I steeped this tea for three minutes with five grams of leaf in six ounces of water at 190 degrees.
It smells so lovely in the packet that I kind of want to eat it. The tiny densely rolled-up leaves (which I let float free in the cup so I can watch them moving around and unfurling) are so cool! It seems about half of them are floating and half are sinking. It smells fruity, orchidy and a bit savory.
First sip: Super rich! So much flavor!! The tea leaves have unrolled into large, intact leaves and the tea liquid is a gentle yellow that reminds me of winter sun.
As I sip the tea, it’s astringent, creamy/buttery, a little grassy, viscous, and a little nutty even, with some floral/orchidy notes flying around too. It’s also a bit “leafy” so I may have steeped it a bit long, or maybe that’s just supposed to be part of the flavor. Either way, it’s a very interesting combo with the buttery and the fruity and the vegetal/savory aspects.
It’s a full and rich cup, and I don’t think it needs sugar or milk. I really enjoyed finishing this cup off and I’d love to have more of it sometime. Apparently this tea is very popular with aficionados of Taiwan teas (according to Tea from Taiwan’s website), and although I myself am not an expert in that area, I can definitely see how that would be the case.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Tea from Taiwan
Description
Tsuei Luan Oolong tea (wulong tea) is grown in the Tsuei Luan district of Li Shan (Pear Mountain). This area is a former fruit producing region which was converted to tea plantations in the late 1970’s. The soil quality of the former orchards is excellent, and the high altitude (more than 2,000 meters) of this district provides a cool, moist climate – ideal conditions for growing tea.
Tsuei Luan oolong tea has an exquisitely sweet aroma and interesting flavour profile. The slightly floral taste has a definite fruit undertone – said to be the result of growing tea on orchard land. This tea has a very pleasing flavour that makes it one of the most popular teas amongst Taiwan tea connoisseurs.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Cui Feng Oolong Tea from Tea From Taiwan
Today I thought I would take a moment and enjoy a tea. Like really enjoy. It seems sometimes life just goes by so fast that the art of taking the time for yourself gets set aside for another day. At least that is how my life seems with a house full of twin teenagers, a pre-teen boy and a 7 year old with a puppy nipping at the heels of all of us. I just feel like sometimes I don’t take the proper time to reflect. So today, that is exactly what I’m going to do.
Traditionally, I don’t find myself drinking straights teas and that is a shame. I always seem to gravitate towards those unusual flavored blends, and there is nothing wrong with that. I just feel that maybe I need to become more of a well rounded tea drinker and that starts with this oolong from Tea from Taiwan.
Oolongs and green teas are my favorite. Especially when they have that particular rich buttery undertone and a hint of a creamy finish. Those are my favorites. I was hoping this Cui Feng Oolong would deliver those notes for me. After my first cup of this brew, I have to say this tea definitely delivers.
The first infusion delivered a fresh slightly floral vegetal notes swirl around your tastebuds with a lingering astringent hint. There was a lovely
creamy finish to end each sip. So many different flavors that really work well.
With the second infusion, I noticed those vegetal notes lessened quite a bit and gave way to a buttery tone that helped make that creamy finish even more prominent. There are hints of a sweetness through each sip. Really lovely and soul warming.
Third infusion was very similar to the second infusion. Lovely buttery notes with a tender sweetness.
All in all, this tea is delicate yet robust at times. I loved the simple yet complex notes that came across with each infusion. Intriguing and extremely interesting. One of those teas that you never seem to set your cup down while you are drinking it.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Tea from Taiwan
Description
Li Shan Cui Feng Oolong Tea
This is an exceptionally smooth, full flavored oolong tea from the Li Shan (Pear Mountain) tea region of Taiwan.
Cui Feng (翠峰) oolong tea is grown at an altitude of 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) in cool, moist conditions, producing some of the best oolong tea in the world.
Cui Feng brews to a rich, honey-colored liquor, highly fragrant and with a smooth, robust flavor, full in the mouth.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Tsuei Luan Tea from Tea from Taiwan
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Tea From Taiwan
Tea Description:
Tsuei Luan oolong tea (wulong tea) is grown in the Tsuei Luan district of Li Shan (Pear Mountain). This area is a former fruit producing region which was converted to tea plantations in the late 1970’s. The soil quality of the former orchards is excellent, and the high altitude (more than 2000 meters) of this district provides a cool, moist climate – ideal conditions for growing tea.
Tsuei Luan oolong tea has an exquisitely sweet aroma and interesting flavour profile. The slightly floral taste has a definite fruit undertone – said to be the result of growing tea on orchard land. This tea has a very pleasing flavour that makes it one of the most popular teas amongst Taiwan tea connoisseurs.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh wow… this Tsuei Luan Tea from Tea from Taiwan is superb!
The tightly wound, bright green leaves offer a slight vegetative aroma. The leaves open slowly, and the tea produced is very pale yellow-green in color, and the fragrance is slightly fruity with hints of flower, and a background note that reminds me of mild, lightly buttered veggies. It’s sort of savory and sweet at the same time.
With the aroma, I expected a stronger vegetative taste … but this is a mellow vegetal taste, with more emphasis on the sweetness of the tea … I taste sweet flower and sweet fruit, and even sweetness from the vegetative tones. The sweetness seems to be the highlight of this first cup, which is the combination of my first two infusions, following a quick 10 second rinse. The mouthfeel is thick, but there is an astringency to it too, which seems to clean the palate from the heaviness of the mouthfeel. My mouth doesn’t feel like it’s overwhelmed by the thick, heavy mouthfeel because by the time the sip is finished, the astringency seems to wipe the thickness away. It’s really quite a delightful experience.
