Gui Fei Oolong

Wow, I’m sipping this thinking how unique it is compared to any other oolong I’ve had. Then I went back to Stacy’s comments on the Butiki website and saw that Gui Fei, otherwise known as Honey Oolong, is one of those Taiwanese leaf-hopper teas, just like the Mi Xian black that I like so much. I find it amazing that in nature, an insect nibbling a tea leaf can have such major effects on the flavor and aroma of a tea. Wow. And to think that an earthquake in 1999, causing neglect of tea farms and lack of pesticides and fertilizers, resulted in some great tea discoveries. I got 3 steeps brewed according to package instructions. The fragrance is very appealing, but I’m not sure how to describe it. An incredibly smooth cup with complex honey sweet flavor. Nantou County, Taiwan, is producing some mighty fine tea!

Woot, I won first place in the Butiki unflavored tea giveaway! Drinking my winnings away now starting with Gui Fei Oolong!
I’m sipping tea, listening to the new Devin Townsend Epicloud album and working on the knitted shawl of dooom! 12 rows left (that are 300+ stitches long with beading)! Nice and relaxing!

DRY: Kinda floral, sweet, and fruity.

STEEPED: Oolongy nutty woody and lots of other smells. Pretty complex.
I did the recommended 4 minute steep for my first steeping.

TASTE: I can pick out a great nuttyness, subtly sweet honey and a roasty taste almost. The honey note sits on my tongue, yum! No astringency or bitterness.

Second steep I did for 8 minutes at 175f, and it was much sweeter and fruity! Amazing! A slight slight astringency is starting to peek out, but no bitterness still. I could drink this steeping all day! Next time I’ll do the first steeping at 8 minutes.

COMMENTS: mmmm very tasty! I chose this tea because Kittena did a long steep saying it tasted like ice wine. MMm ice wine! Reading the description of this tea… “green leafhoppers are allowed to bite the tea leaves..” OMG bugs ate this tea?? I wonder how they rigged it so the bugs didn’t eat all the tea? I know if my bunny ate part of anything he’d leave broccoli and fur notes instead of honey notes!

Yum. This tea tastes like sweet, juicy apples, but without the bite I am used to experiencing with this flavor. I was more in the mood for a darker oolong tonight (why I thought this would fit the bill, I don’t know) but this was a really enjoyable tea!

I don’t know how to begin describing the smell of the liquor. It’s kind of floral and fruity, like dried cranberries or apples, but it also has a savoury, bready component to it. It kind of reminds me of a fruity turkey stuffing, a cobbler, or a loaf.

The cup is smooth and juicy, with a distinct honey finish and lingering taste. I thought of apple strudel, mulled wine, and jam with buttered toast as I sipped through the first steep.

Edit: second steep is even fruitier than the first. I allowed my cup to become cool, and the flavour is a lot like ice wine!

There are notes present here that I would find overwhelming if they were left to dominate, but they pleasantly weaved in and out as drank this tea. The heady, buttery-floral notes blend in with the honey tinged fruitiness to create something that is very different from what I’m used to drinking.

A few characteristics I appreciate in green oolong are present here, but with a sweet twist. I’m glad I requested this as a sample and hopefully I get the chance to pick up more before the New Year.

Whoa!! What is this delicious devil juice?

ETA

I know I should qualify this tasting note, and have been thinking about it, but the thing is I’m not entirely sure what to say, specifically.

When I was drinking it, I was trying really hard to notice all the flavors that supposedly come out to say hello, but as per usual my tastes are just not that refined.

So you might be wondering why I liked it so much. Reason is, it is a straight up tea, but it tastes like a flavored tea. Even though I cannot discern what the flavors are, exactly. I’ve tried a few of those along the way, so my basis for comparison is limited. It reminded me of a more subtle and less roasty version of Laoshan Black, which I realize isn’t the same type of tea at all, but that’s also a straight tea that magically has a bunch of flavour.

It’s sweet and multifaceted and would be a great tea to start the day with.

I would totally order this, so it’s going on my Butiki wishlist.
Steepster, you may just make a refined tea drinker out of me yet!

Thank you to the awesome Sil for sending me this to try. Win!

Can’t type, sniffing.
Can’t type, sipping.
Can’t type, sniffing again.

Edit: I just realized that SOMEONE filled my kettle today with bleachy-tasting tap water. Wow. I am gonna LOVE this tea once I get that cleaned better.

RE-edit: Yup. This was awesome. Drank it like a week ago though. Everything I had hoped and a little more. I really should have taken notes.

lightly burnt and honey notes! i get it i get it!
i love this oolong. love love love. it’s not super greeney. it has a darkness to it that really appeals to me.
this is gonna be a good weekend i can tell.
thank you so much for choosing this one to send me Sil!

Tea of three days ago (actually three and two days ago). I haven’t been posting as much as I would like, been occupied with re-reading the Silmarillion while pinning art from it on Pinterest, because if it’s not Steepster it’s Pinterest. I just got a Verdant order yesterday so there should be more notes here, but I wanted to get around to some of the straight Butiki oolongs I had been so excited to order almost two months ago, but hadn’t gotten around to.

This tea smells sooo amazing, I knew I would love it the moment the vapors reached my nostrils. I’ve had one or two similar smelling teas before a very roasted Tung Ting and Rou Gei, so this felt familiar and at the same time very unique. I brewed it gongfu style and it was perfect for me, but will be sure to try the recommended western brewing parameters. I had a big migraine yesterday and between that and not taking notes this log will have to be brief for now. I remember it being sweet and roasty, woodsy and a tad fruity as well as spicey, but a very sweet spice like cloves, star anise, cinnamon and almonds but with none of those notes dominating. I steeped it for a day and half and the leaves just kept on giving! This should definitely be a staple in my cupboard.

Last sample from Stacy. Thaaaanks, Stacy! My brain is still simultaneously numb and headache-y from this ultra bizarre virus and quite frankly, I just want to sleep.

I swear the dry leaf has a light marijuana scent to it. Seriously.

The first infusion was loaded with flavour. Very toasty, to the point of being burnt. Now, I like roasty teas, but this may be a bit too much for me. I get a dot of honey but no apples like what the description says.

The second infusion wasn’t as honeyish and instead emphasized the nuttiness. But the burnt toast is still the prominent note for me. Super prominent.

I stopped there, at least for now, because I want something cold now.

Great oolong but I’m still madly craving Oriental Beauty. I NEED it in my life.

Mmmm, roasty! This oolong definitely has natural notes and honey and fruitiness. I am not sure if I would have picked out an “apple” note, but it is fruity anyway. There is also a nuttiness in the roasty notes of this wonderful oolong.
It was snowing pretty heavily when I was enjoying this cuppa. So, I have no problem staying in with my baby and having a snow day! Brrr

Resteep at 4 minutes was just as delicious!