Old Ways Tea

6g in TWL 70 ml thin gaiwan, which was kind of a mistake lol. used boiling water, and steeped for too long. 1st steep was meant to be a rinse, and was nice, medium dark fruity whatever. 2nd was much too bitter, but I still drank it. Decent sweetness in background. Moved to a mug and was happy enough with it.

Gongfu Sipdown (2628)!

This Wuyi oolong is smooth, full-bodied, and so very roasty with really dense and flavourful notes of grilled corn and chicory coffee on the front half of the sip before softening slightly into something more aromatic and floral with notes of cocoa butter, osmanthus, and orchids. A little powdery feeling in the finish, with a return to the mineral and woodier side of this tea. A few steeps in particular near the midpoint of the session had fruitier notes of red plum and huckleberry that poked through, like a turtle cautiously sticking its head out of it’s shell. Really lovely, especially enjoyed outdoors after a full day’s worth of rain yesterday – everything was just so crisp and fresh!!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C-f6KHduaB3/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1D_PYqQKoQ

(2022 harvest) There is a really vivid, delicious rendition of oatmeal porridge, cinnamon on nose. Needs to be brewed sensitively though – on my first try there was something a bit phenolic and plasticy (the charcoal/roast?). Palate is so smooth though. Second try with less concentration of leaves to water and that distracting phenolic/rubbery note had faded back a bit, letting the tea’s more savory elements shine. Upgraded from 87 to 90

(2022 harvest) Soft and fruity, with a little toasted rice and a hint of mango and persimmon leaf on nose. Very smooth, subtle palate. Successive steeps, and it reveals notes of birthday cake, along with a pleasing earthy quality not unlike a puerh.

(2022 harvest) Light, greenish amber cast. Notes of oatmeal porridge, steamed wild herb, persimmon leaf, accompaning some expected yancha notes. Then quite a bit of floral quality in the mouth- magnolia flowers. Enveloping texture. Quite nice, and different.

(2022 harvest) “High Mountain Rou Gui.” Good aroma, with a nice, expected cinnamon oil quality, but there’s also a little bit of a bitter, phenolic note- maybe the from the charcoal roast? This carries through on the palate. A bit of a letdown for my first proper Rou Gui.

Stunning aroma. Stewed apricot and other stone fruit and orchard blossom, spices, lily flower. Body is fantastically smooth. Long finish.

(2022 harvest) Crisp, attractive roast & rock notes, some ripe stone fruit aroma, less floral. Very smooth, good resteep.

Cinammon and baking spice, floral, mouth filling, rich, buttery, smooth. Ticks all the boxes.

This one tastes greener than most of Old Ways’ teas, with some interesting vegetable funkiness. Nice and thick and warming, with plenty of yan yun. Unlike some yancha, this is good in a thermos – when brewed for a long time it becomes very strong without being bitter. I recommend a snack first or it’s tough on the stomach, though.

2020 harvest

I don’t remember much about this. A lighter, fruitier Rou Gui.

Roswell Strange’s note has more to offer than my impressions which have slipped into oblivion.

2021 harvest so 2 years rested.

Sharing a pot on an overcast, cold and breezy morning. Like a glass of heathery, smokey scotch for breakfast. It takes me places but also grounds me right here. This is an expertly smoked tea made with high quality leaf.

This past week, I had 4 different 2020 Old Ways Tea Rou Gui over 4 days and this was by far the standout!

My notes are an absolute mess probably because I was more with the tea than concerned about writing legibly.

Complex sweet aromatics, soft in the mouth, blooming vaporous aftertaste. Cooling mineral sweetness.
Warming and drying. Slowed breathing.
Refined, ethereal, silky.
Malty suede.

Spring 2020 harvest.

Dark, damp earthy aroma mixed with a darker milk chocolate.

Malty and juicy, bitter flowers like lavender. Catches in the throat on the way down and leaves a sweet mineral finish. Salivary glands tingle – salty. Peach and orchid bloom from the throat while a vaguely minty and fruity wild blueberry persists in the mouth. Floral bittersweet and woody bite is ubiquitous from 4th steep on.

It was nice but… but what? Maybe the throat catch turned me off a little? Am I sad that the spice notes of the rinsed leaf don’t come through in taste?

2020 harvest freshly opened is smooth but for someone who likes to be shown strength in one or more facets, it is ultimately nothing memorable. I was hoping for more of a caffeinated yancha before heading into a mandatory work meeting tonight that starts in 12 minutes…

Spring 2020 harvest.

So very green for an Wuyi oolong. The verdant leaf is visually cloaked by the roast and makes for a soft and deep floral bouquet aroma of gardenia a hint musty mixed with less pronounced darker notes of chocolate and cinnamon. I get the same in the mouth along with acidic forest floor, salty wet rocks, smooth malty suede, slight bitterness. Squash-like finish and bitter cacao aftertaste. The texture is somehow light yet full.

It all melds together pretty well but this tea’s energy was absolutely not jiving with my own. Initially the tea was very warming and relaxing but left me feeling cold over the course of the session. The sleep paralysis/lucid dream I experienced that night I attribute to the tea. The few times I’ve experienced sleep paralysis, it has started with a cold wind rushing over the ears with hurricane force and a complete lack of awareness of occupying an earthly vessel… It’s a very chilling and desolate experience.

