Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Fong Mong Tea on Ebay
Tea Description:
Located between Xitou and Ali Mountain in central Taiwan – Nantou County, Sun-Link-Sea is famous for its amazing “sun links sea” scenery. Situated at an altitude of approximately 1600 – 1800 meters, Sun-Link-Sea has an average temperature of 20 degree Celsius all year long. Sun-Link-Sea tea tree mountains, not as high as other high-mountain tea tree ones though, with their distinctive geographic environment, gestate another different fragrance and taste which is another characteristic fine tea of Taiwan high-mountain teas.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is the first time I’m trying a “Sun-Link-Sea” Oolong (at least to my knowledge, unless I tried another Oolong that was in fact a Sun-Link-Sea but it was called something different by the purveyor). And as I sip this tea, I am really glad that I finally do have this opportunity to try it, because it is outstanding!
The tightly wound leaf pellets look very much like many other “green” Oolong teas (like Ali Shan or Tie Guan Yin, for example), but this tastes much different. Sure, it has many of the qualities that I often associate with green Oolongs, such as a green vegetative taste (which is very slight here) and amazing floral tones, and even a hint of fruit. But where this one strays from the pack, so to speak, is that it doesn’t have that strong creamy presence that so many other green Oolong teas tend to have. It doesn’t taste or feel buttery or creamy or milky.
Instead, this has a remarkably light and crisp flavor and texture. The floral tone that I mentioned are reminiscent of a magnolia-scented Oolong. The magnolia notes are there, but they aren’t as strong as you might find in a tea that has been specifically scented with the flower. Perhaps a hint of osmanthus flower, and even a touch of orchid. Very exotic floral notes that seem to meld together in a seamless way.
The fruit notes that I mentioned previously are very similar to apple, but not in a conventional way. What I actually taste is what you might experience if you were to drink a sweet-and-sour dry apple wine… if there is such a thing. It tastes light, and the apple-y notes seem to become progressively stronger as I sip, but never become a very prominent flavor.
But that is what I like so much about this tea. It isn’t really strong or distinct in one way, but, hints at so many different flavors that it becomes an exciting adventure with every sip. And I strongly urge you to indulge in multiple infusions … I enjoyed the third and fourth infusion even more than the first. So sweet and amazingly good.
This is in no ordinary Oolong!
Taiwan Dong Ding (Tung Ting) Oolong from Teavivre
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Tea Description:
The Dong Ding Oolong Teavivre select is among the best ones original from Taiwan. This kind of tea has a high quality and in a leadership among tea market in Taiwan. Dong Ding oolong tea, also know as Tung Ting Oolong traditionally was made from one bud and two or three leaves with fermentation level around 30% that it is also called “delicate elegant Oolong”
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I do adore Oolong tea, although I’ll admit that I love some more than others. I never really considered Dong Ding (aka Tung Ting) Oolong teas to be at the top of my list, but this Dong Ding from Teavivre certainly has the ability to change my mind! It’s that good!
The flavor is delicate, it isn’t heavy or buttery the way so many green Oolong teas can taste, it doesn’t inundate the palate with overwhelming floral notes or creamy tones. Don’t get me wrong, I love it when I experience Oolong teas that are very buttery or creamy or floral… but, it’s a nice change of pace to find an Oolong that is so delicate as this Dong Ding.
Incidentally, do you get a chuckle when you read the name “Dong Ding?” I do. It makes me think of Ding Dongs.
The flavor is sweet and floral, yes, but, it is light and refreshing. The palate doesn’t feel weighed down with a buttery or creamy essence. It is a perfect spring-time kind of tea, when you want something pure and naturally light. This tea evokes thoughts of the fresh breeze that wisps through a flower garden. The grass, the flowers, the clean, crisp air … I can taste these elements in this cup.
Subsequent infusions bring a more pronounced flavor, but, it never becomes overwhelming. The first cup (with infusions one and two) are my favorite for lightness, but overall, I prefer the second cup because the floral notes become a little more distinct.
This is the kind of tea that you want to sip over the course of an hour or two, just lingering over the delicate flavors. Relax and enjoy!
