Yesterday, courtesy of Lulu and George of Sanne Tea, I brewed Yu Shan High Mountain Oolong tea Western style: 6.5 g / 8 oz. / 212*F / 2 min. without sweeteners, milk, or cream.
Intro.: From the artistic Asian-themed packaging and presentation one gets the impression that this is a very special Oolong that was crafted with great care and pride. Per the enclosed info card, Yu Shan “is among the top grades of Oolong tea.” This hand-picked (April, 2013) and family-made Oolong is grown on the tallest mountain in East Asia, Jade Mountain – “one of the most remote wilderness regions in Taiwan.” With such a growing environment, it’s not surprising that this tea has passed pesticide residue testing. This is very good news for those who are health conscious. Not every tea can pass such rigorous testing.
Leaves: Green balls with some stems
Fragrance: Roasted green tea with a very pleasing floral sent
Color: Light golden yellow
Aroma: Roasted green tea with a very pleasing floral sent
Flavor: Medium roasted with an underlying flavor that reminded me of green tea with a rich caramel buttery-smooth taste.
2-min.: Even though this tea is a light golden color, 8 oz. of it is surprisingly rich, buttery-smooth, warm, and very relaxing. Add to that, the caramel flavor and the very pleasing and potent floral aroma and you have a very captivating tea experience! There was no astringency or bitterness. Sanne Tea’s Yu Shan High Mountain Oolong made an excellent first impression for a tea lover like me who has no previous experience with such high quality Oolong teas.
3-min. resteep: similar to the previous cup but with some bitterness. This cup reminded me of Gunpowder Green tea. The dry green balls were now unfurled into full unbroken leaves. Perhaps 3-min. was too long for the first resteep. The brewing instructions didn’t provided resteeping recommendations.
Impression: A very rich, refined, and very captivating Oolong tea experience!
Thanks to Lulu and George of Sanne Tea for this gracious sample.
Suggestions:
Please consider adding:
1. Complete Western and Gongfu brewing information on the package:
grams / ounces / temp. / time and brewing times for each resteep.
2. Organic certifications, EUROFINS compliance, or webpage of pesticide residue test reports to the packaging.
Method:
RO water re-mineralized with an Aptera filter http://steepster.com/teas/teaware/39532-puregen-aptera-alkamag-water-filter
http://steepster.com/teas/teaware/37731-my-weigh-durascale-d2-660-digital-scale
Brewed western-style conveniently using a digital variable-temp electric kettle in a tempered tea mug with a brew basket:
http://steepster.com/teaware/bonavita/39130-1-liter-variable-temperature-digital-electric-gooseneck-kettle
http://steepster.com/teaware/royal-albert/45581-old-country-roses-afternoontea-mugs
http://steepster.com/teas/teaware/29177-finum-brewing-basket
http://steepster.com/teaware/teavana/39312-perfect-preset-tea-timer
Flavors: Butter, Caramel
