Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Nan Nuo Shan
Tea Description:
This tea is produced in Gande, a village famous for the complexity of its Tie Guan Yin tea. Clear and fragrant, it possesses a mild flowery taste and a milky texture.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Mmm! In an effort to get all the reviews finished that I want to get finished before May 31st, I’ll be writing about a lot more Oolongs! No complaints from me! I love Oolong!
And this Anxi Tie Guan Yin Oolong from Nan Nuo Shan is so delightful. Sweet and floral with a beautifully silky texture! It’s smooth from start to finish.
My first cup (infusions 1 – 3 … smaller gaiwan!) has very little astringency. I do notice a slight drying sensation toward the tail. Mostly what I notice is the sweet honey-like flavor that is accentuated with the soft, creamy texture and the lovely floral notes that evoke thoughts of orchid. No sharpness with this first cup – it has an almost vanilla-y flavor to it. Sweet, creamy and luscious!
And that cup was GONE before I could finish writing about it – that’s how delightful it tastes!
My second cup was stronger in flavor than the first. The creamy notes have waned and I’m not picking up on as much of the vanilla flavors that I noticed in the first cup. It’s still quite delicious but definitely different than the first cup. The floral notes are more pronounced now. I still get that lovely honey-like sweetness. The texture isn’t as silky as the first cup but I’m still noticing very little astringency here.
This cup seems to be more rounded – it’s not as sweet as the first – it’s more balanced between sweet and savory elements.
My third cup (infusions 7 – 9) was still really flavorful, even after so many infusions! That’s one thing you’ve got to love about Oolong tea – they deliver on the flavor and on mileage! They keep on steeping!
The cup was not quite as strong as the second cup. The floral notes were softer than the second cup, but stronger than the first. I still get that delicious honeyed note and I’m starting to pick up on the faintest notes of fruit now. Apple! Sweet and even hints of tart that provide a palate-pleasing roundness of flavor.
A really nice Tie Guan Yin, one of the nicest I’ve ever had! I have been so impressed with the teas that I’ve tried from Nan Nuo Shan these teas are of exceptional quality … seriously, if you haven’t tried anything from them yet, I recommend them highly!
Iron Goddess Oolong Tea from Dachi Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Dachi Tea
Tea Description:
Commonly referred to as a Tie Guan Yin, the Iron Goddess Oolong has a mature, nutty, smoky aroma that leads you nicely into a very full-bodied tea with the puckering effect of citrus fruit. The sweet linger of this tea reminds you of dried apricots, but the woodsy and earthy taste which comes from the deep roast could well lead the mature palette to pick up more savoury notes.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
A really lovely Iron Goddess Oolong Tea from Dachi Tea! This is a Taiwanese Tie Guan Yin – so you’ll experience more of the roasty-toasty, nutty flavors with this tea as opposed to the creamy, floral notes of a jade/greener Tie Guan Yin.
To brew this, I measured a bamboo scoop of the tightly wound pellets of tea into the bowl of my gaiwan. I heated my kettle to 180°F and poured just enough water over the leaves to cover them. Then I let this steep for 15 seconds to awaken the leaves. After straining off the liquid and discarding, I filled the gaiwan with hot water and let it steep for 45 seconds for the first infusion. For each subsequent infusion, I added 15 seconds. Each cup is the combination of two infusions, so my first cup is infusions 1 and 2, the second cup is infusions 3 and 4 … and so on!
The flavor is very much what I’d expect from a top-notch roasted Tie Guan Yin. I must say that my experiences with Dachi Tea thus far have all been very positive – this is a company you really should experience!
My first cup is smooth, sweet and toasty. It’s nutty, fruity and creamy … and oh-so-wonderful to sip! It’s not bitter (I rarely encounter an Oolong that is!) and there’s very little astringency to this cup. Just a hint of tangy ‘pucker’ at the end that works with this tea because I’m also picking up on some lovely citrus-y notes toward the tail. This tangy quality plays well to that citrus tone.
As I neared the bottom of my cup, I also started picking up on the apricot notes as the description above suggests – and I like the way the sweet apricot flavors contrast with some of the earthier, woodsier notes of the tea and how those earthy, woodsy notes complement the the roasted nutty flavors. It’s a beautiful medley of tastes in one teacup.
