Your top 3 "desert island" oolongs. Go!

[tingjunkie]

Perhaps I need to learn how to search better, but I didn't see this topic done in the past, so...

Oolong fiends, list the three oolongs you would bring with you if you were marooned on a desert island. Not general types of oolongs, but specific oolongs. Also, a sentence or two (or eight) for each one explaining why, and let us know where to get them!

Chip, Herb Master, Tead Off, Tim, Victoria, Salsero, Oni, xuancheng, Proinsias, and other "regulars." I'm counting on you to get this ball rolling. Until I get more experience with the good stuff, I humbly step down and will wait to offer an opinion.

[Victoria]

Are talkin' current stash?

A must is Ali Shan - this year's best is from Camellia Sinensis.
I am sooo bad at describing!

Also a must is Baozhong - the best this year (as well as last year) is Tea Masters. Bright and sparkling, a beautiful color and sweet taste.

Hummm third??

This year I am leaning towards Floating Leaves Tea; either DaYuLing or LiShan. Both lovely sweet and floral.

If we are speaking any tea - then I guess it would be my favorite TGY. The best I have had is from Jing Tea Shop. Very rich and full bodied.

[Herb_Master]

3. A Light Oolong

For me a novice still on Taiwan, it has to be Anxi Tie Guan Yin

A toss up between last year's Rich Barbarian Summer Supreme Plus, which quirkily I found better than any of RBs Autumn Teas including his Supreme Plus and Wang
None left for sale, and strangely no 2009 teas have yet appeared, the best value of the 2009 may be the Autumn Supreme Plus but it lacks the glycerol that the Summer tea had.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Supreme-Anxi-Tie-Gu ... .m14.l1262

without the Glycerol, but superlayers of green and mineral flavours, and still available is Wan Ling's Hong Xin Te Chun Guan Yin Wang
http://www.wanlingteahouse.co.uk/uk_tea ... -yin.shtml
the Jiu Jiu Jiu is excellent value also.

2. A Dark Oolong
My favourite is the (Play Ball) Da Hong Pao I purchased in Malaysia,
but the Bai Ji Guan from Dragon Tea House is excellent
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bai-Ji-Guan-White ... .m14.l1262

1. A Magic Oolong
My brews with Dan Cong are always different, and so is each infusion in the same brewing session. I get consistently better results with Imens DCs than some others, but a DTH Yulan DC that I wrote off as too floral for me 6 months ago, is now delighting me with more robust and less floral experiences.

The Desert Island however deserves Imen's
2008 Wu Dong Huang Zhi Xiang
the middle infusions (between 3 or 4 7 to 9) have transported me on at least 3 occasions. Much more so than the other 3 Huang Zhi that I have had from Imen.
http://www.teahabitat.com/store/index.p ... ucts_id=39

[Maitre_Tea]

I have a terrible TEAmemory, which is why I take copious notes. Judging from what I've written, it's hard for me to pin down what three I would choose. I love Wuyi, but I think I need variety too...anyway, my list:

1. Spring 2008 Shan Shui TGY: I think this is an interesting choice, because my first thought was "hey, TGY isn't usually this heavily roasted." Most TGY I've come across is pretty green with almost no roasting. Another interesting thing about this TGY: it's actually Taiwanese. I can really notice the subtle differences between the Taiwanese and Chinese interpretations of TGY, which Guang of Hou De wrote about in his blog (I think). I find that Taiwanese TGY has better flavor, while Chinese TGY focuses more on the tea's aroma.

2. 2007 Spring Zhen-Yen handcrafted "Rou Gui" from Hou De:
I love Wuyi teas, and I especially love Rou Gui, which means cinnamon in English. I love the stuff that Hou De carries, and his descriptions are very personal and helpful, IMO. It's a very fruity yet smooth/mellow tea.There's a little bit of creaminess which I love in a tea, and a nice almond flavor to the cinnamon-like spiciness. It's nicely roasted, so there's a subtle caramelized flavor, which might seem a little sweet. There's only the slightest of astringency, which dances on the tongue and complements the whole experience. The tea is also quite lasting, going on strong for about 5-6 steepings for me.

