Beautiful Taiwan Tea Company

Dry leaf smell is malty. Beautiful long twisted black leaves.
First infusion, 10 seconds. Liquor comes out a dark blonde color. Thought that was surprising until I realized the leaves didn’t get a chance to open up. The flavor is delicious and buttery.

Second infusion, 10 seconds. Liquor is a slightly darker blonde. The wet leaf smells a bit like… burnt grass? There is a green/hay smell but also a smokey scent mixed it with it. Hmm. Flavor remains smooth and buttery with a hint of fruitiness on the back end.

Third infusion, 20 seconds. Color remains the same. This is one of the lighter colored black teas I have ever seen. Looks like a lightly oxidized oolong. One thing is for sure, thus far this is a consistent tea in color and flavor.

Finally using the other 5g of this sample. I forgot how light this tea is for a ripe. I spoke to that in my review almost a year ago but I am finding it is holding true still today. Slightly smokey, with little to no fermentation flavor. If you would have blind folded me I would have guessed this was some sort of light roasted black or maybe an aged oolong. Interesting.

I was given a 10g sample of this in a sample pack I ordered from Beautiful Taiwan Tea (of which I am very much enjoying).

This was unlike any ripe I’ve had before which isn’t saying much as I’ve only had a handful to this point. Usually I find ripe puerh to be dark, heavy, earthy. I’ve come to expect this. But this tea was very light handed in all those respects.

I did about 5g in my Gaiwan (which can hold about 3.5 oz). I did a flash rinse and the liquor came off as very light. The leaves had a smell that was vaguely earthy but nothing like I had come to expect.

First steep was boiling at 12 seconds. The liquor came out with a golden hue and the scent on it and the leaves were light in terms of puerh. The liquor tasted smooth with a slightly florals and earthy more. What both my wife and I noticed was the numbing sensation in our lips and tongue.

This continues through the next 3 steeps. I had to take a break for lunch and shoveling snow. When I came back to this to finish my session, I steeped it in boiling water for 30 seconds. Watery. Dumped it and tried again at 2 minutes. Mostly watery. I fear my break killed it. No worries, I have enough for one more session!

Overall this was a great and unique experience for me with a shou. I didn’t know they could be so light.

Way more leaves filling up my giant ball this time, and Western steeping time at around three minutes. That did the trick. I still get the classical Assam maltiness with the tomato, honey, and cream. But I also tasted very distinctive grain notes like rye and oat. Now that I think about it, this tea would pair well with a grilled cheese in the morning. Maybe that grilled cheese should have tomato, onion, or even apples.

Either way, I’m enjoying it much more this time.

Thank you Beautiful Taiwan for this incredibly generous sample.

Now, I have a third Taiwan Moon Lake black tea in my collection. It also requires a resteep. I’m getting cooked tomato, malt, a bit of cream, white bread, smoothness, and honey. Not quite feeling it. This could be due to the specific leaves in this cup, and will probably be different the next time I make it.

I over-leafed last time. Only six leaves this time at about three ounces, 190, Western at 3 minutes, and this got a balance I’m digging more. Sweeter than last time with nice roasted nuts followed by a nice vegetal woody spectrum. The marine notes are more in the later steeps. Instead, I got a very strong roasted cedar taste, maybe even a pine. I like it so much more, and I am glad that I have 10 grams of it. Not too much, not too little.

Wanted to try out of experimentation and yearning. I’ve actually had mixed feelings about some darker oolongs, and wanted to see if this one dispelled any of them.

I get the notes already on here like wet rocks, grass, salt, sweetness, and roast. I also get sesame, salt, seaweed, butter, and highly cooked pastry crust. It got sweeter in later steeps, but saltier at first. The sweetness actually goes well with the odd marine and fire qualities. Memories of Makapuu beach and the mountains on Oahu come to me. For those memories, I like this tea. I would not buy this one in higher amounts and I’m personally not sure if I would buy it again, but I’d certainly be willing to try this varietal another time. This is also more for tasters than those who prefer a classic green or Earl Grey.

Now it’s time for the re-review were I’m a bit less critical, or what some may call the product of buyers rationalization. In short, Stockholm Syndrome.

