Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Driftwood Tea
Tea Description:
Organic Oolong 17 is considered to be Thailand’s finest tea. Oolong 17 was developed from imported Taiwanese stock and, given Mae Salong’s similar altitude and climate, is highly comparable to the quality and taste of high mountain teas grown in Taiwan.
Key Flavours: Oriental flora, edges of soft cream and a delicate tropical fruit aftertaste.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Organic Oolong 17 from Driftwood Tea brings us an oolong that is for the faint of heart. That’s right, IS, rather than isn’t. This is a very delicate, soft, gentle, oolong that does not pack a powerful punch. It is lilting, and lovely. This is the perfect oolong for those that typically do not like oolong’s rougher edge.
There is a slight resemblance to a Dong Ding, but more like Dong Ding’s well-mannered female cousin. She is younger, more playful, and less intense, yet has enough of that robust nature that you know your drinking a tea of quality. Yet on the other side you get her floral breath that beckons you to come out and play with her in the sunniness of her color, and she makes everything feel cozy and smooth with her creaminess.
I detect a hay like essence, but the lingering after taste is that of the bouquet’s companion of baby’s breath. A light mineral note also plays a key role. As for fruity, perhaps, but not as much as I had expected from the key flavors listed by Driftwood Tea. Perhaps a light touch of starfruit juice, maybe a tiny splash of not yet ripe pineapple, but only very slight.
I feel this would be an excellent beginners oolong, or an oolong to try if you have not yet found an oolong you enjoy fully and want something a bit lighter than those you have tried before.
I can see why this is considered Thailand’s finest tea though, with it’s polite mannerism I can easily see this being a tea sipped in many households.
Alishan Charcoal Fire Medium Roast 2012 from T-Oolong Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type:
Where to Buy: T-Oolong Tea
Tea Description:
This quality Alishan Charcoal Fire Medium Roast Oolong is handpicked, handcrafted and produced from Alishan oolong. Use only the charcoal made of either Taiwan Longan wood or Taiwan Acacia wood to roast the tea (NOT by electric roasters), and follow old traditional method. This tea has a strong charcoal aroma and taste mixing with flavors of Alishan oolong. The aftertaste is enjoyable and long lasting. It tastes very smooth, sweet, rich and complex, and stands up very well to multiple infusions.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Today I reached into my grab bag of teas to review, and was thrilled when I pulled this, Alishan Charcoal Fire Medium Roast 2012 from T-Oolong Tea! Not only has my tasting from T-Oolong Tea been sorely underdone, but an oolong, Yes! Not only an oolong but a fire roasted oolong, yes again! This sounds so good that I hope it meets my high expectations!
I sneak a sniff as it steeps. I smell roasted fruitiness, and the aroma of a very clean spring from the mountains. Granted I do use good bottled water, but this aroma is not simply the water I use, its different, and reminds me of the natural stream I used to sip from with friends when I was younger, back in the days when I rode horses, daily. We knew of a stream – the best tasting water I have ever had, that we would ride to when we were parched.
So I have taken my first sip and oh my goodness, this is delicious! As I taste fruity notes, smokiness, and mineral notes. There is a wonderful sweetness to this tea, a brown sugar or German rock sugar sweetness, somewhere in between the two. I am not getting as deep of a sweetness of a brown sugar, but there is something a little more to it, like a caramel perhaps.
I also get a lovely white flower note as well as a green note, but not green like vegetal, more green like greens themselves, almost like dandelion leaves.
The after taste is clean, clear, and very refreshing! The sweetness gives way leaving a wonderful rock mineral note, floral, and that green bite, not bitter but tart.
The sad thing about this tea is that T-Oolong Tea is currently out of stock, I assume waiting on the 2013 batch, I am going to have to keep my eyes peeled for this one, this is absolutely a reorder worthy tea, and permanent stock worthy as well!
This tea is a must try for anyone who loves oolongs, especially darker roasted oolong tea.
Yes it certainly did meet my expectations, soared over them! I love this one.
Sechong Oolong from Nature’s Tea Leaf
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Nature’s Tea Leaf
Tea Description:
Se Chung Tea is a blend of several loose-leaf, oolong tea leaves produced from plucks of several different plants. The leaves are naturally withered under the strong sun, oxidized until brown with green highlights, and then wrap rolled into small beads. The Se Chung Oolong tea has a roasted aroma and a thick, woody flavor. It is a great tea for those who enjoy a complex taste and have an adventurous palate.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Sechong Oolong from Nature’s Tea Leaf provides a provocative and note layered cup. From mineral to woodsy, caramel, to chocolate notes, I find this tea to be quite enjoyable. Perhaps it is the mixture of many different plants that provides the multiple layers of flavor notes but I find it interesting and delicious.
The infused aroma is almost smoky with an aged woods scent. There is a slight aroma of a vanilla backdrop to the tea as well making the tea smell creamy.
On first infusion I get more of the caramel, chocolate and dessert type flavor notes while on later infusions more of the rock mineral notes come forward.
The creamy, sweet, vanilla notes are present in both early and later infusions. The tea has a mild sweetness from this note, which is quite lovely and comes over as a rock sugar flavor.
