Official what Oolong are You Drinking Right Now?

[drinking_teas]

The only negative thing I come away with from this article is the possibility that the 'old-timers' who mastered the process of roasting Taiwanese & TGY oolongs, may not be replaced by younger tea masters whose tastes have been formed by market trends. It would be a shame not to be able to find good roasted gaoshan and TGY.

It's already getting harder to find interesting teas. Proper Hong Shui is nearly impossible to find nowadays.

[BW85]

The only negative thing I come away with from this article is the possibility that the 'old-timers' who mastered the process of roasting Taiwanese & TGY oolongs, may not be replaced by younger tea masters whose tastes have been formed by market trends. It would be a shame not to be able to find good roasted gaoshan and TGY.

I do fear this. It is already hard to find traditional high fire spring/autumn blend TGY, for me at least. MTR is the best example I know of. And even non blended charcoal roasted minnan/Formosa oolongs are hit or miss now days in terms of quality. Again, at least in terms of what I have access to here in the states

I have read articles talking about younger generation tea producers learning the art in the hope of reviving this style, or at the very least keep it from going extinct.

[Tead Off]

The only negative thing I come away with from this article is the possibility that the 'old-timers' who mastered the process of roasting Taiwanese & TGY oolongs, may not be replaced by younger tea masters whose tastes have been formed by market trends. It would be a shame not to be able to find good roasted gaoshan and TGY.

I do fear this. It is already hard to find traditional high fire spring/autumn blend TGY, for me at least. MTR is the best example I know of. And even non blended charcoal roasted minnan/Formosa oolongs are hit or miss now days in terms of quality. Again, at least in terms of what I have access to here in the states

I have read articles talking about younger generation tea producers learning the art in the hope of reviving this style, or at the very least keep it from going extinct.

I found Yunnan Sourcing's Gande village roasted TGY very similar to what Origin tea sold in flavor profile. Origin's was 2011. YS is 2013.

[chrl42]

Drinking Dayuling...it's recently I just got to know Dayuling is the Wuyi cultivar..indeed it's characteristics similar with its leaves thinner than Alishan and TGY ones.


It might need as decades or a century for the mainland to systematize and organize the tea industry as much as Taiwan's.

[Poseidon]

This morning Im having some High Roasted Wuyi Oolong from Music City Tea. Jenny, the owner, gets most of her tea, if not all of it, from her family farm in wuyi. It really is a decent tea. Ive been getting over a chest cold the past few days and this tea has been very comforting.

[bagua7]

It might need as decades or a century for the mainland to systematize and organize the tea industry as much as Taiwan's.

You are funny.

And yes it is a pleasure drinking Taiwanese tea; Taiwanese what the Chinese were before the Communist ordeal. They are more traditional than the mainlanders...which is good news.

I heard 'organic' is new big thing in Taiwan. Is this true chrl42?

[kyarazen]

having an organic green oolong from a charity sale right now. a nice traditional "dongding".

seems that tea "mastery" in taiwan's several decades old.

[chrl42]

It might need as decades or a century for the mainland to systematize and organize the tea industry as much as Taiwan's.

You are funny.

And yes it is a pleasure drinking Taiwanese tea; Taiwanese what the Chinese were before the Communist ordeal. They are more traditional than the mainlanders...which is good news.

I heard 'organic' is new big thing in Taiwan. Is this true chrl42?

But they did learn tea making from the mainland, especially Fujian province, plus the cultivars.


I respect them for the effort trying to perpetuate the tradition and making it organized, and it looks like the government is eager to promote their tea industry as well. Taiwan is some country where the president visits Yixing exhibition and advertise Gaoshan.

But be it tradition or not still needs a debate I think..teas like Gaoshan only started to promote in the public since the 90s, and Dong Ding and Muzha TGY are pretty much clones to Fujian teas. I don't know where you drew a point when you talked about traditional.

If you ask me, the best Oolongs still come from Fujian ...I think the mainland is pretty much Yu Long Hun Za (good and bad co-exists), for a beginner like me can quite have a hard time finding a 'Long (dragon)'

[JRS22]

Such beautiful cool weather today that I could picture myself drinking oolong rather than green tea. I reached into a basket of samples and out came just enough Five Star Yancha for one small pot. It's a delicious aged Shu xian from Buddha county cliff (according to the label). I have an 80ml unglazed porcelain kyusu from Seong-il that's perfect for Yancha

[debunix]

A lovely setting for Yancha indeed.

[Poseidon]

Beautiful set up! I love the tea boat and kyusu.

[JRS22]

All these pieces are from Seong-il, purchased through Tead Off. They're beautiful and they work.

[debunix]

I thought I recognized his work in the cheerful energy of his work.

[chrl42]

Drinking high-fired Wuyi Star DHP...been comparing in a 50s low-fired SP and CR high-fired SP, both 3-cup size.

50s one serves clearly better, it's just an idea that wood-fired Yixings match better with Yancha.

[steanze]

Nice... hong ni? I wonder if the low fired hongni has that little extra porosity that fits yancha well...