Wild Yeti Oolong

Wow, been awhile since I’ve been here. And – lo! – the site is working! Double-celebration!

This tea had three things going for it: One, it was from Nepal. Two, it was an oolong from Nepal. Three, it had the word yeti in it. The fact that it was going to taste good seemed to already be a given.

This is the first Himalayan oolong I’ve tried that actually mimicked the taste of an oolong for Taiwan or China. I like the muscatel kick of the region, but this offered something more traditional.

And, of course, in “traditional” fashion, I had to write more about it…and mythical creatures: http://steepstories.com/2013/04/16/wrestling-a-wild-yeti/

This is my second tea from Nepali Tea Traders, and after the sucess of yesterday’s session, I am very excited to try this Oolong. I used near boiling water for the first infusion, and let it steep for 15 seconds. The resulting tea is the color of lighter caramel, not nearly as dark as the picture, but it still tastes very much like caramel. The mouthfeel of the tea is almost like a yancha, but it’s a little bit silky as well, and the aftertaste is also much like a yancha: Mineral sensation on tongue ad roof of mouth witgh a slight metalic tingle. So far, this is an very pleasant Oolong, and I can’t wait to see what the third steep will taste like.

AFter 3 false starts, here’s my notes on the second infusion. I used cooler water, and let it settp for 10 seocnds. Teh result is silky, not mineral-smooth like the last infusion. Also, the tea is even sweeter, but has become a bit hard to describe. Finally, the aftertaste sees the texture transition from silky in to a mineral/metalic smoothness. Honestly, I was really surprised by this tea, which is always a plus. On top of these things, there are subtle fruity note throughout the taste, a halmark of Himalayan teas in my experience. Kudos to the artisans who made this, they really made something special here.

There was sa third infusion, but I had to go out for a whbile, and I accidnetally deleted my notes about it by closing the notepad window. Oops. Anyway, the fourth was cancled due to being so late, and I do need to get up before noon, so I’m going to have to cut this one short. I promise that I’ll have a more substantive review next time I make this tea.

Got 3 grams of this in a stash buy and had it with rhinkle to finish up lunch today.

Used all 3 grams and a lot less water in the gaiwan than I normally would, of course. This brews up a nice reddish amber with a deep roasted scent. Did a good few steeps and got a consistent, roasty flavor, with hints of floral. This one didn’t stand out to me very much, but it was enjoyable and rhinkle really liked it.

Received a loose leaf sample of this wonderful tea direct from Nepali Tea Traders, and was very pleased. It is a Darjeeling oolong, partially oxidized, that brews up a lovely medium orange brew. The flavor is a remarkable combination of spiciness and muscatel, yielding multiple steeps that has a very pleasant mouth feel or texture. Highly recommended.

I don’t see this currently listed on their site, but I think I might try one of the other Darjeeling oolongs listed. They are a wonderfully different breed from the Chinese and Taiwanese oolongs that I love.

Backlog:

LOVE this Oolong. I have tried several different teas from Nepali Tea Traders, and I’ve enjoyed everything that I’ve tried. I love that this is from Nepal (Nepal Oolongs ROCK!)

Honeyed caramel, fruity notes (peach and plum), woodsy notes, and floral notes. Later infusions were darker and richer in flavor. A full-flavored Oolong with sweet and sour fruit notes, floral tones and warm woodsy flavors. Lovely!

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/05/14/wild-yeti-oolong-tea-from-nepali-tea-traders/