Taiwan Floral (Blue Jade) Oolong Tea from Fong Mong Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Fong Mong Tea on eBay
Tea Description:
Plucking from Taiwan peculiar blue jade oolong tea leaves, in addition to stringent management of planting, Taiwan floral oolong tea was made by artisans to refine into circumspect & traditional oolong tea. In the process of light fermentation, blue jade oolong transpires delicate floral aroma which you, tea lovers, won’t miss it out.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
What a lovely Oolong. It immediately reminded me of my oldest daughter, Amethyst, who presented me with a gift of a blooming orchid plant for Mother’s Day this year. The reason: this tea has an amazing orchid-like essence! I do love how tea takes me on a journey of joyful memories.
I steeped this in my gaiwan as I usually do with Oolong teas. The first two infusions produced a light-tasting cup. Light and floral. The softness of the flavor of the cup offered orchid notes that were a juxtaposition of both strong and yet delicate. It was a very luxurious kind of experience, like being pampered in a spa.
Subsequent infusions produced stronger flavors – the delicate introductions have made way for an intense floral overtone that is both sweet and a little sharp, and quite an exotic experience for the palate. There are hints of vegetation in the background, along with a sweet, buttery tone that develops as I continue to sip.
This is the first of many teas that I will be trying from this company – and I’m happily impressed with what I’ve experienced from Fong Mong Tea thus far!
Taiwan Oriental Beauty (Bai Hao) from Teavivre
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Tea Description:
- Grown and produced in Xinzhu (Hsinchu), Taiwan
- Tea buds covered in white tips, with one or two leaves
- Bright-reddish orange tea liquor
- A mellow, sweet taste
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
True to its name, this is definitely a beauty!
Using my gaiwan, I steeped this tea using short steeps: following a quick 10 second rinse, I steeped it for about 45 seconds for the first infusion, and a full minute for the second infusion, and combined these two infusions in one cup. Each subsequent cup was poured in the same fashion, adding 15 seconds to each steep, and combining the brewed tea of two infusions. This produced a beautiful golden, honey-colored tea with a delicious honey-esque flavor to match its color.
There are delicate peach notes in the background which add to the sweetness but not in a way that renders it cloying. There is an earthiness to this cup as well, which offers the palate some balance to the sweet flavors of honey and peach.
The flavor seems to get better and better with each cup! The first cup was light and crisp in flavor and quite delicious, but with the second cup, the tea brewed a darker color and produced a deeper, richer flavor. The honey tones are now quite distinct.
The third cup was a little lighter than the second, but richer than the first. As I noticed that the tea was beginning to taper, I decided to stop at three cups … six very delicious infusions from one measurement of leaves!
Another delightful tea from Teavivre. If you tend to prefer your Oolongs to taste more of honey-fruit rather than floral, this would be an excellent choice!
Sun Moon Lake Hong Yue Black Tea from T-Oolong Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: T-Oolong Tea
Tea Description:
Our Taiwan Sun Moon Lake Black tea #18 is organic, handpicked and handcrafted. The tea is produced from Hong-Yui varietal grown in Yu-Chih township in Nantou County near the Sun Moon Lake. The steeped Taiwan Sun Moon Lake Black tea #18 has a characteristic and attractive natural mint flavor, a delightful, complex and pleasant taste without any bitterness and a sweet and mild aftertaste. The Taiwan Sun Moon Lake Black tea is of extremely high quality and is lovely in its rich and smooth taste.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is so lovely!
This is one of those comforting types of teas – the type you want to drink while its hot, and with which you want to curl up under a big, fluffy blanket and sit in front of a roaring fire in the fireplace. And as I write this, we are experiencing one of our chilly spring days here in the Pacific Northwest, so it is quite a nice cup to enjoy today.
The website description of this tea suggests a minty flavor, and I am tasting that. It isn’t an overwhelming mint note, but it is cool and crisp and very refreshing, offering a nice contrast to the smooth, rich, malty notes of this tea. The cup is sweet, reminiscent of molasses. I notice hints of smoke in the distance, and these slight smoky tones meld beautifully with the molasses notes.
I notice that this tea is currently out of stock on the T-Oolong Tea website, and I do hope that they’ll get it in stock soon, because it’s really quite amazing. This is a tea I’d recommend to everyone. If you like tea – you’ve got to try this! It has such a rich, enjoyable flavor that I think every tea drinker will appreciate it.