What Oolong Are You Drinking

[pedant]

glad you liked it

Which other oolong from Cindy would you recommend?

it's been so long since i tried samples, i can't really remember. and i don't know if what i tried is even still available, sorry.

[Ethan Kurland]

Victoria, John B. gets samples from Cindy often. He has reviewed several in his blogs.

Personally, through John I've sampled at least several of Cindy's teas & liked them all. I think I am remembering correctly that higher prices went along with better quality; yet, nothing went below the level of very good. I especially enjoyed Rui from her.

For me, fortunately I am satisfied by oolong from Taiwan; otherwise I might spend beyond my budget for some of those teas.

[Victoria]

Victoria, John B. gets samples from Cindy often. He has reviewed several in his blogs.

Personally, through John I've sampled at least several of Cindy's teas & liked them all. I think I am remembering correctly that higher prices went along with better quality; yet, nothing went below the level of very good. I especially enjoyed Rui from her.

For me, fortunately I am satisfied by oolong from Taiwan; otherwise I might spend beyond my budget for some of those teas.

Oh thanks for sharing this Ethan. I agree Wuyi is expensive, more than really good Taiwan oolong, but is in a class of its own. Just yesterday I had two very good Rou Gui shared by @pedant, but my post got lost before I hit send;

• Essence of Tea 2014 Half Handmade Rou Gui

• Cassia Extraordinaire 2016 Tea Hong, medium baked Wuyi Rou Gui oolong

They are both excellent, with Essence of Tea being slightly richer and offering a few more extended steeps.

A so-so shot of one...

CCC5F8C6-CB91-4F03-9AEF-F525E48936B9.jpeg (158.07 KiB) Viewed 10221 times

[Bok]

- Iridescence -

Having a probably, very likely, fake Dayuling. Too cheap to be real.

Does it matter? It does not, the tea is excellent for the price I paid, the rest is just names...

Not having my usual setup around me, I go back brewing in wood-fired Taiwanese clay pot, one of those I made myself when time was less of a luxury.

This pot has some amazing things going on on the inside! Iridescent magic only wood-firing can create!

[Psyck]

<...> Didn’t use a pitcher, instead placed all the liquor into Taisuke Shiraiwa’s tea bowl. I like the simplicity of that.

What a horrible teacup. Why, it doesn't even have a handle to hold it!

Just kidding of course, nice setup, I often skip using a pitcher too and simply pour directly into an appropriately sized cup.

[_Soggy_]

Woke up super early for some reason. Started morning off with some Farmers Baozhong from FL. I thought I drank both bags, but I was rooting around in my tea box and found the other full bag last week so I will drink it before winter is here. I did try it western style today...i won't be trying it again. I couldn't tell what it was besides most likely an oolong. Still a nice warm beverage is good to wakeup to.

[Ethan Kurland]

Just finished posting privately about Baozhong then saw your post. One reason I am not a fan of it, is that I have not found it (in limited experience) to store well. Even refrigerated, unopened packs of Baozhong, lost strength after 2 months.

Mid-level gaoshan (in price & altitude leaves were grown at) from Shanlanxi & Mount Ouza have given me what I like in good Baozhong though the cultivars are not the same.

[_Soggy_]

Just finished posting privately about Baozhong then saw your post. One reason I am not a fan of it, is that I have not found it (in limited experience) to store well. Even refrigerated, unopened packs of Baozhong, lost strength after 2 months.

Mid-level gaoshan (in price & altitude leaves were grown at) from Shanlanxi & Mount Ouza have given me what I like in good Baozhong though the cultivars are not the same.

Yeah, between the light oxidation, light roast, and larger leaf profile, they probably do not store well compared to the other types of taiwan oolongs that are rolled. I can't really say as I only maybe drink 50-100g each spring and that is enough for me(generally like darker oolongs, but a little baozhong is nice in the spring). I will say that this is the less fragrant/flower bomb/competition type of baozhong so it is less noticeable if it has lost some fragrance(as the floral notes are less pronounced in the first place). If I already opened it then it probably would have been more noticeable.