The tea is deep and toasty and reminds me of smore’s made over a campfire yet at the same time is reminiscent of a french bakery.
As the tea cools it becomes heavier in mouthfeel and almost creamy in the texture. So wonderful!
Some fruity apple notes come forward melding with the caramel and rock sugar notes making me think of caramel and candied apples.
I really like the later infusions where the rock mineral and rock sugar notes come together – its such an interesting flavor and I can’t recall a tea I have had of recent that had this same profile. I am not saying they do not exist but rather it has been some time since I have enjoyed a cup like this and I am very much enjoying every infusion of this leaf!
Premium Taiwan Oolong Black Tea from Nuvola Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Nuvola Tea
Tea Description:
Taiwan Oolong Black Tea (US$7.7)
Oolong Black Tea is a special black tea created from Oolong Tea. The infusion has a rich amber colour with a luxurious fruity flavour and a smooth mouth-feel. It is not only great as a hot drink that can retain its flavour even after multiple infusions, but also is delightfully refreshing when served cold – a delicious diversion from the everyday.
(Unit Price US$7.7)
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Premium Taiwan Oolong Black from Nuvola Tea has a sinful aroma! It smells sweet, deep, intoxicating. There is a malty aroma cutting through the sweet aroma, then nutty, woodsy, so many wonderful sensations – and this is just the initial smell!
First sip … mmmmmm….always impressed with Nuvola teas! I have to admit, as an oolong lover, I was confused when I read the name of this tea. However upon investigation – which means reading their description, it makes sense. I do plan to do a little more research on this type of tea however because I am very intrigued.
There is a wonderful fruity flavor to this tea, perhaps a berry like fruit. Then we get a deep and earthy note, the mouthfeel is rather on the light side in contrast to the deeper and earthy flavors. Now to qualify, when I say earthy, what I am finding in this tea is a light mineral note, and a slight woodsy note. The deeper, earthy notes would be that of wood, nut, and hay caramel, and cocoa.
The thing is this is one of those teas you want to prepare gong fu style and enjoy multiple steeping sessions. What I am reviewing here are merely steeps one and two. This tea however has so much to offer and will certainly hold up for many more steeps to come! I will be steeping this through out the day and enjoying every wonderful cup!
Steep two for me provides a richer cup, one that is heavier than steep one. It is just lovely! More of the earthy notes come out with a darker sweetness from the cocoa note. The tea becomes more caramel flavored but I can still detect that mineral note shining through along with some slight flavors of the hay as mentioned before. The berry note does not seem as apparent on the tongue but in the after taste it comes through as a cherry flavor. Wonderful! Steep two also has an near creamy texture to it yet somehow still remains refreshing and bright, not heavy or cloying. As the tea cools even slightly the mineral notes get stronger.
I love the complexity of this tea! On one hand its sweet and makes me feel like Willy Wonka in a candy shop but as soon as I find myself relishing in the sweet goodness this fresh breeze rolls in offering a light refreshing note of rock mineral and hay as if I am strolling through the woods on a sunny day. I do a double take and have to ask myself which side of this tea I prefer more but I can’t make that call, no way, both are so wonderful! This is truly a tea for a dual sign like myself, being Gemini I want the best of both worlds and this tea absolutely provides me that! I get my earthy hay and mineral notes that even have an ever so delicate vegetal edge, right down to my need to curb my sweet tooth.
This is a rare and wonderful delight and I highly recommend trying some tea from Nuvola! I know so far I have sampled about 5 of their teas and I have yet to find one that is less than stellar!
See more reviews from the SororiTea Sisters for Nuvola Teas here.
Organic High Mountain Oolong from Fong Mong Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Fong Mong Tea
Tea Description:
Growing from organic natural ecological management tea plantation, with intentional nonintervention, being eaten by destructive insects, coordinating traditional Taiwanese heavy-fermented skill of tea-making, the natural tea leaves increase their individual flavor. The liquor it produces with bright and amber hue, containing a light honey sweet, is the super enjoyment best close to the Nature.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Fong Mong Tea has an ebay shop that should not be overlooked. They have such a variety of wonderful Taiwanese teas. Note that if the link to this specific tea does not work that could be that they don’t have it listed at a particular time however at the time of writing this review they have this in stock.
The first taste of this tea reminds of me rock mineral with a slightly drying effect in the throat.
It is a darker roast which I prefer and has a really good toasty flavor and aroma.
I really appreciate organic teas and prefer to drink them when I can. No residual pesticide flavor is detectable in this tea.
There is a honey sweetness to this tea but somewhat of a muted sweetness, such as a floral honey. It is not as sweet as some but sweeter than other oolong I have tried.
One flavor note I am picking up that I am quite enjoying is a salty note. I do love salt and the salt with the rock mineral flavor is making me think of caves, another thing I like, or ancient civilizations. Don’t ask me how to come to that conclusion or thought but there it is. Some strange conjuring of my mind through tea. Hey at least its just tea my strange mental images are coming from!
All in all a nice experience with this tea, one I hope to have again but alas this sample is now gone. I will have to try to pick some up while it is available!