Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Beautiful Taiwan Tea Company
Tea Description:
Delicious! This tea is probably unlike any you’ve tried before. We think it’s absolutely pleasant and sophisticated. Lighter bodied and very smooth, you might get hints of honey and cinnamon and there’s plenty of room to explore with multiple infusions. This tea is perfect for a cold winter day or equally at home in the heat of summer. This tea is also known as Oriental Beauty or Beggars Tea. We suggest you don’t add anything to this tea as it will take from it what is already there!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I absolutely adore a good Oriental Beauty Oolong, and this Asian Beauty Oolong from Beautiful Taiwan Tea Company is very good, indeed!
If you’re familiar with my Oolong reviews, you’re probably familiar with how I approach brewing most Oolong teas, but for those who aren’t: I steeped this in my gaiwan. I measured out a bamboo scoop of tea into my gaiwan, and heated freshly filtered water to 180°F. I carefully poured into the gaiwan enough water to cover the leaves and I let them steep for about 15 seconds. Then I strained off the liquid and discarded it. I call this the “rinse” and I think that this simple little process greatly improves the flavor of Oolong teas and some other teas (such as Lapsang Souchong and Pu-erh).
Then I pour more water into the gaiwan, and allow this to steep for 45 seconds and strain the liquid into my serving cup. The cup I use holds two infusions perfectly, so I steep the leaves again, this time for 1 minute, and strain the tea into my cup. I continue this process until I feel like I’ve either had my fill of the tea for that day or until the leaves are spent, adding 15 seconds onto each subsequent infusion.
My first cup (infusions 1 and 2) is light and refreshing. It has a smooth note of honey and hints of peach. I taste a slightly woody note and notes of earth and spice. There is some astringency toward the tail. It’s a very pleasant and relaxing cup.
The second cup (infusions 3 and 4) offers a stronger flavor than the first cup. The notes of wood and earth are beginning to emerge a little more. The honey is present throughout the sip and I’m noticing the sweetness in the aftertaste. The same is true of the peach. The warm spice is still a hint of a flavor at the start of the sip, but toward the finish I taste a little more and it does linger a little into the aftertaste as well. As the tea cools slightly, I pick up on more honey notes. Nice!
With the third cup, the flavors seemed to mellow into a very seamless, united taste. The lines between the layers of flavor have been blurred to create a unified flavor that is sweet, fruity, a little bit earthy and a little bit warm. I think this third cup is my favorite, because the flavors have all become a little less less focused, so I’m able to enjoy the soft texture of the cup and the sweetness seems to be emphasized more now.
I really enjoyed this tea. It was beautifully flavored. This is the tea I’d recommend to those that find Oolong to be a little too “flowery” for their taste. This is more fruity and honeyed than it is floral. It’s best served hot, but allow the cup to cool slightly so that those honey notes pop. It’s alright when it’s cold/iced … but the flavors are much more distinct when the tea is warm.
