What Oolong Are You Drinking

[Andrew S]

Teamasters and jadeleaf have good reputations among long standing drinkers. As well as hojo - even though Japanese- the teas he sources are very good.

@Baiyun: if you try Tea Masters, I'd suggest sticking to his primary product, which is fresh unroasted high mountain wulong and baozhong. Others can be quite variable (stay far away from anything 'infrared roasted'...).

I've enjoyed some nice teas from Tillerman and Ethan Kurland, and some roasted / aged styles from TheTea. I've also heard good things about Hojo, but haven't tried any of his teas.

Andrew

[Baiyun]

Thank you oolong friends, it has been invaluable to follow recommendations from this forum.

@GaoShan I have that wild garden SLX and found it to be nice also, strong leaves. My overall impression so far is that their teas are aligned to their price points, that said, I did not order any of the competition winners since those teas rarely worked for me in the past in terms of value. Those judges must be looking for things that remain obscure to me.

[GaoShan]

Thank you oolong friends, it has been invaluable to follow recommendations from this forum.

GaoShan I have that wild garden SLX and found it to be nice also, strong leaves. My overall impression so far is that their teas are aligned to their price points, that said, I did not order any of the competition winners since those teas rarely worked for me in the past in terms of value. Those judges must be looking for things that remain obscure to me.

I find that Wang's teas have a few very pronounced flavours and little to no bitterness, which are things I enjoy. Some oolongs from other vendors have more complexity, though often that comes with more bitterness/vegetal flavours (though not always, as Ethan's teas can attest). I haven't tried Wang's competition teas either, though I bought a couple of them last year.

[DigitalSparks]

I received the 4 sample set from iTeaworld yesterday, and I must say, their packaging is really nice - easy to handle and eco-friendly. The larger box it came in adds to the overall aesthetics and presentation of their product.

Appearance: The tightly rolled Minnan Narcissus Oolong leaves boast a captivating deep green color with subtle hints of brown, reflecting the result of skillful roasting.

Flavor: The first sip exhibited a delicately light charcoal roast flavor, complemented by persistent floral notes that lasted well into the finish. The nuanced roasty undertone was quite pleasant in later sips, harmonizing with the floral essence and adding to the delightful complexity in the cup.

Mouthfeel: The tea's texture struck a perfect balance, offering a pleasing viscosity that felt both comforting and delicate on the palate.

Aftertaste: The floral and roasty notes interplay, leaving a pleasant lingering flavor on the palate. I found myself eager to get to the next infusion to see what this tea had to offer.

Overall, I feel this offering from iTeaworld is a solid daily drinker, and the price point makes it accessible to many tea enthusiasts who enjoy a nice cuppa.

[DigitalSparks]

iTeaworld - Fenghuang Dancong Old Tree Oolong Tea (Mi Lan Xiang Honey Orchid)


Aroma: Initially I tossed this tea into my prewarmed gaiwan to elevate the leaf's temperature and upon opening the lid I was hit with a bouquet of floral notes followed by subtle yet distinct roasted notes stemming from the processing of the tea.

Flavor: The first sip produced a complex taste profile of floral notes that evoked the presence of Orchids. A subtle spiciness intermingled with the floral tones provides another layer of flavor. There are also delicate mineral undertones that underlie the floral and spice notes that are present adding more depth of flavor overall. There is a certain brightness characteristic that this tea exhibits that I can't quite put my finger on, but it is pleasant nonetheless.

Aftertaste: The tea leaves a lingering honeyed aftertaste that makes me think of the nectar of blooming orchids, providing a nice finish to each sip.

Overall impression: This tea has legs, on their site they claimed it would go 10 steeps and still exhibit flavor and I have to say I was still producing a decent cup of tea at 10 steeps in, which is quite nice. This tea showcases floral notes balanced with spice and mineral notes the bright and refreshing top end enhanced the overall experience making it a candidate for reorder in my book.

[Ethan Kurland]

still exhibit flavor and I have to say I was still producing a decent cup of tea at 10 steeps in, which is quite nice. This tea showcases floral notes balanced with spice and mineral notes the bright and refreshing top end enhanced the overall experience making it a candidate for reorder in my book.

