Official what Oolong are You Drinking Right Now?

[CWarren]

What temperature and how long was your roast? Color looks good!

Drinking 2014 Shan Lin Xi from a mom-and-pop store in Taipei. This tea was lovely when brewed at the store, even though it had been on the shelf for two years. I've had variable results when brewing the gaoshan I picked up in Taipei; it appears a big part of the issue is that humidity got to the tea. After a little heat to drive off moisture, this tea is lovely and I get all of the flavor I was missing out at times.

Stacking infusions was something we saw a lot of in Taipei; after pouring out two or three cups, whatever was left in the cha hai was added to. This really does help improve each round and provides for a fuller taste in the cup, so the infusions stay enjoyable and satisfying for longer. I have been experimenting with that, too, and I like the results a lot. When gaoshan is tapering off, I get vegetal flavors and the like, but with stacked infusions, each successive infusion adds more to the flavor profile and every cup is better than the last until the tea is pretty much exhausted. This was also done with roasted TGY with good results.

I still think I prefer the stuffed pot approach with gaoshan, where I can get 20+ infusions from one full pot, all very different. I only need to fill the pot halfway up and let it expand with this approach. The intensity of the flavor that way is much higher, and with each infusion, I taste something completely different. I've actually brewed SLX that way over three days in the past (that was one stuffed gaiwan)! Now, with much less leaf in the pot, the tea is lovely and interesting, but I can't quite identify the flavors with each successive infusion. Obviously I've had enough caffeine, though, because I'm typing up a storm here.

I don't know how long and at what temp I do it. I just do it by feel. I also don't usually count the infusions but pay attention to the body and huigan. I enjoy tea very much but I am not looking for the best this or most that. I'm happy brewing it and drinking it the way I do. More than 25 years of experimenting with all kinds of pots, teas, thoughts, feelings. The only thing that hasn't changed is the awareness of the moment. But that is a different conversation.

The tea force is strong with this one.

[jayinhk]

What temperature and how long was your roast? Color looks good!

Drinking 2014 Shan Lin Xi from a mom-and-pop store in Taipei. This tea was lovely when brewed at the store, even though it had been on the shelf for two years. I've had variable results when brewing the gaoshan I picked up in Taipei; it appears a big part of the issue is that humidity got to the tea. After a little heat to drive off moisture, this tea is lovely and I get all of the flavor I was missing out at times.

Stacking infusions was something we saw a lot of in Taipei; after pouring out two or three cups, whatever was left in the cha hai was added to. This really does help improve each round and provides for a fuller taste in the cup, so the infusions stay enjoyable and satisfying for longer. I have been experimenting with that, too, and I like the results a lot. When gaoshan is tapering off, I get vegetal flavors and the like, but with stacked infusions, each successive infusion adds more to the flavor profile and every cup is better than the last until the tea is pretty much exhausted. This was also done with roasted TGY with good results.

I still think I prefer the stuffed pot approach with gaoshan, where I can get 20+ infusions from one full pot, all very different. I only need to fill the pot halfway up and let it expand with this approach. The intensity of the flavor that way is much higher, and with each infusion, I taste something completely different. I've actually brewed SLX that way over three days in the past (that was one stuffed gaiwan)! Now, with much less leaf in the pot, the tea is lovely and interesting, but I can't quite identify the flavors with each successive infusion. Obviously I've had enough caffeine, though, because I'm typing up a storm here.

I don't know how long and at what temp I do it. I just do it by feel. I also don't usually count the infusions but pay attention to the body and huigan. I enjoy tea very much but I am not looking for the best this or most that. I'm happy brewing it and drinking it the way I do. More than 25 years of experimenting with all kinds of pots, teas, thoughts, feelings. The only thing that hasn't changed is the awareness of the moment. But that is a different conversation.

The tea force is strong with this one.

I have brewed by feel in the past, but this year I'm back to taking much more care with my brews (with much better results). I consider this part of being in the moment at every stage; the more focused I am on every stage, from selecting the tea I want at a given moment, to loading the pot, deciding on water temperature, time of each infusion and tasting and feeling each infusion thoroughly, the more I get from each session. Awareness is vital for everything we do (except maybe for sleeping)!

[ethan]

Opened the double-lidded tin of Dark-roast TGY Jay & I bought in Taiwan. It is different than what I bought from Dr Chen: The best difference is a gentle sweetness & wonderful aftertaste. After my second cup chaqi mixed w/ the huigan. (I don't usually try the phrases by I think I got it right). The taste of roast is lighter & all the flavor is subtle; however, the muted experience is not a lesser one. This dark roast TGY demands more: higher temp (96C), more time (1 minute), & drinking from something wide & shallow (to have one's nose close to the fluids). Drinking in quantity has provided a very nice feeling inside & a tiny bit of a buzz that I have had w/ puerh, though the oolong is so much different than pu. The negative is there are not the notes of fruit one gets w/ the other when one keeps steeping time very short.


