212 Tasting Notes
This was a free sample with my Christmas-gift order of teas from Sazen. Figured I’d start with the sample cuz why not :). This one is, I suppose, a kabusecha. But I say that simply because of the price and it has been shaded for under 20 days. They don’t specify which type of tea they consider this, but it certainly has gyokuro characteristics.
For the price, this tea is really quite amazing. Absolutely no bitterness or astringency, even brewed at 70 C. Nice lingering sweetness. Fairly well-balanced with fairly light flavor profile. This would be a wonderful option for a daily drinker with my next purchase from Sazen.
Harvest: May, 2023
Location: Tongu, Tsuchiyama-Cho, Koka-shi, Shiga Prefecture
Altitude: 260 m
Cultivar: Saemidori
Shading: 18 days
Dry leaf: Umami, grassy
Wet leaf: Same
Flavor: Grass, umami, sweet, vegetal
Flavors: Grass, Sweet, Umami, Vegetal
Free sample sent with my first order from WFT. This one is a fruit bomb in the dry leaf, then becomes more floral and vegetal in taste and smell of wet leaves.
Mild sweetness, no bitterness or astringency. Flavors fairly intense for a high mountain oolong. Aftertaste lingers for a while and is mostly comprised of savory saline/vegetal flavor. The sweetness is on the front/middle of the palate. Longevity is 5 infusions.
Long Feng Xia is a mountain in the Shanlin Xi area. I’m a big fan of Shanlin Xi teas, and this is no exception :).
Harvest: Spring 2023
Location: Long Feng Xia, Shanlin Xi
Elevation: 1900 m
Cultivar: Qing Xin
Dry leaf: Papaya, tropical fruit, melon
Wet leaf: Papaya, tropical fruit, floral, vegetal
Flavors: Floral, sweet, savory, umami, vegetal, saline, cream
Flavors: Cream, Floral, Melon, Papaya, Saline, Savory, Sweet, Tropical Fruit, Umami, Vegetal
The most distinct of the WFT oolongs for sure. Very complex as others have mentioned. This is the only one that is not a high mountain oolong either. Also a different cultivar (Xue Li = “Snow Pear”). The difference is not only notable in the flavor, but in the liquor as well, which is darker yellow and not as clear as the high mountain oolongs.
Medium bitterness, no astringency. Medium-low sweetness. Aftertaste lasts multiple minutes and is salty and sweet.
Harvest: Spring 2023
Cultivar: Xue Li
Location: Gangkou, Manzhou Township, Taiwan
Dry leaf: Floral, seaweed
Wet leaf: Salt, seaweed
Flavors: Floral, seaweed, fruity, umami, mung bean, vegetal, sweet, salty
Flavors: Floral, Fruity, Mung Bean, Salty, Seaweed, Sweet, Umami, Vegetal
Interesting! I’ve never had a Gangkou oolong because I was warned away by the bitterness.
There is definitely some mild-moderate bitterness, but it’s not so bad as to take away from the tea in my opinion. And I think I’m fairly sensitive to it. I don’t drink things like coffee or IPAs (and lots of young shengs) because they are too bitter for me :).
I drink both coffee and IPAs on occasion, but don’t enjoy bitterness in my oolongs! Glad it isn’t a deal breaker in this one.
I totally agree! Not generally something I appreciate in any tea, but the occasional touch of bitterness doesn’t bother me much :).
Another very nice tea from WFT. One of my last samples. It’s okay though because I have more coming in the mail ;). This one is great, but is overall not as complex as some of their others. Certainly a nice intense flavor that lasts ~7 infusions, though.
Minimal to no sweetness. No bitterness or astringency. Mouthfeel is creamy. Aftertaste is citrusy and lasts awhile.
Harvest: Spring, 2023
Location: Qi Lai Shan
Elevation: 1900 m
Cultivar: Qing Xin
Dry leaf: vegetal
Wet leaf: vegetal, barley
Flavor: vegetal, barley, lemon, cream.
Flavors: Citrus, Cream, Lemon, Roasted Barley, Vegetal
JEEZUM this is good. WFT has the highest quality tea of any vendor I’ve tried. This one is complex beyond it’s competitors. Savory, vegetal, floral, fruity, sweet, creamy all combined. Crazy mouthfeel, huigan, aftertaste. Perfect balance.
Medium-low sweetness, no astringency or bitterness. Longevity is 6 infusions. Mouthfeel is quite buttery. Aftertaste lasts minutes. Super yummy and barely any faults.
