Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where To Buy: Fong Mong Tea
Tea Description:
Lishan High Mountain Oolong Tea is one of the most unique and highest quality Oolong. Grown in the Li Mountains of Taiwan, this tea is harvested at the elevation of 1200 meters in an isolated area. Due to the cold weather and relatively harsh environments, the plants grow at a very slow rate and in small quantity. The tea is either harvested during the winter or summer and sometimes only once during the entire year. After the harvest, the leaves are carefully handled and aerated during the long ride to the nearest tea maker. Despite the difficult growing conditions, the leaves are selected as the highest quality of Oolong.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
There are few teas that get me as excited as Oolong teas, and my favorites are by far the AliShan and the LiShan type Oolong teas (is there a difference between the two? I love them both, and I would be hard-pressed to be able to determine a difference between them. I mean, I know that there are differences, but I really enjoy both of them almost equally.) So, when it came time for me to sample this Taiwan Lishan High Mountain Oolong (or Wulong) Tea from Fong Mong Tea, I was a very happy tea drinker!
The dark green tea leaves, wound into tight pellets, took their time to completely unfurl. It took about six infusions to completely unfurl … but that’s quite alright with me … that just means more tea time enjoyment for me! The aroma of the brewed tea is sweet and floral, with notes of “green” … what I mean by that is … you know that smell that you experience when you walk into a forest after a rainfall? How it smells of sweet, green leaves? I smell hints of that in my teacup.
But it’s the flavor of a Lishan Oolong that captures my heart every time I drink it. It’s so sweet, smooth and creamy. It’s a complete joy to sip … so relaxing and restorative.
At the start of the sip, I notice sweetness, with notes of flower and cream. As the liquid washes over my palate, I notice the softness of the texture. Toward mid-sip, I notice hints of fruit notes. Nothing really distinct … just … hints of what could be apple. As the sip progresses toward the finish, I start to notice a vegetative note.
It is at this point where I notice vague spice notes – this is a very faint taste, but I notice it more toward the finish of the sip … as if the spice sort of settles onto my palate. Just a hint.
A lovely, complex Oolong from Fong Mong Tea! If you like your Lishan teas like I do … this is one you should try!
Taiwan Four Seasons Fruity Sijichun Oolong Tea from Fong Mong Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Fong Mong Tea
Tea Description:
Plucking from Taiwan peculiar Four Seasons Spring oolong tea leaves, in addition to stringent management of planting, Taiwan fruity oolong tea (Sijichun) was handcrafted to refine into circumspect & traditional oolong tea. This Four Seasons Spring oolong was strictly selected as a higher grade oolong tea, possesses particularly pure and strong fresh flower fragrance plus smooth taste which you, tea lovers, won’t miss it out.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
What a lovely Oolong experience awaits when you try this Taiwan Four Seasons Fruity Sijichun Oolong Tea from Fong Mong Tea! It is a very refreshing, pleasantly sweet Oolong that provides many wonderful infusions!
The dry leaf is comprised of tiny, tiny pellets … almost as small as gunpowder green tea … in fact, when I first opened this package, I had to do a double check to make sure I was opening an Oolong and not a green tea by mistake.
The aroma of the dry leaf is more floral than fruity and based upon the name of the tea I guess I was expecting a stronger fruity essence to it. I do take in some fruit notes, but, largely, what I smell is a strong floral note. Brewed, the aroma is slightly softer than the dry leaf, but it is still more floral than fruity.
I brewed this the same way I’d brew most Oolong teas: in my gaiwan! After a quick fifteen second rinse, I steeped the leaves for 45 seconds for the first infusion, and then each subsequent infusion had a 15 second increase. I combine two infusions in one cup … in other words, the first cup is infusions 1 and 2, while the second cup is infusions 3 and 4 … and so on. The tightly wound pellets were slow to unfurl and release their flavor … making for an extended enjoyment of this tea!
The first cup was light, refreshing and crisp. Similar to the fragrance of the dry leaf, I am tasting a stronger floral presence than a fruity taste. There is a crisp … almost apple-y kind of taste to the background, but that is the only fruit notes I’m picking up on at this point. The floral tones are sharp yet sweet. A very clean tasting cup.
The second cup was a stronger tasting cup, where the fruit notes became a little better defined, as did the floral tones. This is not quite as “light” or “crisp” or even “sharp” … this is more smooth and it has a soft texture that washes over the palate. Of the three cups that I enjoyed of this tea, the second cup is my favorite … but that doesn’t mean that the first and third cups were not enjoyable. They were certainly lovely as well!
The third cup was more of a unified flavor … I noticed that the fruit notes emerged strongest here, and the floral tones softened and became almost a part of the fruit notes. There is more of a vegetative tone to this cup as well … that is to say, I taste more of a “grassy” or “vegetable” taste to this cup than I did the first two. It is not quite as creamy or smooth as the second cup … but, richer than the first.
Like I said … all three cups are very enjoyable and what I liked best is that each cup was a new adventure. This is really a lovely cup, bravo to Fong Mong Tea for delivering yet another fantastic tea experience!
Caramel Vanilla Assam Tea from Butiki Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Butiki Teas
Tea Description:
Caramel Vanilla Assam pairs our Premium Taiwanese Assam with rich caramel and soft vanilla. The caramel and vanilla notes meld with the tea and almost taste as though they are naturally part of the Assam. Cacao, raisin, and citrus notes can also be detected in this smooth and malty tea. Add a little sugar for a decadent caramel vanilla dessert.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Mmm! Mmm! Mmm! This Caramel Vanilla Assam Tea from Butiki Teas is really YUMMY!
