What Oolong Are You Drinking

Semi-oxidized tea
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Baisao
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Sat Aug 06, 2022 9:48 pm

Ethan Kurland wrote:
Sat Aug 06, 2022 7:57 pm
We conceive what we want; then when what we perceive may be different. It can be a challenge to us to use changes in preparation to get us to our imagined cup of tea; or, it can be a challenge to us to enjoy the difference; or..... :roll: Tea is interesting. Cheers
This applies to organic/feral teas, too. Even the timing of when they are(nt) trimmed can have an impact on their flavors. It also applies to teas prepared by different cultures even if using the same material. Unsurprisingly, a Chinese sencha won’t be like a Japanese sencha. But even a Taiwanese BLC won’t be like a Chinese BLC, despite nationalist claims of being the same culture, there are cultural differences that have created similar yet different teas.
GaoShan
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Sun Aug 07, 2022 10:26 pm

Has anyone had any good Baozhong lately? I'm drinking a lovely spring 2022 BZ that has notes of honeydew melon, stonefruit, florals, butter, minerality, and sometimes even some spice at the end of the sip. (I really can't do this tea justice in how I'm describing it.) However, I can't buy more easily, and will be experiencing a major Baozhong deficiency shortly!

I've heard that spring 2022 hasn't been a good season for high mountain oolong, but what about Baozhong? (To my knowledge, it hasn't affected the BZ I'm drinking now.) What are your thoughts?
Ethan Kurland
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Mon Aug 08, 2022 3:59 pm

GaoShan wrote:
Sun Aug 07, 2022 10:26 pm
... I'm drinking a lovely spring 2022 BZ that has notes of honeydew melon, stonefruit, florals, butter, minerality, and sometimes even some spice at the end of the sip....

I've heard that spring 2022 hasn't been a good season for high mountain oolong, but... What are your thoughts?
I think it was only a couple of days ago, I wrote that the gaoshan of Spring 2022 is weak, when it is described as a mass. However, as often is the case, there was some excellent tea coming out of a disappointing season. (I like Shanlinxi & Dayuling.) The SLX that I drink & sell is essentially what Gaoshan described in his post, I write w/ confidence. (I just finished using 50 grams of it a few days ago. I have written it & my DYL are rather light in feel for tea from their growing altitudes etc., but I cannot say now the DYL is like BZ of Gaoshan's description so exactly. I have not drunk any for some weeks.)

High altitude being like lower altitude, is not so surprising if one remembers Spring gaoshan can be light in body like Boazhong & that at times BZ gives what I think makes tea from higher altitude better: flavors & feelings that Gaoshan likes as he wrote in his post.

The second time that I visited the source for most of my teas, I tasted a most delicious & dynamic BZ selling for a low price. I was stopped from buying a significant amount of it because masters knew what I could not foresee; it would not keep its quality > 2 months. Indeed, I kept a pack in my refrigerator for 3 months which proved my source's prediction.
It was nothing close in quality to what the same tea had been 3 months earlier.

Generally, I much prefer tea from the higher/highest altitude. Not to talk about it much, let me say, it is richer. As I wrote before, Spring '22 gaoshan is not as deep or rich or whatever as last Winter's gaoshan but rewards drinkers in its own ways: we do well to try to enjoy some changes, if we find quality, though it is quality of somewhat different character.

Heatwave outside, me inside w/ lots of tea & time, Gaoshan's post led me to exploration. I opened a pack of Perfect, the gaoshan that at times makes me think of special BZ, which in fact is the BZ I wrote about above. Now Perfect which came to market 8 months ago, does not seem like BZ. My oldest brother dropped in, drank w/ me & agreed w/ me. (But he loved it & left w/ a packet.) For comparison before he left, I had him drink Lishan w/ me. I wanted a sort of measure, a scale to mark Perfect hinting at a sort of sweetness that BZ can have, & LS just being a gaoshan....but of course, teas change etc.

The LS does not seem as good as it had been.

So, LS is off my selling list & Perfect may still be perfect :D but I can no longer say it gives a bit of that BZ....

Gaoshan, I got through a couple of hours at home not worrying about the weather. Thanks :roll:
GaoShan
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Mon Aug 08, 2022 9:17 pm

Ethan Kurland wrote:
Mon Aug 08, 2022 3:59 pm
I think it was only a couple of days ago, I wrote that the gaoshan of Spring 2022 is weak, when it is described as a mass. However, as often is the case, there was some excellent tea coming out of a disappointing season. (I like Shanlinxi & Dayuling.) The SLX that I drink & sell is essentially what Gaoshan described in his post, I write w/ confidence. (I just finished using 50 grams of it a few days ago. I have written it & my DYL are rather light in feel for tea from their growing altitudes etc., but I cannot say now the DYL is like BZ of Gaoshan's description so exactly. I have not drunk any for some weeks.)

