What kind of oolong should I buy?

[Katy1977]

I just called the chinese restaurant that I ate at recently and asked what type of tea they serve because I really enjoy it, and they said oolong tea. They said they brew it with loose tea leaves, so I'm wondering what kind of oolong I should buy to get the same flavor experience? Any help is greatly appreciated.

Katy1977

[rabbit]

It's usually a wuyi served at most chinese resturaunts, higher end places will sometimes have tie guan yin I guess... but I've never found one that does.

If it tasted really roasted I've had kukicha at ONE resturant.

Judging by the flavor I think they make large amounts of it in a boiling pot

[Victoria]

If you are just starting, buy a few of the oolong samples from Adagio.
Stay away from the flavored ones and the sampler.

[Katy1977]

The Wuyi Ensemble is the only wuyi that I saw at Adagio but it is part of the sampler, would you recommend I buy a sample of the Wuyi Ensemble anyway? Any other recommendations? Thanks again.

Katy1977

[Cyphre]

you can do that. I tend to buy my teas in roughly 1oz packets and just pick and choose my own that sound good.

my two favorate places to buy tea are
www.teaspring.com
&
www.holymtn.com

[Tea_Rex]

Two of my favorite oolongs are Floating Leaves Tea's Muzha Ti Kuan Yin (http://www.floatingleaves.com/index.php ... 8a2788211b) which I have been drinking for a few months now, and Aroma Tea's "Jade Iron Goddess" (http://www.aromateashop.com/store/index ... ductId=244) which I tried and bought a week or so ago. It's on sale right now too.

They are very different in flavor than the Wuyi Ensemble from Adagio (which I am actually drinking right now) being more floral and greener (especially the Jade Iron Goddess) than the Wuyi Ensemble. Not better or worse, just different. The Wuyi is good and might be more what you are looking for if the oolong you had in the restaurant is like the oolongs I've had in restaurants.

[Victoria]

The Wuyi Ensemble is the only wuyi that I saw at Adagio but it is part of the sampler, would you recommend I buy a sample of the Wuyi Ensemble anyway? Any other recommendations? Thanks again.

Katy1977

Sure. I just advise against the sampler as sometimes they substitute and someone once got 3 jasmine oolongs. Buying separate doesn't cost all that much more. But if you are feeling adventurous, go for it. The current selections seem like a good sampling.

[LauraW]

The Wuyi Ensemble is the only wuyi that I saw at Adagio but it is part of the sampler, would you recommend I buy a sample of the Wuyi Ensemble anyway? Any other recommendations? Thanks again.

Katy1977

Sure. I just advise against the sampler as sometimes they substitute and someone once got 3 jasmine oolongs. Buying separate doesn't cost all that much more. But if you are feeling adventurous, go for it. The current selections seem like a good sampling.

I've never had a problem with samplers, and I've bought 3 of them in the last 8 months. I haven't had all of the teas in the Oolong sampler, but it sounds like a great mix - the #8 is great for an everyday, fairly inexpensive oolong (definitely buying more next time I order), I'm not a huge fan of jasmine in general, but I do like mixing it with other things, the wuyi is good (and as others have stated, probably what you had), and I can't say much for the TKY, having not had Adagio's yet. I say go for it. But do stay away from the flavored sampler.

[Catfur]

I third (or fourth or fifth) the suggestion that you try a variety of samples.

Oolong tea comes in as many varieties (maybe more) as black and green tea, even within varieties, with deeply varying flavors and aromas. You will try some and like them, and probably try some and not like them.

[debunix]

Oolong tea comes in as many varieties (maybe more) as black and green tea, even within varieties

Ti Kuan Yin (or Tie Guan Yin) comes in very dark toasted varieties that taste entirely different than the bright light green versions; Bao Zhong or Pouchong comes in everything from a barely oxidized, almost green tea, to highly oxidized and roasted almost black tea.

(note to self: this would be a good photo essay....the varieties of TGY/TKY)

[brad4419]

Samples samples samples.

If you buy the sampler from adagio you could contact them first and make sure they have the wuyi you want in stock to make sure you get what you want. It would be awful if you bought the sampler for the wuyi and didn't get it

[britt]

Was this a darker oolong? If so, and depending on how much you wish to spend, Hou De has some very good Wuyi oolong but it's not cheap. I would only consider purchasing it if you're somewhat experienced at brewing tea. Otherwise, the samplers may be a better choice for now.

http://www.houdeasianart.com/index.php? ... e&pID=1274

Believe it or not, even though oolong is of Chinese origin, the are two types of Japanese oolong that are quite good.

The first is a loose-leaf tea that can be easily brewed in a Japanese kyusu with a mesh screen. Both are available at Yuuki-cha and I bought them together for this purpose.

Japanese Oolong Tea:

http://www.yuuki-cha.com/Organic+Oolong ... Oolong+Tea

Gyokko 4 Ounce Kyusu:

http://www.yuuki-cha.com/Japanese+Teapo ... ame+Teapot

The second are teabags that are available at most Asian supermarkets. These are marketed by the Japanese company Yamamoto-yama. I used these quite a bit at work. Some co-workers who tried these oolong teabags would have me pick them up some when I went to the Asian market. They are surprisingly good for the money. There is a cheaper version with 16 teabags per box by the same company. I've never tried them. The ones I'm recommending are 20 teabags for about $5. These come in a box with a purple printed label on it. The link is for reference just to show what the box looks like.

http://www.japanesefoodshop.co.uk/yamam ... -233-p.asp

[Katy1977]

Thanks Britt,
I actually enjoyed the wuyi oolong from Adagio at first and then I didn't like it as much, it actually reminded me of Fruity Pebbles cereal which I never liked as a kid...I got two infusions out of it and then threw out the leaves, maybe I should have tried another infusion? I know that different infusions can give different flavors, scents, etc. So, I'm going to have to try more samples now...

Katy1977

[britt]

Thanks Britt,
I actually enjoyed the wuyi oolong from Adagio at first and then I didn't like it as much, it actually reminded me of Fruity Pebbles cereal which I never liked as a kid...I got two infusions out of it and then threw out the leaves, maybe I should have tried another infusion? I know that different infusions can give different flavors, scents, etc. So, I'm going to have to try more samples now...

Katy1977

Interesting how your enjoyment tapered off after a couple of infusions. I've also been initially impressed by some teas only to have that end after a couple of infusions. If you threw it out after two, I doubt you'd find any better flavor in a 3rd infusion.

Some teas go on forever and others seem to fall short on brewing durability even though they may taste great. Hou de's teas tend to last long but they're expensive per ounce compared to what other vendors offer. Considering the quality and durability, I personally think they're worth the price and are actually a good value. However, where you're still undecided on what you prefer they may be too expensive to experiment with.

I think continuing buying samples is a good idea. When you find the kind of tea your want, you can then try small orders from other vendors if you wish to "upgrade." Be warned, though, that tea can and tea ware can become very addictive (and expensive)!

[JustinW]

Be warned, though, that tea can and tea ware can become very addictive (and expensive)!

I remember when I first started out with this whole tea thing (with sencha), I was thinking 'I'll get a nice $15 tea for my everyday tea, and then a $25 tea for those special days.' Now I'm drinking $30-50 tea everyday!

When you really think about it though tea is actually a very good deal. With a $40 tea it might only cost $1.80 - $2.00 per pot. Makes me cringe whenever I buy a cappuccino at a coffee shop, especially since the tea is better.