My second cup (infusions three and four) becomes less thick and creamy, which allows more of the individual flavors of fruit and flower to come through. While the first cup was more about the lovely sweetness of this tea, this cup seems to be more about the beautiful fruit and floral notes … as if somehow, Tea from Taiwan has managed to capture the essence of the air of a mountainside of fruit trees while in bloom … that crisp, brisk air as the fruit blossoms weave their magic throughout.
My third and final cup is softer … smoother, and perhaps my favorite cup of the three. The flavors have become more united in this cup … here, the fruit notes have melded so nicely with the floral tones to create a taste that is mostly fruit, but also touched with the essence of flower … and just a hint of vegetable in the background. This cup is significantly lighter than the first, but it is very refreshing.
A very enjoyable tea, this Tsuei Luan Tea, it is one I highly recommend to Oolong enthusiasts! You really should try it!
Wu Ling Tea from Tea from Taiwan
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Tea from Taiwan
Tea Description:
Wu Ling oolong tea (wu-long tea) is our best tea in our regular collection. Wu Ling is a mountain area in Taichung county and its high altitude (more than 2000 meters) contributes to the ideal growing conditions for wu long tea.
Another reason why Wu Ling wu long tea is of such fine quality is the soil of the Wu Ling area. Wu Ling was a fruit producing region for many years until economic conditions favored imported fruit over home-grown apples and pears. Former orchards in the Wu Ling area were converted into oolong tea plantations, and Wu Ling wu long tea is renowned for its fruity quality.
Wu Ling is located on Mount Li (Li Shan or Pear Mountain) and wu long tea from Mount Li is the most prized wu long tea in Taiwan. It is ideally suited for gong fu style brewing and can be re-brewed up to eight times while still retaining plenty of flavor.
More information about the Li Shan area of Taiwan (including a section on Wu Ling wu long tea) can be found on this website about Wu Ling farm.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Wu Ling Oolong is a very subtle tea with sweet notes of vanilla, cane sugar, and pear. Now as good as that sounds, don’t think that these notes are going to jump up and do a jig on your taste buds. This tea has a polite mannerism that evolves through multiple steeps and must be sipped slowly and savored for each succulent note.
Of course this tea is best brewed gong fu style and through the multiple steeps produces more notes to enjoy.
As you enjoy infusions you will find notes that range from sweet, as I mentioned above, to spicy, nutty, toasty, bake-y, floral, buttery, and fruity.
This green oolong still has a nice roast-y flavor, but unlike it’s darker counterparts is much more delicate and more vegetal in flavor.
This tea is quite complex and layered, some have said it is a bit too confusing for them while others absolutely adore it. Personally, I find it quite enjoyable but more so when I really have time to relax, such as while reading, or enjoying the outdoors. It allows me time to really savor each note as it comes forward.
I especially love this tea because I have an intense sweet tooth and butterscotch candies are one of my favorite candies. Between the cane sugar note, and the butter note, I do taste butterscotch candy in this tea every so often.
In dry form the tea has a wonderful aroma, steeped the color of the tea is a very light yellow, leaning toward a deeper golden yellow in forward steeps. Interesting how the tea becomes darker not lighter in progressive steeps. It only goes to show what a good tea this is since it has such staying power and continues to give off its bounty of notes. The leaf once steeped really expands allowing you to see how each leaf had been carefully rolled into the tiny nuggets. The aroma of the steeped leaf is my favorite of the two aromas between dry and steeped as it gives off a deeper darker note of extra crispy toast. It is no surprise that I prefer this over the pre-steeped state as I do normally prefer darker oolong.
For a green oolong however, this tea is top notch and I will throughly enjoy the rest of my many steeps to come.
Hua Gang Oolong from Tea From Taiwan
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Tea From Taiwan
Tea Description:
This premium-quality oolong tea is grown in the Li Shan mountain range at an altitude of 2400 meters. The climate of these high mountains is ideal for growing fine oolong tea. The cool air and high humidity produce a tea with full, robust flavor and long-lasting aftertaste.
The brewed tea has an exquisite aroma and brews to an appealing amber liquor. The leaves can can be re-brewed many times while maintaining a full flavor.
Tea grown on Mount Li (Li Shan or Pear Mountain) is the most prized oolong tea in Taiwan. It is ideally suited for gong fu style brewing.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The aroma of this tea is so sinful. Sweet, dreamy, creamy, like buttered popcorn. Before even taking a sip, I’m in love.
The after taste is of such a crisp green grassy flavor, like after a light morning rainfall. Not a gloomy rainfall but a summer sun shower. Everything is bright, clear, and clean smelling.
Like a summer shower, spirits are lifted and worries drift away when sipping this lovely tea, and like the summer sun, the color of this tea is golden yellow, beautiful.
There is an element to this tea that reminds me of genmaicha, its that toasted rice taste that resembles popcorn. Its one of my favorite flavors.
I also want to mention the floral aspect of this tea. A Steepter friend of mine mentioned geranium flower and I could not agree more!
There are also spicy and herbaceous notes to this tea as well. Slightly like cinnamon that tingles the palate and leaves it just a tad bit warm. The herbaceous notes come through most in the after taste and linger with the geranium note.
The only thing I am saddened about right now is that my sample is gone. This is truly a tea to be coveted and I would love to see this in my regular stash.
It is truly a complex and complete tea, layered in flavors, each time you peel back one layer another presents, all cumulating into one delicious experience.