Xian Cha Tea

Sipdown prompt: Your most unusual tea — though not sipped down yet. Maybe I have other tea that would fit this better.

I was actually waiting to review this, last Xian Cha tea tea. To see derk’s impressions first, as I wasn’t really sure what I was noticing in this oolong. It is an oolong mixed with actual gardenia flowers and that’s why I bought it as it was somehow uncommon for me.

When I read that note, I was in visible confusion. Pineapple flavour? Like what? Where? How so? It is supposed to be heavy in florals.

I have prepared it today, western, as on their bag. That’s 3 steeps with 95°C water with following steeping times: 2, 3 and 3 minutes. I have tried it with boiling water before and it seems it kills the nuances of flavours.

I get the pinapple today, definitely and very real, juicy almost.
And it goes so well with the floral, narcotic aroma of the gardenias. It goes so well together. And that word indeed fits this tea well.

Long mouthfeel, tropical fruits with hints of green oolong notes — vegetal a bit (but definitely not too much), floral (obviously gardenia), creamy (they write it’s a milk oolong), smooth, energizing and long aftertaste here as well. Distinctive, but not in a bad way. Considering another pouch once this one finished.

I have uploaded 4 photos of their stand to my Flickr: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBdtsM

Four Seasons oolong scented with gardenia flowers.

It is mellower than expected but I appreciate not being walloped by flowers. The gardenia frangrance is multi-faceted. Airy, narcotic, and spicy. The spice aspect is greenish-white. It reminds me of ginger flowers and leaves. While the base tea likely has a floral component, what I get most from it is the pineapple taste that was present in Xian Cha’s unscented Ji Long version. That pineapple melds perfectly with the gardenia. Big but soft vegetal base. Water off-boil gives a full bodied tea. Equally enjoyable in a glass gaiwan as in a bowl.

Thanks for another share, Martin!

Malt is one thing that never comes to mind with oxidized red oolong but here, I can agree with the description as well as Martin’s. He describes that dark sweetness as beer-like — a dark Munich malt — and I think that’s spot on. It’s as well a floral tea, being of the Four Season’s cultivar, but I can’t tell what type of flowers. Maybe something more in the wildflower realm, almost like chamomile with it’s apple taste. Subdued citrus and a floral red fruit like hawthorn. Other, more distinct notes are comprised of autumn leaves and old wood furniture. It’s well balanced like its green counterpart, Ji Long, and very easy to drink. This made for a mellow daily drinker bowl tea at work.

Thanks again, Martin!

While not my preferred cultivar, this green oolong is the best example I’ve had of Four Seasons. It is a potent, heady bouquet of narcotic flowers but well balanced by soft vegetal and fruity pineapple tones. Performed very well as bowl tea and with water off-boil. Smooth with a lingering sweet aftertaste and some nice floral bittersweetness that sneaks in if left to sit.

For somebody that’s a fan of floral forward oolong, this tea would be a treat.

Thanks for sharing, Martin!

Ji Long is, as they say, summery kind and green cousin to this tea. So, reading and hearing that while buying, I knew this is a bit more floral roasted (dark) oolong. However, there are as well strong malty notes to be expected.

I have used two teaspoons for 300 ml mug as usual; almost boiling water, 2 steeps, 120 and 180 seconds long, prepared western method.

First steep is indeed quite floral for dark oolong. Also notes of autumn leaves, some spiciness, all that can be found there. The long aftertaste is definitely full of dark malts, a bit like caramel malt and dark Munich malt I had to smell and taste once. So yep, a bit beer-y maybe?

The second steep brought less of the florals in my opinion, the spices are a bit stronger. Again strong malty aftertaste, reminds me a bit of some kind of mellow, but flavourful black tea and very nicely mouthcoating quality makes the mark a little higher compaerd to Ji Long.

I have met Xian Cha team when I have been on tea festival in Cieszyn in June. They were lovely, talkative, I had great fun with them and their teas were affordable and the one I have tried (I think it was Ms. Gardenia), was tasty. I bought 3 different oolongs and while I have tried them all at home, I haven’t wrote a tasting note of them yet.

I am, pretty sure after first sips, it is very same tea I had and finished not so long ago — Taiwan Four Seasons Oolong Tea by What-cha.

Very floral taste, smooth texture, creamy and slightly buttery aftertaste. Florals are from lily of the valley and hyacinth.

Great daily drinker. Prepared grandpa, 2 tsp / 300 ml.