The second cup was not quite as creamy as the first cup – but still just as flavorful. That is to say that the texture was thinner now, not as creamy feeling on the palate, but I’m still getting delicious nutty notes that remind me of freshly roasted chestnuts and that really pleasant citrus note toward the tail. The flavors I experienced in the first cup are still there for the second and they’re better defined now.
With my last cup (cup 3) I found the flavors starting to mellow and become more unified. I could still taste the toasted nutty flavors and the sweet apricot notes, the notes of wood and earth and citrus, but they seemed to have less distinction between them, like they were melding into a seamless flavor.
Another really fascinating cup of tea from Dachi Tea – I’ve loved every cup that I’ve tasted from them! This is a must try company!
Ti Kuan Yin Oolong Tea from Fong Mong Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Fong Mong Tea
Tea Description:
Adopting pure An-Xi Ti Kuan Yin tea seeds, and producing under Taiwan traditional technique standards, medium fermented also heavy baked, traditional Ti Kuan Yin Oolong tea is leading out a unique Kuan Yin aroma differing greatly from Chinese one, deeply presenting authentic Taiwanese flavor of Ti Kuan Yin.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I took my first sip of this tea, I found myself thinking: “This is really different. Isn’t this a Ti Kuan Yin?” I’m used to Ti Kuan Yin tasting more vegetal and floral, but this Ti Kuan Yin Oolong Tea from Fong Mong Tea tastes roasted and nutty.
Then I read the description above. This is a Taiwanese Ti Kuan Yin and instead of the greener type Oolong, this one has been baked which gives it that roasty-toasty flavor. Where I’m usually tasting floral notes, I’m experiencing more of a sweet, nutty flavor.
To brew this tea, I grabbed my gaiwan. I started with a quick 15 second rinse in hot water. Then I steeped the first infusion for 45 seconds (the water was heated to 180°F) and strained the tea into my cup. I added 15 seconds onto each subsequent infusion. The first cup was made up of the first two infusions; my second cup was infusions 3 and 4 … and so on.
My first cup is very much what I experienced above: sweet, roasted and nutty. I taste light honey-like notes. It has a very smooth and silky mouthfeel. This cup isn’t as creamy as other Ti Kuan Yin teas I’ve tasted, this is more mineral-y. Different, but I am enjoying what makes it different.
My second cup has stronger roasted notes with more pronounced notes of mineral. The roasted flavor is so strong that it almost has a coffee-like flavor, only this is smoother than a typical cup of coffee and lacks the bitterness. This is really smooth and has very little astringency. This second cup of coffee truly evokes thoughts of a really good cup of coffee, only better – because it’s tea.
My third and final cup was very similar to the first two – the roasted notes were very well-defined and again – a lot like a cup of coffee only better. This time, I do pick up on more astringency – I experience a light dryness toward the tail. It’s still not very pronounced, though, so those who tend to shy away at the word “astringency” shouldn’t shy away from this tea because the astringency is barely noticeable.
A very lovely – and different! – Ti Kuan Yin!
Iron Buddha Oolong Tea from Canton Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Canton Tea Co.
Tea Description:
This classic Tie Guan Yin produces a delicious, light-coloured, medium-bodied liquor. The first infusion combines toasty, floral notes with a touch of honey and becomes more fruity with successive infusions.
The dark, lightly oxidised green leaves are rolled into small tight fists. The liquor is amber-green with a smooth, heavy texture on the tongue. The flowery and fruity profile of this tea has a touch of honey and at first releases the pleasant orchid notes – after a couple of brews it yields the soft fruitier notes and has a sweet long lasting after taste.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Tonight’s Oolong is this lovely Iron Buddha Oolong Tea from Canton Tea Co.!
My first cup (infusions 1 and 2) is very much like the above description suggests: a medium-bodied tea with a soft, silky texture. Warm, toasty notes with hints of nutty flavors and beautiful floral tones that hint at a honey-like sweetness. The cup is sweet and flowery. Delightful!