This brew was from the same ALL CAPS post last night. Some fishiness is still there, but thankfully as a weird approximation to the kind of fatty malt this tea can have. Like before, it definitely has the same malty and cocoa aspects as Ceylon Black sans bitterness and astringency. But it is considerably lighter, smoother, and more caramel like in the same way that a Dian Hong can be. Actually, sweet potato is that note. It has a Dian Hong’s sweet potato note. I found it fairly comparable to the Kenyan Premium White, but preferring that one over this one. Nevertheless, this really is more of a morning tea. I know that it has mild caffeine, but it’s better for a gradual kick with a soothing slow sun rise…though I’m totally getting a mega caffeinated black anyway ‘cause I’m just warming up. This was at 190 degrees and a minute and 45 seconds steeping maybe four to five grams. Second was 2 min and 5 sec, 2 min and 50, 3 min and 10, and so on. Last night’s steeping was probably four to five minutes. TRY AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Now moving on to a more personal note to the Steepster Community. I’m trying to narrow down the teas I can’t be without. I need to spend less on tea and save for things like travel. I’ve ranted how I’ve always wanted to go to Europe. Now I should execute the means to do it. The Misty Mountain and the French Toast Dianhong are definite. I will also be watching Liquid Proust and A Quarter to Tea for anticipated new releases. The best Dan Cong and Qi Lan for the best price are also definite, which I’m leaning towards What-Cha and or Berylleb Tea King for (unless any of you can name more). The best and cheapest Dong Ding and Milk Oolong. J-Tea, I have to at least try. A good coffee replacement is also on my consideration (looking to you Eco-Cha Dong Ding). Loashan Roasted Oolong from Verdant, maybe. A good herbal (Winterwolf and or Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride). I know this is not a narrow list, but I’m trying to push it down further. Letting go of material attachment can be sooooo much fun. I’ll post this on a discussion board too, but this is not a bad place to start.

DON’T OVERSTEEP. TASTE LIKE FISH BROTH IF OVER DONE.

Interesting. I get the expected notes of both a regular silver needle with the Ceylon black tea. Honeydew, hay, some malt, and a little bit of cocoa. Three solid steeps western. First time was at three minutes and thirty seconds. It is darker than a normal white; I see why this was nearly named as an oolong.

I like it, but am a little bit underwhelmed compared to the other good teas I’ve had from Beautiful Taiwan. Wish there was more going on with it. Probably would be great Grandpa Style. I also think I’d have to be in the mood for it or traveling.

Light, sweet, buttery, delicate. All of these things describe this green tea. It is not heavy handed but if you pause and take the time to focus on the delicate nature of this tea, you will be pleasantly surprised. I brewed it western style and was able to get 2 really good steeps and 1 weak one at the end but I am excited to try it gong fu and see what that reveals.

Used the last of my sample of this tonight. This was a delightful oolong. The scent of the leaves and the flavor of the liquor were different enough for me to take note. The wet leaves have a sweet hay/grass scent. The liquid itself had more sweet, slightly floral characteristics. The mouth feel was buttery. I really enjoyed this.

Here’s Hoping TTB R5 #4

I think this might be another tea thats a little older as it doesn’t have too much taste to it once brewed up… It’s still got a little bit of maltiness to it and I’m getting almost a whisper of sweet honey on every third or fourth sip but honestly I can taste the milk I placed in this more than I can the actual tea…. and that says something since I overleafed during brewing because there was a cup and a quarter of tea leaves left in the packet and no one wants a quarter a cup of tea (at least I don’t!!). TTB sipdown but not something anyone should be too upset about missing out on.

I had this to wake me up. I’ve been meaning to get to it, and I’m happy I finally made the time. The brick is tightly compressed and carries a dry earth and decayed wood scent. The leaves are small, dark, and spotted with brilliant gold. I warmed my teapot and popped it in. The scent became thick and grainy. I was picking up notes of oatmeal, decayed wood, maple, and some fermented fruit in the background. I washed the leaves twice to open them up. The steeped leaves give off a fairly different scent consisting of a sharp earth smell with some tangy pine resin. I could also take in dry coco nibs in the background. The taste was good. This brew begins with a nice drying sensation and has a full body. I was tasting a lot of earth and dark wood flavors, and a pleasant sour note finished the taste off. Around the third steeping, I experienced a pleasantly sweet aftertaste. I liked this brew; however, it quickly faltered off. I felt as though I was just starting to get into it when it completely watered down on me. My brew was clear and becoming light, and it had a watery murky taste. The qi was calm and nice and warming. This was a relaxing yet focused feeling, and I enjoyed it. I ended up dumping this and finding another shou to satisfy my craving.

https://www.instagram.com/p/_Mp7c-TGYV/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel

First time I drank it Western style. It was not very impressive to me. Had a vegetal, hay like scent and flavor. Being that I got this in a sampler, I was not too disappointed that there was a small quantity.