Comments of Jay & Teadoff about preparation are interesting. Good to read how people handle oolong.

Jay, I'm not sure changes in tea are all due to HK's humidity. My dayuling has become what I call "greener". Someone drinking w/ me said he felt a surge of health. What a phrase! I experienced a bit of disappointment. I am at odds w/ the great green gaoshan effect that others seem to love. The dayuling had given me a path into that. Perhaps it will no longer do so. Jay, Boston is not high- humidity & I am storing the dayuling very tightly etc.

I did give some dry leaves some heat, somehow w/ the exact same methods as Jay, a teapot sitting in a bowl of hot water. The medium-roast TGY that I wrote about last night gave me more infusions this morning. The distinct touch of roasted taste combined w/ green flavors for unique blend. Really quite nice. However, as long as the evolved medium roast tea is giving me green oolong experience w/o roughness etc., I will not fuss w/ heating the leaves. I am happy to have the flavors of a green oolong that is rounded & smooth. (I have dark roast TGY & houjicha when I want "roast" flavor).

[jayinhk]

Ethan,

What the humidity does to my oolongs is make them taste off; the flavor isn't anywhere near as apparent and I end up with disappointing brewing results if I don't drive off the moisture. I first noticed this with shuixian several years ago, and switched to airtight glass jars for storage.

Long term, the oolongs can go sour if stored too wet, and may even develop pu erh storage flavors, like some of the aged baozhong we tried in Pinglin.

Sounds like you had good results with that medium-high roast TGY and can detect the huigan when brewing it.

[JRS22]

Tea Hong Wuyi Cassia Extraordinaire 2013 in my Junzo Maekawa Shudei pot. I raised the brewing temp from 195° to 212° and the result is a thicker feeling. I bought a sencha cup along with the pot but it's too difficult to use with hot tea, so I'm enjoying a Shyrabbit cup today.

[shah82]

Did the 2010 Da Hong Pao from Houde yesterday. I can't really say very much, since I'm not a yancha expert, but I thought it was very good. A touch sour early, but proper aroma and taste for a good wuyi, and delivers an excellent somewhat citrus-toned fruity mouthcoat aftertaste. A bit unusual for an oolong, this also had some qi, tho' some of that is caffeine.

Today I did the 70's Pinlin Baozhong once sold by EoT. I had fairly high expectations of this tea, given how much people have liked it, but this didn't really quite meet my standard for an outstanding aged oolong. It definitely has a good aroma, and decent qi. Early brews were fairly sour and plums, and by the time the tea sweetened up more fruity and sweet cream, the taste was thinner. Good, but sort of incoherent aftertaste. Viscosity is okay, but I'm missing the notable textures an aged baozhong can have. I guess the main problem is that there isn't quite a theme going on here. Complexity is fine, but I sort of want to follow the track, and the best aspects of aged oolong is a sort of easy "blandness" in taste and feeling. This one was rather inchoate until the late steeps. Some of the problem is that the tea wasn't destemed.

[ethan]

Medium-roast TGY from Taiwan. These leaves were kept in a reliably tight tin. I have been comparing my tins & tea caddies.
So far, I have learned that some of my caddies let in too much air.
Though kept well, this oolong has changed since I first opened the foil bag it came in. There is no direct taste of roast. It melds into the flavor overall. This is no problem. As I experienced before, I am enjoying an excellent drink of green oolong flavors w/o the nuances that usually put me off. I do need to drink this fast & store it well because I fear it could become just another strong green oolong not showing the benefits of the roasting.

[jayinhk]

Medium-roast TGY from Taiwan. These leaves were kept in a reliably tight tin. I have been comparing my tins & tea caddies.
So far, I have learned that some of my caddies let in too much air.
Though kept well, this oolong has changed since I first opened the foil bag it came in. There is no direct taste of roast. It melds into the flavor overall. This is no problem. As I experienced before, I am enjoying an excellent drink of green oolong flavors w/o the nuances that usually put me off. I do need to drink this fast & store it well because I fear it could become just another strong green oolong not showing the benefits of the roasting.

Medium roast and higher should age well. It's the really green stuff that doesn't!

[benm3]

Did the 2010 Da Hong Pao from Houde yesterday. I can't really say very much, since I'm not a yancha expert, but I thought it was very good. A touch sour early, but proper aroma and taste for a good wuyi, and delivers an excellent somewhat citrus-toned fruity mouthcoat aftertaste. A bit unusual for an oolong, this also had some qi, tho' some of that is caffeine.

