What Oolong Are You Drinking

[Victoria]

Having a HY Chen light roast Dongding. Have to say I think it is on the weak side, somehow the more roasted his teas are, the better. the lighter one does not hold up as well in comparison to others. The light roast also had something I found unpleasant in his bug bitten teas. Can not really put my finger on what exactly it is... Testing to let it air out in rough clay jar in addition to the normal resting period in porcelain, see if it makes a difference.

completely agree that his roastier teas are better, although I've met quite a few people who prefer the light roast. I suppose in the end, it all comes down to personal preference...

In my last order he had run out of medium roast DongDing, so I got light and heavy roast. I didn’t think I enjoyed it as much as his heavier roasts, but now I see it is also very rich and complex. I’m sipping on it at the moment and liking it quite a bit. It’s a little trickier to steep than the heavier roasts, and the leaves need to breath a little after opening the sealed pack. Also, the bug bitten is very good if left to mature for 9 months or more, I didn’t like it at all when I first tried it, but after one year it was very good.

[Victoria]

Baozhong has been a frustrating tea for me mostly. When first getting into the teas that we discuss on this forum, I was buying from many vendors online without much of a plan. I luckily obtained wonderful aged baozhong. Never found good aged baozhong again.

Got some baozhong that was not aged or roasted about a year ago that was very good & very low priced. After writing about it etc., found that it was not the same just six weeks later. Such a quick drop in quality.

At our recent LA tasting we shared a special 1980’s Baozhong care of PhyllSheng. Atlas poetically described it as having a ‘currant/sultana profile, transforming into a rock-sugar/mineral sweetness’. How has DongDing disappointed, roasted as well?

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[Ethan Kurland]

Victoria, Roasted or unroasted, dong ding has not pleased me enough to look to keep trying it. I have not tried H Y Chen's & don't really care even if his is the best.. DD at its best always had a spoiler; which now is not remembered (strong vegetal..., bitterness?). I tried every one of Origin's DDs but much preferred other teas from Tony.

[Victoria]

Victoria, Roasted or unroasted, dong ding has not pleased me enough to look to keep trying it. I have not tried H Y Chen's & don't really care even if his is the best.. DD at its best always had a spoiler; which now is not remembered (strong vegetal..., bitterness?). I tried every one of Origin's DDs but much preferred other teas from Tony.

I have not encountered any bitterness or vegetal profile with the light to heavy roasted DongDing, so I’ll assume the ones you had were not roasted. Maybe one day you’ll have one you are surprised by

[Ethan Kurland]

You are right, Victoria. In person, I don't refuse offers to try what I won't buy. I have enjoyed some Pu-Erh more than any other tea, but only a couple of times. Yet, I know that I should not buy Pu-Erh. Hopefully, happy surprises will come from cups of DD & an aged Boazhong .... but I won't buy the leaves.

[debunix]

I’m running out of storage space for tea, and more is on the way, so I decided to start trying out samples. Today - a 2011 tea from Five Star. The label was hand written so I think it’s Huinen Keng Huang Guan Yin. Anyway, 7 years on a kitchen shelf and it still tastes reasonably good.

The cup is a crackle celadon glaze on reasonably thin stoneware that is one of a pair I bought in Chiang Mai along with a creamer that I’ll use as a fair cup or yuzamashi. I surreptitiously tested the lips on all the teacups before purchasing these.

Lovely cup and pot together, looks just right for an older roasted oolong.

[Bok]

Victoria, Roasted or unroasted, dong ding has not pleased me enough to look to keep trying it. I have not tried H Y Chen's & don't really care even if his is the best.. DD at its best always had a spoiler; which now is not remembered (strong vegetal..., bitterness?). I tried every one of Origin's DDs but much preferred other teas from Tony.

Ethan, you have actually! First time you came over for tea I brewed a heavy roast from Chen for you! I remember that from that session you preferred the last and cheapest tea that we drunk, an aged Oolong if I am not mistaken.

Also the fathers love that you love and treasure is essentially a Dongding, maybe not the most authentic as it uses high mountain leaf, but still Dongding style tea.

Of course next to those any original lower elevation DD can only lose out...

[Ethan Kurland]

Also the fathers love that you love and treasure is essentially a Dongding, maybe not the most authentic as it uses high mountain leaf, but still Dongding style tea.