Only a candidate for reorder? You are a tough customer and/or the tea is very expensive, I assume, because your well-written & well-organized review is full of praise.
You might include your parameters, since one wonders about ratio of leaves to water used to get 10 good infusions. Cheers

[DigitalSparks]

My first session with this material was with one packet at 3.5g to 110ml water in my porcelain gaiwan, the timings were basically flash steeps for the first two steeps increasing about 5 seconds into the 5th steep and increasing to ten seconds added after increasing time as flavor decreased. The second session was two packs 7g to 200ml water in my porcelain kyusu just to see what higher more leaf to water may behave like ( this is much closer to my most commonly used dancong leaf to water ratio) The second session was my preferred method of the two, I basically used the same timings on this brew as I did the first, flash steeps increasing by 5s until I hit the 5th or so session and then increased to adding 10s per steep.

I say that it's a re-order candidate because I have a list of teas that I have enjoyed from each vendor I have ordered or had samples from and the ones that I enjoy make the "reorder list" so when I return to them I can use that list as a loose reference for building a cart in the future.

[DigitalSparks]

iTeaworld - Dahongpao Oolong Tea (Big Red Robe)

Aroma: after warming the leaf in my porcelain kyusu the roasted caramel aroma was present as soon as I lifted the lid of the kyusu to pour the water onto the leaf. I have come to enjoy several Dahonpao Oolongs so I was looking forward to seeing what this one had to offer.

Flavor: The first sip revealed an interplay of flavors, with pronounced spice notes, followed by a caramel sweetness, and a subtle yet distinct mineral quality. The roast on this tea is skillfully balanced, allowing the other flavors to shine through while still maintaining a significant presence in the overall profile. In later steeps, the spice notes remained prominent, coupled with a delightful caramel sweetness that lingered on the palate.

AftertasteThe tea presented the expected lingering aftertaste as a Dahongpao should, with the traditional “Yan Yun” flavor notes taking center stage throughout the session coupled with a combination of caramel sweetness and the signature spiciness persisting well into the later steeps.


Overall Impression: This tea left me impressed overall, it has complexity, and depth of flavors that a quality Dahongpao would be expected to have. It offers a multifaceted tasting experience that is warm and comforting. I have always enjoyed this particular type of tea and this one was no exception Assuming this company maintains this level of consistency through all of its curated offerings I feel it will do well as a new player in the marketplace.

[Andrew S]

A bit more spare time again; yesterday involved an 80s baozhong and an 80s yancha with a friend, and today started with a solid TieLuoHan yancha, followed by a very nice, refreshing, pure-tasting HuangJinGui from MuZha, and a very nice fruity and floral roasted baozhong.

Andrew

[Baiyun]

Easing myself into the much anticipated lazy cat shipment with the spring 2022 Echoes Rougui from Tongmuguan. I am no authority on yancha but this was a peak rougui experience for me to date.

I tend to wake up the dry leaves in the heated pot for a little bit and the aroma was immediately present, which one would expect, but very tantalising in its complexity and novelty. I then set aside a quick rinse and enjoyed several main infusions that were extremely rich in roundness of both flavour and texture, for a lack of better words, with prominent sweetness. That full roundness is really beautiful in conjunction with a rougui signature. I still feel like a fraud talking in tasting notes so I am just going to say that it absolutely satisfied that little irk that sometimes arose when I wanted rougui but had none in the drawer, so it is hitting those basics, whilst actually tasting a bit different, expanding my expectations for this cultivar, or processing, I don't know.

Past its prime, I brewed this tea down with several minute long infusions in the end and still yielded good notes with a sweet finish, with no dryness. Often with rougui, after 3-4 solid infusions, I see a stark drop in colour and declare it done shortly after, but this one will go all the way to sweet water without off notes, so a good pick for long and lazy sessions. A cat nearby is recommended. As far as yancha I tried goes, this is surely forgiving to brew, at least with my medium leaf ratio approach. The cold rinse in the end once again refreshed the memory and left it lingering. The rinse also tasted intact, without that strange furry flatness that I sometimes observed in cold rougui liquor.

Body sensation wise this tea is pleasantly settling and relaxing, a magnificient contrast to the powerful young shengs I have been drinking the last few days. I'll take this second to express my appreciation for the ability to drink such a wide variety of teas, how good.

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I also need to add that I really enjoy roasted oolongs, and particularly yancha, in the old hongni pot. It just feels so unquestionably right as a pairing. It is also slowly picking up some shine after being bone dry from the vendor's deep clean when I bought it.

More to come.

[Andrew S]

More to come.

I am looking forward to hearing more from your experiences with Lazy Cat. I'm not sure if there are too many people here who have tried them.

