What Oolong Are You Drinking

Semi-oxidized tea
Ethan Kurland
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Thu Apr 04, 2019 3:11 pm

swordofmytriumph wrote:
Thu Apr 04, 2019 1:24 pm
. I’ve never had aged oolong before.

Edit. I’ve gotten around 10 steeps out of it so far at boiling, amd it just keeps giving, the flavor is still fairly strong and every few steeps it changes.
Of course, there will be differences from one aged oolong to another for flavors; but all aged oolong that I have had provided a lot of infusions and drinking them in large quantities has never upset my insides.
oolongfan
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Thu Apr 04, 2019 3:16 pm

Ethan - I agree. I have elevated cortisol so I have to watch my caffeine intake....yet I can drink larger amounts of aged oolong than I can young, with elevation of blood pressure pulse. I also find aged oolongs gentler on the belly as well. As you mentioned, each aged tea is unique..which makes tasting them so fun.
Ethan Kurland
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Fri Apr 05, 2019 10:30 am

Oriental Beauty: I have the name of the cultivar in English but am not writing here because I am not conversant with cultivars and don't want people to infer that I am. I just now that of the O.B.s that I sampled last month, this is the one that I prefer.

Lovely aroma comes from the leaves as soon as hot water touches them. My favorite parameters so far are to infuse very few leaves in water just a bit off the boil (95C) for quick infusions (not flash but not more than 30 seconds). I am using 0.4 grams per 60 ml of water for most sessions. This produces a light-bodied but very flavorful brew. Tart fruit flavors enhanced with notes of spices are most of the complex drink.

More steeping and/or more leaves produce brews that have more body and far more flavor that one might associate with any tea. (I don't think anyone will need to use very many leaves though.)

This O.B. is not as sweet as most, and to me seems one that a sophisticated drinker will prefer. (Does "sophisticated" sound pompous?) I have liked other O.B. in the past (perhaps as much), but found I would not want to drink them often. This one is pleasing and interesting for me to enjoy everyday.

Cheers
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Victoria
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Fri Apr 05, 2019 4:02 pm

@Ethan Kurland your Oriental Beauty sounds very interesting. I just got 8oz of OB Grand from Te Company in NYC, when it’s good it’s so good. You must enjoy very light brews since you are using so few leaves, for 60ml I’d probably be using 3.5gr, but then I like a rich brew. I’m letting my order rest a few days from it’s cross country trip before opening.

Yesterday, I had a mystery roasted oolong that foamed a little on the first two steeps, and also had what looked like an oil slick on the surface of the liquor. It was not very impressed by it either. Any idea what causes foam and an oil slick?
Ethan Kurland
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Fri Apr 05, 2019 10:19 pm

Victoria wrote:
Fri Apr 05, 2019 4:02 pm
had a mystery roasted oolong that foamed a little on the first two steeps, and also had what looked like an oil slick on the surface of the liquor. It was not very impressed by it either. Any idea what causes foam and an oil slick?
I don't know what does that. I think the subject got discussed on a forum. (If not here then the other one from where some of us came here.) We'll see if Baiso and/or other knowledgible members respond.

I agree, sometimes Oriental Beauty can be so special. Wang Tea in Taipei has one some years that is very delicious; yet, its sweetness gets tiresome (to me) quickly to a degree that I don't enjoy what else it gives. (Fortunately, because it is very expensive.) Several years ago, I liked sweet teas such as some Yunnan Black teas very much. We change and teas change. Cheers
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octopus
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Sat Apr 06, 2019 2:34 am

Victoria wrote:
Fri Apr 05, 2019 4:02 pm
what looked like an oil slick on the surface of the liquor. It was not very impressed by it either. Any idea what causes foam and an oil slick?
could it be mineral residue from brewing with hard water?
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octopus
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Sat Apr 06, 2019 2:43 am

