Guangzhou Milk Oolong

Haha! No, I don’t think this is a very good way to start oolongs. Maybe try flavoured ones first? I started digging oolongs after trying flavoured ones. Happy Kombucha from DAVIDs is a pretty good one if you’re going to do DAVIDs first.

I picked out some flavoured oolongs for you and dropped into your sample envelope after reading your forum post – maybe one of those will work? If not, you and the other oolong abolitionists can start your own anti-oolong band, producing massive global hits such as, ‘So Long, Eww-Long’. Either way, you win.

Oh noooo! I used to like this one so much! Will this difference of opinion affect our «let’s rule the country together» little side project????

If you’re looking for a flavored oolong, have you tried Golden Moon’s Sugar Caramel Oolong or the Adagio Grapefruit one? I remember liking both of those (if you like those flavors) and I think you can order them in sample sizes. Crossing my fingers you find your gateway oolong as they are one of my favorites for the experience as well as the flavor!

Thanks for the responses, guys! the tea fairy, nothing should stand in the way of our revolution; this is but the first test of our partnership, and if we can move beyond this, I’m confident we can weather pretty much any storm. Anna, how very thoughtful of you! I hope I love them, but in the event that I don’t, I shall indeed write up some poetry and songs about my feelings.

Haha and I have to say I’m the opposite and generally dislike flavoured oolongs with very few exceptions. :P I will always stand by Gui Fei from Butiki. :)

nxtdoor, I actually like the only flavoured oolong I’ve had (rose violet calendula by butiki; I love love love florals). I’ll give cumbucha a sniff next time I’m at David’s. And Morgana, I actually haven’t tried those flavours, but I know what reviews I’ll be reading next!

Please don’t judge all oolongs (or all milk oolongs) on this one. I generally find “quangzhou” milk oolongs to be substandard. If you love florals I highly recommended green tieguanyins which have natural floral notes. Verdant is an excellent resource as is Teavivre.

Fair enough. I’m going to keep an open mind. Just not about anything that’s described as tasting roasted LOL.

Aw, so relieved!
+1 with Dinosara on the green TGY. Also, Da Yu Ling and Wenshan Baozong are superb, two of my favourites are from Tealux, extremely sweet, florals and buttery. A new world of discoveries awaits you Keychange :-)

I didn’t like this one either when I started drinking oolongs, but I like it now.
I definitely had to start out on oolongs with flavoured ones. Butiki oolongs are great, and Long life oolong at DavidsTea is pretty good.
Good luck on your oolong adventure!

(I like this one with just a touch of forever nuts tossed in – about 1 1/2 tsp of this with 1/2 tsp of forever nuts… but that’s just me)

I usually love oolongs and I have an order of this on the way, so it better be good! lol Dexter, forever nuts and milk oolong… sounds pretty good… I’m going to have to try it.

This isn’t my favorite oolong, always think it needs a little something – the little something I like is forever nuts. You might like it just the way it is though. :))

I’m going to try this with forever nuts – sounds interesting!

Look at all our new discoveries! yay

This is one of my top three favorite oolongs out there. In fact I may or may not have three unopened pouches of it in my kitchen at the moment. :) I don’t get the orchid flavoring. To me it is a very smooth and creamy flavor with the floral/vegetal hints at the end. I’ll have to sample it a few more times and see if the orchid flavor comes out to play.

This is the tea that I got most with the $1 straight tea promo that just ended.

That’s so interesting! Some teas seem to be like that… everyone tastes different things. I did think this tea was really delicious, and if I had easy access to a DavidsTea I would likely keep it in stock, even! Scratch that, I just looked at the DavidsTea website and there is apparently a store opening soon in NYC about a block away from my favorite record store in the village. Guess I will get a chance to buy more of this tea and try it out again.

Is 50 your target then? And of that, how many would be staples/tin-worthy? I had all these ideas before but now idk. 50 seems like enough to cover most cravings. :)

I’ve narrowed it down to about 26 I want around all the time in large amounts, but I think that will go up as I try more from Butiki, Red Leaf, etc. My mind also has a problem factoring in the impermanence of limited edition teas and my ever changing tastes. Oh, I know I’m going to change my mind countless times but 50 is definitely the target as of now. :)

50 sounds like a good target…I’m ultimately trying to get to about 20 with room for 30 or so rotating samples and random teas haha….not bloody likely the way I go about things. However, I am starting to get better about buying smaller quantities….mostly.

I am rooting for your sipdown to 50!

I find my tastes have changed even since the fall when I started logging teas. I can’t imagine just having 20 basics in my cupboard, but I might still be in the “collect them all” phase.

