Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black Hand-plucked Sun Moon Lake Black Tea Loose leaves
Where to Buy: Fong Mong Tea on eBay
Tea Description:
Sun Moon Lake black tea can be declared “Red Treasure” in central Taiwan. Sun Moon Lake in Nantou County is surrounded with mountains and lakes with remarkable environment and typical climate. Heavy moist and stable yearly average temperature make the tea trees grow thick and rich tea leaves which produce carmine and perfectly clear liquor. Its unique sweet aroma and strong mint taste make it truly unforgettable. It is also the best ingredient to make “bubble tea” (the most famous Taiwanese tea drink on earth).
Taster’s Review:
I was thrilled that Fong Mong Tea was offering some samplers a while back.
They provided a sampler pack that would allow two steeping sessions gongfu style.
I love it when a company includes enough in a sample to have more than one session. It allows for a learning curve if needed and for trying different steeping methods if one prefers.
I had the first session soon after I received the sample and now I am enjoying the second session.
I had been saving the rest of my sample for a day I needed a really relaxing and unique tea. A morning when I didn’t have to rush around, and didn’t want to. Today is that day.
Upon the initial sip my first thought was “is this a black tea?” well of course I knew it was but the flavor profile was so green. Fresh, vegetal, brothy, like juicy fresh from the garden green beans. I was slightly taken aback, although the flavor was absolutely delicious it was not what I was expecting. This prompted me to check my tasting notes from my first sampling of this tea! Indeed I also had felt the same way three months earlier when first trying Sun Moon Lake by Fong Mong.
I continued to sip and picked up mushroom notes, tree bark, and a hint of spice that caused a tingling sparkly sensation on the tongue. Ahhh, now the dark notes are beginning to show themselves lending to the black tea profile.
More of the black tea notes began to ring out loud and clear with a slight malt flavor, a milk chocolate flavor, and an oak moss flavor, however those light lilting green vegetal flavors never totally faded!
Lovely!
This is a very meditative tea. As a black tea I am not sure I would want this as my first cup in the morning as I tend to need far more of a punch in the face tea to wake up, however this is my second tea for today and its helping me ease into my afternoon beautifully. Its relaxing, assisting me in focusing on tasks I need to complete, and helping my creative juices to begin to flow gently, calmly, and with ease.
Now I have an admission to make. I used a lower water temperature than suggested. The reason why is quite simply that I was impatient and did not want to heat my water up. My Zojirushi water heater was already at 175 from the night before, and I just went ahead and used that temp for this tea. Granted I was taking a risk with this precious sample, being that one more session was all that was remaining. I have no regrets. This is obviously a forgiving tea, and of course it was not going to get burnt by over heated water but I have also not lost any flavors either. This tastes exactly as I remember it and matches my previous tasting notes perfectly. If nothing else perhaps steeping at this lower temperature will prolong my session allowing for even more steeps than I would normally have got. I am on my third steep now and it is ever bit as good as the first and I plan to keep on steeping until it stops giving.
I am surprised, actually shocked that this is not already holding a place in my permanent stash, but I am so happy that I had some left over as a reminder to place an order with Fong Mong Tea today!
In my previous tasting notes I said that this tea was like a soup created in the kitchen of a culinary master, one that needed to be allowed to simmer for a long time to allow the true flavors to develop. A broth that needed to age like a fine wine. This tea speaks to you as if it is knowing of secrets held within old trees, running streams that have spread gossip from one watering hole to the next and the memories of vegetation along the way. Sun Moon Lake is one that needs to be allowed to take you on a journey to unknown territories, allowed to tell you its stories. This is a slow, easy sipper tea, again not my preference for morning when I really need to suck a tea down in light speed to get “my fix”. This tea is one to be savored and appreciated.
Alishan Jin Xuan Oolong from Fong Mong Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Fong Mong Tea
Tea Description:
The hand-plucked leaves of Alishan Jin Xuan Oolong Tea are grown in the famous Ali Mountains (Alishan) in Taiwan. At the elevation of 1000 meters above, the mountainsides are covered with fog or clouds which are ideal for growing Oolong. With better drought tolerance, also higher yield, the price is usually lower than Alishan Oolong.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I know I’ve said it before. I’ll probably say it again and again… I’m sorry if you get tired of hearing it, but, what can I say? I love Oolong tea grown in the Ali Mountains… the mountains that produce my beloved Alishan Oolong!
Jin Xuan is probably better known as “Milk Oolong” which makes this particular Oolong even more special. It’s not just an Alishan Oolong, but an Alishan Milk Oolong! Awesomeness!
And this cup of tea is indeed awesome. The milkiness of this tea is not overly pronounced, it is delicate and creamy. Very smooth. I like the texture which is slightly creamy but there is a subtlety to it too. It doesn’t attempt to inundate the palate with a heavy taste of cream.
Hints of flower throughout the sip … is that orchid? It too is subtle, softly weaving its way in and out of the sip, and just when you think you can identify it, it disappears … and reappears just when you’ve begun to explore the other nuances of the tea.
Subsequent infusions deliver a stronger flavor. I find that with the first cup (which is the combined results of the first and second infusions) the flavor was delicate, while the second cup (combined results of the third and fourth infusions) is stronger, with a more distinguished floral tone. This tastes of honeysuckle, but an orchid note begins to develop toward the finish and lingers into the aftertaste. It is still sweet and delicious, but I’ve noticed that it is a little less creamy than the first cup.