My second cup (infusions 3 and 4) is where I begin to notice some fruit notes emerging. I taste notes of apricot. The honey notes that I picked up on in the first cup are still here and I love the way the apricot and honey play together on the palate. Sweet and delectable. The nutty flavors I noticed in the first cup have waned somewhat, this cup is less ‘toasty’ and more about the notes of fruit and flower. The body of this cup is a little creamier than the first cup.
My third cup (infusions 5 and 6) is a marriage of most of the flavors that I mentioned previously. The flavors of honey and apricot have melded together to create a unified flavor. The floral notes are a little sharper now because this cup isn’t quite as creamy as the second cup was, which seems to allow the floral notes to come into focus. I taste very little of the toasty notes of the first cup now, this cup is much more floral than either of the two previous cups were.
I really enjoyed how the flavors transitioned as I sipped on each cup. It was a lovely tea journey, one I was very happy to take!
Nonpareil Anxi Qing Xiang TieGuanYin Oolong Tea from Teavivre
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Tea Description:
This year, the tea is made of fresh tea leaves in higher quality, and is produced in better place with better crafting method.
When mentioned Anxi County, people will spontaneously think of Anxi Tie Guan Yin, “Iron Goddess”. It is well-known both inland and abroad. This Tie Guan Yin is close to forest green in color, has a pure aroma. Meanwhile the liquid of this Oolong tea is transparent and bright, which truly is a feast to the eyes. In taste, this Tie Guan Yin has sweet flavor, long-last fragrance and comfortable sweet aftertaste.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I know that I’ve said it before, but it’s something that bears repeating: Teavivre has some of the very finest teas that I’ve ever tasted! There’s a simple reason why it’s one of my favorite tea companies: their teas are top-notch!
And this Nonpareil Anxi Qing Xiang TieGuanYin Oolong is no exception! This is lovely.
Having tried their Nonpareil Anxi Yun Xiang TieGuanYin Oolong a couple of months ago, I found myself wondering how this tea would differ. I was able to spot one big difference immediately upon opening the package and examining the leaves. The dry leaf for this tea is bright, emerald green while the Anxi Yun Xiang TieGuanYin were darker in color: greenish brown!
That’s because the Anxi Yun Xian is a roasted Oolong and this hasn’t been roasted. The roasting process seems to cut some of the floral notes and they become more of a roasty-toasty, nutty flavor. I like both teas.
To brew this tea, I used my gaiwan and measured a bamboo scoop of leaves into the bowl of the gaiwan. Then I added enough water (heated to 180°F) to cover the leaves. I let them steep for 15 seconds and discarded the water (this is the rinse). Then I filled the gaiwan and let the tea steep for 45 seconds for the first infusion. I strained the tea into my cup and then repeated the process, adding 15 seconds onto the next steep. I combine the brewed liquid of two infusions for each cup – so my first cup was infusions 1 and 2. My second cup was infusions 3 and 4. You get the picture, right?
The sweet floral notes here are really nice. They aren’t sharp, they’re soft and sweet. Orchid with notes of vanilla! That’s how I’d describe this first cup. It’s sweet and creamy, but not creamy like a milky type of creamy or a buttery type of creamy. This is distinctly vanilla! So smooth and sweet and yummy!
The second cup has stronger, more defined orchid notes with less of a creamy, vanilla tone. The flavors are a more focused. The description on the Teavivre website says:
Tastes fresh and lovely. The fragrance of orchid will be tasted from first sip. It feels clean and mellow in mouth, has sweet aftertastes and long-lasting flavor.
I think that this is especially true of this second cup. The orchid was immediately identifiable. With the first cup, I noticed the strong, creamy characteristics first. Now, the creaminess has tapered somewhat and I’m tasting the fresh, beautiful flavor of orchid. It’s a strong and forward flavor, but I like that it’s not too sharp tasting.
The third cup was almost identical to the second cup, with a beautifully perfumed cup with notes of orchid, light creamy notes in the background. Sweet and mellow! I am loving the orchid notes in this tea because they never get particularly sharp, they stay mild and lovely. A real pleasure to sip.
This is a really lovely TieGuanYin. If you’re a lover of Oolong teas that is looking for a top notch TieGuanYin – you really should try this one. It’s truly a remarkable tea.