So far, I have admired their quality without necessarily enjoying some of their styles, but I may need to put in another order at some point to try some more (although the teas keep piling up, and I need to be careful what else I order...).

Your pot also looks like it's enjoying the experience; my version has also been a reliable friend for yancha and such.

Today Involved the same 2020 TieLuoHan for me that I've been having over the last few weeks, plus some moderately-roasted Taiwanese tea in a bigger pot and a much more relaxed manner.

Andrew

[LeoFox]

More to come.

Looks like they are moving to wuyi - which likely means access to even better stuff

[Baiyun]

@Andrew S I would not have found or tried them without the kind pointers here. I think I know what you mean with quality versus style. It is great to find a curator that shares your general preferences. For me, in the Taiwanese oolong realm, that was Floating Leaves with their special reserve offerings when they shipped from Taiwan, they all shared a clear character and distinctiveness in effect that set them apart, and worked for a longer brewing style I happen to enjoy with this tea type.

The eight Wang Family oolongs I ordered in a first attempt to venture out, after FL stopped shipping internationally, are less distinct, and require a bit more brewing adaptation, and so I am having a harder time forming a clear picture of each tea, to tell them apart sometimes, and don't really have these moments where I can easily select based on the moment. That said, their quality is definitely not bad, and their pricing across the selection seems to align pretty much exactly to what can be expected in that regard, which inspires some confidence. But they don't draw me in the same way, and don't have such perceptible effects on body and mind, personally of course. I think I am drawn to smaller operations with a bit of focus. Fortunately, there are more Taiwanese leads to follow, and it is all about the journey.

@LeoFox that is good news indeed. As much as I enjoy spending time in Shanghai, I'd also dwell in the mystical mountains in a heartbeat if the life situation allowed

I started this morning with more Echoes, which has been very warming, of which I am still drinking the pale late infusions as I write this. This time experimenting to see how I best brew this with a good balance when in company.

Human company, I mean.

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My human partner gives me either 'yes' or 'no' reactions to tea, so I am working hard to please her strict binary system. The cat has been hard to impress.

[Baiyun]

I started this morning with my second session of the lazy cat Metamorphosis, which is a 2020 Laocong (old bush) Shuixian from Zhengyan.

It stood out from the tea drawer because I have a bit of a sore throat and this tea is indeed very smooth and comforting, so I drank it as lukewarm medicine, spaced out to breathe the aroma in-between infusions, and as I look out of the window after a while, there's a heaviness draped over my eyebrows, and light specks flickering in the sky, and it is really best to soft focus into space while tension dissipates from the body.

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I don't know what congwei, the signature taste of old bushes this tea is supposedly full of, tastes like. I had a number of younger Shuixians in the past and there is a note here that I have not had before in this type of tea, but I am not sure whether this is it. I tried hard to pinpoint what it reminds me of as I find it really difficult to determine tasting notes conclusively to communicate. I stopped bothering to try and write these things down a while ago. I have not eaten meat in a long while but the immediate memory it conjures up is of some wood smoked barbecue dish. It is faint and wrapped up in other warm notes during the first few extended infusions, but comes out sharper on the middle of the tongue for a few seconds in the boiled down liquor.

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I followed the suggestions to boil the leaves and started it with quite a bit of water until it was concentrated down to the volume of a single cup. I usually only boil good aged white teas that can still be a bit too intense for enjoyment when reduced in this manner, but this tea comes out unscathed, with a different profile. Well worth doing. I don't think many other yancha would be suited to this, but I will try just to get a comparison. I drank the boil alongside the rinse, which added interesting diversity to the session. Very different.

I am looking forward to future sessions with this tea, and will reserve it for the right circumstances because the comforting effects are distinctly apparent. The Echoes rougui I previously mentioned comes in at 2/3 the price and is, to me at least, a more satisfying experience as far as the aromatics go, and oddly enough also how many normal infusions I would want to squeeze out of it, so that would be my pick for a regular session that calls for yancha, or one to share with others for a good chat and tea appreciation. However, this Metamorphosis tea, the way I see it, is one to enjoy alone, perhaps with 3-5 longer pot infusions, plenty of time in-between, and then a boil down. With this type of tea, I just like to feel into the sensations and spend time in the realm apart from thought, not talk.

[the_gyokuro_code]

Da Hong Pao, ft. my favourite (and only) bunny tea pet