3. TeaCuppa Bai Ji Guan: There are better Bai Ji Guan out there, but this particular sidamingcha(the four famous varieties of Wuyi teas: Da Hong Pao, Shui Jin Gui, Tie Luo Han, and Bai Ji Guan) is one of the rarer ones. The TeaCuppa version is very nice, and the price is pretty reasonable too. I like it because it's a nice contrast to other Wuyi teas, which are pretty roasted in nature. Bai Ji Guan has yellowish leaves, and it's a mellower tea than the other varietals. It has a faint honey-like flavor, with a lingering mellow fruitiness, with a aroma reminiscent of toasted rice. There's a very nice finish to this tea.

All the teas, with probably the exception of Bai Ji Guan, are pretty roasted in nature. I figure that since I'm stuck on a desert island for a while, I might as well choose teas that can age

BTW, if I had to choose a vendor for trying different Oolong, I highly recommend TeaCuppa, because of the sample prices they offer, which are very reasonable. They have a wide selection, and if you're buying sample sizes trying of their most expensive teas are within your grasp. If you like Taiwanese Oolong, Shan Shui is a pretty reliable source. The guy who runs it, Brian Wright, is very helpful. If you feel like splurging though, Hou De is always an excellent choice, and you get what you pay for with quality

[Tead Off]

Tough question in many ways.

2 TAIWAN OOLONGS

Special Grade Cedar Lake-Oolong-tea.org
This tea turned my head around and pointed it straight at Taiwan for oolong just like a hunting dog. Incredibly complex with multiple flavors filling the mouth and throat with an enormous finish. Organic.

Da Yu Ling or Wu Ling from Teafromtaiwan.com
Beautifully refined, subtle, fruit and florals that never overpower with sweetness. These teas draw you into them. There is almost a brothy cereal-like foundation to the Wu Ling that gives it a body with which the high dried fruit notes play off of. Organic.

1 WUYI- DA HONG PAO. The king of the rock. There is a shop here in Bangkok that sells 100g for almost $60. Wow. Clean, non-astringent flavor with an aroma that is way over the top packed with a finish that embeds itself in your brain cells. My only beef is that it is non organic, or, at least I think so. And, I can't get any real info out of the seller. It is their family's tea but it is commercially sold.

I would venture to say that there should be many good sources for high grade DHP. I haven't tried Jing Tea Shop's high end DHP. I include DHP in my list because it represents a type of Oolong that is classic, powerful, and, never lets you down.

As a side note, I've become very fond of Gyokuro, but, it ain't an oolong, right? I would miss it on my desert island.

[chrl42]

Lao Cong Shui Xian, Bai Ji Guan and Da Hong Pao

[tea fish]

What a great question. Had you asked it six months ago, I'd have listed greener, Taiwan oolongs. But now I'm on a wuyi kick. And that means that I'd take...

1) Ro Gui. Wow this stuff is potent--so aromatic. Notes of chocolate and baked goods (and cinnamon, I am told...tho I have yet to drink it and think: ah cinnamon!).

2) Lao Cong Shui Xian. The dry leaf has a floral aroma. Really nice. In fine wuyi style, the liquor has some chocolate notes, along with some vanilla and something fruity.

3) Zhi Lan Xiang Wudong. I don't think this is a wuyi, although the dry leaf looks wuyish. The dry leaf has a lovely floral aroma (like orchids? I don't know what orchids smell like...the ones I smell never smell like much of anything). The liquor is a brilliant yellow and has a plummy and buttery taste. So good. A surprising tea--it looks like a wuyi but tastes more like a greener high mountain oolong (tho it is in fact quite a bit heavier than a greener oolong).

Since I am limited to 3, those are my picks...for now.

[tingjunkie]

Thanks chrl42 and tea fish. Any chance you could tell us where you get your favorites from?

