What "class" of oolong is this?

Owes its flavors to oxidation levels between green & black tea.


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Jun 1st, '13, 00:54
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What "class" of oolong is this?

by javi_sanchez » Jun 1st, '13, 00:54

I really like this tea:
http://www.redblossomtea.com/tea/rare-a ... assam.html

However I would like to find a cheaper variety of a similar tea. The tea can get intensely bitter if brewed for too long. It can be very floral if short steeps are used similar to DanCong but never as sweet. However it also has a grassiness that tastes like sheng pu'er to me. The liquor never gets green or amber also similar to sheng. Here are more pics from tonight's brew:

http://i.imgur.com/ah3dyT2.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/nC0z7Y9.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/lBCjKJP.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/aJRzPRF.jpg

Is this some kind different class of oolong? Any ideas how I would find a similar tasting tea?

The only similar tasting tea I've ever had was this "gift" tea a friend brought from Taiwan. The box may or may not match the tea that was in it. Who knows with these boxes!
http://i.imgur.com/gfjyIf3.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/pjt7R08.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/EdhRcEB.jpg

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Jun 1st, '13, 03:02
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Re: What "class" of oolong is this?

by 茶藝-TeaArt08 » Jun 1st, '13, 03:02

The green box reads "A Li Shan Taiwan tea" which doesn't seem to go with the tea you posted from Red Blossom.

The back just says that it's a Taiwan high mt. wulong, hand roasted, with smooth and lingering aftertaste/throat,....that it's a good tea....etc.

Without having drank the tea, this green box looks to be a standard grade A Li Shan wulong tea and doesn't mention the specific farm nor the elevation for the tea harvest. It could be that the box had another tea in it because a standard A Li Shan high mt. wulong doesn't generally resemble in flavor or description the tea you brewed for your evening brew. Did the foil for the tea bag in the green box have the same writing and info as the box? Did the tea leaves that came out of the box resemble the tea you brewed or were they more round and balled, unfurling with, generally two or three large leaves and a smaller bud in the middle?

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Jun 1st, '13, 08:11
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Re: What "class" of oolong is this?

by javi_sanchez » Jun 1st, '13, 08:11

Yea I read through the box and my broken Chinese told me that nothing specific was being said. My friend bought a bunch of a few kinds Taiwanese oolongs from the same shop so I'm guessing the same box was used for all. All other oolongs she brought back were like the "standard" Taiwanese oolongs. I figured the box would not be very helpful but posted it anyway.

I finished the tea a few months ago so I will try to describe it to the best of my ability. The tea was definitely balled. The leaves looked deep green. However when brewed, the liquor color resembled sheng pu'er and was intensely floral and bitter. It didn't have any of the "greenness", "sweetness" or "creaminess" I associate with Taiwanese oolongs. I remember it having a slight roast. These characteristics made it very similar to the Red Blossom tea for me and made me think perhaps it is a "kind" of oolong I am not familiar with. Unfortunately I do not remember how the leaves looked unfurled.

I figured that any medium/higher oxidized, medium roasted oolong would be similar but I've tried a few of these and the taste is not even close! I will be ordering some spring oolongs from Origin so perhaps I will ask SilentChaos for a recommendation and choose a few higher oxidized ones.

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Jun 1st, '13, 13:16
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Re: What "class" of oolong is this?

by 茶藝-TeaArt08 » Jun 1st, '13, 13:16

I finished the tea a few months ago so I will try to describe it to the best of my ability. The tea was definitely balled. The leaves looked deep green. However when brewed, the liquor color resembled sheng pu'er and was intensely floral and bitter. It didn't have any of the "greenness", "sweetness" or "creaminess" I associate with Taiwanese oolongs. I remember it having a slight roast. These characteristics made it very similar to the Red Blossom tea for me and made me think perhaps it is a "kind" of oolong I am not familiar with. Unfortunately I do not remember how the leaves looked unfurled.


Wow...now you have me curious. Not knowing how you brewed the tea or other parameters it's so difficult to say. On certain Taiwan wulongs hotter water and more leaf could definitely yield those results. I have a Si Ji Chun (四季春) tea that can almost show up in some of those ways depending on how its brewed ( it lacks any creaminess/butteriness, it's more grassy, isn't overly sweet, has a very light roast, and is particularly floral (but more like a citrus/higher floral; bitter depends on how I brew it). The variations between Taiwan wulongs certainly can be immense. Of course, since it seems the boxes may have nothing to do with the tea in them, the tea could be from anywhere and not a Taiwanese wulong at all. Curious! :?

Other thoughts that come to mind are whether the tea was a greener Tie Guanyin tea, which can definitely get sour and tends to lack the creaminess of other say, A Li Shan, wulongs but can bear some resemblance when rolled to other Taiwan wulong teas. Did it have the characteristics of a green Tie Guanyin?

Out of curiosity, do you enjoy drinking Bi Lo Chun?

Blessings!

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Jun 1st, '13, 14:13
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Re: What "class" of oolong is this?

by 茶藝-TeaArt08 » Jun 1st, '13, 14:13

On Taiwan Tea Craft's site there are some Taiwan blacks that seem to match, approximate what you were drinking from Reb Blossom that look interesting, one of which is an A Li Shan Mi Xian Black Tea:

http://www.taiwanteacrafts.com/shop/pro ... black-tea/

Blessings!

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Jun 1st, '13, 15:36
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Re: What "class" of oolong is this?

by Evan Draper » Jun 1st, '13, 15:36

I think the most meaningful "class" is that it's an oolong made from the assamica variety, or subspecies. Maybe you want to try this for comparison:
http://www.stashtea.com/Stash-Tea-Smoke ... B005DM5LPY
Their copy says there's only one specimen of Assam oolong, and I saw it at one or more additional retailers with a cursory google, so perhaps someone can track down the estate or wholesaler. You might also look for oolongs made in Yunnan from daye (putatively assamica) variety.

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Jun 1st, '13, 21:39
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Re: What "class" of oolong is this?

by javi_sanchez » Jun 1st, '13, 21:39

TeaArt,

I love biluochen! However I can't seem to brew the tea correctly at all. Sometimes it's too bitter, other times too weak but every once in a while I get the delicate, sweet yet smokey tea I like. For Biluochun and Dancong, I have find it is just easier and more consistent to over steep a bit and enjoying a more bitter brew. Over the last couple years I find myself being able to "see through" bitterness and even enjoying it. This is especially true with beer where I've been drinking 9-10% ABV pale ales lately.

Thanks for the recommendation on Taiwan Tea Crafts.

Evan,

You'd think I would have thought to search for another "Assam" oolong right? I'm never as smart as I think I am... I'll try to taste a few in the coming weeks. My cupboard is getting low and it might be time for a refill soon.

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