Just4Tea: High Mountain Green Tie Guan Yin
Friday, August 22nd, 2008
One of the first things you notice when you drink loose leaf tea is the quality and consistency of the leaves. This Oolong is both consistent in size and shape and the leaves unfurl to reveal their beautiful jade green color. It’s a very relaxing and entertaining tea experience. The scent of the dried Oolong was very elegant. The air from the Anxi mountains escapes from the leaves. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about tea, it’s the strength it gives you simply by enjoying the scent and taste. I know it sounds odd to those of you that don’t enjoy tea, but the scent of the dried tea is very much a part of the tea experience. This is a tea where you can get lost in the scent. Anyway, as the tea steeped it was fun to peek in the clay tea pot to see how the leaves were unfurling. The first cup had an oceanic vibe with a light buttery flavor. As the tea cooled the sweet floral flavors were revealed. You can get several steepings from the lush tea leaves. I really enjoyed the subtle tones of this tea. I’ve read about the treacherous nature of the mountain and just how difficult it is to pick tea there, let alone drive up or down the mountain. So, for those of you that farm and pick this tea - Thank you!
Just4Tea.com describes the Oolong as: a unique and beautiful tea grown in the high remote AnXi mountain in the Fujian province of China. The tea makers go through a very rigorous making and grading process to produce this limited edition tea. It delivers light golden liquor with a distinctive sweet, creamy and subtle floral aroma.
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-It’s important to try new things, and I haven’t had a tea flavored with Osmanthus flowers (I don’t think). So, today I’m drinking an Osmanthus Oolong Se Chung from Upton. Se Chung Oolong has a slightly shorter fermentation period than most Oolongs; therefore, it has more of a vegetal flavor. I’ve had several teas flavored with Jasmine. For the most part, I enjoyed them. With any flavoring, the key is balance. I don’t want to drink a tea that tastes like a scented candle. I want to be able to appreciate the tea as well as the overall blend. In this case, I want to taste the natural green-sweetness of the Oolong mixed with a fragrant mix of Osmanthus flowers. This particular Oolong was much better than I expected. Upton’s Se Chung Oolong has received favorable reviews from Upton’s customers; therefore, I assumed the osmanthus flavored version was a safe bet.
There’s just nothing better than sitting down with a pot of hot water, your favorite steeping pot, and a good Oolong. What a way to pass the time. Many Oolongs can and should be steeped multiple times. Each steeping reveals a hidden layer of this beautifully crafted tea. Due to its processing, Oolong is not quite a black tea and its not quite a green tea (referring to Oolongs oxidation period - it’s in between green and black). Having said that, there are many Oolongs that closer resemble either a black or green tea. Typically, I’m looking for a fresh and inviting aroma coming from the tea. I often imagine that the aroma coming from the pot is similar to the air in the Wuyi Mountains. This Oolong has long dried leaves that are almost black in color. When the tea is steeped, the leaves do reveal a touch of green. The liquor is very light in color. The flavor is very mild. I didn’t detect the intense freshness or floral hints that I desire from an Oolong. All-in-all, this Oolong lacks the characteristics of my favorite Oolongs. I steeped the tea several ways to make sure that I wasn’t doing something wrong. I just couldn’t get the flavor I desired out of the leaves. If you are looking for a lighter flavored Oolong, this might be perfect for you. Be careful not to steep the tea in water that is too hot. I let the water cool to around 200 degrees before steeping the Oolong. When you get it just right, the tea is enjoyable. It’s just not as good as many other choices.
I’ve been drinking a Ti Kuan Yin from The REPUBLIC of TEA, and it’s right on par with many of the delicious Oolongs I’ve tried in the recent past. First off, the scent of the dried tea leaves is just so naturally fresh and inviting. The leaves are dark green, but until they are steeped their true character remains hidden. I’ve been making Oolongs in my Yixing tea pot, and it is an absolute treat. The dried tea leaves spring to life when the tea is steeped. I’ve been getting at least 4-5 flavorful infusions in my 7 ounce teapot. So, for the money, you get a lot of tea. I use water that has cooled for about a minute from a boil. I never steep the tea for more than two minutes. I never held myself to a set time for each steeping, the tea seemed perfect no matter what I did to it.
I’ve been waiting to try this Oolong with my new Yixing clay tea pot. Since it’s a new pot, I wanted to experiment with it before trying this tea. Anyway, I’m drinking an Oolong (spring 2007) from Just4Tea. This is a very green Oolong. It has an absolute freshness about it. The dried leaves have the aroma of a warm spring morning. I steeped the tea for about ninety seconds with boiled water that I let cool for just a minute. The pale yellow liquor revealed the freshness of the tea. After steeping the tea, the steam from the cup revealed a distant floral scent that is very common with Oolong. The flavor had a lot more character than I expected. It had a light buttery and vegetal flavor with light hints of jasmine. In the end, it had a faint hint of spice - almost pepper-like. I couldn’t get enough of the tea. I did multiple infusions with the Oolong and each time it was delicious. With this tea, you have to appreciate where tea actually comes from - a tea plant (camellia sinensis). As the tea steeps, the leaves spring to life. They were so green that it looked as though they were freshly plucked. This was a very enjoyable cup of Oolong. It revealed many flavors that added to the tea’s character.
Oolong (semi-oxidized tea) is often overlooked by tea consumers. With all the hype surrounding green and white teas and black tea (bagged tea) stealing the spotlight for several decades in the U.S., Oolong has been on the sideline. Oolong gives many tea drinkers the best of both worlds because it lacks the strong grassy flavor of some green teas, and it’s not as bold as many black teas. The Oolong I’m drinking today comes from the Fujian Province of China. Oolong is a traditional Chinese tea, but it is now consumed all over the world.
If you are in the mood for a truly delightful tea, try