[Salsero]

Variety is my mantra
A light green from Taiwan, a richly roasted Wuyi, and an aromatic Dan Cong from Guangdong.

Ali Shan from high up the mountain is very consistent, but many other Taiwans can be just as good if you get a good one and the low elevation Taiwans are good in a different way. Certainly Bao Zhong or Dong Ding could substitute here or some of the really good Fujian teas from Anxi, but Ali Shan seems more dependable than the others.

Da Hong Pao or Shui Xian from Wuyi would be nice, but there are quite a few other choices that might be good and the range of quality among teas bearing these names is enormous.

An aromatic Dan Cong that will go for an easy 15 to 20 infusions is always nice.

Vendors: generally Floating Leaves (Taiwan), Jing Tea Shop (especially for light mainland oo's) and TeaCuppa (esp for Wuyi oo's). Though TeaCuppa's service leaves a lot to be desired and I have found their weights often coming up short, some of the best Wuyi oolongs I have had came from them.

[Maitre_Tea]

Variety is my mantra
A light green from Taiwan, a richly roasted Wuyi, and an aromatic Dan Cong from Guangdong.

Ali Shan from high up the mountain is very consistent, but many other Taiwans can be just as good if you get a good one and the low elevation Taiwans are good in a different way. Certainly Bao Zhong or Dong Ding could substitute here or some of the really good Fujian teas from Anxi, but Ali Shan seems more dependable than the others.

Da Hong Pao or Shui Xian from Wuyi would be nice, but there are quite a few other choices that might be good and the range of quality among teas bearing these names is enormous.

An aromatic Dan Cong that will go for an easy 15 to 20 infusions is always nice.

Vendors: generally Floating Leaves (Taiwan), Jing Tea Shop (especially for light mainland oo's) and TeaCuppa (esp for Wuyi oo's). Though TeaCuppa's service leaves a lot to be desired and I have found their weights often coming up short, some of the best Wuyi oolongs I have had came from them.

You left out Anxi TGY!!! Not that I care though, because High Mountain is better than Anxi TGY *pause for effect* just kidding (that was the Taiwanese nationalist in me talking)! Please don't take my comments seriously, they're like apples and oranges really. Though I think I read on Hou De that Taiwanese TGY seems to have better flavor, while Anxi TGY has better aroma.

[Salsero]

I meant to include TGY in "Fujian teas from Anxi."

[Maitre_Tea]

I meant to include TGY in "Fujian teas from Anxi."

I totally did not see that...so sorry

[Salsero]

I meant to include TGY in "Fujian teas from Anxi."

I totally did not see that...so sorry

Well, it was hardly top billing!

[Herb_Master]

3) Zhi Lan Xiang Wudong. I don't think this is a wuyi, although the dry leaf looks wuyish. The dry leaf has a lovely floral aroma (like orchids? I don't know what orchids smell like...the ones I smell never smell like much of anything). The liquor is a brilliant yellow and has a plummy and buttery taste. So good. A surprising tea--it looks like a wuyi but tastes more like a greener high mountain oolong (tho it is in fact quite a bit heavier than a greener oolong).

Wudong is a mountain, in the Fenghuang Mountain Range, where many of the best DanCongs come from.

Zhi Lan Xiang says that the single tea bush that the tea leaves were picked from have a characteristic that produces tea with an "Orchid Fragrance"

[chrl42]

Thanks chrl42 and tea fish. Any chance you could tell us where you get your favorites from?

Beijing

My favorite Lao Cong Shui Xian so far is from Hui Yuan Cha Chang, there is one vendor I know offers hand-made Yancha by high-level agricutural art master, Chen Ying Lin. They also offer fine Bai Ji Guan but when the prices are not met,

I'd dig any Bai Ji Guan as long as variety is pure, brewed leaf tends to be yellow and must have a sweet lingering which I think is a trademark of Bai Ji Guan.

And Da Hong Pao..as long as it tastes fine.