What Oolong Are You Drinking

[swordofmytriumph]

Stopped at Floating Leaves today. Currently drinking winter 2018 Da Yu Ling. So tasty. Very sweet, cooked veggies, and a bit of fruit. A bit more vegetal (those cooked veggies) than a lot of gaoshan ive had, but in the best possible way. That might also be because I’ve eaten a lot of carbs today. Gonna try again tomorrow, I expect I’ll pick up a lot more fruity notes on another day. Each steep has a little something different. Oily texture, deep flavor. Also, the leaves are absolute monsters! Check out the size of them! US and euro pennies for scale. They are super thick and really strong.

[d.manuk]

The elevation is from 2500 meters, is that something like "90k" ?

[swordofmytriumph]

Closer to 80k, but yeah around that. In feet that is.

Also, I’ve finished the session now. What it says on their website about how it can take long steeps with hot water? Totally accurate. My last steep I did boiling water for 5 min, and it came out tasting great.

[Ethan Kurland]

swordofmytriumph, I am also impressed with how much rounds of dayuling can vary. I like the complexity and variation very much. I have found quick steeping allows sweetness to be a greater part of the taste and longer steeping brings out vegetal flavors. Most sessions, I drink half of each infusion as I brew one after another and combine the other halves in a glass pitcher which I may drink quickly or much later in the day. Chee

[pizzapotamus]

Just 8000Ft, 80k would be several times the height of Everest.

[Victoria]

A beautiful example of big rolled oolong nuggets @swordofmytriumph. It’s been a while since I’ve had DaYuLing but I think the three leaves plus stem are usually on the larger size, not as big and thick as FuShouShan, but in that direction. Floating Leaves has such rich, quality high mountain.

Not sure what’s up; I have not experienced sour notes in DongDing until recently. Is it the water, the steeping, or a more delicate fussy leaf? or is it my body, or stress..... traveling, so trying different DongDing lately, so not coming from my staple stock.

[Bok]

They are super thick and really strong.

If they are not, it would be unlikely a DYL!

[swordofmytriumph]

Just 8000Ft, 80k would be several times the height of Everest.

lol I have many talents, and math is not one of them!

[swordofmytriumph]

I have found quick steeping allows sweetness to be a greater part of the taste and longer steeping brings out vegetal flavors.

Good to know. This is my first Da Yu Ling, I’m so happy with it.

[Tillerman]

Just 8000Ft, 80k would be several times the height of Everest.

lol I have many talents, and math is not one of them!

Hi all, the reference to 80k or 90k is not to the elevation of the tea garden but to the kilometer marker on Hwy 8 that indicates the location of the garden. 80K and 90K both are well below 2500m elevation.

[luchayi]

Me too... An oolong from the mountain Ali, Taiwan...!

[Ethan Kurland]

Drinking high-mountain medium-roasted/medium-oxidized Lishan tea. 12 days ago I put 75 grams of this into ceramic with a loose lid so lots of air. A few days ago I tasted flavors of green gaoshan much more strongly. Now that the tea has been "breathing", it gives one the choice of steeping fairly quickly that gives the green center stage with flavors of roasting and oxidization enhancing; or one steep longer to taste the roasting & oxidation much more. I saw that I posted that this tea provides 3 excellent infusions from a modest amount of leaves. Not exactly: 3 stacked infusions is excellent, but on its own a 3rd infusion is only fair.

[Bok]

Drinking high-mountain medium-roasted/medium-oxidized Lishan tea. 12 days ago I put 75 grams of this into ceramic with a loose lid so lots of air. A few days ago I tasted flavors of green gaoshan much more strongly. Now that the tea has been "breathing", it gives one the choice of steeping fairly quickly that gives the green center stage with flavors of roasting and oxidization enhancing; or one steep longer to taste the roasting & oxidation much more. I saw that I posted that this tea provides 3 excellent infusions from a modest amount of leaves. Not exactly: 3 stacked infusions is excellent, but on its own a 3rd infusion is only fair.

Might it have to do with leaf-water ratio? As you know I use a lot more leaf than what you normally do – all discusson about the usefullness of counting infusions aside – 3 good infusions seem little for roasted high mountain tea to me! As I am familiar with the teas you have, I am certain it is not the leaves themselves.

I would try to use more leaf than what you would normally be comfortable with and then do shorter steeps with really hot water.

[Ethan Kurland]

I would try to use more leaf than what you would normally be comfortable with and then do shorter steeps with really hot water.

You are correct, Bok, one can get a lot more infusions from this tea by using more leaves. I prefer what I do but should remember many people would like to get more infusions. Use of more leaves gets more of the influence of the roasting which I don't prefer for most sessions. I am using water that is quite hot (95C). Cheers

[Bok]

You are correct, Bok, one can get a lot more infusions from this tea by using more leaves. I prefer what I do but should remember many people would like to get more infusions. Use of more leaves gets more of the influence of the roasting which I don't prefer for most sessions. I am using water that is quite hot (95C). Cheers

Have you tried flash-brewing? Lots of leaf, yet seconds of brewing only. Need a good fast pouring teapot for that, or gaiwan. Emptying the pot in no longer than 6 seconds will be ideal.