Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Imperial Tea Garden
Company Description:
The best Chinese oolong teas come from the Wuyi Mountains in the Fujian Province. This area is regarded as the “birthplace” of oolong tea. The oolong process begins similar to black tea, but the leaves are given a much shorter
withering period. The leaves are given a light roll, and allowed to oxidize only until the edges start to brown. The tea is then fired which arrests the oxidization process and captures the interesting character associated with oolong tea. Se Chung Oolong tea has a shorter fermentation time and therefore is categorized as a “green style” oolong tea. Se Chung has a green and herbaceous flavor with
fruity characteristics.
Taster’s Review:
Oolong teas are a favorite of mine. I think what I love so much about them is that there are so many different types of Oolong tea – and I’m not just talking about flavorings. I’m talking about the way the Oolong tea is processed. A light oxidation period will result in a very green Oolong, while a longer oxidation period will result in a dark Oolong. A green Oolong tastes so much different from a dark Oolong and I find the differences to be intriguing.
The complexity of an Oolong as well as the mouthfeel that an Oolong imparts are also part of what makes Oolong teas so special for me. This Se Chung Oolong from Imperial Tea Garden is so wonderfully complex!
The sip begins with a roasty toasty taste that has a hint of smokiness to it as well. The roasted flavor is somewhat nutty and sweet – with an almost honey-like undertone to it. As the sip begins to develop on the palate, I can taste a slight vegetative quality that tastes a bit like roasted vegetables. It is not at all grassy, but rather, a more developed kind of vegetal note with a lingering sweetness.
At the tail-end of the sip, I can taste a very distant floral note that mingles with a fruit-like quality. “Peach-like” is a flavor that is often used to describe the fruit flavor of an Oolong, and that suits this Oolong as well, although I would describe that peach flavor to be more like a cooked/caramelized peach.
There is very little astringency to this cup. The mouthfeel is light and silky, and because of the small amount of astringency, the mouthfeel manages to linger well after the sweet, nutty aftertaste.
A wonderful tea from Imperial Tea Garden!
Hunan Golden Tips from Imperial Tea Garden
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Imperial Tea Garden
Company Description:
Forget the ceremonious monkey business, and prepare yourself for the luxurious offerings of this rare golden black tea from the Hunan Province of China. Grown at an altitude of 4000 to 6000 feet above sea level in what the Chinese refer to as the “tea country in the South,” Monkey Picked Golden Hunan is one of the finest examples of hand crafted golden tips in the world. A distinctive mellow flavor that has the power captivate your attention.
Taster’s Review:
The aroma of the dry leaf is interesting. It smells like the forest! It has a deep, woodsy/musky/earthy scent to it with hints of a “leafy” quality- it smells like the air of a forest just after a rain. There are also vague notes of smokiness to it. It’s a very intriguing bouquet.
Once brewed, the tea smells more smoky and less woodsy, but there is still a deep earthy note to it. This aroma translates into the flavor: smoky – but not too much – and earthy with a deep oaken kind of taste to it. There are also hints of spice. Yes, there is a very pleasant complexity to this tea.
I am not getting any bitterness from this tea, but there is a light astringency to it. It has a very smooth character, it’s quite lovely.
I recommend consuming this tea hot, as it does lose some of it’s complex nature with the chill. It is still good cold, but not as good. It has a light sweetness to it, but I found that it was more palatable with just a tiny drizzle of honey. I don’t recommend milk with this one though – it seemed to overwhelm it.
A very pleasant tea – it is bold and brisk enough to enjoy first thing in the morning, and it has a very invigorating character about it – it would be great for a mid-afternoon tea – it would perk you right up! Cheers!
Snow Dragon from Imperial Tea Garden
Tea Type: White Tea
Where To Buy: Imperial Tea Garden
Product Description:
Tasters Review: Snow Dragon white tea is a fine example of what an exquisitely
hand crafted what tea should be. Each dragon is twisted by
hand from select downy covered leaf buds. Hints of jammy
pugnency are released as the tiny snow dragons roar back to life.
Repeated steeping can be yielded from this premium white tea.
Careful inspection of the infused tea leaves reveals why this is
such a highly respected white tea by connoisseurs.
Tasters Review:
This tea looks sooooo neat from the time I took it out of the package until the very end of the cup!! The leaves are tightly spiraled and slightly fuzzy! Post infusion the leaves are much different in every way – color, texture, size, you name it! The Spirals unwind and the slightly fuzzy feel of the leaves turn more rubbery – at least that’s the way they look!
Sure this tea is neat to look at and even has a cool name BUT it tastes great, too!
It’s a very powerful white tea – taste-wise…maybe somewhere between a green and a white.
In the middle of the sip I can relate to the jam-like mention in the description!
This is a FUN tea! Ideal for a chat between friends or at the end of the day while unwinding…either way it will NOT disappoint!
