Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Product Description:
Oolong tea from the WuYi mountains in Fujian province, China. A beautifully made, deeply complex tea. The aroma is very rich and savory, roasted vegetables, minerally and earthy. There’s a deep, ripe fruitness in the background, but faintly. The flavor is slightly honey-floral and nutty, white sesame, sweetened burdock root (fans of Japanese sweets, anyone?), barley. Satisfying and hearty, for a tea. Perfect for multiple infusions so you can tease out many layers of intriguing flavor.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve tried several of the teas in the Artisan Comfort Gourmet Tea Collection, and of the ones that I’ve tried thus far, this one is my least favorite. That’s not to say this is a bad tea, it isn’t. But when it comes to Oolong teas, I tend to have high expectations and this one just didn’t meet those expectations.
Yes, it’s a pleasant enough tea with a smooth mouthfeel and a sweet, fruity tone in the background that resembles peaches. It is a very subtle fruit flavor, though, perhaps it is a bit more subtle than I would like. It is nutty and sweet. It is slightly tangy toward the end of the sip, and the aftertaste is sweet.
Overall, it’s a satisfying cup of tea – but there are other Wuyi Oolong teas out there that I’ve enjoyed more. But that doesn’t mean that you won’t like this one better than those others … so I encourage you to give it a try.
Wuyi Mountain Big Red Robe Oolong from Verdant Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Product Description:
It took Verdant Tea 4 months of sampling to find a Big Red Robe unique and delicious enough to really justify importing. This incredible tea from the rocky cliffs of Wuyi mountain offers a side of Big Red Robe that most people have never seen. Usually all you get is caramel, chocolate and floral notes. This goes far beyond. In early steepings, there is an intriguing sensation on the tongue, almost like the metallic vibrations of a bronze cast bell, or the idea of fast moving water flowing over slate. As the tea opens up, there is a perfectly synthesized note of orange and elderberry that dominates, and lingers in the back of the throat. In middle steepings, the elderberry orange flavor splits into fruity wine grape notes, hibiscus-infused dark chocolate, and molasses cookies with crystalized Thai ginger. In late steepings, the thick beany and malty flavor of Laoshan green comes through, combined with the lilac sweetness of Tieguanyin. One of our favorite aspects of this tea is that it was expertly roasted in a way that lets so much complexity come through the caramel notes of any darker oolong. If you are interested in oolongs, or seek a very comforting yet engaging tea, give this a try for a new perspective.
Taster’s Review:
The first couple of times that I tried “Big Red Robe” Oolong teas, I wasn’t too thrilled. I found the smoky notes and strong earthy quality to be a bit too much for me. Since that time, I have re-embraced the joy of brewing my Oolong teas in my gaiwan (a tool I once stowed away because I thought it to be too much of a hassle), and this has allowed me to become better acquainted with and even become friends with the Big Red Robe.
That is not to say that I now do not experience the smoky and earthy tones of this Oolong, but, by using short steeps in the gaiwan, I find that these notes do not overwhelm the cup the way it had in the past. Also noteworthy is that I now utilize the “rinse” or reawakening of the tea leaves, which helps to lighten that first infusion just enough so that I am not overwhelmed by earth and smoke.
Following that rinse, the first two infusions of this Oolong delivered a lovely, complex cup that was all at once fruity (peaches and raisins), earthy with a touch of dark, dry cocoa powder, and possessed the slightest wisp of smoke. In the background I could taste hints of caramel and honey. The infusions that follow deliver more of a floral taste. A distinct, tangy citrus note hits toward the tail and lingers into the finish. The caramel develops well by the time I’ve reached the fourth infusion – it is sweet and luscious. The fruit flavors have redefined themselves: the raisins taste a bit more like currants while the peach becomes more subdued, allowing for the citrus-y profiles to emerge.
I love the complexity of this tea. I found myself eagerly awaiting each infusion to see what flavors it would bring. I’m really liking what I’ve tried thus far from Verdant Tea!
Wuyi Oolong from The Tao of Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: The Tao of Tea
Product Description:
Grown at a 100% Organic tea garden within Wuyishan, a scenic area stretching along Fujian’s northernmost border with Jiangxi Province. It comprises 36 graceful rock peaks and a twisting, curving river called Nine Bend Creek.
Taster’s Review:
As many of you probably are aware, I’m quite fond of Oolong tea. Well, I guess I should qualify that by saying I am fond of most Oolong teas. Occasionally, I’ll come across one that I’m not crazy about, but for the most part, I typically adore Oolong.
