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Scheherazade drank Se Chung by Mariage Frères

2238 tasting notes

At the moment, I’m drinking a sample from Cteresa, which she tells me might be Se Chung…The leaves look similar to the photograph on here, so I’m going to pop my note here for want of a better location!

I let the water cool to around 180, added 1tsp of leaf, and gave it 3 minutes. Fairly standard oolong treatment, for me. Unfortunately, it looks like this is one of the varieties of oolong I don’t get along with so well. It tastes a little like a hojicha green, roasty with a sort of background seaweed/saltiness. I generally prefer my oolongs sweeter and more buttery, definitely greener.

As roasted oolongs go, this is super smooth, with absolutely no bitterness or astringency. There’s a clarity to the flavours; no over-complexity or muddiness here. Sadly, it’s just not for me. It’s good to keep trying and challenging my tastebuds, though!

Preparation

180 °F / 82 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp

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Hi :) I’m Sarah, and I live in Norfolk in the UK. My tea obsession began when a friend introduced me to Teapigs a good few years ago now. Since then, I’ve been insatiable. Steepster introduced me to a world of tea I never knew existed, and my goal is now to TRY ALL THE TEAS. Or most of them, anyway.

I still have a deep rooted (and probably life-long) preference for black tea. My all-time favourite is Assam, but Ceylon and Darjeeling also occupy a place in my heart. Flavoured black tea can be a beautiful thing, and I like a good chai latte in the winter.

I also drink a lot of rooibos/honeybush tea, particularly on an evening. Sometimes they’re the best dessert replacements, too. White teas are a staple in summer — their lightness and delicate nature is something I can always appreciate on a hot day.

I’m still warming up to green teas and oolongs. I don’t think they’ll ever be my favourites, with a few rare exceptions, but I don’t hate them anymore. My experience of these teas is still very much a work-in-progress. I’m also beginning to explore pu’erh, both ripened and raw. That’s my latest challenge!

I’m still searching for the perfect fruit tea. One without hibiscus. That actually tastes of fruit.

You’ve probably had enough of me now, so I’m going to shut up. Needless to say, though, I really love tea. Long may the journey continue!

My rating system:

91-100: The Holy Grail. Flawless teas I will never forget.

81-90: Outstanding. Pretty much perfection, and happiness in a cup.

71-80: Amazing. A tea to savour, and one I’ll keep coming back to.

61-70: Very good. The majority of things are as they should be. A pleasing cup.

51-60: Good. Not outstanding, but has merit.

41-50: Average. It’s not horrible, but I’ve definitely had better. There’s probably still something about it I’m not keen on.

31-40: Almost enjoyable, but something about it is not for me.

11-30: Pretty bad. It probably makes me screw my face up when I take a sip, but it’s not completely undrinkable.

0-10: Ugh. No. Never again. To me, undrinkable.