Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: TeaScapes
Product Description:
This tea brews to a pale color and the sweetly fragrant magnolia blossoms produce a rich scent. The leaves are large and delicately hand-rolled. This tea aids in digestion and has an elegant floral flavor.
Taster’s Review:
Exquisite!
The magnolia essence here is very strong. The first two infusions deliver a powerful magnolia taste, but it never comes across as perfume-y. Just pleasantly sweet and floral.
In those first two infusions, I noticed a creamy, buttery taste and a hint of vegetative flavor too. I found that with the first two infusions especially, that these different flavors were presented as very distinct, individual notes. With the subsequent infusions, the flavors began to meld together and become seamless and very smooth. My later infusions (I steeped the tea six times) were by far superior to the first two, and I really liked the first two!
The aroma is equally as captivating as the flavor, smelling of fresh spring breezes when magnolia trees are in bloom. I have never been to the south where magnolia trees are abundant, but, my gramma’s neighbor had a couple of magnolia trees in her back yard, and I remember the aroma that permeated the air as the trees bloomed – so beautiful! And these tea leaves have captured that fragrance well.
If you’ve not tried a Magnolia Oolong, I highly recommend it. If you love jasmine tea, I think you will become quite fond of Magnolia Oolong teas as well!
Shade Grown Tie Guan Yin from Norbu Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Norbu Tea
Product Description:
Our Shade Grown Tie Guan Yin is a green style Anxi Tie Guan Yin that was harvested and processed* in the Spring of 2011, but the way it was grown makes the mouthfeel and particularly the aftertaste quite different from traditionally grown Tie Guan Yin. Our Shade Grown Tie Guan Yin was grown very much like Japan’s Kabusecha (a partially shade-grown green tea). It was grown in full sun like a regular Tie Guan Yin until 2-3 weeks before harvest. At that point, a cover/net was rolled out directly on top of the tea plants to block about half of the sunlight. The reduced exposure to sunlight increases amino acid & chlorophyll levels in the leaves, resulting in a finished product with a fuller mouthfeel and an exceptionally rich, penetrating and mouth-coating bittersweet aftertaste.
Taster’s Review:
Norbu Tea has an excellent collection of high quality teas, and I’ve always been very impressed with teas (and especially their Oolongs!) that I’ve received from them. So, when I received this Shade Grown Tie Guan Yin in my Oolong October Steepster Select package, I was thrilled. I had very high expectations, and again, I find that Norbu Tea has not only met those expectations, but exceeded them.
The brewed tea smells beautiful. Very floral! Hints of lilac that remind me of my gramma’s backyard in the springtime. Orchid. Honeysuckle. It is a very lush floral fragrance.
The flavor is sublime. It tastes sweet and floral, and the mouthfeel is thick and rich. Creamy. I want to say “buttery” but it really isn’t quite like butter, it is more like sweet cream. The aftertaste is sweet, but with a slight savory tone to keep it from coming across as too sweet. It is a very luxurious tea to sip.
Generally, you would find me recommending Norbu Tea’s Ali Shan Oolong (and my preference is for the spring or fall harvest Ali Shan) … and I still do! But, I now need to include yet another onto my list of recommendations for Norbu Tea: Shade Grown Tie Guan Yin! If you are a fan of Tie Guan Yin, you MUST try this one. It is likely to become your favorite!
Stong Fire Oolong from The Tao of Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: The Tao of Tea
Product Description:
Native Name: Dark Tieguanyin
Named after the Chinese Goddess of Mercy Kuan Yin, Tieguanyin is one of the more popular rolled oolongs. Although Tieguanyin varietals are native and to Anxi county in Fujian province, many other areas in China are now also cultivating this varietal. There are apparent differences between the various Tieguanyin varietals, each with its own unique characteristics.
