My first large order, TeaMasters: I should have ordered more

[fire_snake]

The goods:

2010 Winter "wild" Concubine Oolong from Feng Huang --- 150 gr
2010 Winter Luanze Oolong "Honey" roast from Zhu Shan --- 150 gr
2011 Spring Si Ji Chun Oolong from Zhu Shan --- 150 gr
2011 Spring Bi Luo Chun --- 100 gr

Well, it's large *for me.* But I'm sure some of you have ordered much more at a time.

I'm not an old dog yet when it comes to Oolong (or even greens), but I know what I don't like. And I've had average, even lousy Oolong in the past.

So far, there's nothing here that I don't like. In fact, what I've tried so far (Winter "wild" Concubine, Spring Si Ji Chun, and Spring Bi Luo Chun) have been very, very good. The wild concubine especially. Chocolatey aroma and flavour in the pot, sharp roasty, berry-like tones in the gaiwan. Wow. This is bliss. This wild concuubine just won't quit. It's been 5 infusions and there's this interesting citrusy flavour just beginning reveal itself. Oddly charming.

I'm off for a couple of weeks and I've got some time to really dig into all this stuff. I've had "honey" Oolong before, so I'll see how Stephane's stacks up. I'll likely be impressed. Stephane has some great tea and he's always included samples with the teaware that I've ordered from him in the past.

So lucky me, tea's in before the scheduled Postal Workers strike tomorrow. I should have ordered more, though. This stuff is just too good.

Cheers, guys.

Christian

[NOESIS]

Stephane definitely knows his stuff. I've never received substandard tea from him. The high mountain oolongs are always very good to excellent. And the "subtropical forest" baozhong is a great everyday drinker. He also usually has an outstanding Taiwanese red tea in stock.

[bagua7]

Yes, sure he stocks quality teas. I will order from him as well once I finish my last batch I got from another vendor.

[stainless]

waiting my order actually, some semi-wild baozhong and a Jin Xuan from Zhu Shan

[Ambrose]

Very nice I loaded up on some of each from Shiuwens new offerings

[fire_snake]

So what's this wild baozhong like? I see that Stephane had a little segment on it in his blog.

I'm just working my way through the samples he threw in. I'm doing a taste-testing and this Gao Shan Hung Shui (Ali Shan) is particularly good, among the two other samples which are both greener than the Hung Shui. Very mellow with sweet undertones. This one will be part of my next order.

Christian

[fire_snake]

Working through some of this tea, doing side-by-side taste testing, and two emerge from the bunch as particularly good:

2010 Winter "wild" Concubine Oolong from Feng Huang
http://teamasters.blogspot.com/2011/01/ ... -from.html
2010 Winter Luanze Oolong "Honey" roast from Zhu Shan
http://teamasters.blogspot.com/2011/01/ ... roast.html

The Gao Shan Hung Shui (Ali Shan) is also very good, but I didn't have enough of it to really see how it performs. It was just a sample. I'll definitely be ordering more of this, though. It can be seen here:
http://teamasters.blogspot.com/2009/05/ ... olong.html
I really want to give this one a thorough taste-and-compare with the Wild Concubine.

My sittings with the Wild Concubine, brewed in a small porcelain gaiwan (the "mini-gaiwan" as part of Stephane's Qingbai set, I've got two of them), I'm impressed. The wet leaves smell of espresso and chocolate - mellow, roasty, sweet. First and second infusions . . . hints of chocolate and strawberry. Coffee beans. Third infusion, it all comes on stronger, especially the espresso-like tones. Hints of dark chocolate now. The sweetness has mellowed out. The pitcher smells like caramel and coffee. This scent is more pronounced in the aroma cup. I really packed this poor little gaiwan and can barely cover it! Next couple of infusions . . . sweet coffee tones. A hint of raspberry.

Now for the Honey roast. This was lovely. First two infusions - light and floral with roasty undertones. I can just make out the "honey" part. It's a special kind of sweetness that only barely reveals itself at this point, quite different from the floral notes. Next couple of infusions, hints of freshly baked bread and cinnamon. This is probably the honey part. There are lilac tones in there, too. Fifth infusion . . . the bread and cinnamon aspects are a little stronger. Powerful fragrance of lilac and caramel in the pitcher. I do sense honey-like fragrance, though it's different from the honey we're used to, I think.

Anyway, I'm still pushing through these two teas at the moment. They won't quit for a while. Enough typing.

Christian