Victoria wrote:
Sun Mar 31, 2019 1:19 pm
octopus wrote:
Sun Mar 31, 2019 7:32 am
actually the other day I offered some yancha to a japanese guy who never had yancha and he really liked it because he said it reminded him of hojicha. it isn't such a crazy thing to associate
Now I’m really curious so will get some high quality hojicha (any recommendations from members?). Which yancha were you sharing with him? By the way, your Roí Gui is really excellent, thank you via pedant.
so far offered him some huangguanyin, shuixian and qilan. he liked all of them as he really seems to like anything with a toasted note as is very used to hoji flavor. Surpisingly he is also already able to see differences in cultivar fragrance and character. I have been training him to drink chinese tea that is not just longjing as he would do before also for aged liubao and sheng. Will take a long time but so far really promising results I have high expectations. Once he can recognize main cultivars i will try some more advanced things like understanding yanyun or laocong flavor but there is time. Thank you, you can ask pedant to get you more rougui or other teas, sure he won't say no :D
oolongfan
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Sun Apr 07, 2019 7:43 pm

Norbu
2018 Winter Ali Shan High Mountain Dong Pian - One of my favorite oolongs from Norbu, if memory serves me correct, Greg visited the grower during the harvest of this tea (and even helped out). Lovely soft floral notes of orchid and jasmine over a almost buttery richness. Normally I brew this in a hong ni clay teapot...but I wanted a larger brew..so without thinking, I grabbed alovely F2 zini shui pin teapot (from Tingjunkie). The zini seemed to emphasize the richness of this tea while slightky smoothing the perfumedl aspects of the orchid notes....still thouroughly enjoyable and an interested if unintended, experiment ;)

1970's aged Taiwan Pingling Baozhong
- This is an incredible tea...and I love all of Greg's aged oolongs. Beautiful aromatic wood, red plums, spices, hints of wood, perfumed tea notes. This tea has an incredible depth and body, especially given its age. A fabelous treat..hard not to drink it all up.

Leafy Green
Hau Ying Chen's Unroasted Dong Ding - I love this tea ever since tasting a sample orf it, generously provided in one of my orders. Beautiful orchid, jasmine, straw, parchment over a butttery richness. The tea has a honey richness similar to the Bug Bitten version. While I love Hau Ying Chen's beautiful roasting Dong Dings, his unroasted Dong Ding really showcases the quality of the tea itself.
------------------------------
The last few onths i have been in a sheng rabbit hole of sorts, so it was nice to get back to my 'first love' - Oolong! Funny how moods strike.....now I am wanting to stay in Oolong land for a while. Sadly I have a dry period coming up as I have kidney and adrenal lab tests coming up..so no tea for a few weeks. ..so this tea session was extra special
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Tillerman
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Sun Apr 07, 2019 10:53 pm

Ethan Kurland wrote:
Fri Apr 05, 2019 10:19 pm
Victoria wrote:
Fri Apr 05, 2019 4:02 pm
had a mystery roasted oolong that foamed a little on the first two steeps, and also had what looked like an oil slick on the surface of the liquor. It was not very impressed by it either. Any idea what causes foam and an oil slick?
I don't know what does that. I think the subject got discussed on a forum. (If not here then the other one from where some of us came here.) We'll see if Baiso and/or other knowledgible members respond.
Here is an brief account of tea scum: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyl ... k.features
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Victoria
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Sun Apr 07, 2019 11:57 pm

octopus wrote:
Sat Apr 06, 2019 2:34 am
Victoria wrote:
Fri Apr 05, 2019 4:02 pm
what looked like an oil slick on the surface of the liquor. It was not very impressed by it either. Any idea what causes foam and an oil slick?
could it be mineral residue from brewing with hard water?
Tillerman wrote:
Sun Apr 07, 2019 10:53 pm
Here is an brief account of tea scum: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyl ... k.features
Thank you @octopus and @Tillerman. I will steep this oolong next time with bottled Iceland Spring water to see if my filtered city water caused this. None of my other teas are affected this way, so must have to do with this particular teas ‘other organic chemicals’.

