Tea Type:
Oolong Tea
Where To Buy:
Zi Chun
Product Description:
Gui Fei oolong made in similar fashion to Oriental Beauty in that the tea leaves are bitten by small green insects. It is the insects biting the leaves that gives these teas their unique honey characteristic aroma and taste, and also initiates the oxidization process. The main difference with Gui Fei is that 1.) it is grown in the central regions of Taiwan (Oriental beauty is grown primarily in the North) and 2.) Gui Fei is processed using traditional Dong Ding oolong processing techniques.
Tasters Review:
I’m not sure why – perhaps it’s just a personal preference – but I tend to drink Oolong Teas in the afternoon. While I’m working and writing and writing and working I tend to drink teas that I can infuse over and over again. The other day this tea accomplished both. This tea is from Zi Chun and is their Gui Fei Oolong Tea.
It’s not overly colorful once infused – more of a tint or a hue than a color – but that doesn’t mean it lacks for aroma. It’s gently roasted yet slightly sweet. It’s not lacking flavor but the flavor is not intense either. Eventho I was sipping on this while frantically writing and typing in the afternoon I could totally picture myself unwinding with this tea in the evening, too. It’s incredibly smooth and comforting.
A few things I found out about this tea is that it was harvested in the summer of 2013 in Lugu township, Nantou County, Central Taiwan at the elevation of 1,200 – 1,500 feet. Another thing that I enjoyed learning about this tea is that it’s also known as King’s Concubine tea.
Just when I think I might stray away from Oolongs – a really fabulous one enters my life – that I must listen to and try – and try over and over again. THIS is one of those Oolongs!
Rose Oolong Tea from Zi Chun Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Zi Chun Tea Co.
Tea Description:
Our tea master produces our popular Rose oolong by scenting oolong tea repeatedly with fresh rose petals. The outcome is a fresh tasting oolong with a pleasant rose aroma.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Rose Oolong Tea from Zi Chun Tea Co. is absolutely lovely! Rose scenting is not normally something I associate with Oolong teas, usually, I can find rose scented black teas with no problem but rose scented Oolong teas are less common.
But I love the sweetness and slight sharpness that the rose imparts on the soft, silky Oolong tea leaf. This Rose Oolong does not have an overpowering rose essence, it’s delicate and allows for the beautiful complexity of the Oolong to emerge.
This Oolong is a greener Oolong, so the flavor is buttery and floral, and the floral notes of the Oolong marry well with the rose tones, making this an obviously floral Oolong but, I like that I’m not overwhelmed by floral notes as I sip this. I don’t feel like I’m being beaten over the head with flower bouquets!
I brewed this the way I would normally approach an Oolong – in my gaiwan. After a quick rinse, I infused the leaves twice (first infusion was 45 seconds, and the second was 60 seconds), and combined the strained liquid from both infusions into one cup. My second cup was produced similarly, using infusions 3 and 4, and the third cup was comprised of infusions 5 and 6.
The first cup was the most delicate tasting of the three cups. It had a soft, silky, buttery texture and a soft buttery taste to go with it. There were distinct floral notes. There is a barely-there note of vegetation in the background. Mostly with the first cup, what I taste is sweet floral notes that are a little sharp around the edges but not in a perfume-ish way, buttery notes and an undertone of honey-like sweetness.
The second cup had a much creamier undertone than the first cup, the soft and silky notes turned into a very rich and creamy taste and texture. The rose remained the top note, but, it is somewhat softer now, offering a very pleasant, subtle rose note that is much more subdued in this tea than you might experience from a black Rose Congou. I like the rose like this … I like it a lot! There are hints of nutty background notes, and a very enjoyable sweetness that rounds out this cup.
With my third cup, I noticed the flavors starting to meld. The nutty background notes previously mentioned are a little more prominent, but, the rose still remains the top note. A sweetness that reminds me of honey. There is less creaminess now, more floral notes, and a hint of what tastes almost like a tart apple in the distance.
This tea is a must try for the rose tea fans out there. I really like how different rose tastes with Oolong tea as the base!
Premium Jasmine Oolong Tea from Zi Chun Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Zi Chun Tea Co.