This morning, a few days after my original taste, I decided to use the rest of my approx 6g to brew Gong Fu style. I have to say that it is resulting in a much better experience. In the first two steeps, there is still a vegetal quality in the infusions but it is now accented with a slightly sweet citrus after taste on the tongue. The hay scent is still there but, again, it is mellowed and balanced with this method of brewing. The third steep is the most balanced, though I’m not sure if that is because it is losing it’s strength at this point and some of the stronger flavors are fading. To me, it is still a drinkable infusion. Also starting to feel that familiar tea buzz at this point. The 4th steep (at 1 min) still has about the same flavor as the last. This is not a complex tea. It is not swill, by any means. An average every day tea is where I would put it. Which is semi-disappointing with a name like Honey Black Tea. Honey is one of my favorite things on this Earth and I wish there were more of a honey flavor to this. But alas, my rudimentary palate has not yet picked up on it.

The liquor is a golden honey color throughout the first 4 steeps. Very pretty. Maybe that is where the name Honey is attached, the color of the liquor rather than the taste.

Full disclosure, white teas typically aren’t really high up on my list as far as teas are concerned. I usually gravitate towards the dark side. I bought a sampler from Beautiful Taiwan and received this tea in said sampler. Tonight, I wanted a lighter tea before bed.

I must say that I am thoroughly impressed with this tea. The dry leaf smell is playful and inviting. Bright and fragrant. As the tea was steeping, I stuck my nose over the steam. The scent immediately had me excited for what could come out of the teapot. It was sweet and had a fullness to it.

The first sip revealed much of the same. It has a much stronger flavor profile than any white I have ever experienced (which, admittedly, isn’t a whole bunch since I tend not to prefer them). There is a rich sweetness that coats the mouth. But more than that, there was a malty-ness to it that reminded me of a high quality black tea. And maybe this is why I am enjoying this tea so much. It doesn’t remind me of a soft dainty white tea. It is rich, sweet, and malty without being heavy or bitter.

If you can’t tell, I recommend this tea. It is the first white that I have thought to myself, “I should buy more of this.”

Received this as part of a straight tea package from LP. Thank you!

My package arrived today with part of a YS order and part mystery tea. I really like getting mystery tea in the mail. It makes me go outside of my comfort zone and try things I normally wouldn’t order for myself. I really need to just sign up for a tea subscription somewhere so that I am forced to not pick the same old same old. Maybe once my stash is under control. Does that ever happen?

This is a wonderful tea. Light, sweet, buttery…. oh yeah buttery. I didn’t have enough for a full on gong fu session so I have been having fun just playing with this tea. Add some water here, taste it, add more time, add more water. I havent’ done that much with tea, always thinking I will destory it. This is fun and delicious. I am excited. My husband and I have a date to finish reading The Martian together tonight. Such nerds. Go to bed early to read. Oh well it is the little things in life right? Books and tea. An end to a good day.

Tasting #1 – Steep Time 4 Minutes
If grass were smoky what would that flavor be? Because that is what this is. Neither bitter nor astringent, just deliciously smooth.

Tasting #2 – Steep Time 6 Minutes
Its not bitter, its bamboo! A distinct aftertaste similar to bamboo.

Tasting #3 – Steep Time 8 Minutes
This tea is very green with no bitterness, no astringency, even after steeping all this time. Very smooth with a full mouthfeel that is unique to green tea. Absolutely delicious, perfect for sipping all day long.

Tasting #1 – Steep Time 2 Minutes
Light roasted aroma and very light in color. There is a bite to the flavor, like bark, with a soft floral note.

Tasting #2 – Steep Time 4 Minutes
The roasted aroma has deepened slightly, with a softness at the end. Flavor has remained consistent, my mouth is full of juxtaposition as the earthy bark is highlighted with this floral element. I need to learn how to distinguish between different trees and different flowers.

Tasting #3 – Steep Time 6 Minutes
The softness in aroma has developed into honey, mixed with the roastedness its like honey on toast. The color has finally started to change into a very light peach. I’m certain that the floral flavor is from the type of tree these leaves come from, because it isn’t strong like when jasmine is added to a tea, but as if it came from the jasmine tree. I don’t think its jasmine though.

Tasting #4 – Steep Time 8 Minutes
The honey sweetness now dominates the aroma. The roasted aroma has now settled into the flavor to give this a very earthy feel. Not like a campfire, but like wood freshly chopped so you can smell deep within the tree.

COLD BREW
If you could combine the flavor of a roasted white tea, it would be this. Amazingly delicious and scrumptious, soft and delicate. I don’t think I can express how amazingly and wonderful this tea is like this.