High altitude being like lower altitude, is not so surprising if one remembers Spring gaoshan can be light in body like Boazhong & that at times BZ gives what I think makes tea from higher altitude better: flavors & feelings that Gaoshan likes as he wrote in his post.

The second time that I visited the source for most of my teas, I tasted a most delicious & dynamic BZ selling for a low price. I was stopped from buying a significant amount of it because masters knew what I could not foresee; it would not keep its quality > 2 months. Indeed, I kept a pack in my refrigerator for 3 months which proved my source's prediction.
It was nothing close in quality to what the same tea had been 3 months earlier.

Generally, I much prefer tea from the higher/highest altitude. Not to talk about it much, let me say, it is richer. As I wrote before, Spring '22 gaoshan is not as deep or rich or whatever as last Winter's gaoshan but rewards drinkers in its own ways: we do well to try to enjoy some changes, if we find quality, though it is quality of somewhat different character.

Heatwave outside, me inside w/ lots of tea & time, Gaoshan's post led me to exploration. I opened a pack of Perfect, the gaoshan that at times makes me think of special BZ, which in fact is the BZ I wrote about above. Now Perfect which came to market 8 months ago, does not seem like BZ. My oldest brother dropped in, drank w/ me & agreed w/ me. (But he loved it & left w/ a packet.) For comparison before he left, I had him drink Lishan w/ me. I wanted a sort of measure, a scale to mark Perfect hinting at a sort of sweetness that BZ can have, & LS just being a gaoshan....but of course, teas change etc.

The LS does not seem as good as it had been.

So, LS is off my selling list & Perfect may still be perfect :D but I can no longer say it gives a bit of that BZ....

Gaoshan, I got through a couple of hours at home not worrying about the weather. Thanks :roll:
I have to put my comments into context: I've had about half a dozen Baozhongs versus over a hundred high mountain oolongs. Nonetheless, I agree that good BZ has a lot of the fruity, floral flavours I like. The couple spring 2021 Baozhongs I had contained lots of pineapple and citrus notes, which made me eager to buy more this season. This spring 2022 BZ has equally pleasant fruity notes and also has no astringency, which is something I value.

I tend to buy gaoshan in the summer, so I have less experience with winter oolongs, but I think I know what you mean when you say they're richer than BZ. The range of flavours is wider and they can have nice, buttery pastry notes. Maybe they have more depth? However, lighter-bodied teas are nice during these unbearably hot days. :)

It's interesting to hear how your oolongs are evolving, even when vacuum sealed. I worry that my vac-packed oolongs will lose flavour if they're stored for more than a year.

If only I had enough of this BZ to worry that it might lose flavour after being open for two months! It'll be gone in the next two weeks. :lol: That's why I'm looking for more Baozhong! I have other spring 2022 oolongs, but I find that when I enjoy a particular tea, I start looking for others like it, sometimes with mixed results.
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LeoFox
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Mon Aug 08, 2022 9:34 pm

GaoShan wrote:
Mon Aug 08, 2022 9:17 pm
Ethan Kurland wrote:
Mon Aug 08, 2022 3:59 pm
I think it was only a couple of days ago, I wrote that the gaoshan of Spring 2022 is weak, when it is described as a mass. However, as often is the case, there was some excellent tea coming out of a disappointing season. (I like Shanlinxi & Dayuling.) The SLX that I drink & sell is essentially what Gaoshan described in his post, I write w/ confidence. (I just finished using 50 grams of it a few days ago. I have written it & my DYL are rather light in feel for tea from their growing altitudes etc., but I cannot say now the DYL is like BZ of Gaoshan's description so exactly. I have not drunk any for some weeks.)

High altitude being like lower altitude, is not so surprising if one remembers Spring gaoshan can be light in body like Boazhong & that at times BZ gives what I think makes tea from higher altitude better: flavors & feelings that Gaoshan likes as he wrote in his post.

The second time that I visited the source for most of my teas, I tasted a most delicious & dynamic BZ selling for a low price. I was stopped from buying a significant amount of it because masters knew what I could not foresee; it would not keep its quality > 2 months. Indeed, I kept a pack in my refrigerator for 3 months which proved my source's prediction.
It was nothing close in quality to what the same tea had been 3 months earlier.