Tea Description:
High quality hand picked jinxuan oolong blended with natural jasmine flower.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I do love Jasmine teas, as I’ve mentioned many times before, and while white Jasmine teas tend to be my favorite now, I really like Jasmine Oolong teas. I like the way the sweet, exotic essence of the jasmine flower melds with the smooth, creamy notes of the Oolong tea – in this case, a jinxuan Oolong – it seems to be a marriage made in heaven when jasmine flower and Oolong tea comes together. This is certainly true of this Premium Jasmine Oolong Tea from Zi Chun Tea Company.
This is really delightful. The heavier “creamy” notes of the Oolong seem to offset the sometimes sharp notes of the jasmine … and together the two components offer a flavor that is soft, sweet, delicately floral and smooth.
The natural floral notes of the Oolong tea and the jasmine complement each other in a very lovely way … sometimes I find the natural floral notes of a greener Oolong like this tea to be somewhat overwhelming for the palate … but here, even though this is a FLORAL tea, the floral notes do not inundate the palate the way an unscented green Oolong tea’s floral notes sometimes can.
This Oolong tea – like so many other high quality Oolong teas – can be steeped multiple times. I find that the later steepings of this tea are especially wonderful … the jasmine notes subside just a little bit, and really unify with the Oolong.
A really fantastic tea journey awaits with this Jasmine Oolong from Zi Chun!
Oriental Beauty from Zi Chun Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Zi Chun Tea Co.
Tea Description:
This exotic “Champagne of Tea” is probably the most fascinating of all the oolong teas. Its rich taste & sweet, smooth honey aroma gives it a unique flavor, not unlike a fine mellow, black tea.Its processing is characterized by heavy oxidation (60% to 70%) and heavy withering (13% to 25%). The oxidation process is initiated before the leaves are plucked by nature’s assistance in the form of small insects biting the tender leaves. See this article in T Ching for more information on this amazing tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m really enjoying this Oriental Beauty from Zi Chun Tea Company. Of course, that comes as no surprise to me, because I love Oriental Beauty Oolong teas!
What never ceases to amaze me though, is just how amazing the flavor is of an Oriental Beauty. It’s so different from other Oolong teas. It has a bright fruit taste, rather than a floral one (although there are some floral tones), and this particular Oriental Beauty offers not just a sweet fruit note, but also a compelling and contrasting sour note, providing a very savory tea experience.
I brewed this the way I typically brew an Oolong – in my gaiwan! – using short steeping times. I start with a quick rinse (10 – 15 seconds), discarding the liquid, and then I steep the first infusion for 45 seconds. I pour this into my cup, and then I add the water to my gaiwan for the second infusion. I add 15 seconds to each subsequent infusion, so this second infusion is steeped for a minute. After a minute has lapsed, I pour the liquid into the same cup as my first infusion, combining the two infusions. I like to combine the infusions, as it makes for a very satisfying tea flavor. Each infusion of an Oolong tends to have slightly different qualities, and when I combine the two infusions this way, it provides a rich, lovely flavor.
Subsequent infusions of this Oolong reveal slightly more floral notes, but these are slight. I find that the fruit tone remains strong here, and by the third and fourth infusions, I start to notice a honey-esque note emerge. This gets stronger with the third cup (infusions five and six). By this time, the flavors have become more seamless, and the sour tones have softened significantly. It is a very soothing tea to drink.
I really enjoyed this Oolong – it truly is a beauty!
Organic Gaba Oolong Tea from Zi Chun Tea Co
Tea Type: Oolong (Gaba)
Where To Buy: Zi Chun Tea Co
Product Description:
This is a great tasting oolong tea – with a flavor more closely resembling a light tasting black tea. It is becoming very popular because of it’s unique health properties. It contains copious quantities of GABA – a highly sought after health supplement.
Tasters Review:
It’s a beautiful thing when you find something that tastes good and is good FOR you, right!? Well, this Organic Gaba Oolong from Zi Chun fits the bill for both!
This is a very refreshing tea! A solid Oolong! This also has slight nutty-sweet type notes throughout the sip which I really appreciate!
If you haven’t tried Gaba yet PLEASE do! And this one is a great please to start!