The third cup brings a taste that is much more harmonized … the flavors are becoming seamlessly united, and it has become difficult to determine where one flavor ends and another begins. This cup is my favorite, because I love how it all comes together to create a very soothing, delightful cup.
An amazing cup of tea – I’d recommend it to fans of Alishan and Milk Oolongs! This brings the best of both worlds together in one deliciously rewarding cup.
Taiwan Green Style Dong Ding Tea from Fong Mong Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Fong Mong Tea on eBay
Tea Description:
The hand-plucked leaves of Dong Ding Oolong are grown in the Dong Ding region of Taiwan at the elevation of 740 meters. At this elevation, the leaves absorb moisture from the surrounding fog and clouds every morning and afternoon which is ideal for Oolong plants. Due to the unique geographic location and stringent selection of leaves, this is the finest Dong Ding Oolong from the Dong Ding estate.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a fabulous Dong Ding … it is sweet with strong fruity notes. Usually with a greener style Oolong like this, I expect a strong floral note, and while there are some flowery tones to this cup, I taste more fruit than flower. Very nice.
The fruit tones taste somewhere between peach and plum. It is pleasantly sweet with hints of sour. There is a nice roasted note to the background, reminding me a bit of toasted grain. The floral note is subtle and develops as I continue to sip. The astringency toward the end is slightly dry and leaves the palate feeling clean. There are some crisp, delicate vegetative notes as well.
The first couple of infusions start out very light – touching on all of the flavors I mentioned. With subsequent infusions, I notice the vegetative tones emerging more, and the floral notes becoming more distinctive. The fruity notes of the first few infusions begin to subside, and a savory bitter tone starts to reveal itself, offering contrast to the sweet flavors of this cup.
The final infusions (I steeped this tea six times) were much more vegetative and floral than the first infusions, but they were still very tasty. I do think I preferred the fruity notes of the first couple of infusions, but, overall, it was a very pleasing experience from start to finish, and the transitions of this tea are fascinating to explore.
Sun Moon Lake Black Tea from Fong Mong Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Fong Mong Tea on eBay
Tea Description:
Sun Moon Lake black tea can be declared “Red Treasure” in central Taiwan. Sun Moon Lake in Nantou County is surrounded with mountains and lakes with remarkable environment and typical climate. Heavy moist and stable yearly average temperature make the tea trees grow thick and rich tea leaves which produce carmine and perfectly clear liquor. Its unique sweet aroma and strong mint taste make it truly unforgettable. It is also the best ingredient to make “bubble tea” (the most famous Taiwanese tea drink on earth).
Taster’s Review:
I have really enjoyed the few Sun Moon Lake black teas I’ve tried thus far, and this is certainly one of the nicest I’ve encountered.
I love the aroma! It is so warm and comforting, that I like to hold the cup up to my lips and just inhale the fragrance. It smells sweet, rich, and has notes of fruit as well as some bold earthy tones and hints of woody scents in the background.
The flavor is so unique – quite unlike other black teas I’ve encountered. It has a fruity profile that is sweet and possesses hints of sour as well. It is bold and invigorating while at the same time maintaining a soothing sort of quality.
The earthiness here is not so much earth or peat as it is like the earthiness you might experience from a mushroom – like a Portabello. Sort of meaty like that. There are woodsy type notes to this as well, distant wood notes, maybe even a hint of smoke.
It has a fair amount of astringency, but it isn’t bitter. Then again, that could be attributed to my steeping – I steeped this at 200°F for 2 1/2 minutes. I suspect I could have achieved a very interesting cup using my gaiwan, but, I’m quite happy with the cup I brewed using my Breville One-Touch: it is rich, delicious and possesses so many interesting nuances, that I find myself sipping just to see what I might discover next. And that is one of the best qualities any tea can have!
Hand-Plucked Top Grade Oriental Beauty Oolong from Fong Mong Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Fong Mong Tea on eBay
Tea Description:
Taiwan characteristic Oriental Beauty Oolong Tea, a long narrow strip like of various colors, is also called Bai Hao Oolong Tea. Bright white-tipped leaves, a symbol of high level Oriental Beauty Tea, can only be cultivated irreplaceable strong fragrance in organic ecological tea plantation. This tea, with very limited quantity, can only be produced by a senior experienced tea master at one harvest each year.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Oriental Beauty from Fong Mong Tea is truly outstanding. Sweet, fragrant, and absolutely delicious!
The dry leaves are beautiful and whole, varying in color from silver to tan to chocolate brown. They smell sweet and floral, with hints of fruit in the background.
The first flavor that I notice is the fruit note. I usually do notice a peach-like flavor to Oriental Beauty Oolong teas, but here the flavor is so exquisitely pronounced. So sweet and juicy, my mouth seems to water after each sip in anticipation for the next. Delicious!
There is also a creaminess to this that melds beautifully with the peach-y flavors, as well as a delectable honey-esque undertone. Once the palate acclimates to the sweetness of the cup, I start to notice other flavors. This is a wonderfully complex cuppa, with hints of earth as well as a whisper of flower in the distance.
And of course, this tea offers many wonderful infusions. I find that each subsequent infusion seems to become more enchanting. The mouthfeel begins to lighten by the third infusion, and the flavors become smoother and less perspicuous, and yet, as the notes become more unified and less individual the tea becomes even more satisfyingly delicious.
This is one of the very best Oriental Beauty Oolong teas I’ve yet to taste – I highly recommend to all the Oolong enthusiasts out there.