Of course next to those any original lower elevation DD can only lose out...

Bok, I am glad your memory is better than mine. It is a pleasure to laugh at myself, thanks. Father's Love is made of very high-altitude tea leaves, according to Snac; furthermore, I remember that he said "Lishan". He usually does not mention many details but might have been pushed by me & just snapped off an answer rather than check.

This year (2018), I have trusted Snac to get me teas that he thinks meet my needs & desires. An example might be the dayuling which may or may not be from the very mountaintop of original dayuling; yet surely is fresh, bright, slightly sweet, fairly complex & very durable & not demanding of specific preparation. If the leaves come from land a bit east or west of ..... I don't care. They are excellent leaves. They are green & as you have posted here many times, once a packet of such unroasted leaves are opened, they should be used quickly. After about 2 weeks or so, they get let less flavorful.

[OldWaysTea]

Having some zhengyan huang pian. I found them in my desk drawer, and though I would try them again. They give me some of the feeling of young puer mixed with the familiar wuyishan flavors.

[Victoria]

Having some zhengyan huang pian. I found them in my desk drawer, and though I would try them again. They give me some of the feeling of young puer mixed with the familiar wuyishan flavors.

Beautiful big twisted leaves, so tactile.
I’m back east in Annapolis enjoying Jason’s TeaFul creamy buttery sweet LiShan. It’s as rich as it looks

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[Victoria]

Today savored TeaFul’s Muzha and DongDing. Both are excellent and well priced; rich, complex, with stone fruit and caramel sweetness and pair really well with a meal.

[d.manuk]

I'm having Hongxin Baozhong from Wenshan, Taiwan by Teamasters.

I prefer brewing this at 200F, it becomes much more sweetly subtle.
I've realized that I don't know how to describe Taiwanese oolongs aside from "very good." They're my favorite tea type by far, but I don't know how to describe it. I don't think floral fits the kinds I like very well. It just tastes like pure energy to me. A tea farmer just posted here and said DYL has a pinecone flavor. I can see that but I still don't think that is it. It's so unique, maybe its a combination of different unique flavors or perhaps it should just be in it's own category.

[VoirenTea]

I've been having ToDoTea's Jin Xuan milk oolong at work. It is nice steeped Western style but it was really impressive in a gaiwan. Very creamy mouthfeel and went for many steeps. The name had never made sense before.

(It is on my list to eventually try more Jin Xuan and other high mountain oolongs, as I think this one seems good now, but I honestly have no comparators. The other Jin Xuans I've tried have all been from outside Taiwan and I found them disappointing. The less said about the single artificially-flavoured one the better!)

[Bok]

I'm having Hongxin Baozhong from Wenshan, Taiwan by Teamasters.

I prefer brewing this at 200F, it becomes much more sweetly subtle.
I've realized that I don't know how to describe Taiwanese oolongs aside from "very good." They're my favorite tea type by far, but I don't know how to describe it. I don't think floral fits the kinds I like very well. It just tastes like pure energy to me. A tea farmer just posted here and said DYL has a pinecone flavor. I can see that but I still don't think that is it. It's so unique, maybe its a combination of different unique flavors or perhaps it should just be in it's own category.

If you ever make it to Taiwan and go to some higher elevation mountain in the morning or late afternoon when the mist is slowly descending on it now you breathe in that moist smell with fragrance of the surrounding vegetation, you know exactly where Taiwanese teas flavour comes from!

[d.manuk]

I'm having Hongxin Baozhong from Wenshan, Taiwan by Teamasters.

I prefer brewing this at 200F, it becomes much more sweetly subtle.
I've realized that I don't know how to describe Taiwanese oolongs aside from "very good." They're my favorite tea type by far, but I don't know how to describe it. I don't think floral fits the kinds I like very well. It just tastes like pure energy to me. A tea farmer just posted here and said DYL has a pinecone flavor. I can see that but I still don't think that is it. It's so unique, maybe its a combination of different unique flavors or perhaps it should just be in it's own category.

If you ever make it to Taiwan and go to some higher elevation mountain in the morning or late afternoon when the mist is slowly descending on it now you breathe in that moist smell with fragrance of the surrounding vegetation, you know exactly where Taiwanese teas flavour comes from!

I'm probably going to Taiwan and Hong Kong next year!