Boy…do I have a unique oolong for you today! It’s Imperial Pearl Oolong from Mountain Tea. It’s considered to be a BRANDY Oolong and is on the more rare side of oolongs you may have (or have not) tasted. If you manage to get your hands on it – I highly recommend it!
A brief overview of Brandy Oolongs are as follows…
It’s made from a special cultivar of the tea plant unique to Taiwan that is highly oxidized (85-90%) and has only recently been introduced to western tea enthusiasts. It’s also known as “Ruby-18″ which is a style of oolong initially created by crossing the Assamica tea varietal with the native tea plant to produce a tea that has become the favorite for tea enthusiasts of every age.
Before infusing I thought the dry leaf of Imperial Pearl Oolong from Mountain Tea smelled a bit like pine. Post infusion Brandy Oolong’s rich and amber brew hints of spice, cinnamon, and sweet-creamy malt notes REALLY come out to play! There is a tinge of crusty and bakey-ness to it that morphs into a sweet yet malty sip. Another thing I find interesting about this tea is when it’s fully brewed it has to be one of the darkest oolongs I have ever sampled!
Imperial Pearl Oolong from Mountain Tea was the winner of the 2012 NATC – Dark Oolong Category – Judge’s Choice Award for Exceptional Tea – as well as the winner of the 2011 NATC – Black Tea Category – 2nd Place. And I can totally understand why! Shame on me for procrastinating on the taste test and review for this one! It’s flipping fantastic and now among my favorite oolongs to date!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Mountain Tea
Description
This rare brandy oolong (what is brandy oolong?) is a must have in your tea chest.
You will be enraptured with notes of molasses, honey and maple syrup. The dry leaf recalls the fragrance of ground red pepper, a splash of hot water and the nose transforms into something more savory and miso-like. We only picked the tenderest leaves of our prized oolong plants to create this exceptional tea; in doing so, we created a tea that is deep amber in color and pointedly sweet in flavor, sans astringency or bitterness.
Hotter water and longer steeping times will brew a more complex and spicier tea. Lower water temperature and shorter steeping times will brew a sweeter tea. Imperial Pearl is also known as Red Oolong in the East.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
An Early Taste of Spring with Mountain Oolong Spring. . . . .
Mountain Oolong Spring from Mountain Tea Co. is truly a springtime tea. In the spring, everything blooms and bursts into life, and you can evoke this feeling by brewing a cup of this tea in your kitchen at home. I’ve had quite a few teas that smell like jasmine or rose, but this tea lights up with the fragrance of less typical flowers, soft and feminine like baby’s breath or lily of the valley.
Putting your nose into a cup of this tea will envelop you with this relaxing, perfumey sensation.
Beyond the flavor of flowers, there are nutty and buttery tones to help fill out the brew and give the tea a smooth, rich mouthfeel. The more I steeped these leaves, the brighter and greener the undertones became.
The most unique and memorable part of this tea is its forward floral accents.
If you’re a lover of flowery oolongs, Mountain Oolong Spring will be a perfect fit for your tastes.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Mountain Tea Co.
Description:
The character of a pot of tea tells a story about the leaf it originated from. Good tea is a mixed blessing for tea farmers; in general, the harder the tea plant struggles to grow, the more flavorful and tempered the finished brew becomes. For this reason higher elevation with colder temperatures and thinner air produces outstanding leaf.
The 2016 spring harvest of Mountain Oolong withstands high temperature water longer without introducing dryness to the flavor, producing a forgiving and well-behaved pot of tea for the busy brewer. The steeped cup reflects a beautifully clear yet deep honey gold color; the nose is creamy sweet over a faint, nostalgic scent of rice flower bud. Notes for this crop are sharp and floral, paired with a robust body. Expect flavors of citrus blossom mostly, nasal and high in the mouth. Properly brewed we found that this tea has even greater re-steep potential than past flushes, up to six or seven.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Mountain Oolong Spring 2016 from Mountain Tea
One never knows what goes thru my mind while choosing my tea-of-the-moment. Today it happened to be me thinking SPRING and hoping for a dancing leaves show in the infuser! Mountain Oolong Spring 2016 from Mountain Tea fulfilled both of those!
Mountain Oolong Spring 2016 from Mountain Tea smells and tastes like…well…SPRING! This has a mellow, creamy, sweet, floral flavor combo going on with the taste on the tongue. It’s also very crisp and clean! I can imagine a breath of fresh air and a cup of this crisp tea at just about anytime! It seems somewhat energizing but then again that could just be me in my own dream world while enjoying this cup! Mountain Oolong Spring 2016 from Mountain Tea is just one of those LOVELY teas!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong Tea
Where to Buy: Mountain Tea
Description:
The character of a pot of tea tells a story about the leaf it originated from. Good tea is a mixed blessing for tea farmers; in general, the harder the tea plant struggles to grow, the more flavorful and tempered the finished brew becomes. For this reason higher elevation with colder temperatures and thinner air produces outstanding leaf.
