Wu Yi Oolong from HouDe. High quality?

[TokyoB]

Recently I've had the DaHongPao from HouDe (a spring 2007 that I just opened), Red Blossom (their recent Heritage roast version), and Seven Cups (spring 2009). I prefered the HouDe and Seven Cups which are both described as medium-roasted. The Red Blossom seemed more roasted and had a smoky background flavor and less fruity/floral flavor. The Seven Cups is the better value since it is cheaper and I was able to purchase it when they had one of their 20% off sales. For a really good bargain Seven Cups has their 2007 Premium MeiZhan light roast on sale for 50% off - 50g for $8.63. I still have some of this tea and it is a favorite.
Let us know what you decide.

[brandon]

I wish you had compared the Hou De 2009 "medium" roast to the 2009 Heritage roast from RB. Hou De's has an extremely roasted profile that mellows slightly. You see him often post a tea from this year and offer it again in a few years when it has relaxed.

[Proinsias]

Should I try it or should I go to other vendor for this kind of tea? Jing perhaps...

You should try it.

You should also go to Jing.

[TokyoB]

I wish you had compared the Hou De 2009 "medium" roast to the 2009 Heritage roast from RB. Hou De's has an extremely roasted profile that mellows slightly. You see him often post a tea from this year and offer it again in a few years when it has relaxed.

Brandon,
I do have the 2009 spring HouDe RouGui and I don't find it to be very roasted. It is also described by Guang as medium roasted. I would say his yanchas by this producer are truly medium roasted at most. I find that highly roasted teas always retain at least some hint of their high fire even after letting them sit for a couple of years and these yancha have none of that, for better or worse. I think the RB yanchas will be better in a year or two. The roasting seems to have removed any of the floral high notes though.

[wyardley]

The Bei Dou #1 from the same producer that he had the last 2 years was a pretty strong roast.

[Serg]

I have just ordered Rou Gui from Hou De and a couple of samples from Jing I hope they will be good.
About level of roasting -- I read at one tea blog (it's in Russian and the author visited WuYi for a few times) that high level of roasting isn't considered to be good by chinese. He says it's even considered to be some kind of manufacturing fault. Don't know if it is true but to me it makes some sense. What is the reason to heavily roast a tea and to kill it's aroma? I suppose that medium fire level should be just right. By the way I tried some Bai Ji Guan from Dragon Tea House (light roasting) and didn't found it something special. It was just normal tea. It definitely looked like real Bai Ji Guan (special colour of the leaves) but flavour and aroma was quite simple, not complex and evolving. It probably was some lower grade of BJG.

[gingkoseto]

About level of roasting -- I read at one tea blog (it's in Russian and the author visited WuYi for a few times) that high level of roasting isn't considered to be good by chinese. He says it's even considered to be some kind of manufacturing fault. Don't know if it is true but to me it makes some sense. What is the reason to heavily roast a tea and to kill it's aroma?

Like many other descriptions about Chinese tea, I guess this may be a snapshot of a very true scenario, but by far not general truth.

My simplified understanding about heavy roast of Wuyi tea (and not necessarily other oolong) is, it elicits some favored features (ripe fruit aroma, throat feeling, ect.). If a tea doesn't have much of these features to elicit, then it's the best to use lighter roast and maintain its floral or refreshing kind of aroma. But there are many other various situations too. Some good tea may be most suitable to make with lighter roast instead of heavy roast (but I don't believe it's general situation). And some people prefer lighter roast to heavy roast (but in my observation, as for Wuyi tea, heavy roast is "mainstream").

[TokyoB]

Like many other descriptions about Chinese tea, I guess this may be a snapshot of a very true scenario, but by far not general truth.

My simplified understanding about heavy roast of Wuyi tea (and not necessarily other oolong) is, it elicits some favored features (ripe fruit aroma, throat feeling, ect.). If a tea doesn't have much of these features to elicit, then it's the best to use lighter roast and maintain its floral or refreshing kind of aroma. But there are many other various situations too. Some good tea may be most suitable to make with lighter roast instead of heavy roast (but I don't believe it's general situation). And some people prefer lighter roast to heavy roast (but in my observation, as for Wuyi tea, heavy roast is "mainstream").

