Official Oolong thread!
Yes, that’s it. I fear teaware lust is creeping in. Steepstering is a slippery slope. :)
I placed an order for Taiwan Tea Crafts today for some new oolongs (and Yuchi Wild Mountain…deep down I’m a black tea lover) because I’ve been craving them. Every day at the office I was I had an oolong to steep and resteep all afternoon. On that note, I’ve also begun a search for a gaiwan. So excited!
I ordered: High Mountain Gui Fei, Shibi High Mountain Winter, Oriental Beauty Select Grade, and High Mountain Mi Xian, and of course the Yuchi Wild Mountain.
Anyone know where I may be able to inquire about an Gui Fei prior to 2014 to see if they ‘rest’ over time? If anyone is selling an older one that’d be great, if not a vendor name would be very appreciated.
whispering pines golden lily. wow this is lovely stuff, ive tried two WP teas now and they both have been high scorers.
its really aromatic, with mango & coconut cream fruity goodness. Such a nice tea.
Also im drinking liquid proust peachy elixir #9 & oolberry. The peachy is one of my favourites, I just totally love it & could drink it all day long.
Oolberry is interesting in how the fragrances mix together to make a super-fragrance. I have a friend im desperate to give her some of this one, I know she will be well into it :)
keep up the good work man, really nice tea.
Tea Urchin Lao Cong Ba Xian Dan Cong.
Peachy peachy. Kinda light, but that lightness also refrained from getting funny when slightly pushed. file under ‘are you sure they didnt flavour that tea?’
really good stuff
some are very finnicky yes – start with flash steeping them. literally pour water in, put lid on and pour out.
3/3/5/7/10 I have been doing with this one. There can be a slightly weird/bitter flavour that creeps in if you overdo it. But get the right balance and they are lovely. Oh and this must be around 90c, im not too sure as my thermos is leaking heatDecent Dan Cong is one of the drinks I hold in my mouth, shake my head and make happy noises at the taste and aroma
And yes, everything ive had from Tea Urchin has been nice so far!
their sample prices are really decent too, its practically the same, just 10% more in cost which is really good
edit* some are even less than that, +$1 on the good roi gui per sample (which is $33.50)
Do dan congs need to be rested when they’re fresh? I’ve heard you should let them rest for 3 months to smooth out the flavor. Got some from Yunnan Sourcing last spring and found it really aggressive.
I’m planning a YS order soon and will pick up a couple of dan congs again. Are there any you folks would recommend? Preferably something not too heavily roasted.
noo really? the best dan cong I have had has been fresh – the jingteashop stuff I have had fresh has been good, but finicky like a sheng, maybe that is it? I rate their stuff more than YS btw, but twice as much money
I found the YS dan cong to be similar tasting, where the JTS dan cong to be varied in their flavour, but as I said twice as much
Not much experience here, but ordered some from Tao Tea Leaf and really like the Phoenix Dan Cong Honey Orchid Premium. Can get a sample 5g for $2.50 CAD… Free shipping with $35 CAD… 25 g for $12.50 CAD… Ordered a bunch of samples and still going through them. Plan to reorder that one. Might need to compare to Yunnan first… Really didn’t care for the classic one, but I believe the instructions said 212 degrees…Said that on all the samples. Hmmmm. Seems I need to try that one again with cooler water. (Appreciate the tip, Rass!)
I don’t tend to use actual boiling water very much anyway.. 90c gets used a lot, or just off boiling (fish-eye bubbles technique)
Another thing I do if I’m drinking a larger amount is let the liquor cool quite a bit which lets the flavour develop into something sweeter. There is certain temperatures different oolongs are said to taste better at – I think 70c was mentioned, sounds about right in my head, maybe even 60. I should test it but if I can hold the cup in my hand and it’s comfortable then it’s ready.
It can be interesting to make Western-style and sip until it cools and have the drink change flavour on you
Enjoyed some of Zen Tea’s lovely coconut oolong today. But while I’m on this thread — any advice on oolong shopping? I know the spring harvest is a big deal to green tea drinkers, but I’m trying to figure out if it matters as much with oolong. I’m particularly thinking of those high mountain Taiwanese oolongs. Is it worth holding out for the newest harvest of oolong before purchasing more? I’m just not sure how age affects it.
I was told (for fenghuang/phoenix mountain at least) that high fragrance oolong is better in the autumn or winter harvest because the aromatics are stronger and the taste is less. I don’t know if there is a difference in the weather in Taiwan, or other factors.. I’ve had very nice autumn tie guan yin, but not sure about lishan.
I’ve heard from different people they can last years, and also only a few weeks (!) Before the taste fades.
So no idea really, apart from I’m not enjoying some that are a year old as much as I did, but maybe my tastes have changed..? I don’t know
As for Taiwanese oolongs, I found these blog entries to be very interesting:
http://taiwanoolongs.com/blogs/news/29168065-a-guide-to-appreciating-winter-harvest-oolongs
http://taiwanoolongs.com/blogs/news/29168513-a-guide-to-2015-spring-harvest-oolongs-drought-and-cold
Interesting, the first blog confirms what I was told, how the aromatics are higher and the taste less in winter
Thanks, Rasseru & elena-z! I appreciate the info. I also didn’t realize Taiwan had such a drought last year.
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