Official what Oolong are You Drinking Right Now?

[JRS22]

Not closed, moved a bit further east. Maybe more of a speakeasy then ever.

A speakeasy in the sense that it's not open to the general public?

[BW85]

Not closed, moved a bit further east. Maybe more of a speakeasy then ever.

A speakeasy in the sense that it's not open to the general public?

It's always been by appointment only, I assume still is

[jayinhk]

Spent all day drinking Taiwanese teas with ethan, especially tieguanyins. We got two very nice TGYs. Expensive, but outstanding--one high roast with very good huigan and a clear osmanthus aroma and a TGY black tea that was supposedly organic. I was skeptical, but it tasted like wild honey in later infusions! Tomorrow is pouchong day for us.

[Rui]

Spent all day drinking Taiwanese teas with ethan, especially tieguanyins. We got two very nice TGYs. Expensive, but outstanding--one high roast with very good huigan and a clear osmanthus aroma and a TGY black tea that was supposedly organic. I was skeptical, but it tasted like wild honey in later infusions! Tomorrow is pouchong day for us.

Definitely I must meet you guys when next I go to HK.

[jayinhk]

Always happy to meet fellow tea aficionados! Ethan spends most of his time in Thailand and the US, but I am based in HK as always

[Muadeeb]

I've been doing the same thing!

Just introduced another coffee drinker friend to MT's dark roast TGY and she's hooked. I love that stuff as a super accessible gateway tea.

[iGo]

Oolongs this past afternoon.

Fang's Gourmet 50% Tie Kwan Yin
the last of some Tea Urchin Premium Tie Luo Han
and finally
Origin Tea 2005 Wuyi NiuLanKeng Shi Ru Xiang

Yum

[Devoted135]

I've been doing the same thing!

Just introduced another coffee drinker friend to MT's dark roast TGY and she's hooked. I love that stuff as a super accessible gateway tea.

Drinking it again right now. Such an easy drinker!

[jayinhk]

Drinking some Lishan Bok handed me at Wistaria. I originally brewed it in an easy gaiwan and it was shockingly unimpressive. I bought a relatively cheap 'zhuni' shuiping in Taipei a couple of days ago and I'd cleaned it up and run boiling water through it several times. It's not real zhuni, although it's a pretty good modern Taiwanese approximation, and for $30 I wasn't expecting too much.

I poured some Lishan from the easy gaiwan into the pot and the tea was much more flavorful after, even in its fifth infusion! It went from disappointing to excellent! Detectable fruit, floral, vegetal and even a touch of milk.

Bok gets a great deal on this tea and I now know my new teapot does well with gaoshan, which is what I bought the pot for.

[Bok]

I poured some Lishan from the easy gaiwan into the pot and the tea was much more flavorful after, even in its fifth infusion! It went from disappointing to excellent! Detectable fruit, floral, vegetal and even a touch of milk.

Bok gets a great deal on this tea and I now know my new teapot does well with gaoshan, which is what I bought the pot for.

Glad you liked it and that it didn’t stay unimpressive!
Would have been ashamed of myself otherwise…

[jayinhk]

I was very impressed in the end I'm still surprised that there was such a change after pouring through the pot vs the easy gaiwan!

[jayinhk]

Drinking Dayuling from an older tea shop in Taipei. The owners are in their 60s and their daughter happened to be visiting from Japan. She spoke both Cantonese and English, so we had no trouble communicating, and I was happy with the price/value ratio of their teas.

The Dayuling is interesting stuff. I'm getting a strong floral aroma in the later brews that I've never experienced in tea before, and it comes and goes. This was the most expensive gaoshan they offered and while I was initially skeptical, I knew it was Dayuling after the first infusion at the store because of the distinctive aroma. It's three years old, so not as fresh and flavorful as newer tea, but it's still incredible tea. I might try lightly heating some up on my induction stove to see if it helps wake it up. I'm not getting the same results as I got at the store, but perhaps exposure to air (now that the bag is open) will help.

[ethan]

Yesterday, I bought some dayuling at store in Tainan recommended by Bok. I was asking for something floral & sweet. To me it only hinted at floral but to others there it was quite floral. It was so damn interesting. I had to buy a little not because I loved it, but because it was good enough & promises so much more. It was prepared in a bowl w/ little attention to timing & water hotter than I usually use. I look forward to finding my ideal parameters.

[jayinhk]

How's Tainan treating you, ethan? I can't believe you bought gaoshan!

[Bok]

How's Tainan treating you, ethan? I can't believe you bought gaoshan!

Yes! Also not easy to get around there without a word of Chinese, talented man!

Never saw them prepare with a bowl before either!
In any case glad that you found something interesting there.