Today has been a painting day, working on finishing up the miniatures for people’s Christmas gifts, specifically the people whose gifts get mailed away, and I happen to almost be finished. I think that after I finish with these I am going to break into assembly mode and put together the ships from Dreadfleet, the newest addition to Ben and my gaming library. He was a sweetheart and bought it, see a year ago my local gaming shop had a copy of it and I was going to buy it after saving up a good bit of money…and the day I finally had enough to buy it, someone bought it. So we have been hunting it on ebay and found it for a steal, which is awesome since that game has been out of print for a while. Yay for crazy ships!

For today’s tea I am looking at Beautiful Taiwan Tea Company’s ‘Old Style’ Dong Ding Oolong, a Taiwanese Oolong made in the form that was all the rage thirty years ago, nothing like keeping tradition alive. It is also nice to see Dong Ding outside of my usual sought after roasted form, because you cannot have a good roasted oolong without a good green oolong to start with. And the leaves are big, with hearty stems and rich emerald greens, yeah with leaves this big I am going to need a big gaiwan. The aroma of the leaves is really sweet, buttery and creamy, notes of sesame custard and chestnuts, and flowers. Of course there are flowers, honeysuckle and hyacinth, with very gentle lilac note at the finish. Flowery and sweet, just the way I like it!

So, about that big gaiwan, yeah, it is time for the golden flower queen! The aroma of the unfurling leaves is pretty potent, very strong notes of spicy lilies and hyacinth, with strong buttery undertones, and a gentle vegetation note at the finish. The liquid is wonderfully sweet, strong notes of lilies and hyacinth, honeysuckles and lilac. Underneath the flowery burst is gentle sweet creaminess and a touch of vegetation.

The first steep starts out with a great creamy texture, it is silky and smooth, and that smoothness wanders into the taste as well. It starts with a light creamy taste, like custard and chestnuts (can chestnut custard be a thing?) It then moves on to a cascade of flower nectar sweetness, lilacs and honeysuckles dance over my tongue, with a finish of gently spiced lilies. The aftertaste lingers for quite a while.

Second steeping time, the aroma is sweet and flowery, notes of chestnut and honeysuckles, lilacs, and lilies…lots of flowers going on there. The taste is buttery and sweet, the texture is buttery and thick, it coats the mouth thoroughly. The taste starts with sweetness, honeysuckle nectar and flower blossoms, chestnut sweetness, and a finish of vegetal brothiness that gives a slightly savory finish to the tea.

Third steep, and wow, these leaves, they are so big! I feel like I could wear them as a hat or something, use them as a sunshade on a summer day. The aroma is still going strong with sweet flowery notes, so many flowers, lilacs, honeysuckles, hyacinth, it is like a spring bouquet. The taste is still quite flowery, though the green notes that showed up previously are now stronger, like fresh vegetation and summer growth. Combine that buttery chestnut sweetness and you have a really good tea, I can certainly say this one made me re-think my tendency to prefer roasted Dong Ding.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2015/11/beautiful-taiwan-tea-company-old-style.html

Tasting #1 – Steep Time 2 Minutes
Immediately there is a strong salty aroma, like the ocean. But there is no saltiness to taste. Smooth and deep, full mouthfeel.

Tasting #2 – Steep Time 4 Minutes
Still the same salty aroma, but now there is a salty aftertaste on the back of my tongue with a very light astringency.

Tasting #3 – Steep Time 6 Minutes
That wonderful and consistent aroma of the ocean air is incredibly satisfying, especially since I don’t taste it. The salty aftertaste and light astringency have merged together so that the tea is neither salty nor astringent. There is an entirely new flavor but I’m certain that it came as a result of these two flavors merging together.

Tasting #4 – Steep Time 8 Minutes
A genmaicha has a smooth mouthfeel because of the toasted rice, but this tea has a smooth mouthfeel because of that salty element. Its heavy and deep and enjoyable.

Tasting #1 – Steep Time 2 Minutes
No hint of aroma, just a nice hot steam to clear my sinuses. No hint of flavor, just a nice hot cup to warm up my pallet.

Tasting #2 – Steep Time 4 Minutes
A very faint aroma of dry grass, matched in flavor. But its not just dry grass, its soft and gentle. When I think of dry grass there is a harshness to it, but this is definitely dry grass if it were soft, soothing, and comfortable.

Tasting #3 – Steep Time 6 Minutes
The aroma hasn’t changed much, but the flavor has developed.

Tasting #4 – Steep Time 8 Minutes
There is a sweetness in aroma, like vanilla. But the flavor has stayed the same but more like a golden yunnan with a caramel bite.

I spent my entire stash trying to figure out a way to brew this tea without bitterness and on my last cup I finally got it. Very brief steeps mixed together bring out the depth that was missing. The tea somehow became brighter and cleaner and the strong vegetalness faded. A very enjoyable oolong tea indeed!