The most unique aspect of this tea is that every steep is a bouquet of new flavors. Truly the perfect tea for gongfu.
Harvest: Winter 2022
Cultivar: Qing Xin
Location: Da Yu Ling
Elevation: 2500 m
Dry leaf: papaya, mango, tropical
Wet leaf: papaya, mango, tropical, vegetal, floral
Flavor: Cabbage, vegetal, floral, buttery, creamy, savory, sweet, sugar, salt, mist, rainforest.
Flavors: Butter, Cabbage, Cream, Floral, Fruity, Mango, Papaya, Rainforest, Salt, Savory, Sugar, Sweet, Tropical Fruit, Vegetal
Yes, Wang has some awesome teas! I had a different harvest and didn’t get those tropical flavours, but Daylon and I were also raving over those mist/rainforest/ethereal notes. I hope you got some of their FSS.
IK the rainforest notes are wild! Like you’re transported there in the middle of a foggy, cloudy afternoon.
Another sample I took home from Dobra. Have been away from my tea the last week as I am in the ICU and worked 90+ hrs last week ughhh. But today is my day off and I’m reunited at last!
This is my first Bi Luo Chun and I’m intrigued. Rolled into curls, but not balls like a ball-rolled oolong. It is primarily savory and not particularly “green” tasting like other green teas. The smallest leaved green tea I’ve tried.
No bitterness or astringency. No sweetness either. I don’t get any fruity notes as some websites say Bi Luo Chun often has. Longevity is 5+ infusions. Aftertaste is rich and creamy.
Dry leaves: Vegetal.
Wet leaves: Same
Flavor: Savory, nutty, grass, creamy.
Flavors: Cream, Grass, Nutty, Savory, Vegetal
The first of some samples I bought to take home from Dobra. Haven’t had Long Jing in a while so I couldn’t wait! This one is yummy even though it’s over a year old.
No bitterness with very mild astringency. Lovely savory tea to have on a fall day. Aftertaste is buttery and oily and lasts for a long time. No appreciable sweetness. Longevity is 6+ infusions.
I gong fu’d this one, but will try to grandpa it next time. I’ve heard that’s how you can tell the true quality of a Long Jing :).
Harvest: Spring, 2022
Dry leaf: Artichoke.
Wet leaf: Spinach and artichoke dip, asparagus, popcorn.
Flavors: Butter, artichoke, vegetal, asparagus, savory, cream.
Flavors: Artichoke, Asparagus, Butter, Cream, Popcorn, Savory, Spinach, Vegetal
My first time trying a Dongfang Meiren and it was pretty good! This is a heavily oxidized oolong for sure. Not far off from a Yunnan black tea in flavor, but you can definitely tell it is still an oolong. While this was definitely a high quality tea and there are some unique characteristics, it would not justify spending $1/g + as this tea costs on most sites I’ve seen. Very similar honey and sweet notes as a Yunnan black, but with strong floral notes that tell you it is an oolong.
No bitterness or astringency and very smooth. Easy to down this tea quickly as it is tasty and nothing off about it. Medium-low sweetness. Lasted 5-6 infusions.
Sad to leave Asheville, but it was a great trip! Can’t wait to go back for more hiking, great food, and yummy tea :).
Wet leaf: Floral.
Flavors: Floral, honey, cream, stonefruit, sweet.
Flavors: Cream, Floral, Honey, Stonefruit, Sweet
Stopped by this tea house for even more tea after my visit to Dobra. I prefer Dobra, although this place wasn’t bad. Dobra has better selection and better tea. This one was just…okay. It didn’t taste like a Taiwanese oolong to be honest. Not sure what it tasted like. I honestly couldn’t describe it at all. It wasn’t bad, just incredibly different from what I was expecting. Not the Taiwanese oolong’s I’m accustomed to at least.
Granted, the reviews for this one are 9+ years old, but it’s way underrated on this site. Best tea I’ve had from Dobra for sure. My first time trying yellow tea (the last of the categories for me to sample :)) and I see why people like it! Definitely a hybrid between white and green tea flavors, although perhaps this one leans a good bit closer to white tea notes.
I get very little in the way of vegetal notes here unlike other reviewers. Mostly sweet and sort of fruity. Definitely a note I can’t place either. Would generally describe it as a savory note. Most similar tea I’ve tried is FL’s moonlight white tbh.
Wet leaf: Savory, butterscotch.
Flavors: Marshmallow, sweet, cream, fruity, savory.
Flavors: Butterscotch, Cream, Fruity, Marshmallow, Savory, Sweet
