Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Nuvola Tea
Tea Description:
Da Yu Ling Oolong Tea is the most exquisite among teas. Grown at an altitude of 2,500 meters in one of the highest tea plantations in Taiwan and the world, Da Yu Ling Oolong Tea is distinguished by its delicate scent and subtle taste well-balanced with an exceptionally rich, full body and a sweet flavour. It has a unique mellowness that tempers the spirits and harmonizes the mind.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
For several years now, I have always stated firmly that my favorite Oolong is Ali Shan … but, after having tried a few Da Yu Ling Oolong, I have to say that my favorite may have changed! Oh, I still love Ali Shan, of course, but, I am so infatuated with this Da Yu Ling Oolong Tea from Nuvola Tea right now, that I find it difficult to say that it is anything less than my favorite. This is an extraordinary tea!
Da Yu Ling does have some similarities to my beloved Ali Shan, but also some notable differences. I think what stands out most to me is how delicate it tastes … delicate, and yet … so rich. It amazes me how a tea can taste delicate and yet be so full-bodied. It is so smooth and delightfully floral. The floral tones tingle on the tip of my tongue. All at once, I taste notes of flower, fruit, honey, air and vegetation, and each element is presented in such a way as it seems to float over the palate in such a deliciously delightful way.
Subsequent infusions deliver a smoother flavor, where all the notes seem to come together in a very harmonious way and become less individual, and more of a collective flavor that is absolutely sumptuous … it is luxurious and beautiful to sip.
I managed eight very flavorful infusions, brewing it in my gaiwan, and combining the results of two infusions into one cup (which means four cups of tea!) This tea is definitely a worthwhile investment. I absolutely adore it!
Da Yu Ling Oolong from Tea from Taiwan
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Tea from Taiwan
Tea Description:
Da Yu Ling oolong tea (wu-long tea) is a premium-grade oolong tea from the Da Yu Ling area of Taiwan’s Taichung county. Its high altitude (more than 2400 meters) makes this one of the highest tea plantations in the world.
Learn more about this Oolong here.
Taster’s Review:
The website states that this tea was harvested winter 2012, and the package was vacuum sealed to preserve the freshness … and it is evident in the tasting! This tastes really fresh!
I chose to try this tea because I didn’t recognize it as one that I had tried before, but now as I’ve read the entire description on the website, I see that this is a tea that is grown on the Li Shan mountain. I guess that makes it similar (or possibly identical to?) a Li Shan Oolong … but, as I taste it, while I do note some similarities, I note also some striking differences to Li Shan Oolong tea (which I do love, by the way!)
What I notice in this first cup (the combination of my first two infusions, following a quick 15 second rinse) is a very crisp, almost “perfumed-air” quality to the flavor. But not perfumed as in a chemical taste, but more like the air that you might taste if you were in a meadow where orchids and lilies bloom. Imagine what that air that surrounds the meadow might taste like … that is what I taste here. It is quite floral – tasting primarily of orchid, with hints of lily.
It is refreshing and sweet and very enjoyable. There is a gentle creaminess to the cup, not overly buttery or like milk or cream, but something quite similar to that, lighter though, perhaps. There is an undertone of fruit, reminiscent of the apple pear … or what is also known as the Asian Pear. Crisp, sweet and juicy, but also delicate as the Asian Pear is delicate in flavor. Very pleasant.
In subsequent infusions, the flavors become less distinct, as they seem to meld together to offer a sweet, smooth, delightful flavor. It is at once: floral, slightly creamy, vegetative, and sweet. Lovely!