Flavorwise, this was one of the better greenish yancha I’ve had. Ignoring the energetic effects, this tea is not inspiring for me; I tend to appreciate more oxidation and higher roast for yancha. Especially Qi Dan. I want warm woodiness with that lovely cinnamon note, not gardenias.

Meh tea. I got this tea from my OWT order a while back, and it’s not really that great in my opinion. Decent full leaves with a pretty black-brown colour, with a decent aroma in the dry and wet leaf. Liquor is decent as well, clear and vibrant-maroon. Flavour is not too bad, weak in some areas but does stand out quite a bit compared to other yanchas. Complexity is average, with little steep variability. Texture is average, smooth but nothing special. Finish & aftertaste is nothing special as well, with a slight yan yun expected from yanchas. Steep longevity is mediocre, lasting up to steep 7-8 despite brewing Wuyi style, and cha-qi is weak, almost unnoticeable.

can’t find this on the OWT site anymore. Was $15.50 for the pack of apparently 10g? I didn’t measure the rest after the 6g, but it seemed more like an 8g pack.

6:90, 212. From 2019, but seems to retain a lot of roastiness? Not too happy with this one. Did 4 steeps and mugged it after. Started out sharp and almost bitter that moved into some sweetness on side of tongue. Not sure if my nose was desensitized from burning incense, but it didn’t seem too aromatic at all. subtly sweet and slight celery/mineral notes for rest. Didn’t sit well with my body for whatever reason today and felt some anxiety after.

remainder in yeti mug. 212. some sweetness, fruit, and mineral/celery taste. still didn’t sit well with my body again for whatever reason. Some anxious feeling, despite being noticeably more drinkable.

WOW this is sooo good. Free sample included in my recent order from OWT and I am very impressed. This is also referred to as “unsmoked LS” as it is using the same cultivar, but is not smoked as in the traditional LS (called “Li Shan Xiao Zhong”). I think I prefer this better than the LS I’ve tried before! Like drinking dark chocolate and citrus mmmmm.

The ONLY thing keeping this tea from a >95 rating is that the flavor seemed to drop off a good bit after 6th infusion. Still there, but definitely weakened faster than I would like.

Low astringency, no bitterness.

Harvest: Spring 2022.

Dry leaf: Fruity.
Wet leaf: Chocolate, malt.
Flavor: Chocolate, caramel, citrus.

This is my first time trying Shui Jin Gui, or Golden Water Turtle. However, to me, this tea is best described as “weak.” The smell of the dry leaf is wonderful, but the flavor of the liquor is a bit of a let down. It is certainly smooth, but with no mouthfeel, low astringency, and a very very mild flavor, even when brewed with boiling water and longer times.

Harvest: Spring 2021.

Dry leaf: Chocolate.
Wet leaf: Malt.
Flavor: Sweet, spice, smoke.

Shui Xian, or Water Sprite, has surprised me with how flavorful and balanced it was. I was expecting it to be fairly intense and not to my liking, but I was proven wrong! Quite an enjoyable and relaxing drinking experience.

Full mouthfeel with medium astringency. Brewed lighter than other Wuyi from the start. Temps 190-200 F; times: flash – 25 sec. About 6-7 infusions.

I can definitely see repurchasing this tea come next autumn/winter.

Harvest: Spring 2021.

Dry leaf: Charcoal, fruity.
Wet leaf: Mushrooms, autumn leaf pile.
Flavor: Nuts, sugar, bitter, vanilla.

As part of my quest to better understand Wuyi oolongs, I am attempting to sample each of the Si Da Ming Cong. Bai Jiguan, or White Cockscomb, is the most uncommon and perhaps most unique of these cultivars, so I am glad that OWT stocks this tea.

Given that it is less oxidized than most other Wuyi, it has quite a distinct appearance, smell, and flavor profile. This tea also has undergone a lighter roast than most Wuyi. Mouthfeel is fairly full and astringency is medium low.

Harvest: Spring 2022.

Dry leaf: floral.
Wet leaf: nut, wet wood.
Flavor: nuts, cream, honey.

A bit let down by this tea. I have heard that OWT is pretty good with Rou Gui. As this is my first time trying Rou Gui, I have nothing to compare to. However, it does not have the “classic” flavor profile for RG that I read about online. Furthermore, the tea is fairly bitter to my taste. Not much complexity to most of the infusions for me either. I might try brewing the other half of the 8g sample at a lower temperature. Perhaps this tea needs to breathe a bit? Might try the second half of the sample after 3-4 weeks of opening the pack.

For me, the smell is the best part of the tea.

Harvest: Spring 2020.

Dry leaf: Charcoal, fruity.
Wet leaf: Malt
Taste: Bitter, spice, woody.

So after trying a DHP from TeaVivre and hating it, I thought there had to be something I was missing. I decided to give a DHP from a specialty shop a try and I can say that I think I now understand why people like it (and Wuyi oolongs in general) so much. It is very complex indeed, but perhaps not my style at the moment. I can see my tastes evolving to where I like this tea quite a bit at some point in the future. It is also seems well suited to colder temperatures of fall and winter. Definitely not over-roasted like the one from TeaVivre. High astringency. Mouthfeel is as if the tea is “blooming” with flavors while in your mouth. The flavors develop and leave a spicy, dry aftertaste that lasts quite a while. Very complex tea!

Harvest: Spring 2020

Dry leaf: Charcoal.
Wet leaf: Malt, wet earth.
Taste: Bitter → sweet, cacao, nutty, spice.