What Oolong Are You Drinking

[Noonie]

I’m in Montreal (Canada) this past few days and got to spend some time at a tea shop here that has a cafe for sitting down and enjoying tea, with a shop next door packed with wares and tea to take home. Heaven

I had a Li Shan, brewed Gong Fu style in a yellow clay yixing pot. It was interesting to apply a different process than I would at home. The 110ml pot had maybe 1.5x more leaf than I use at home in a slightly larger gaiwan. I brewed for 20s, 15s, 15s and them doubles from there (up to 4 minutes or so). The pot seemed to mute the up front flavours I thens to get at home, though the later infusions didn’t fade as much. I thought of buying the same pot from their shop, but instead put the $ towards a new handmade kyusu and some tea. It was time and money well spent!

[Teachronicles]

I had foushoushan from Ethan, a forum member here, this morning. Very good stuff, extremely thick tea liquor. I'm not good at flavour descriptions but it was sweet, buttery, creamy maybe. Tastes very similar to other goashan I've had but the flavor didn't drop off after 5 or 6 steeps, Im taking a break to sleep some more and will finish off the session later. Thanks ethan!

[Victoria]

I had foushoushan from Ethan, a forum member here, this morning. Very good stuff, extremely thick tea liquor. I'm not good at flavour descriptions but it was sweet, buttery, creamy maybe. Tastes very similar to other goashan I've had but the flavor didn't drop off after 5 or 6 steeps, Im taking a break to sleep some more and will finish off the session later. Thanks ethan!

Yes, amazing how Fushoushan can go on for days, the thick leaves really deliver, and so much minerality.
This afternoon I’m sampling Organic Heritage Tieguanyin, from Red Blossom Tea, a gift via Ferg. It is excellent; super full rich body, with thick sweet roasted smoothness, and notes of wood chips ?

[Ethan Kurland]

I had foushoushan from Ethan, a forum member here. Thanks ethan!

My pleasure and good to hear you like it. I wish I was smart enough to keep some with me all of the time. On six-week trip for which I did not pack well. Halfway through, I found myself only holding black teas. It is okay but a packet of the foushoushan should have been in my carry-on with the other teas. Cheers

[Teachronicles]

I'm having the top grade charcoal tgy from tealifehk. First infusion is buttery smooth, with a burnt sugar sweetness. 2nd is a less buttery but still sweet and toasty infusion. When very hot, the charcoal flavor comes through more, but as the tea cools you get the burnt sugar notes. 3rd and 4th infusions continues in a similar pattern, sweet and toasty, but a little rougher and with a little sourness I think is found in tgy. There's also a nice huigan throughout. If your a fan of roasted oolong, I definitely recommend you give this one a try. I think I'll try this Western as well as grandpa to see how it is.

[Brent D]

I’m having some of chens bug bitten light roast dong ding. Very enlightening. I think this helps me identify what that “bug bitten flavor” really is.

[Bok]

I’m having some of chens bug bitten light roast dong ding. Very enlightening. I think this helps me identify what that “bug bitten flavor” really is.

If you want to compare, try organic N.18 sunmoon lake Red, also called Ruby or Red Jade. And some oriental beauty. They are also mostly bug bitten.

I have found it to become overpowering and unpleasant when drinking too much of those teas. First time I had it, I loved it, now I tend to avoid this kind of flavours. Too perfumey for my palate...

[Brent D]

I have had oriental beauty multiple times. Not often as I am usually chasing other flavors. I’ve also always felt that they all kind of taste the same. What I find interesting is that this tea has helped me to be able to identify with certainty what that bug bitten flavor is.

[Bok]

I have had oriental beauty multiple times. Not often as I am usually chasing other flavors. I’ve also always felt that they all kind of taste the same. What I find interesting is that this tea has helped me to be able to identify with certainty what that bug bitten flavor is.

Yeah, once you had two or three different ones, it is pretty obvious. Just this weekend I had it with greener Gaoshan when tasting and buying some tea. Also have a high mountain black bug bitten sitting in a jar, can not seem to finish it...

[Ethan Kurland]

Oriental Beauty is not the same every time I buy some, but I agree there is a defining flavor(s). I also have gone from thrilled to liking it about once or twice a month & able to do without it entirely. The high-end is expensive; the lower priced o.b. does not really seem like o.b. I don't know if I will buy anymore since other teas which are cheaper please me so much more.

I never made the flavor connection that Bok did with Ruby 18 in flavors. I know some of the black teas that I like a lot are bitten by bugs but they are much like o.b. to me.

[Rui]

Competition Grade Tie Guan Yin of Gande Village Spring 2018 from Yunnan Sourcing.

[Brent D]

Competition Grade Tie Guan Yin of Gande Village Spring 2018 from Yunnan Sourcing.

How is it this year? The 2017 was great.
Been waiting for jings TGY, but it hasnt showed up yet. YS seems to be the only place that does have 2018 TGY.

[Ethan Kurland]

I never made the flavor connection that Bok did with Ruby 18 in flavors. I know some of the black teas that I like a lot are bitten by bugs but they are much like o.b. to me.

Correction: "..........they are NOT much like o.b. to me. There are teas called "Honey Black" offered in the choices (aligned by price) at some tea shops. I think of these as black teas since they are what they say, sweet black tea.

[Bok]

I never made the flavor connection that Bok did with Ruby 18 in flavors. I know some of the black teas that I like a lot are bitten by bugs but they are much like o.b. to me.

Correction: "..........they are NOT much like o.b. to me. There are teas called "Honey Black" offered in the choices (aligned by price) at some tea shops. I think of these as black teas since they are what they say, sweet black tea.

What I meant is not that they are alike, but that they share that particular bug bitten under-note (in addition to their own global flavour profile). Of course they remain black teas. It is more like a scent, not dissimilar in intensity as other scented teas like Jasmine or even (sorry) Earl Grey.

[Ethan Kurland]

What I meant is not that they are alike, but that they share that particular bug bitten under-note (in addition to their own global flavour profile). Of course they remain black teas. It is more like a scent, not dissimilar in intensity as other scented teas like Jasmine or even (sorry) Earl Grey.

Put my nose to work: Now I get it & agree. Thanks