Official what Oolong are You Drinking Right Now?

[hopeofdawn]

Am currently drinking a milk oolong reserve (jin xuan?) from Perennial Tea House in Seattle. http://perennialtearoom.com/milkoolongreservelist.aspx It's an amazing tea, like no other oolong I've ever tasted--sweet and flowery without any hint of astringency.

Perennial claims it isn't artificially flavored--if they're right, then this is an extraordinary milk oolong compared to the few others I've tried. I'm almost out of what little I have--time for another tea-expedition!

[BioHorn]

Last 6 grams of Mandarins Tea Room
2008 Phoenix Shui Xian Dan Cong
in 50ml ShuiPin cheap pot
The container still holds the lingering essence. Maybe I'll put off filling it up with something else for a while!
Am I the only one that finds it difficult to express the subtle flavors of SX? Buttery but oils comes to mind.

[gasninja]

90's ?Tie louhan Yan cha from the chinese tea shop This tea is quite nice. It comes paper wrapped in five gram packets so I use allot less tea than I normally would for my 115 ml yixing. Even so This tea is still very strong . it has a nice transformative bitterness and the sticks around for a very long time.

[Mintaka]

Currently going through some tieguanyin, a Taiwanese jade oolong, some baozhong/pouchong, and some ginseng oolong.

[debunix]

White Oolong - 2011 Spring Taiwan Oolong Tea by Norbu Tea

1st 30 second steep, 205 degrees, leaf enough to coat bottom plus of empty gaiwan, filled up when unfurled (too lazy to weigh it, bad me)

Very delicate and floral, a bit underwhelming, really.

2nd, again 30" (short but this is now well-opened and this 30" is more than the prior 30", effectively) similar, delicate, spicy, and very like an Alishan….but not quite.

3rd, went longer—2 minutes—still delicate, floral, light, delicious, and not-quite-Alishan! I guess this is the ‘flavor of the tea varietal’ used. Mmmm.

Somewhere 5th or 6th infusion….yes, I see the difficulty in labeling this tea. The flavor is very like a white tea in delicacy, but there is an element of depth and richness and spice that is distinctly oolong in nature, and the staying power of the tea is all oolong. This is wonderful stuff.

Preparing a 2nd series of infusions after the first one started to lose power….delicious stuff, spicy sweet. I am a fan.
….

(Sometime later) Stopped taking detailed notes, but the flavor of this one kept it pleasant right out to sweet water stage. I must have liked it because I drank 3 sessions of it in a row. Drinking it again now, a couple of days later, with some Dan Cong and Tie Guan Yin in between, and it still sings to me. Mmmm.

I let the first infusion go longer and am loving it from the first sip now.

Even the leaves are lovely deep green, quite elegant as they unfurl.

[Herb_Master]

Sensational experience with Bai Ji Guan mother tree from William Ma in Penang.

100ml Hong Kong Tea Shop 1990's Zhuni Shui Pin [not the same HK TS everyone else raves about]

Half full with very long wiry leaves.

I had trouble with this one hole pot and followed with great interest the recent thread on strainers and even considered buying some silver to get made into one. But just before I ventured to join in on the thread, I tried the pot, which had lain idle for 4 months, with some large leaved TLH - not a problem, no leaves entered the spout and pour time for 6 or more infusions was 4 to 7 seconds.

Tonight with BJG and it's long twisty leaves, ite performed even better - 8 infusions none slower than a 5 second pour.

10s (no wash) 12s 14s 16s 20s 30s 1 minute 3 minutes

10s and 12s - very delicate, moreish, light and intriguing
16s and 20s - a little more body and some cool heat flavours that entranced me - possibly terpenes? the same mouthfeel sensations as Pine, Cardamon, Menthol etc but a totally different flavour and very delicate
1 minute and 3 minutes - some mineral and earthy / green bark notes

I used a flattish, irregularly edged flower shape teacup to drink from - not so easy to drink out of as standard shaped cups - Bottom Lip under the edge, Top lip over the edge dragging the liquid into the mouth (slurping action) , which probably aerates the liquor a little and enables aromas to reach out everywhere a bit easier.

Enjoyable session.

[Dangerismycuppatea]

Formosa oolong, the first oolong I ever had and I love it! 3 minutes @ 212 F

[tenuki]

Shui Jin Gui Wu Yi in my little kick ass yentcha pot. Mnnn, I love this tea - almost out.

[Herb_Master]

Shui Jin Gui Wu Yi in my little kick ass yentcha pot. Mnnn, I love this tea - almost out.

I think you need to buy some more

[tenuki]

Shui Jin Gui Wu Yi in my little kick ass yentcha pot. Mnnn, I love this tea - almost out.

I think you need to buy some more

Haha, I've got enough yentcha of varying sorts to last me a few more years at least if I stopped ordering today - besides, I get bored easy.

[debunix]

Today was my 2nd brewing of Dong Ding - 2010 Winter Taiwan Oolong Tea from Norbu.

I prepared this one with 3 grams of tea and about 60mL of 205°F/96°C tap water, in a small unglazed porcelain pot. First infusions (about 1 minute) are very strongly floral, sweet, and delicate; the second one brings out a bit more spiciness; the middle infusions nicely balance a rich caramel sweetness, fresh summer hay, and a peppery spiciness, but if they go just a bit too long, some astringency and even bitterness comes out. Later infusions again fade to sweet water—with this tea to water ratio, the 5th and 6th are already stretching to 2-3 minutes, and by 7 and 8 it’s at least 5 minutes.

It reminds me very strongly of another new tea from Norbu, a “White Oolong” also from Taiwan. I believe it is a different tea varietal, but they do quite remind me of each other. A comparative tasting of both is in order…..but in the meantime, this is a very lovely tea.

[debunix]

This morning, started with Song Zhong Dan Cong from Imen. I started with 4-5 infusions of this tea last night in my Chao Zhou pot, and restarted this morning with another 6-8 infusions so far. I'm still not pushing the length of the infusions very far yet--no more than a minute or two--but even these casual and carefree infusions are delicious, some a little richer/deeper, some lighter/more delicate. The mix of floral, spicy, and fruity is just wonderful in this tea.

[Poohblah]

Working on Norbu's Spring '11 Mi Lan Dan Cong. I wasn't too keen on it at first, especially since I can't help but compare it to Seven Cups' Gold Medal Mi Lan, which is my favorite DC I've had recently, but Norbu's Mi Lan has been growing on me. It gives out a little early though, maybe 6 or 7 infusions before it starts fading, but I'm not going to complain too much about a pleasant $8/50gr Dan Cong.

[Drax]

Enjoying a Tie Luo Han from IPT (chinese-tea-culture) this afternoon. This tea is really nice! I sometimes get bored by the roasty quality of 'rock' teas, but this one has a fullness and complexity that helps keep it moving along... very nice indeed.

It's been a great weekend... enjoyed a wonderful Ali Shan yesterday as well!

[Herb_Master]

5 year old Shui Xian, much nicer than it was last year...

It had been re-roasted prior to release, and last year was too soon!

This year I am getting much more from it. It was just lying around in a 3/4 full DTH canister on one of my shelves

1st and 2nd Infusions, vibrant and heavily dark (15 seconds and 12 seconds) but smooth and complex

3rd and 4th Infusions, tan colour, mellowing and slightly disappointing (15 seconds and 25 seconds) sweet, but light on flavour, and not taxing on the taste buds or the mind

5th and 6th Infusions, spectacular (45 seconds and 90 seconds) - Light Medium but with plenty of body, minerals and earth, mushrooms and herbs bouncing around in the mouth,