Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Naivetea
Product Description:
1st Place 2011 North American Tea Championship Aged/Baked Oolong
Layered flavor, notes of toasted rice and caramel, lingering refined sweetness.
Mouth Feel: Soft with medium and smooth body
Aroma: Subtle, roasted aroma with hints of cane sugar
Ingredients: Ching Shin Oolong
Oxidation/Fermentation: Medium, 30%
Roast: 30%
Origin: Dong Ding, Central Taiwan
Elevation: 700 meters/2,296 feet
Taster’s Review:
For the month of October, the Steepster Select theme was “Oolong October.” Needless to say I’m overjoyed about the theme, as Oolong is one of my favorite types of tea. (And no, we didn’t skip a month. The first month was August, received in August. The guys at Steepster decided to change it up a little after that first shipment, so now the teas we received in September are October teas… and the teas we receive in October will be November teas… and so on).
Anyway, this is the first tea that I tried from our three Oolong selections in the October collection. I was thrilled because I love Naivetea’s Oolongs – they have a wonderful selection and their flavored Oolongs are amazing. I haven’t yet tried their Dong Ding, so I was definitely excited by this opportunity to taste it.
The first thing I notice is the aroma of the dry leaf. It reminds me of the smell of autumn … specifically, the smell of the woods in autumn, when earth and wood is damp and the leaves are drying and there is a distinct note of smoke in the air from a nearby cabin’s chimney. The fragrance of the brewed tea is a different, but still quite enjoyable: warm and roasty-toasty, with hints of earth and vegetation.
Mmm! This is an absolutely perfect tea choice for autumn! It is sweet and toasty, with an caramelized flavor that teases the palate. It has a somewhat vegetative taste, but it is more like a roasted vegetable flavor: you know that sweet, slightly charred taste of vegetables that have been roasted at a high heat? You can still taste the vegetable there, but, much of the natural sugars in the vegetables have been caramelized. A sweet yet savory taste. Yeah… that’s pretty much like what I’m tasting now.
Unlike some of the greener Oolongs, this has a thinner texture. It isn’t a buttery or thick mouthfeel, it is soft and light, which allows me to experience the complex layers of this Oolong. So happy to have had the opportunity to try this Oolong – it’s outstanding!
A Special Offer
PLEASE NOTE: THIS OFFER HAS EXPIRED.
This is a special offer from Daily Gourmet, Naivetea and The SororiTea Sisters!
We have TEN promotional codes (aka coupons!) for $5.00 off of this fantastic deal from Daily Gourmet.
This offer includes two tins of Naivetea’s Taiwanese Oolong teas – Wen Shan Bao Oolong and Lychee Oolong – for just $23.00 (including shipping!) This is a $35.00 value, for just $23.00.
BUT… if you are one of the first ten people to comment to this post with your email address, we will send you a special promo code via email for an additional $5.00 off – making your total just $18.00!!!
That’s $28.00 worth of tea plus $7.00 shipping charges – for JUST $18.00!
WOW!
I have tried several of Naivetea’s Oolongs in the past and I can tell you that they are of outstanding quality and flavor. If you love Oolong – they offer some of the best Oolong teas available anywhere!
But you should HURRY because this offer is only good through Saturday (April 9th) night. After that, the carriage turns back into a pumpkin and this amazing deal is GONE!