I'm back in love with oolongs- this time specifically aged ones. I've only had about a handful of aged oolongs in the past, one of them with that nasty sourness due to improper storage, and the others ranging from good to okay. Earlier I tried Houde's early 90's baozhong and I really enjoyed it even though it only lasted about five infusions before weakening. I have baozhong on it's way to me from teamaster's from the mid 70's, and now I'm wondering what I should try next.
So basically the point of this thread is to get a dialog started on everyone's experiences with aged oolongs. Also, what's still available to us online that is recommended, some tasting notes, and where to find some of the good stuff.
Also, anyone have experience with Camellia Sinensis Tea House? They have some really, really old oolongs but it seems super suspicious. They even list a bai hao that's supposedly from 1958! You'd think this kind of pre-cultural revolution tea would go for a lot more than what they're asking.
I have only been drinking one aged oolong, the 90's Select Aged Nantou Oolong from HouDe. I liked it, it was very special. It was sour-sweet with roasted elements and taste of licorice. According to HouDe it had been roasted for several months when young and then never roasted again. I have heard that the Aged "Mu Zha" Si Ji Oolong from HouDe is also very good. I look forward to everyone else's posts on this topic!
The noise comes from the other side of the mirror
I basically wanted to clean out Houde's entire section of aged oolongs. They all look so good. I'm a huge fan of Nantou oolong, so I'm definitely going to check it out.Beidao wrote:I have only been drinking one aged oolong, the 90's Select Aged Nantou Oolong from HouDe. I liked it, it was very special. It was sour-sweet with roasted elements and taste of licorice. According to HouDe it had been roasted for several months when young and then never roasted again. I have heard that the Aged "Mu Zha" Si Ji Oolong from HouDe is also very good. I look forward to everyone else's posts on this topic!
Re: Aged oolongs
I have had a handful of their aged oolongs. Most of them have been roasted over the years, and imo some of them are now too roasted (the Tung Ting 1995, and the Ali Shan 1991 for example). I'm not really sure what other people look for in aged oolongs. I've heard that they can sometimes taste a little bit like an aged puerh or slightly musty, but I have never experienced that.thanks wrote: Also, anyone have experience with Camellia Sinensis Tea House? They have some really, really old oolongs but it seems super suspicious. They even list a bai hao that's supposedly from 1958! You'd think this kind of pre-cultural revolution tea would go for a lot more than what they're asking.
I would recommend the Hualien 1987 (I wrote about it here).
Unfortunately they are sold out of a bunch of them now. The 1985 baozhong was reeeeally good. I didn't try the other baozonhgs, but apparently they don't compare.
Tea skeptic that's a very nice blog you have there! I'm glad it hasn't been going on too long without my knowledge of it.
Basically I was wondering if CSTH was legit or not, but with a second vote of confidence (I think I remember ABX mentioning the place before) I'll probably order a few samples soon. I have a high tolerance for roasts.
Basically I was wondering if CSTH was legit or not, but with a second vote of confidence (I think I remember ABX mentioning the place before) I'll probably order a few samples soon. I have a high tolerance for roasts.
Apr 9th, '09, 13:34
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bi lew chun
Apr 10th, '09, 01:02
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2004 isn't really "aged" despite what vendors try to tell us. 
I do agree that the 1983 TGY was pretty fantastic, though. It is a very good example of a tea with the classic aged oolong taste, something I think tastes a lot like blueberries.
Aged oolongs are fairly hit-or-miss. Red Blossom sells one I like (or used to, anyway), and I've been at least moderately happy with most of the aged oolongs I've tried from Hou De. Sometimes a re-roasting is helpful, but sometimes it completely ruins the tea, so it really is a crapshoot.
As a side note, I'm pretty sure that 90's Select Aged Nantou Oolong from Hou De has been re-roasted a bit. I bought it relatively soon after it was listed, and wasn't that thrilled. A while later, I read a bunch of rave reviews that described a very different tea than what I tried. Hmm... That said, it is an example of a beneficial re-roast (unless it really was a different tea).
Also, ABx has recommended CSTH to me in the past. I have learned to trust his recommendations, so I'd give it a shot if I were you.
I do agree that the 1983 TGY was pretty fantastic, though. It is a very good example of a tea with the classic aged oolong taste, something I think tastes a lot like blueberries.Aged oolongs are fairly hit-or-miss. Red Blossom sells one I like (or used to, anyway), and I've been at least moderately happy with most of the aged oolongs I've tried from Hou De. Sometimes a re-roasting is helpful, but sometimes it completely ruins the tea, so it really is a crapshoot.
As a side note, I'm pretty sure that 90's Select Aged Nantou Oolong from Hou De has been re-roasted a bit. I bought it relatively soon after it was listed, and wasn't that thrilled. A while later, I read a bunch of rave reviews that described a very different tea than what I tried. Hmm...
