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.

I found the osmanthus to have more of a spice-like quality about it.  It reminded me of a light-black pepper flavoring with only a hint of floral fragrance.  I was expecting it to taste very floral, but it actually added some attitude to the Oolong.  The Se Chung Oolong still shines through, but it’s kicked-up a notch with the osmanthus.  As you bring the tea close to your face to take a sip, your nose will pick-up the spice-like quality.  As your taste buds get to have their turn in the experience, you’ll enjoy the quality flavors of Oolong Se Chung.  There’s a faint floral flavor, it’s mainly all green-Oolong flavors.  If you want to try something slightly different from the norm, give this a shot.  I really enjoyed the one-two punch of peppery scent to flavorful Oolong.  This tea really works your senses.  The tea itself opens to reveal a healthy full leaf, and it creates a yellowish-brown liquor.  I typically steeped the tea with a water temperature around 190 degrees for at least 3 minutes.  You can experiment with multiple steeping.  I usually went up to 3 steepings.  Since I’m the only one that drinks tea in my house, that’s enough for me.

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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.

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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 worked in food and beverage for several years, and I know that many of the keys to exceptional service start with the letter “C” - control, choice, courtesy, and convenience. I was very impressed with the The REPUBLIC of TEA’s service. Their online store provided me (mainly my wife) with all the “C” components of service. As for the Ti Kuan Yin that was purchased from them, it was delicious. I enjoy the light fragrant liquor with vegetal and buttery notes with a light floral flavor. Drinking this tea for me is an experience. The freshness that is derived from a cup of this tea is similar to walking out of a stuffy house and getting a breath of fresh air. Your senses are revived, and your body will thank you for it. With the hectic schedule that most of us are under, anytime we can get a breath of fresh air, it’s an absolute joy. I highly recommend this tea.

The REPUBLIC of TEA describes the tea as: from the Fujian province in China… known for its fresh, orchid flavor & clean finish. Large, iron-colored leaves can be infused many times over.

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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.

Just4Tea describes the tea as: Very lightly fermented and grown in the AnXi area in the Fujian province of China. The orangey-green liquor yields an flowery aroma that is creamy, smooth, and refreshingly light. The flavor has a mellow and sweet finish that will please your palate.

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This tea has a true “wow” factor to it. I often talk about teas that have lots of character. Unique characteristics are what make tea special. This tea has several characteristics that makes it very interesting and fun to drink. It starts with the name…Tie Guan Yin was named after a Buddhist Saint - Guan Yin.

Just4tea.com was founded by June Lau. Her family has been in the tea industry for three generations. June’s father and brother actually roasted this Tie Guan Yin. So many online tea stores all sell the same tea. In this case, you actually get a tea that is uniquely made by a family with 3 generations of experience. If you’ve never had tea that goes through a roasting process, you are really missing out. The nutty and lightly-smoked aroma that is created by the roasting of the Oolong takes the tea to a whole new level.

Just4Tea.com describes the tea as follows:

Semi-fermented and grown in the Wuyi Mountains in the Fujian province of China. Tie Guan Yin undergoes a longer fermentation period than ordinary Oolongs and is blended and roasted using our traditional Chaozhou family recipe. It delivers deep flavor, with an intense, floral and nutty aroma and a fruity finish. When steeped in boiling water the crinkly balls unfurl, revealing green-brown, lace-edged leaves.

As you sip this tea, you’ll swear you taste everything from chocolate to sweet fruit all floating atop a deliciously roasted Oolong. This tea is perfect for the cold winter months. It warms your senses as well as your body. So, I highly recommend buying this tea and trying to figure out all the various flavors your tongue will pick up on as you drink this tea. I followed the basic brewing instructions of a quick tea leaf wash (10 second steeping), followed by a 2 to 3 minute steeping time in boiling water.

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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.

Oolong has a very fresh scent to it. If you could assign a scent to “health” it would smell something like Oolong. The aroma from the dried tea is almost intoxicating. As I try to describe it, I can’t stop enjoying it. For those of you that read my blog regarding Jasmine Pearl and thought the jasmine flavoring did not sound appealing to you, this Oolong should be perfect for you. It’s very natural - as tea should be.

Just4Tea.com describes the tea as:

Lightly fermented and grown in the Wuyi Mountains in the Fujian province of China. The amber liquor yields an aroma that is gentle, smooth, and refreshingly light. The flavor has a mellow and sweet finish that will please your palate.

I often disagree with descriptions provided by the seller of the tea, but this one is right-on-the-money.

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If you are in the mood for a truly delightful tea, try Just4Tea’s Jasmine Pearl tea. Just4tea.com describes the tea as:

Made by stacking up alternating layers of premium Oolong tea from Fujiang province and Jasmine petals. This scenting process is repeated multiple times. After the scenting process, the tea is then rolled to pearl-shaped balls, which gives the tea its name. It delivers a unique flowery scent with a fresh green tea flavor.

I love drinking this tea. It’s very relaxing to me. I can’t decide what I like best, the scent or the flavor. Regardless, the combination of the scent and flavor makes for a perfect cup of tea. As I take a sip, my senses are awakened and the stress literally disappears. Jasmine Pearl Oolong has so many attributes that makes it worthy of your attention. The round shape gives it a unique characteristic and adds a fun factor to the steeping process. The jasmine flavor takes the oolong to another level. There’s one catch to this loose leaf tea, you have to like jasmine flavoring. I typically do not like floral scented or flavored - anything. However, this tea in my opinion is perfectly balanced. So, the floral flavor is welcomed and not “in your face” dominant.

After you purchase the tea, experiment with the steeping process. You’ll be surprised how much tea you get out of the pearls. They unfurl as they steep. I don’t want you to waste the tea - you’ll get a feel for it after the first steeping. It’s recommended that you use 2 teaspoons of jasmine pearl with 180 degree water for 3-4 minutes for an 8 ounce cup of tea. The oolong tea is from the Fujian Province, China.

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