Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Tao Tea Leaf
Tea Description:
Rou Gui is treasured for its cinnamon flavour as well as its impressive stamina. This tea also has the unique ability to keep its distinct flavours after multiple steepings upwards of 7 times. Rou Gui comes from the historic WuYi mountains in the Chinas Fujian Province. This area is also famous for producing other famous teas like Lapsang Souchong and the famous Da Hong Pao. Rou Gui has a medium and very smooth body with hints of floral orchid with a lovely honey-like finish.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve only tried a few different Rou Gui oolongs before, most of them from Nannuoshan, but so far I haven’t found one I dislike – the wide range of flavours experienced with the different infusions very much appeal to me so this Rou Gui oolong from Tao Tea Leaf is just going to further my exploration of the class. To stay consistent with the other Rui Gui I’ve tried I had a Gong Fu session with this one using my gaiwan.
The leaves for this are very dark, almost charcoal or black, and decently large. The smell of the dry leaf is very roasty with some fruity sweetness layered underneath. It’s perhaps a touch peachy? I did a ten second wash with this one; as the water hit the leaves my kitchen was instantly filled with a very robust, borderline earthy and roasty smell.
Infusion One: 10 Seconds – This is surprisingly sweet right off the bat despite quite strong toasted barley notes. It’s a little nutty and definitely has some stonefruit notes as well; like dried peach drizzled with honey. There’s maybe some cinnamon too, but not much. These notes comprise the start of the sip and the body. The finish tastes of corn chips and flax to me with a very intense presence of raisins in the finish. I’m usually quite anti-raisin but I actually like the way it tastes here. The taste of the raisin lingers in your mouth for a very long time after swallowing; minutes. For the most part it’s very smooth though it did leave my front two teeth feeling very dry. Leaves are barely opened up at all and smell quite roasty with cinnamon notes and something maybe vaguely like coffee grounds?
Infusion Two: 15 Seconds – Still tastes strongly of roasted barley but it a bit more nutty and has woody notes at the start as well as much more defined cinnamon notes. The body is comprised mostly of rich peach and raisin notes. The honey notes have also gotten stronger, and are tightly tying in with the raisin. Some floral notes have begun creeping in as well. I’m almost reminded of a roasted trail mix with dried fruit/raisins mixed in. This subtle transition of flavours is keeping true to what I’ve observed with other Rou Gui. The leaves smell subtly fruitier.
Infusion Three: 30 Seconds – Ooh! This was not a good pour; I spilled tea everywhere. The flavour is really starting to turn. I’m observing a dramatic decrease in roasted flavour. Definitely strong peach/raisin notes; the strongest so far. The peach is less so a dried peach flavour now, and closer to something fresh. Significantly more floral with more defined floral notes like orchid. Almost seems buttery. Leaves are almost completely opened up and smell sweet like honey and quite floral. There’s absolutely no dry feeling on my teeth from this infusion.
Infusion Four: 40 Seconds – There’s essentially no barley, nut or roasted flavour left. The liquor tastes quite floral with strong raisin and honey notes. The peach has faded quite a lot which is actually kind of disappointing; now that the focus is more on the taste of the raisin I’m losing interest. Also, it’s definitely very buttery. This is the lightest and most watery infusion yet. I’m sure I could probably get a decent fifth infusion but for my own personal tastes the leaves may very well be spent. They are, however, fully opened and smell sweet like honey and flowers.
This is definitely similar to the other Rou Gui/Cassia Teas I’ve tried but unique in its own right too – I definitely experience some more unique notes with the first steep like corn chips and flax, and I don’t remember really tasting raisin with the others I’ve tried. It’s definitely something I’d serve to other people and I would totally drink it again myself.
Goomtee Oolong Tea from Udyan Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong (Darjeeling)
Where to Buy: Udyan Tea
Tea Description:
Goomtee is a very well known Darjeeling heritage garden planted with pure china bushes almost a century ago. It produces one of the best teas from Darjeeling. This tea is for Darjeeling Tea Lovers and newbies alike. It has a very sweet aroma with fruity notes. It makes a well balanced cup that leaves a sweet after taste and refreshing feeling as well. The flavour is superb with a soft and smooth texture.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve always been fond of Oolong teas from Darjeeling so when Udyan Tea sent me this Goomtee Oolong Tea, I was excited to try it.
