TeaChat

I'm starting my tea day with Chuan Tong Da Hong Pao from Seven Cups. During the long power outage after Superstorm Sandy, followed by a Superstorm of a cold, I've been concentrating on oolongs. I just realized that I'm almost out of oolong, with just two MTR samples and a few days worth of today's tea.

Time to shop!

I am after a several brewings of 2012 Bei Dou Yancha from Buddha Country Cliff (five star tea). Bei Dou is an impressive cultivar- when the leaves are not overroasted this bush can display really pleasurable notes of peach, pinneaple and well baked bread.
Cha Qi of Bei Dou is not to strong but very relaxing and refreshing- much more lighter than Shui Xian or Rou Gui but similar to for ex. Huang Guan Yin.

Trying some of SilentChaos' SC Aged DongDing. This tea is oxidized and dark and to me tastes like cinnamon and Ceylon in infusion 1.

1986 Fall, YanCha Tikwanyin from Xiping. Tasted like 15 years old Moutai wine.

Wow, that sounds great,Tim!!

Enjoying a warm and spicy session with some Winter Alishan Oolong from Norbu--a packet that is still delicious despite a prolonged time sitting opened but packed away. Good stuff.

after the Mountain Tea OTTI, I placed an order for the Medium Roast Dong Ding, since it was my favorite from the OTTI. I also bought a couple other things that looked interesting but weren't featured in the OTTI. I finally opened one of the samples, the Four Seasons of Spring oolong. I brewed the whole 7g sample in a 50mL gaiwan. I find it to be really enjoyable, especially with water cooled just a little off the boil. Super buttery and yummy. I like it better than I liked the Li Shan or Jade from the OTTI, especially given the price of this oolong. I think I'll order some more of this one... I don't know if it would be worth drinking at a lesser ratio than the kind of extreme one I started with, however

ethan wrote:teanovice,

...

I agree that the other tea that you usually drink (Thai red pearls), is quite close to Imperial Pearl.

Both are the Jin Xuan varietal, but the red pearls from Thailand is roasted a bit less than MT's Imperial Pearl from Taiwan.

...

Hi Ethan & Teanovice,

Owner of Mountain Tea here. Wanted to clear up some stuff about our teas. The Imperial Pearls are not roasted and are created using the QingXin varietal. Happy drinking.

I'm currently enjoying some Imperial Pearl that was brewed up to fill the thermos yesterday, in anticipation of an afternoon-long meeting, left overnight untouched because I forgot to bring it along, and today is cooled to room temperature--but still tasty, fruity, and not bitter. That's quite a compliment to a tea--to withstand such abuse so gracefully. Not many teas can do that.

bagua7 wrote:Here are some pics of Qi Lai Shan oolong I am enjoying so much. A bit of spice in the tip of the tongue and a mix of resembling pine trees and nectarines topped with a subtle mineral taste; an extremely fresh oolong. A real winner, for sure:

bagua7 the quality of this tea look amazing!!!!! Where did you get it if you don't mind me asking and would they happen to have an online store?

I guess today is MT's Imperial Pearl day. I am drinking a third infusion from tea I first steeped 11 hours ago & it is good. So, debunix, my experience also shows it holds up well.
dr_cat_md, I apologize for my misinformation. I am wrong to write when I am not sure. The amount of oxidation of the two teas & their flavor is what l really wanted to compare & should have done so carefully.

ethan wrote:I guess today is MT's Imperial Pearl day. I am drinking a third infusion from tea I first steeped 11 hours ago & it is good. So, debunix, my experience also shows it holds up well.
dr_cat_md, I apologize for my misinformation. I am wrong to write when I am not sure. The amount of oxidation of the two teas & their flavor is what l really wanted to compare & should have done so carefully.

I made the same mistake on I.P. as well posting that it was roasted.

Owner of Mountain Tea here. Wanted to clear up some stuff about our teas. The Imperial Pearls are not roasted and are created using the QingXin varietal. Happy drinking.

Hi dr_cat_md,

Where are you shipping your tea from? I mean if I buy tea from your website.

Do you ship from Taiwan or USA?

Winter Alishan oolong from Norbu, some leaves left overnight and still happily brewing up warm golden goodness this morning.

Maxwell2079 wrote:

Owner of Mountain Tea here. Wanted to clear up some stuff about our teas. The Imperial Pearls are not roasted and are created using the QingXin varietal. Happy drinking.

Hi dr_cat_md,

Where are you shipping your tea from? I mean if I buy tea from your website.

Do you ship from Taiwan or USA?

Unless something changed since OTTI 15, MountainTea ships to retail customers from California. They have a California address.