Today I did the 70's Pinlin Baozhong once sold by EoT. I had fairly high expectations of this tea, given how much people have liked it, but this didn't really quite meet my standard for an outstanding aged oolong. It definitely has a good aroma, and decent qi. Early brews were fairly sour and plums, and by the time the tea sweetened up more fruity and sweet cream, the taste was thinner. Good, but sort of incoherent aftertaste. Viscosity is okay, but I'm missing the notable textures an aged baozhong can have. I guess the main problem is that there isn't quite a theme going on here. Complexity is fine, but I sort of want to follow the track, and the best aspects of aged oolong is a sort of easy "blandness" in taste and feeling. This one was rather inchoate until the late steeps. Some of the problem is that the tea wasn't destemed.

Shah, these are great reviews. I share your thoughts about the EOT aged Baozhong. The qi is good, and the aroma is nice. But it could be thicker. Good point about the stems.

[shah82]

I had the 70's oolong that you can get from Emmett in those YangQingHao group buys.

This is relatively hard to describe, but I was much more satisfied with this aged oolong than I was with the EoT's version. I liked the qi better, the taste is much softer and consistent, allowing me to enjoy what complexity there was, and the soup had more of the texture and feel I associate with aged oolong.

[Frisbeehead]

Currently drinking some of Chen's "baking mountain tea", which I assume is a roasted high mountain oolong (Lugu township). It's truly delicious. The roast is perfect, it's full-bodied, and the flavors are interesting. I'm brewing it in a F1 hongni clay pot, which I think is the perfect pot for his teas (and other hung shui). The hongni clay complements these teas very well.

I tend to use more leaf with this tea, around 7g in my 85ml pot. I've used less leaf many times, but I feel like this style of oolong has better results when a higher amount of leaf is used.

[jayinhk]

2013 dancong that is quite high roast...and may have been reroasted a few times. Brewing in a packed 40ml F1 hongni shuiping (dry leaf all the way to the top). Lovely in this pot and light, delicate orchid flavor along with light bitterness and taste of the roast. Really quite lovely. Like drinking a high fire shuixian, but more delicate. Seems to be better when brewed like I'd brew a high fire shuixian, just with more leaf.

[daidokorocha]

2013 dancong that is quite high roast...and may have been reroasted a few times. Brewing in a packed 40ml F1 hongni shuiping (dry leaf all the way to the top). Lovely in this pot and light, delicate orchid flavor along with light bitterness and taste of the roast. Really quite lovely. Like drinking a high fire shuixian, but more delicate. Seems to be better when brewed like I'd brew a high fire shuixian, just with more leaf.

I drink high fire shuxian quite often and was wondering what you mean by this. Is the brewing as you described in this post the one you use for shuixian or are implying some type of comparison between the brewing in your post and some other method you also use? If so, what is that method?

[jayinhk]

2013 dancong that is quite high roast...and may have been reroasted a few times. Brewing in a packed 40ml F1 hongni shuiping (dry leaf all the way to the top). Lovely in this pot and light, delicate orchid flavor along with light bitterness and taste of the roast. Really quite lovely. Like drinking a high fire shuixian, but more delicate. Seems to be better when brewed like I'd brew a high fire shuixian, just with more leaf.

I drink high fire shuxian quite often and was wondering what you mean by this. Is the brewing as you described in this post the one you use for shuixian or are implying some type of comparison between the brewing in your post and some other method you also use? If so, what is that method?

Dancong is usually brewed with flash infusions, but I learned to brew high fire shuixian with a pot filled about halfway with dried leaf, and with longer infusions (first pour when the water on the pot evaporates). This works a treat with shui xian IMO. With dancong, flash infusions work better to prevent bitterness, and using more leaf leads to more flavor and more good infusions, while keeping bitterness at bay. My first infusion of DC tonight was shuixian length (but with a stuffed pot) and while tasty, was a little bitter and also gave me a heck of a caffeine wallop. My second infusion was a flash infusion and was much more pleasant, but less flavorful.

[daidokorocha]

Please excuse my further questioning but, what exactly do you mean by first pour when the water on the pot evaporates?

As for tonight, I finished off a few Japanese green sessions and decided that before bed I would brew up some not-so-classy high roast tieguanyin by sea dyke. The cheap 2 dollar stuff for 125 grams in the yellow box. I boil 12 oz of water at 195 and then put two heaping teaspoons, let it sit for a few minutes before covering, and then just let it steep for a random period of time, perhaps 20 minutes or so before I start drinking. Then I just drink to the bottom over time. Sort of like grandpa but without refilling at any point. It makes for a rather intense and yet still rather mellow fruity, sweet, astringent drink with a long-lasting brightness on the palate. Exactly how I love it... I grew up drinking sea dyke and I do not know if I will ever be able to let it go. Great stuff on the cheap for bulk brewing. I have no problem getting through these boxes.