+1

[arghblech]

I have found thinks to love from both vendors so you should try them both

[wyardley]

I think a lot of the fruity taste is from having a higher level of oxidation. In any event, a lot of vendors make both qingxiang and nongxiang versions of the same teas. I think some of the difference has a lot to do with market demand; currently, lighter teas are in vogue (and processing, transportation, and storage technologies are different from how they were back in the day). Also, as with other oolongs, more roasting introduces more places that the tea can be screwed up, so it makes sense that if people can sell the greener stuff, they are more likely to do that.

I tend to prefer the stronger roast teas, but I do think balance is important too... there's a very fine line between a wishy-washy roast and a perfectly medium roast. One difference might be (and just going off anecdotal evidence here) between one or two roasts at medium heat vs. multiple shorter roasts with rests in between. Another is whether charcoal is used (rather than electric heat). I have had some medium-fire teas that are really flat and uninteresting, but a couple of my favorite wuyi yancha are (visually) not that highly roasted.

I have heard that even the highest fire yancha leaves should still be able to open up completely after brewing if the roast is done properly, and if it's charcoal-fired tea.

[Tead Off]

I have heard that even the highest fire yancha leaves should still be able to open up completely after brewing if the roast is done properly, and if it's charcoal-fired tea.

I'm not sure if this is true, but, if it is, this would eliminate most yancha from being properly charcoal roasted. I find it rare that yancha leaves will open all the way. I'm not sure I understand what criteria would be required for the leaves to open.

[wyardley]

Just to be clear, I mean that they can open all the way, when you open them with your fingers, not that they will open all the way on their own, necessarily.

[debunix]

I think a lot of the fruity taste is from having a higher level of oxidation.

That's a great observation that makes a lot of sense. I have found wonderful fruity taste in my dark Wuyi and Ti Guan Yin, a bit less in the few Dan Congs I've tried so far, but the strongest by far has been in yunnan black teas.

Unfortunately the marvelous fruitiness of some assams I've tried has been accompanied by an unacceptable (to me) bitterness, and this explanation suggests one reason why I have trouble finding a tea that combines exceptional fruitiness with lack of bitterness, because oxidation increases both.

[wyardley]

I think a lot of the fruity taste is from having a higher level of oxidation.

That's a great observation that makes a lot of sense. I have found wonderful fruity taste in my dark Wuyi and Ti Guan Yin, a bit less in the few Dan Congs I've tried so far

I guess everyone has a different idea of what words like "fruity" or "floral" mean... and there are different types of tastes that all fall into those categories. To me, dancong tends to be one of the more fruity oolongs, and the oxidation is usually quite high; the roasting is generally not a high-fire style, and there is usually a lychee / peach / grape sort of taste to one degree or another. At the greener end of the spectrum (little to no roasting, slight oxidation) you tend to get more tropical fruit tastes (guava). With the more roasted teas, you tend to get a sweeter fruit taste (peach, etc.). Well those are the kinds of tastes I get, anyway.

[Tead Off]

I think a lot of the fruity taste is from having a higher level of oxidation.

That's a great observation that makes a lot of sense. I have found wonderful fruity taste in my dark Wuyi and Ti Guan Yin, a bit less in the few Dan Congs I've tried so far

I guess everyone has a different idea of what words like "fruity" or "floral" mean... and there are different types of tastes that all fall into those categories. To me, dancong tends to be one of the more fruity oolongs, and the oxidation is usually quite high; the roasting is generally not a high-fire style, and there is usually a lychee / peach / grape sort of taste to one degree or another. At the greener end of the spectrum (little to no roasting, slight oxidation) you tend to get more tropical fruit tastes (guava). With the more roasted teas, you tend to get a sweeter fruit taste (peach, etc.). Well those are the kinds of tastes I get, anyway.

One of the characteristics of Taiwan green gaoshan oolongs to me is their dried fruit flavors. Dried apples are often detected. In fact, to me, these oolongs have the deep fruit accents that no other teas I've tried have. Dancongs have it on a high note level, which have a different effect on my mouth.

As for wuyi, the only fruit I can detect in wuyi is a plumminess. Certainly, we are not all tasting the same things and I agree with you that our interpretations differ greatly.