....“The scum, or at least 15% of it, is calcium carbonate - the rest being a lot of complex organic chemicals.”
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Victoria
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Wed Apr 10, 2019 5:25 pm

Since Stéphane from @TeaMastersBlog has joined TeaForum I reached for his 2018 Spring Qingxin Ooolong, a kind gift from @Shine Magical on one of his visits to LA. Wow this is very high quality oolong, somewhere between Alishan and FuShouShan. Preheated kyusu with dry leaves gives off a strong floral buttery aroma, much more aromatic than most high mountains I've had. The liquor is sweet and floral with a very clean effervescence in mouth that lasts for a long time. Good vibration and energy in mouth that moves up into the head, some call it Qi energy. Thank You.

Steeped in an early Hokujo (Shimizu Genji) kyusu with a twisted spout and handle, made when he was still using red Tokoname clay. Using Hoya twisted crystal sake pitcher, and paper thin 30ml Japanese porcelain cups. I also finally have nice lid rests that are antique old growth Yakushima yakusugi (cedar) sake cups. It is no longer permitted to cut Yakusugi, they grow to 1,000 + years, and their habitat is now designated a World Heritage site.

TeaMasters HMnt Quingxin Hokujo Hoya L1010339.jpg
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debunix
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Wed Apr 10, 2019 8:19 pm

Quite a lovely session and sounds like an amazing tea
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d.manuk
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Thu Apr 11, 2019 8:30 am

I’m glad you liked it and I look forward to our next tea session :)
oolongfan
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Thu Apr 11, 2019 3:32 pm

Leafy Green
Ali Shan Jin Xuan - Soft orchid floral notes with a lovey milky note. This tea has a wonderful buttery quality, very silky yet thick on the tongue. I love the richness and milk note baalnced by refined orchid floral notes. A very refined example of its type.

Bug Bitten - Much to my chagrin, I am practically out of this. Very soft orchid notes (especially if pushed slightly), rich honey (on both palate and nose), parchment, unsweetened fortune cookie, oxidized nuttiness-je ne said quoi taste that says 'bug bitten' to me. The honey notes starts out deep, like buckwheat honey..then becoming ighter like locust honey, slowly transforming into crystalized wildflower honey. This is one of my favorites..one of my 'desert Island' teas. I had this several times this week.

2017 Laocong Shui Xian
- Golden plums, powerful perfumed tea notes, honey, parchment over an intense minerality. I loved how the rich fruit and te perfume flavors are balanced by the racey minerality.

Norbu
2018 Winter Ali Shan High Mountain Dong Pian - Yes I know that I just drank this a few days ago, but like Chen's Bug Bitten, this is one of my 'can't get enough of this' teas. Refined orchid and jasmine over buttery richness...like Chen's Ali Shan Jin Xuan, the roast notes are so minimal, they come across as richness more than roast notes. Another favorite of mine.

1980s Aged Taiwan Linkou Lao Cha Aged tea wood type notes, fortune cookies, golden plums & stone fruits. I love starting out with a 4 second flash brew because the resulting liquor is so flavorful, a promise of things to come with fortune cookie, aged tea notes. Subsequant longer brews fill out in terms of flavors and depth...but there is something so hauntng about that first flash brew. This is yet another wonderful aged tea from Norbu..perfect storange with zero off notes. A very powerful flavorful tea that emphasizes tea notes at this stage with roast notes taking a slight backseat. I love drinking this with the other two aged oolong offerings from Norbu.....so I did another aged tea...

1970's aged Taiwan Pingling Baozhong- Yes...I also drank this lovely tea a few days ago. I loved contrasting this teas ephasis on roast...with aromatic wood, spice, dank wood tea notes, and red plums, with the previous tea. I marvel at how much power and depth this tea has, despite its age. This is no wilting faded flower...rather filled with flavors, structure, and depth. Another favorite...I love Greg's aged teas!!!
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iGo
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Thu Apr 11, 2019 8:11 pm

9BDDF0A0-943A-4F48-9497-0432F12757CD.jpeg
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1967 Pinglin Baozhong from the dearly departed Project Origin Tea.

3gm/27ml Yixing.

Aged taste but not plum/raisin flavor I’m used to with aged Taiwanese oolongs.
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