What Oolong Are You Drinking

[LeoFox]

Lists of good & bad people doing business are somewhat useful, but I prefer members frankly posting about the teas they have bought to let us learn over time instead of relying on lists.

I agree with this.

What do members really like? Members greatly praise teas that they sample, then never seem to purchase a significant amount of those teas. (Praise for 20 grams or < 20 grams, does not truly inform me when it is not followed by notice of a follow-up purchase. Usually it is, "I might get another sample of that.") Some teas of vendors and/or the vendors themselves were regularly praised & then almost never mentioned for years. Why?

I don't think this is the case, but I think samples are overrepresented in posts due to the fact that people rarely post about the same tea they've already shared their experience with through a number of earlier posts. A mix of "what more is there to say" and the higher novelty factor of what is new.

I recently had to take stock of my inventory, when I was encouraged (with a metaphorical gun to my head) to see if I could fit all my teas in one cupboard after a recent house move. And to my strange delight I actually could, well most of it (there's some sencha, hongcha and daily drinkers lying around in some other places, but this is probably 90% of what I have).



Of which, save for a dozen or so 10-50 gram samples, nothing is less than a fee hundred grams per tea, in some cases as much of 2-3 kg per tea.

But the ones I cherish the most, I rarely write about anymore.

You can fit those long tea logs in those bags??

[Balthazar]

The only intact logs I have are a couple of "sanshi liangs" that are a kg each. They barely fit in the largest zip lock mylars I have. The rest is all in the form of slices

[Andrew S]

What do members really like? Members greatly praise teas that they sample, then never seem to purchase a significant amount of those teas. (Praise for 20 grams or < 20 grams, does not truly inform me when it is not followed by notice of a follow-up purchase. Usually it is, "I might get another sample of that.") Some teas of vendors and/or the vendors themselves were regularly praised & then almost never mentioned for years. Why?

I don't think this is the case, but I think samples are overrepresented in posts due to the fact that people rarely post about the same tea they've already shared their experience with through a number of earlier posts. A mix of "what more is there to say" and the higher novelty factor of what is new.

I agree with Balthazar. I'm sure that there are plenty of people here who do enjoy sampling broadly rather than buying large amounts of just a few teas (especially at the start of their tea journey, or once they've discovered a new area to explore), but I don't think that people's lack of repeated comments about a tea should be interpreted as an instance of that.

For example, today I drank the same QiZhong yancha that I've been enjoying greatly on and off for several weeks, and I finished off the last bits of a BanTianYao yancha that was a very good tea in a style which is not my favourite. I've been busy recently, and my teas for about a week or two were almost only the same three or four packs of hongcha (which were a good match for the weather and for how I needed to approach those days). I definitely assume that nobody wants to hear about me having the same tea again and again (although the 'Your Day In Tea' page can be a good place for that kind of post).

That said, I do try to mention (but I often forget to mention) whether something was just a little sample, or something that I've been enjoying a lot for a while, or something that I will try to explore further as I learn about it, etc.

I also agree that most people here probably don't enjoy posting negative comments other than in some exceptional cases (eg, my 'infrared roasted' experience a while ago...). In that sense, this site isn't really reflective of the internet generally (which is a good thing...), but it does mean that that should be taken into account. And, conversely, sometimes a negative comment about a particular tea might suggest a negative view about the vendor generally, which, again, is not necessarily correct.

Anyway, a QiZhong and a BanTianYao for me today... including brewing the latter with few leaves and long brews, which is not my preferred style for yancha, but which worked well for the tea (although it did remind me why I don't like that style of brewing).

Andrew

[sofikkkkkkko]

I'm currently enjoying a cup of Dong Ding Oolong Tea (https://teajewel.com/blogs/news/taiwane ... 8e3b&_ss=r) – one of my absolute favorites! This tea has such a rich, buttery flavor with hints of roasted nuts and a subtle sweetness that lingers. The leaves unfurl beautifully with each steep, releasing more of that deep, comforting aroma.

I love how versatile this oolong is, whether you're brewing it Gongfu style or just a quick steep in the morning. It’s like a warm hug in a cup!

[the_dalu]

First Flush Dharmsala Handmade - Hotsoup

https://www.hotsoup.nl/en/first-flush-d ... g-tea.html

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[Victoria]

First Flush Dharmsala Handmade - Hotsoup

@the_dalu Curious if you taste any oolong flavor profile?

[the_dalu]

Not really. It was more like a darjeeling. (https://unraveltea.com/product/nalins-c ... arjeeling/ This darjeeling was closer to this oolong.)

https://www.dharmsala.com/products/hima ... oolong-tea <- I think this is the original producer. Their description is correct This falls more in to green that lightly oxidized.

[Andrew S]

The temperature has jumped by around ten degrees over a few days - time for some baozhong (a little bit in a tiny pot, and another little bit in a huge glass, for two very different styles of brewing the same tea).

Andrew

[GaoShan]

The temperature has jumped by around ten degrees over a few days - time for some baozhong (a little bit in a tiny pot, and another little bit in a huge glass, for two very different styles of brewing the same tea).

Andrew

I'm glad I'm not the only one drinking baozhong so late in the season! I've been enjoying the 2024 harvest of the Super Special BZ I've had in 2022 and 2023, and though it's a bit different, it's still very good. I like to use 6 g in 120 ml at around 195F, starting at 20-25 seconds. What are your steeping parameters?

[Andrew S]

I'm glad I'm not the only one drinking baozhong so late in the season! I've been enjoying the 2024 harvest of the Super Special BZ I've had in 2022 and 2023, and though it's a bit different, it's still very good. I like to use 6 g in 120 ml at around 195F, starting at 20-25 seconds. What are your steeping parameters?

It's been interesting to follow some examples of 2023 and 2024 baozhong (even if I didn't intend to 'age' them). Some actually improve, some change without becoming better or worse, and some tend to deteriorate.

I brew everything with boiling water (perhaps that explains why I don't like green tea...), and I usually brew things (other than yancha) with 10g per 160mL, adjusted for size, and sometimes adjusted for pour speed. And then, my unhelpful breath-based timing system... I think I use more leaves than you, but for a slightly quicker steep at the start, at least for baozhong (say, three quick breaths at the start, rather than, say, six, then three, and then three slower breaths for a Dong Ding style tea...).

Throwing some leaves into a big glass of boiling water also works, even if I prefer multiple brews in a small pot.

Andrew

[the_dalu]

Tengchong Gao Shan Hong Oolong - Yunnan Craft

https://www.yunnancraft.com/en/oolong-t ... ong-oolong

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[the_dalu]

Nepal Bouquet Oolong Jun Chiyabari BIO - https://www.hotsoup.nl/nl/herkomst/nepa ... i-bio.html

I ordered this because I was amazed by Jun Chiyabari White tea. But this was okay.

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