The 2016 spring harvest of Mountain Oolong withstands high temperature water longer without introducing dryness to the flavor, producing a forgiving and well-behaved pot of tea for the busy brewer. The steeped cup reflects a beautifully clear yet deep honey gold color; the nose is creamy sweet over a faint, nostalgic scent of rice flower bud. Notes for this crop are sharp and floral, paired with a robust body. Expect flavors of citrus blossom mostly, nasal and high in the mouth. Properly brewed we found that this tea has even greater re-steep potential than past flushes, up to six or seven.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
FengHuang GuiFei Oolong Tea from Mountain Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Mountain Tea
Tea Description:
Citrusy with the taste of ripe stone and pit fruit.
GuiFei was originally crafted in FengHuang village in Nantou’s LuGu county (famous for creating the Dong Ding oolong style). After the 9/21 earthquake, tea gardens were abandoned and the tea plants allowed to grow wild.
Our FengHuang GuiFei was crafted in remembrance of our founder’s grandmother (originally from FengHuang village) who passed recently and as an homage to those who lost their lives in the earthquake. It is a declaration that even in the darkest hours we can rise and overcome.
Learn more about this Oolong here.
Taster’s Review:
I have often stated that Ali Shan Oolong is my favorite type of Oolong Tea, but … this FengHuang GuiFei Oolong Tea from Mountain Tea is certainly a contender to replace my longtime favorite! This tea is positively EXQUISITE!
The above description is spot on with its suggestion that this is citrus-y with the taste of stone fruit. There are delightful notes of citrus: I’m thinking a combination of orange and a sweet grapefruit. There are hints of tart in the citrus-y tones, but, not so much of the bitter that grapefruit often yields. It’s just sweet and tangy!
And then there are the lovely plum-like notes. Sweet and juicy, with that hint of sour that a plum offers. Just a hint! There are so many nuances to this tea … it is such an incredible tea to experience!
It has hints of wood to it with just a touch of roasted taste. Honey-esque tones … and an ever-so-slight touch of flower to the taste. Those who shy away from floral Oolongs – worry not! The floral note is barely discernible … I notice it only when I’m really focused on the sip. While sipping casually – what I taste is fruit!
This is one of the sweetest Oolong teas I’ve encountered. It doesn’t have a heavy, creamy feel to it. Instead it has a smooth, brothy texture. The aftertaste is light and sweet. It’s one of those Oolong teas that you want to save for those kinds of days that you have plenty of time to just sit back and contemplate the joy of tea … just relax and enjoy the sweet, beautiful, complex quality of the tea. Definitely DO take this tea through its paces and infuse it multiple times … it’s definitely worth that effort because you’ll be rewarded with lots of wonderful, delicious tea.
Heritage Honey Oolong from The Mountain Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: The Mountain Tea Company
Tea Description: This oolong was picked at an altitude of 1300m above sea level. Smooth and sweet with notes of peach, citrus, and sugarcane.
Origin: Nantou, Taiwan
Learn more about this tea here
Taster’s Review:
If you love oolong as I do, then Mountain Tea is the site you need to be looking at!
Their oolongs are categorized into Green, Medium, and Dark and Roasted. Within each category are many wonderful selections!
Shipping was fast and furious as well.
The tea arrived with a survey regarding their shipping, customer service, and a pre-stamped envelope to send it back in! I love good customer service! Things like this show a company cares about you and your experience with them!
I love the packaging of the teas as well. Granted the bags are not resealable but the colors are vibrant with Chinese writing on them. I love pretty things.
However, the tea of course is what you want to know about so with that I am sitting here with a fragrant cup of lovely honey toned tea. Its a clear beautiful golden color that looks light and innocent but upon the sip my mouth is filled with a rich thick sensation!
There are distinct peach notes that dance off the tongue especially int he after taste – seriously fresh ripe peach! I know a lot of companies say you will pick up tasting notes in their teas and often they are accurate but often you also really have to search for them. This is something I easily detected right off the bat and it was only after I detected it that I went and read what the company said about this tea and it did mention the peach notes. I can validate the integrity of this description 100%. The citrus notes seem to be more detectable in the sides of the mouth but the peach stands out more than the citrus. As for the sugarcane notes mentioned, I feel this resonates through out the entire experience in the natural and light sweetness of the tea.
Be sure to follow steeping parameters closely. I found this tea to easily get bitter if steeped even 30 seconds too long or in improper water temperature.
Overall this is one of my new favorite oolongs, and I absolutely love oolong tea! This one has a thick mouthfeel that you could almost chew on and a deep complexity that surprises on each sip. I even get a little bit of a spice note behind the peach which reminds me of a lovely autumn peach cobbler.
