Dobra Tea

While Tie Guan Yin is always a pleasure, this infusion was just impressive enough for me to write about it. I won’t add infusion details because the first cup was made for me at the tearoom.

Floral and soothing, the bright green wet leaves seemed to have just been harvested, even though I know this is a fall Oolong from 2011. When I’ve tasted this batch previously I think I may not have used enough leaves to get this fullness of aroma.

The scent actually reminded me of walking around the streets of Maokong in Taiwan, which I guess makes sense since this cultivar is grown there as well. Dobra’s offer, however, is a Fujian tea, which I don’t usually associate with such intense floral aromas.

Much of the soothing character of this infusion was probably a very good roasting. There was still plenty of green and rich, but the hint of smoke and caramel that is indicative of a skilled oolong roaster. I will definitely have to experiment with this tea further.

On a side note, I’ve finally learned the tones of this tea’s name (pinyin: tie3 guan1 yin1) which is very pleasing. There’s so many teas that I still don’t know how to properly pronounce, although I guess knowing the names at all is pretty good for most Westerners.

Bright and bold but charming and sweet at the same time. The leaves are toasted just to the crispness of a winter day.

Crisp and toasty with a sweetness gently delivered through the aroma. The first infusion offers a floral bouquet and a creaminess reminicent of high mountain Taiwanese oolongs. Further infusions are more subdued, more dry, and lacking the sweet touch, yet still soothe the spirit.

Definitely feeling the euphoria. Not too astringent, a light lovely green.

I chanced upon Dobra tea while visiting Asheville. I was surprised by their really decent selection. This was the only tea I tried and was again impressed by its quaility. The staff was great and was very tolerant of my two year old son running all over the teahouse and playing in the fountains. I will definitly be back next time i’m in asheville.

Smooth oolong… I tend to brew a lot of this in my 21oz personaliTEA pot by Adagio, maybe about 2 minutes. Typically oolongs don’t like really hot water but I use boiling water for this one, and rinse the pot first. 2 minutes. Not particularly good for a second infusion but I’ve done it occasionally since it’s a bit on the expensive side. Similar to Da Hong Pao (same source) but I think Da Hong Pao is a bit deeper of a flavour and, to me, better.

This is one smooth brew! sweet and well-rounded, this puer is a velvet elixir in my mouth and in my cup. can withstand 20+ brews (although I need help from others if I try to make it past 15 on my own) there are hints of fall leaves and root veggies all topped of with a brief caramel undertone. I look forward to this tea keeping me warm through the long winter.

Full bodied and bold with a hint of sharpness that isn’t found in similarly made Chinese greens, still never quite reaching astringency. Flavors of baked carrots and potatoes.

Beautiful—wonderful complexity in nose, flavor and aftertaste. Very fresh taste with hints of nuts Quite surprising in such a light tea. A favorite!

A green tea for a gray sky.

The brilliant color and aroma of a wet summer forest prepare the mind for the nutty, crisp, and mouth-filling flavor of the first cup. The mind is soothed, the body is warmed. This season’s tea (2011) is really representative of a classic Long Jing with no astringency and just the slightest hint of dryness in the aftertaste.

Fresh Green Oolong. Good. Two steeps will do. I added a slice of ginger. Looking forward to my next cup.

Greatly comforting. Soothes the digestion on a hot and humid day just as well as it warms the body in the winter. Roasted to a sweetness that lingers on the tongue until dissolving into a hundred patches of dry warmth. Dark red in the cup (true to its name). The musty aroma of the wet leaves has a high note of a damp autumn day. Just the thing to prepare for a coming adventure.

Earthy and comforting as always. No deep flavors here, but an almost limitless number of infusions and the magical stomach-soothing effect of a shou puer is exactly what I want after a heavy meal.

Dark and soothing. Earthy without being overpowering. An excellent tea after a large evening meal. I also find that Shou puerhs do not keep me up at night like a pot of green tea. I received four infusions now, and I’m sure there’s another 10 in these leaves.

Well, this tea is certainly past its normal time frame, so I was pleasantly surprised by its bold sea-green flavor. The tea was vacuum-sealed until recently and is still sealed with a desiccant package, so I’m certain that helped. A gentle taste of salt water and nori seaweed mixed with the taste of fresh cut grass after a rain. There’s no aroma to speak of, wet or dry, and its prior rich body is long gone, but still a pleasant cup for a spring afternoon.

Very close to black tea, but has that Oolong flavor as a foundation. I was impressed how the flavor came thru into the 3rd infusion. Very nice, would go well with chow mein. An easy to drink oolong on the oxidized side…with smoother energy than black tea.

One of the first teas ive ever had..Delicious!

The wet leaves really do have the aroma of watermelon seeds, or at least pumpkin seeds. Their appearance is that of steamed spinach. Rich green large leaves with a real depth of color and a delicate curl. The infusion is sour-sweet, again reminiscent of fresh steamed spinach. The second infusion is even more rich, a golden-green glow to the bottom of the cup.

Brewing this tea in a gaiwan with hot water for a very short time (gong Fu style) is a luxury. I did about 10 second infusions and the flavor is so chocolatey and rich, the aroma brimming with hints of coffee beans. The liquer is red-gold, just like the glowing wet leaves. At the moment the tea fills the mouth there is also a roasted chestnut quality to it that draws you in. I’m on infusion two and I suspect I will get many more to come!

Superb Oolong, tasted like a Roasted Jade Oolong if you can imagine that. Medium roast. First steep was outstanding, 2nd steep – wish it was like the first. 3rd, let’s do another pot…

I had this tea on a winter afternoon at Dobra. It was a lovely version of the Big Red Robe. Not roasted as dark as one would think. That was the really nice part…it had all of the nice warming characteristics of a heavily roasted tea from Wuyishan Mountain while maintaining all of the interesting notes of lilac common to a much greener Oolong. All around very nice indeed. Steeped 10+ times and was still going just fine. Well done Dobra!