and spices are top-notch! However, I’ve not really tried many of their teas. But I’m really liking what I’m tasting with this tea.

According to the description, it would seem that this is actually an Oolong, although on the Mountain Rose Herb website it can be found amongst the black teas. I wish I would have read the description before I steeped it, as I steeped it like a black tea. The leaves looked like black tea leaves.

Fortunately, I don’t think that the black tea brewing method really harmed the tea. And I should mention that this tastes more like a black tea than an Oolong. It tastes malty, rich, peppery and a little smoky, reminiscent of a Yunnan. There is some bitterness to this cup, but it isn’t an “oops I scorched the Oolong” kind of bitterness, but more of a contrasting flavor to the sweetness at the start of the cup.

As this was grown in the Yunnan province, I guess it should come as no surprise that it is very much like a Yunnan black tea. I do taste some lighter tones to this, as well … off in the background, I taste an almost vegetative note. Light, almost like hay. Sweet and fresh. This offers as compelling a contrast as the aforementioned bitterness. This is fairly astringent, and I find that the astringency builds as I sip … starting out rather subtle but now that I’m more than halfway through my cup, the astringency seems much stronger – it is tangy and slightly drying.

A very fascinating cup, complex and delicious.

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Oolong