In making Strong Fire only the mature, hardy leaves are plucked. They are then withered in the sun for a few hours to reduce moisture. Once suitable suppleness is achieved in the leaves, traditional rolling techniques (at least 13 different motions) are applied in conjunction with light roasting to achieve the optimum shape and flavor. A final high roast is given to complete the processing.
Taster’s Review:
This one scared me a bit. The name “Strong Fire” suggests to me that this might be a very smoky tea. And while it does have well-pronounced smoked tones to it, it certainly is not at all what I expected. The smoky flavor is so perfectly balanced with a roasty-toasty flavor that it doesn’t come off as liquid smoke. It’s actually quite pleasant.
The roasting of these leaves imparts a certain wood-like taste to the cup, as well as the aforementioned roasted flavor and smoky undertones. These bring out the natural sweetness of the Oolong tea, converting what might otherwise be a fruity or floral sweetness to a well-caramelized sweetness. The high roasting imparts a savory, almost burnt flavor to the leaves, enhancing the burnt sugar quality of the caramel flavor.
I like this so much more than I thought I would, and I am finding that each subsequent infusion (I got six incredible infusions from one measurement of leaves) is equally as lovely. I guess it just goes to show you not to judge a tea by its name!
Iron Butterfly from WhiteAugust Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: WhiteAugust Tea Company
Product Description:
Tie Guan Yin is one of the most enjoyed of the Chinese Oolongs. The spring leaves and buds are toasted in large woks which enhances the tea fragrance. Mild and smooth, this tea is easy to pair with any meal.
Taster’s Review:
The dry leaf has a very subtle yet intriguing aroma that is very “outdoorsy” to me. I can smell elements of wood and smoke, as well as hints of flower. There is also a distinct fruity note. On Steepster my SororiTea Sister – Jennifer aka TeaEqualsBliss – described that fruity scent as grape-like, and I agree with that comparison. It’s really a beautiful fragrance.
After steeping, the liquor has a strong smoky scent but I am thankful that that smoky essence does not translate as strongly to the taste. There is a hint of smokiness to the flavor, but, I would really describe it more as a roasty-toasty kind of flavor than a smoky flavor.
This tea also possesses a lovely peach-like flavor in the background, as well as a deep woodsy flavor. It is very smooth with a light astringency at the tail and a sweet roasted aftertaste. The overall cup is mellow and quite soothing. A great tea to enjoy later in the afternoon, when you’re wanting to unwind, or after a meal to help calm the spirit.
Lovely!
Tie Guan Yin Special Edition from Life in Teacup
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Life in Teacup
Product Description:
Traditional charcoal roast with Tie Guan Yin and Mao Xie.
Taster’s Review:
I adore Oolong teas, and this Tie Guan Yin is superb!
The leaves are dark, a result of charcoal roasting. The roasting has imparted a delicious toasty flavor to the natural nutty tones of the Oolong. The buttery flavor that is often a part of Oolong has become more of a caramel sweetness. It’s almost like a dessert in a teacup!
The sip starts with with an introduction of the sweet yet savory roasted nut flavor which soon gives way to a hint of flower (almost honeysuckle-esque). The caramel notes sit in the background, never becoming too prominent or overwhelming. The mouthfeel here is light, much lighter than a very green Oolong would be, and not nearly as creamy. A whisper of smoke weaves its way throughout the sip and remains through the aftertaste.
Overall the tea is bittersweet with the emphasis on sweet rather than on bitter. There is a moderate amount of cleansing astringency at the finish. In subsequent infusions, I noticed that the smoky flavor came through a little more – but it was never an overpowering presence.
It’s absolutely delicious and a must try for Oolong enthusiasts.
I love all the teas that I’ve tried thus far from Life in Teacup. I love their philosophy too, which can be read on their homepage:
“We believe tea is a luxury of time, and not necessarily a luxury of money.”
I agree. While some teas can be extraordinarily expensive, I like it when I find a company that offers delicious, high quality teas at an affordable price, such as Life in Teacup!