I brewed it the same way I’d brew most Oolong teas – in my gaiwan! I did a 15 second rinse, and then steeped the first infusion for 45 seconds (180°F). I added 15 seconds onto each subsequent infusion.
My first cup is the combination of infusions 1 and 2. And it is wonderful. The best way I can think of to describe the flavor is what you might taste if you combined an autumnal flush Darjeeling (with all those lovely muscatel notes!) with an Oolong – I’m thinking an Asian Beauty type Oolong – something light and fruity. I get the crispness from the Darjeeling, the pungent grape-y notes of muscatel and the smooth body of an Oolong. It’s not a heavy tasting tea – it’s light and refreshing. There is some astringency to this, the finish is slightly dry.
And because it is an Oolong, that means that you can look forward to many wonderful infusions with this tea.
My second cup (a combination of infusions 3 and 4) was more intensely flavored than the first. I’m getting a lot more of the muscatel now. Still very sweet, I’m picking up on notes of a light buttery taste that reminds me of a browned butter taste. It has a silky texture to it. There is more astringency to this cup but it isn’t something that gets in the way of enjoyment. It’s more like a dryness to the cup, sort of like what you might experience if you were to sip a glass of wine.
My third cup (infusions 5 and 6) is where I started to notice the flavors were waning. The second cup was so profusely flavored and this one is much lighter. Still quite nice though! The texture is not as silky or buttery as the second. But I still taste the muscatel – this cup is much more like a Darjeeling than an Oolong to me.
Overall, a very enjoyable tea experience – one I’d recommend to all Oolong enthusiasts as well as those fond of Darjeeling teas. It’s a rather wonderful tea!
GABA Oolong Tea #52 from Tea Chai Te
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Tea Chai Te
Tea Description:
This high mountain oolong is truly a must-try. Gaba teas are unique in that they are fermented in nitrogen-rich environments making them very complex, with both rich and subtle flavors that change over time and differ with each steeping. Unique with its gentle sweetness giving it hints of yam. Also a natural relaxant.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is the first GABA oolong that I have tried, and if any are similar to this GABA oolong from Tea Chai Te, I can definitely get in on it!
First off, what does it mean to be a GABA tea? I’ve heard that phrase thrown around a few times by many different companies. So what does it do? GABA is just an acronym for Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid. It is known for having a calming effect on the nervous system. GABA is also in other types of foods, such as . It occurs naturally in this low elevation Taiwanese oolong. To amp up the glutamic acid goodness in the leaves, farmers partially shade the leaves for two weeks before picking the leaves, which sounds oddly similar to how sencha is made. Both are also high in L-Theanine, which gives tea it’s energy. While the oolong is being shaded, nitrogen is added to the air, which makes the levels of GABA go crazy. It does sound crazy when I word it like that, but to put it in simpler terms, what the nitrogen gas does to the glutamic acid in the tea, really nice conditioner does to your hair. It makes it lovelier, smoother and gives it a nice fragrance.
I was having a rough day all around, and drinking this tea made it all better. It was quite aromatic, throwing in a good amount of the forest green oolong pellets into my teapot. I had to stop myself from doing nothing but sniff the leaves! When it got time to brewing, I was distracted by all the annoying e-mail and text messages that I almost forgot all about my tea! But I took a deep breath, turned off all electronic devices, and closed my eyes as I sipped. The warming and sweet aroma of milk caramel candies and rich clover honey unfolded from each inhale and came to life at each sip. Thanksgiving came to mind when I discovered a lingering taste of candied yams at the finish. I did feel less stressed after drinking this tea, although I cannot tell that it was the act of drinking the tea itself or the phytonutrients in the GABA. Either way, this is a delicious and fascinating tea, good for many, many steeps.
Hua Xiang Rougui Oolong Tea from Nan Nuo Shan
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Nan Nuo Shan
Tea Description:
Mineral, slightly roasted, with clear floral hints. Hua Xiang Rougui is a well-balanced tea with a brisk, full and clean flavor.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Mmm … this Hua Xiang Rougui Oolong Tea from Nan Nuo Shan is so nice! It’s one of those Oolong teas that I just want to curl up to and enjoy. It’s one of those types of teas that make you feel all warm and fuzzy and cozy when you drink it.
I brewed this the way I’d brew most Oolongs: in my gaiwan. I heat the kettle to 180°F and let the tea steep for 15 seconds. Then I strained the liquid and discarded it – this is called the rinse. Need to awaken those leaves! I resteeped the leaves, this time for 45 seconds and strained the liquid into my teacup. For each subsequent infusion, I added 15 seconds. My first cup is the combination of infusions 1 and 2, while my second cup is infusions 3 and 4 … you get the idea, right?