I am finding myself in full agreement with the above description … the caramel and vanilla notes DO meld with this tea in such a way that they taste as though they are naturally part of the Assam. Really, these flavors just add to the richness of the tea … giving it a more satisfying roundness, and accentuating the lovely natural sweetness of the Assam. Notes of raisin, freshly baked cookies (you know the caramelized edges of the cookie? Yeah, that part!), hints of chocolate and slight notes of earth are noted. Toward the finish, I pick up on a slight fruit note peeking though.
The Assam base here is Butiki Teas’ Taiwanese Assam which I have not yet tried “pure” or on its own but after tasting this tea, I realize that I need to add it to my next order with Butiki Teas so that I can try it, because I’m really enjoying this Assam. It is rich and smooth, malty and robust … and I taste less of that “hint” of bitterness that often comes through with an Assam. It is mildly astringent, but again, I am noticing less astringency here than I would normally notice with an Assam.
I like the way the Assam assimilates with the flavors of caramel and vanilla. It is sweet and comforting … it’s one of those “cozy” kind of tastes that you want to curl up to after a trying day … or if you just want to start off the day by assuaging your sweet tooth, this tea will get your blood pumping and satiate the sweet tooth too! It would make a great latte too, although I find it most satisfying as a straight up cuppa … it doesn’t need anything else!
And NOW through July 6th … this tea is on SALE at Butiki Teas! Caramel Vanilla Assam is now 24% off until July 6th, that’s just $6.25 an ounce!
Honey Beauty Oolong Tea from T-Oolong Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: T-Oolong Tea
Tea Description:
This Honey Beauty Oolong is all natural, handpicked, handcrafted and produced from Qingxin Dapa varietals, the tea leaves often used to produce Oriental Beauty oolong. This tea tastes similar to Oriental beauty but not quite the same. The taste and aroma of the tea are honey sweet, rich, and pleasant with a long lasting honey sweet aftertaste. This tea stands up well to multiple infusions, and has the complexities of an oolong in taste and aroma, but the appearance and strength of a black tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love a good Oriental Beauty Oolong, and when I read the name of this Honey Beauty Oolong Tea from T-Oolong Tea, I was intrigued … I was curious to find out how similar to an Oriental Beauty it would be.
The dry leaf appearance IS indeed very similar, with its dark chocolate colored leaves. The aroma is sweet, reminding me a bit more of the smell of molasses than of honey. It’s a very pleasant fragrance … sort of like walking into a kitchen when my gramma would make pecan pie. It smells a bit like that sweet, molasses-y filling of a pecan pie (but not so much like the actual pecans!) The brewed tea offers a different scent with notes of fruit, flower and yes, even a hint of honey.
The first cup (containing infusions #1 and 2 following a quick 15 second rinse) is very delicately flavored, and I noticed that it took a few sips for the flavors to begin to develop on my palate. By mid-cup, I was noticing a lovely honey-esque tone start to emerge. Notes of stone fruit … somewhere between nectarine and plum. It is sweet but there is a hint of contrasting sour there too.
The second cup (infusions #3 and 4) offered a stronger flavor than the first, and was my favorite cup of the three cups that I enjoyed of this tea. I noticed a stronger fruit note, and the honey notes are more profound with this cup. It’s sweet … and indeed beautiful! Honey Beauty Oolong seems an appropriate name for this tea.
With the third cup (infusions #5 and 6), I noticed the flavors becoming … not really “softer” but more unified. The honey note was not quite as focused, and the fruit note was less distinct. It tasted more like … well, imagine a combination of nectarines and plums that have been roasted to concentrate the flavor and bring out the sweetness of the fruit, and then drizzling this roasted fruit medley with sweet honey. That’s what I taste! YUM!
This tea is definitely a treat for Oolong aficionados!
Hsin Chu Oriental Beauty Oolong #3 from T-Oolong Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: T-Oolong Tea
Tea Description:
This quality Hsin Chu Oriental Beauty Oolong (#3) is from a very experienced tea farmer. This tea is all natural, handpicked, handcrafted and produced from Qingxin Dapa varietal grown in Hsin Chu county in Taiwan. The aroma and taste of this tea is very fruity, rich, complex and satisfying, and the aftertaste is fruity, sweet and long lasting. It is a very enjoyable Oriental Beauty we recommend.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
While Ali Shan tends to be my favorite type of Oolong tea, I’m still rather fond of Oriental Beauty Oolong teas, and I’m really enjoying this Hsin Chu Oriental Beauty Oolong #3 from T-Oolong Tea. I love the fruity quality of this Oriental Beauty! So sweet and delicious!
It is a delightfully complex Oriental Beauty, with delectable fruit overtones that are reminiscent of a sweet, tree-ripened plum, bursting with juicy flavor. There are very subtle hints of earth and wood to this cup as well, and I like the way these notes add to the depth of the overall cup. My first few sips, I could have sworn I tasted a vague smokiness to the tea as well, but, now that I’ve finished my first cup (infusions 1 and 2) and working on my second cup (infusions 3 and 4) I find that the smokiness has disappeared, and it makes me question whether or not I actually tasted a smoky tone or if it was just my imagination.
I love how the flavors develop with this tea. The first cup was light and smooth, and the second cup seems to be richer in flavor. It is still remarkably smooth though. It has a silky mouthfeel. The aftertaste is sweet and lingers. The third cup (infusions 5 and 6) is smoother than either the first or second cup, and the flavors seem to have married into a more seamless kind of taste.
Each new infusion brings a new adventure, and that is why I love Oolong teas. This one is definitely worth trying – and it is one I’d recommend to those that tend to shy away from Oolong teas because of their strong floral notes. This one is much more fruit-like than floral. It’s a beautiful, contemplative cup.