That said, it is an example of a beneficial re-roast (unless it really was a different tea).Also, ABx has recommended CSTH to me in the past. I have learned to trust his recommendations, so I'd give it a shot if I were you.
I too like aged oolongs but find them to be pretty hit-or-miss. I like most of the HouDe aged oolongs I've tried. Camellia Sinensis does seem to have a pretty big selection of aged oolongs but alot have recently sold out it seems - maybe they'll get some new aged oolongs on their upcoming/current trip to Taiwan. I also found their 1995 Tung Ting to be too roasted - I like dark roasted oolong but this was very, very roasted - I didn't find much tea taste to it, just roast. I did like their 1987 TGY but it is now sold out. By the way, there is a recent review of HouDe's Early 90s Pin Lin Baozhong that just appeared on this blog:
http://teajournaling.blogspot.com/2009/ ... zhong.html
I haven't tried this myself.
http://teajournaling.blogspot.com/2009/ ... zhong.html
I haven't tried this myself.
TokyoB
Apr 11th, '09, 03:19
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I agree on the 90s Nantou from Hou De being special, that didn't last long around here. I'm not in love with the Aged "Mu Zh" Si Ji Oolong. I got it as more of a novelty as that is not to long after Si Ji Chun was discovered in the Mu Zh region so you are tasting some of the earliest Si Ji Chun you or I are likely to have access to.Beidao wrote:I have only been drinking one aged oolong, the 90's Select Aged Nantou Oolong from HouDe. I liked it, it was very special. It was sour-sweet with roasted elements and taste of licorice. According to HouDe it had been roasted for several months when young and then never roasted again. I have heard that the Aged "Mu Zha" Si Ji Oolong from HouDe is also very good. I look forward to everyone else's posts on this topic!
Not a big fan of the aged oolongs I've had from Red Blossom unfortunately (only had 3, purchased one and 2 samples of others). They all seem to be 'nice' but not special.
My favorite aged oolongs right now are all unavailable to purchase.
I have been irrevocably spoiled by a mysterious 'old' baozhong that Michael of TeaGeek has brought by a couple of FLT tastings. I just finished a 20yr old sample MarshalN send me a long time ago along with a purchase, it wasn't all that long lasting but it was hauntingly beautiful, so long lasting in memory anyway. etc. etc.You might check with FLT and see if she has any of the 12yr old dong ding and tky her new buyer brought back this winter. They aren't on the website, you'll have to call. I was a bit underwelmed for the price but to be fair I had just had a couple of really stellar teas that were cheaper (her quickly sold out traditional dong ding for example) and was feeling picky. I plan on sampling them again next time I'm in if she's not sold out. They are definitely good if I remember, but pricey. ABx got some samples of them recently I think, maybe he'll pipe up on them he's probably a more reliable judge as he's probably not drinking 10 other teas that sitting.
I'm certainly curious about tea gallery.
I generally agree about the Tea Gallery teas but I did have their 1980s Iron Warrior Monk and didn't find it to be too interesting, especially for the price. I found the same for another aged Wuyi from another source. I don't know if Wuyi teas are as well suited to aging or if I just haven't found the right one yet. I usually like aged Taiwanese oolongs so I'm going to stick to those for now (although I did order a couple of samples of aged Anxi oolongs - always exploring...).
TokyoB
Apr 12th, '09, 14:01
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TokyoB, what is your brewing perimeter for the TG 80s Iron Monk? I am tasting a 80's Teamaster DongDing at the moment, and the method of brewing a Taiwanese aged and a Wuyi aged are totally opposite.TokyoB wrote:I generally agree about the Tea Gallery teas but I did have their 1980s Iron Warrior Monk and didn't find it to be too interesting, especially for the price. I found the same for another aged Wuyi from another source. I don't know if Wuyi teas are as well suited to aging or if I just haven't found the right one yet. I usually like aged Taiwanese oolongs so I'm going to stick to those for now (although I did order a couple of samples of aged Anxi oolongs - always exploring...).
Do you brew aged Wuyi like you would new Wuyi? Well, I usually brew yancha with lots of leaf and short infusion times.TIM wrote:TokyoB, what is your brewing perimeter for the TG 80s Iron Monk? I am tasting a 80's Teamaster DongDing at the moment, and the method of brewing a Taiwanese aged and a Wuyi aged are totally opposite.TokyoB wrote:I generally agree about the Tea Gallery teas but I did have their 1980s Iron Warrior Monk and didn't find it to be too interesting, especially for the price. I found the same for another aged Wuyi from another source. I don't know if Wuyi teas are as well suited to aging or if I just haven't found the right one yet. I usually like aged Taiwanese oolongs so I'm going to stick to those for now (although I did order a couple of samples of aged Anxi oolongs - always exploring...).