This first cup is warm and wonderful. I taste notes of mineral and a sweet, roasted fruit note, reminiscent of what a roasted peach might taste like. Notes of flower weave their way throughout the sip. I taste a very subtle note of what I want to call cinnamon, although it’s not as warm/spicy as a cinnamon note would be. This is a subdued cinnamon flavor that i’m tasting.
The second cup was even nicer than the first – with intense, sweet fruit notes that taste like the aforementioned roasted peach along with the sweetness of dried fruit. Like the sweetness of a dried apricot and raisins. The spice notes are still there – still warm yet subdued. The mineral notes have softened somewhat. This cup seems more intently focused on the delectable sweetness of the fruit. The flavors were more intense but the overall cup was smoother.
With my third cup, I noticed the flavors starting to wane a little bit so I decided that I’d make this my last cup. I’m tasting the mineral notes again, almost to the same level that I tasted them in the first cup. It was kind of odd to me that I barely noticed them at all with the second cup but now they seem to be as pronounced as they were in the first cup. Still sweet, still fruity, but with a little less of the dried fruit notes. This time, I’m picking up on more floral flavors, notes of what I want to describe as gardenia with hints of orchid. I’m even picking up on notes of honey!
A truly remarkable tea – this is one that you definitely want to take through the different infusions – because there are so many layers of flavor to be discovered.
Caramel Pecan Cheesecake Oolong/Mate Blend from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong Tea & Yerba Mate Blend
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Sometimes necessity really is the mother of invention. We didn’t quite have enough of either roasted mate or Fujian oolong left to make a full batch of a new blend, so I decided maybe we should blend them together, and the toasty Fujian oolong is a great compliment to the roasted mate! Even better, we paired it with organic caramel, cheesecake and pecan flavors with real pecans. This is a yummy treat you’re not going to want to miss out on.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about 52Teas’ subscriptions here.
Taster’s Review:
This morning, I was in dire need of some caffeine. It may come as a complete shock to you – but I’m guessing it won’t! – but I am addicted to caffeine. And occasionally, I’ll go a little longer than I should without a cup of caffeinated tea and I’ll feel the withdrawal headache come on. This was the case this morning when I woke up: caffeine headache! Ack!
When I get a caffeine headache, I generally turn to one of three types of “tea” to help rid me of the headache quickly. I either whisk up a bowl of Matcha or I brew up a cup of Yerba Mate or Guayusa. Usually, I reach for Matcha, but I don’t like to drink Matcha on an empty stomach and since I haven’t yet eaten anything and I can’t even think about food until I rid myself of this nagging pain in my skull, I decided to go with either Yerba Mate or Guayusa.
Fortunately, I remembered that I had some Yerba Mate to try in the form of this Caramel Pecan Cheesecake Oolong/Mate blend from 52Teas! So I grabbed the pouch and measured out 1 1/2 bamboo scoops into the basket of my Kati Tumbler as the kettle was heating 12 ounces of water to 185°F.
My go-to temperature for an Oolong is 180°F and for Yerba Mate it’s 195°F. Since this blend contains both, I decided to heat the kettle to somewhere in the middle.
I steeped the tea for 3 minutes and waited about 3 minutes to let the tea cool. Mmm!
OK, let me just say that I really did have my doubts when I first read the description of this tea. Seriously? A blend of Oolong and Mate? It sounded very strange and I wasn’t sure how I’d like it. But this WORKS! The nutty notes of the Oolong work together fabulously with the roasted flavor of the Mate. This profile offers the perfect backdrop for the pecan flavor which is the star of this show.
Deliciously nutty, I love how the top notes of warm, roasty-toasty nutty flavors marry with the mid-notes of sweet, decadent caramel. By mid-sip, I start to pick up on the creamy notes of cheesecake with just a touch of tangy cream cheese flavor.
This tea is so much better than I ever anticipated it being and guess what? No more headache either! This tea gets two thumbs up for being a deliciously rocked-out combination of tea bases that I would have never imagined together before now. And if I had an extra thumb, I’d give the tea another thumbs up for helping me with my caffeine fix! Unfortunately, I don’t have another thumb, so I’ll just say: Bravo, 52Teas!