Generally, I much prefer tea from the higher/highest altitude. Not to talk about it much, let me say, it is richer. As I wrote before, Spring '22 gaoshan is not as deep or rich or whatever as last Winter's gaoshan but rewards drinkers in its own ways: we do well to try to enjoy some changes, if we find quality, though it is quality of somewhat different character.

Heatwave outside, me inside w/ lots of tea & time, Gaoshan's post led me to exploration. I opened a pack of Perfect, the gaoshan that at times makes me think of special BZ, which in fact is the BZ I wrote about above. Now Perfect which came to market 8 months ago, does not seem like BZ. My oldest brother dropped in, drank w/ me & agreed w/ me. (But he loved it & left w/ a packet.) For comparison before he left, I had him drink Lishan w/ me. I wanted a sort of measure, a scale to mark Perfect hinting at a sort of sweetness that BZ can have, & LS just being a gaoshan....but of course, teas change etc.

The LS does not seem as good as it had been.

So, LS is off my selling list & Perfect may still be perfect :D but I can no longer say it gives a bit of that BZ....

Gaoshan, I got through a couple of hours at home not worrying about the weather. Thanks :roll:
I have to put my comments into context: I've had about half a dozen Baozhongs versus over a hundred high mountain oolongs. Nonetheless, I agree that good BZ has a lot of the fruity, floral flavours I like. The couple spring 2021 Baozhongs I had contained lots of pineapple and citrus notes, which made me eager to buy more this season. This spring 2022 BZ has equally pleasant fruity notes and also has no astringency, which is something I value.

I tend to buy gaoshan in the summer, so I have less experience with winter oolongs, but I think I know what you mean when you say they're richer than BZ. The range of flavours is wider and they can have nice, buttery pastry notes. Maybe they have more depth? However, lighter-bodied teas are nice during these unbearably hot days. :)

It's interesting to hear how your oolongs are evolving, even when vacuum sealed. I worry that my vac-packed oolongs will lose flavour if they're stored for more than a year.

If only I had enough of this BZ to worry that it might lose flavour after being open for two months! It'll be gone in the next two weeks. :lol: That's why I'm looking for more Baozhong! I have other spring 2022 oolongs, but I find that when I enjoy a particular tea, I start looking for others like it, sometimes with mixed results.
Unless roasted, bz is generally a highly seasonal thing - it blooms and then wilts fast. Best to drink it within 2-3 months of harvest- then wait for next season's.
Ethan Kurland
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Mon Aug 08, 2022 10:03 pm

Gaoshan, your stock of gaoshan in vacuum packs should be fine.

To be clear: The Lishan that has changed is still good but on the way down in quality. As a drinker, I am okay while not okay selling it. I think it will still be good for 4 - 5 months, but probably a bit weaker & somewhat fussy about how it is prepared. I have time to pay attention to that & paid less for the tea than customers would, (so okay for me to drink, not for them).

Leo, thank you for a concise summary of BZ. I have little experience w/ it & did not know that my past situation was common-- excellent BZ being so for 2 - 3 months.

I've been writing this post about green oolong while I am drinking black tea :) Cheers
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debunix
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Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:24 am

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Enjoying the Spring 2022 Sun Link Sea / Shan Lin Xi from MountainTea again this morning, grandpa style in a Petr Novak chawan. I let it go longer in the hot water, sniffing it several times, before slowing the infusion with cool water and drinking it--the house is still too warm this morning to really enjoy this one hot hot hot. This is a fine infusion, with a good mix of the rich buttery notes and the more delicate floral note. Delicious. As the richness became a bit strong, about 2/3 of the way through, I diluted again with more cool water....and now the floral notes are back. A fine breakfast tea.
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LeoFox
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Tue Aug 09, 2022 12:56 pm

After several months of being opened, the 2021 laoshi dong ding has not only held up but seems to have improved, especially in terms of higher aromatic notes that are especially concentrated in early infusions.

Earlier post:
viewtopic.php?p=42278#p42278

There was a period several weeks into the 150g bag being opened that the tea seemed to have declined, which prompted me to clip the bag and let it sit for a few months. But now it's back, stronger than ever.
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GaoShan
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Tue Aug 09, 2022 6:33 pm

LeoFox wrote:
Mon Aug 08, 2022 9:34 pm
Unless roasted, bz is generally a highly seasonal thing - it blooms and then wilts fast. Best to drink it within 2-3 months of harvest- then wait for next season's.
Thanks for the info! I didn't know that about BZ. Considering how long it takes teas to appear in shops and then be shipped, it seems like peak Baozhong season is very short indeed for us Westerners.
Andrew S
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Sat Aug 13, 2022 7:16 pm

Finally opened up a bag of yancha that I've been ageing / ignoring for close to a decade: 2012 half-handmade shuixian from EoT.