Wuyi Oolong has taken me a bit longer to embrace than say, a greener Oolong. The strong, smoked quality of the Wuyi was, at first, somewhat off-putting to me. I have since come around and discovered the many wonderful nuances within a Wuyi, and have learned to appreciate Wuyi Oolong.
This is an excellent Wuyi. Smoky – yes. But there is so much more to it than just “smoky” and that is what I love about it. There is a beautiful caramelized undertone that is sweet with a hint of sour. The nutty flavors of this tea are enhanced by the smoky overtones, giving it a sort of fresh-roasted nut flavor. There is a hint of fruit flavor to this – plum perhaps? While there is such a lovely contrast of flavors, the transition between the flavors is remarkably smooth. There is no bitterness to the cup, and only a slight astringency at the tail.
This is a delicious Oolong. It has a very cozy feel to it – like a warm blanket in autumn, and because of that autumnal feel I prefer this one served hot. While it is delicious iced, some of the more subtle nuances are lost with the chilling process, so to enjoy this one at its fullest, I recommend drinking it while its hot.
Taiwan Wuyi Oolong Year 2006 from Life in Teacup
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Life in Teacup
Product Description:
Production Year: 2006
Production Season: Spring
Production Region: Nantou County, Taiwan
Style: Traditional heavy roast
Taster’s Review:
The aroma of the dry leaf is very heavily roasted with charcoal-ish undertones. The liquor is significantly softer in fragrance. Those notes are still there, they are just much more delicate.
The flavor is remarkably gentle compared to the strong scent of the dry leaf. There is very pleasing roasty-toasty flavor to this tea, and a sweetness that ties into that toasted flavor.
The mouthfeel is quite soft and smooth, I would compare it to what liquid silk might feel like on the palate. The mouthfeel does not linger, however, because there is a light astringency that cleanses the palate, leaving only a sweet roasted flavor that lingers in the aftertaste.
I would describe the overall cup as a masculine one. There is a woody undertone, giving this a very outdoorsy, rustic kind of appeal. With Father’s Day just around the corner, this would be an excellent gift for the tea-drinking man in your life!
Wuyi Rock Oolong from Shanti Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Shanti Tea
Company Description:
One of the purest teas available on the world market.
Organic Wuyi Rock Oolong is one of the purest teas available on the world market. This rare oolong hails from Mount Wuyi in Nanping Prefecture, Fujian, up along the border of Jiangxi Province. In 1999, UNESCO listed the mountain as a World Heritage Site in part owing to its outstanding biodiversity. According to the UN, Mount Wuyi is one of the world’s finest, intact, subtropical forests. Further complimenting the region’s reputation, Mount Wuyi is registered with the Chinese government as a biodiversity conservation zone. The climate of the region is relatively humid due to the fact that the mountain prevents cool air from entering the valley, and the presence of the 9 Bend River meandering through its valleys. Living with this subtropical paradise is an almost unaccountable number of species of flora and fauna. Many of the plan species living on the mountain are considered relics of a bygone age, no longer found anywhere else on the planet. In amongst this jewel of biodiversity grows the world famous organic rock tea. The tea bushes, like many other plant species, are ancient, having grown amongst the mountain’s rocky outcroppings for generations. Cultivation of the plants is almost impossible given the topography, so exceptional care is taken when handling and plucking the fresh tea shoots. The harvesters typically wear light cotton gloves when handling the leaves, which are harvested in small quantities so as not to tire the bushes. The fresh leaf is then allowed to naturally semi-ferment. The resulting flavor is at once rich, delicate, and laden with floral nuance.
Taster’s Review:
This is an outstanding Oolong tea.
The dry leaf has a nutty scent with woody tones. As it brews, the nutty fragrance develops, but even stronger is a smoky aroma. This worried me at first, because smoky teas and I don’t always get along… but really, once I tasted it I needn’t have worried. The smoke flavor is there, but it is oh-so-subtle and it melds harmoniously with the roasted nutty flavor.
The tea has a charming sweetness to it with subtle notes of spice in the background. There is also a distant fruit note that is a bit like peach, a typical characteristic of well-oxidized Oolongs such as this one.
I love the smooth, well-rounded flavor of this tea. The mouthfeel is light and silky, but it lingers well into the aftertaste because there is very little astringency to this Oolong.
A truly wonderful Oolong – and the first tea I’ve tasted from Shanti Tea… if this tea is representative of what I have to look forward to from Shanti, I am very excited, indeed!