[Tillerman]

Mid-level gaoshan (in price & altitude leaves were grown at) from Shanlanxi & Mount Ouza have given me what I like in good Baozhong though the cultivars are not the same.

From my experience, most good bao zhong is qing xin wulong; more commercial ones can also be jin xuan or cui yu. As forgaoshan tea, I thought it also is usually qing xin wulong or jin xuan. I am curious as to why you say "the cultivars are not the same." Are you aware of some other cultivars being used? Perhaps ruan zhi or something else?

[d.manuk]

I'm having a Tian Chi oolong from Tea Masters. I've never had this kind of Taiwanese oolong before. For my first impression, I like it a lot!
Lightly grassy aroma with a somewhat hay/vegetal flavor, very reminiscent of a delicate green tea but with none of the sharpness a green can have. It has a very balanced and delicate yet flavorful quality to it, yum. A nice surprise.

[Tillerman]

I'm having a Tian Chi oolong from Tea Masters. I've never had this kind of Taiwanese oolong before. For my first impression, I like it a lot!
Lightly grassy aroma with a somewhat hay/vegetal flavor, very reminiscent of a delicate green tea but with none of the sharpness a green can have. It has a very balanced and delicate yet flavorful quality to it, yum. A nice surprise.

Tian Chi means "Heavenly Pool." The actual pool is at Fushoushan Farm, in front of one of Chiang Kai-Shek's former summer residences. The tea comes from the plateau that is adjacent the farm and usually it is very, very good; better, I think, than recent harvests of Fushoushan itself and, although still very pricey, at a fraction of what one would pay for Fushoushan. You are a lucky tea drinker Shine Magical!

[Ethan Kurland]

From my experience, most good bao zhong is qing xin wulong; more commercial ones can also be jin xuan or cui yu. As forgaoshan tea, I thought it also is usually qing xin wulong or jin xuan. I am curious as to why you say "the cultivars are not the same." Are you aware of some other cultivars being used? Perhaps ruan zhi or something else?

I wrote what I wrote, not realizing it was stupid. I do not remember specific cultivars. Without realizing what I was doing, I had somehow become sure Boazhong & the tea from another area etc. would be different cultivars. The tea that I thought of is what I call "Perfect" and is sold to me by an inventory number. The use of my names and others' stock numbers is protection from my inability to pronounce mandarin etc.
I admire your knowledge, Tillerman, as well as your ability to comprehend teas within categories. I do not know the cultivar of most teas that I drink and/or sell.

[Tillerman]

I do not know the cultivar of most teas that I drink and/or sell.

Nor should you have to! the quality of the tea is all that really matters.

[d.manuk]

I'm having a Tian Chi oolong from Tea Masters. I've never had this kind of Taiwanese oolong before. For my first impression, I like it a lot!
Lightly grassy aroma with a somewhat hay/vegetal flavor, very reminiscent of a delicate green tea but with none of the sharpness a green can have. It has a very balanced and delicate yet flavorful quality to it, yum. A nice surprise.

Tian Chi means "Heavenly Pool." The actual pool is at Fushoushan Farm, in front of one of Chiang Kai-Shek's former summer residences. The tea comes from the plateau that is adjacent the farm and usually it is very, very good; better, I think, than recent harvests of Fushoushan itself and, although still very pricey, at a fraction of what one would pay for Fushoushan. You are a lucky tea drinker Shine Magical!

I didn’t know this, thank you for the story.

[d.manuk]

I'm drinking Shizhuo oolong from Alishan picked in Winter 2017 from Teamasters.
This tea has a really nice and flavorful aftertaste, but the initial taste in the mouth and while swallowing isn't very good to me. What a shame since I wouldn't buy this tea but it does have a really great aftertaste.