It tastes aged, but fresh; perfumed aged floral notes at the start, with a very strong minty cooling sensation (mouth, throat, nose) which persists long after I've swallowed it, and a very nice, strong, 'back of the head' qi.

I've been very impressed by EoT's ability over the years to pick teas that suit me in terms of the strong feeling that they can give, and this reinforces that impression.

Very pleased with how this little experiment has gone, and that I was correct to decide to leave a few bags alone all those years ago. Thankfully there are a few more bags I've kept lying around of some other yanchas from around that time.

This experiment also seems to reinforce my belief that the best way to age tea is to buy too much of it, forget about it, and get pleasantly surprised in the future. Of course, the tea has to be good enough to age, and I'm sure that problems can arise, but thankfully, not with this particular bag of tea.

Andrew
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Ethan Kurland
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Sat Aug 13, 2022 9:34 pm

Andrew S wrote:
Sat Aug 13, 2022 7:16 pm
... that the best way to age tea is to buy too much of it, forget about it, and get pleasantly surprised in the future..... :lol:
Good post. I think better w/ the emoji. Cheers
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Victoria
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Sat Aug 13, 2022 10:13 pm

Andrew S wrote:
Sat Aug 13, 2022 7:16 pm
Finally opened up a bag of yancha that I've been ageing / ignoring for close to a decade: 2012 half-handmade shuixian from EoT.
Good to hear this. Curious how the yancha was packed (sealed foil pack, open clipped pack, ceramic jar…) and stored?
Andrew S
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Sun Aug 14, 2022 6:09 am

@Ethan Kurland: thank you; that particular emoji may be implicit in many of my posts, even if humour is hard to convey through the internet

@Victoria: just a 200g or so Mylar (I think) bag, unopened for around a decade, but no vacuum or anything similar. No special treatment; it has just been following me around for a few years.

I may try the bag of half-handmade 2012 rougui next... But this tea is very nice, and I may get distracted for a while.

Andrew
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LeoFox
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Mon Aug 15, 2022 10:32 am

Drinking more 2021 tillerman dong ding. For whatever reason, am getting some sweet spicy notes today. Texture is extra creamy. Maybe one more session left in the bag

dyungim
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Tue Aug 16, 2022 4:31 pm

alejandro2high wrote:
Sun Sep 06, 2020 2:58 pm
I have been on the search for a good Anxi oolong source that sells something besides TGY. I was originally looking at Verdant Teas, but for some reason I have never been drawn to their teas for some reason. I finally remembered that So Han, down the street from me in Austin, TX, sources Anxi oolongs. I quickly ordered a smaller of all the color oolongs and some modern TGY.

I ended up doing a side by side using bowl tea. I used small antique celadon cups as the bowls, and I was quite impressed with the final result. I believe that tasting notes tend to be extremely subjective, so I'm just speaking from my experience. The level of oxidation is clearly different in all of them. The nuance of the teas was wonderful to experience, and I was excited to see discernable differences instantly.

The TGY was more oxidized than the hairy crab or the golden turtle with a balanced green-floral taste.

The hairy crab tasted less oxidized than the TGY and had less floral notes, but the green notes weren't weaker than the TGY rather they're smoother.

The golden turtle was about the same level of oxidation as the hairy crab, it was less green and featured a light creamy profile. Really tasty.

Root mountain was probably my favorite. It was the most oxidized(mid) and had a profile that was extremely creamy, not buttery, which along with the oxidation made me think of a roasted phoenix oolong without storing floral notes. This tea was quite nice to experience.

All in all my two favorites were the hairy crab and the root mountain. The hairy crab is a perfect balance of floral and green notes and the root mountain is perfectly oxidized creamy goodness.

The last thing I want to talk about is the actual leaf. It was amazing seeing the difference in leave structure between the Anxi oolongs. I forgot to take a picture, but there is a clear difference in the leave structure especially between the root mountain and the golden turtle.

I would definitely recommend y'all order a sample of the teas if you're in the US and want to try an Anxi oolong that isn't TGY.
Image
Have you found any other sources for Hairy Crab oolong?
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