I find that my tastes change with the seasons…for example, on our visit to DAVIDs on Saturday, I picked up more Big Apple. I haven’t gotten any since the summer, but that’s because I find it too light to drink in the fall and winter months. For me it is a spring and summer tea. The reverse can be said about teas like Chocolate Orange Pu-Erh and some of the pumpkin ones, chocolate (except Love Tea #7) and other heavier teas.

I like Sil’s idea of a certain number of rotating teas, which would account for seasonal teas and and the random 52 blends. Speaking of 52 teas, that’s the major one putting a stint in my sipdown goals. Couldn’t resist getting the flavoured genmaichas, danish, etc.. and then I want to hoard them all! :/

I’m in the “collect them all” phase, but I hope it is just that: a phase!

(Weird, when I left my comment, none of the other ones showed up after OMGsrsly.)

I think Heather has a great point – tea preferences seem to change with the seasons so a large number of rotating teas seems like a good way to plan it. I could probably get away with 50 teas if 20 were “staples” and 30 were variable. Guess that means I could have 20 tins? :O

That danish one sounds great. I’m happy I bought the s’mores genmaicha, but I hesitated on the danish one. (Not a big deal though b/c I didn’t really want to buy more from there – 52teas can get expensive!)

It adds up way too quickly. Another reason to hoard, savor, and not get more teas until I’m down to 50! (if I keep saying this enough times I may stick with my commitment)

Also, as always, if you ever see something you sorta want to try that I have ample amounts of I will send you more than you ever wanted in a heartbeat (I can restrain myself here if need be though). :P

50?! I don’t think I’ll ever be that low. I crave variety, and I don’t think that would be enough for me. That said, I can see myself having decent amounts (25g+) of about 50-100… plus many sample sizes from swaps, etc.

I don’t have room for that much tea, so it keeps me from too much hoarding, and I end up getting smaller amounts of teas and refilling them. Some I consistently refill in a season, some I refill all year if I can.

This is absolutely my study/tea mission for the weekend! I’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to spend the day re-steeping – I’ve never made it past three infusions either before it was bedtime…Amazing tea!

I’m always over-ambitious in my estimation of how many cups of tea I can drink in an evening. I feel unstoppable but eventually my bladder protests! I’ve got lots more studying this weekend, too, so I’ll try for an earlier start.

Hahah same here! Starting early is the key, I guess. Good luck on steeping and studying!

I love this tea! i think I got to five infusions before it started to slow down.

I have a quiet day ahead of me, so maybe I’ll pull this out again and try for five infusions!

I was only able to get to five good infusions. For the last infusion I left the steeper in for too long, so I suspect that I could probably do one more good steep.

Oh, that really sucks. I hope everything goes well for her.

Thanks. I think it will – they gave her a decent severance package (they said) as well options to go for re-training etc so maybe it’s ok? I know she wasn’t happy here, and butted head with the new manager – who just got promoted from acting office manager to actual office manager TODAY – hence the firing.

I know I’ve worked in a law firm too long, but if she has been there a decent period of time they would have to have a really good argument for letting her go. If she feels things weren’t handled appropriately, I would recommend she get a consultation with an employment lawyer to make sure she isn’t pushed around. Apologies if that isn’t the case, and I wish her luck either way! I hope you can make other work friends. :)

Thanks for the advice! If I get a chance to have lunch with her and she brings it up, I’ll pass that on! She had at least 5+ years there, and the biggest problem is just a personality isuse between her and the new boss. With the old one (who left 3 months ago), everything was smooth.

Wow. Yeah, I was ‘laid off’ from a job because the management and I did not get along, and I was actively looking for other employment. I had been there 11 months but got, I think, 5 weeks severance plus my vacation. :)

2nd infusion, 5 minutes: much less leaf, more floral toasty cream. I’d like to try this one with many short infusions, make a day of it. Delicious oolong. My absoloute favourite oolong.

Yep, this is my favourite to settle in and spend a lazy day with.

I agree 200% with you comment… My all time favorite tea. What a pleasure! AMZING!

What temp and how long to you steep yours? PLZ

À SANDRA : oui, il est merveilleux, un peu dispendieux, mais j’en tire 5 infusions, alors on peut dire que c’est un bon rendement!
To BONNIE: I use a bit more tea and temperature lower than recommended, that’s how I seem to get more sweetness out of it, around 85C, (185F) for 4 min. the first 2 infusions, then I bring temperature up to about 95C, 5 min. I get a total of 5 delicious steeps!

Gracias! (so ok I lived in California!)

great review! Now I have to go drink some!!

I have to try a milk oolong after reading this….

I know!!! I love when a review makes me want to have that tea right here and now! The more when it’s already in my cupboard! Don’t you guys love when a tea stirs up so much emotions?

The brilliance of Steepster….