TeaSpring

I’ve been having this tea all day, and I am on the third steep of it now. I started out using even more leaf than usual (3 teaspoons to about half a liter or water… my leaf usage appears to be going up. It’s so expensive being me!) and I haven’t added fresh leaf to it since. I’ve doubled the steeping time (two minutes as opposed to just one) on this third cup, and the tea still has lots of life and flavour.

It’s still rather smoky and the sweet fruity note has been coming out as well, although not as much as it would have had I only used the customary two teaspoons of leaf.

It is in fact still so smoky that in combination with a lunch of left over indian food nearly freaking murdered me just now. cough hack

Since LS is smoky by default I initially read this one as if it’s been extra-smoked, and that I was about to really test the ‘Smoke is good. A lot of smoke is very good’ philosphy when it comes to tea here. A closer look at the site makes me think that this is actually just the standard. They have an organic version too as well as a Yin Jun Mei Souchong, which I’m desperate to try but the $22.30 for 50g made me decide that I could live with waiting a little longer with that.

The leaf aroma is certainly smoke! It’s got a kind of ancient spicy note to it too, but it’s primarily smoke. Sticking my nose into that tin is a bit like walking into a house that’s been on fire. Not a harsh smell of smoke, really, but a heavy one.

It’s the same story in the cup. It’s very prickly in its smokyness, but the spicy note is much more pronounced here. I’m reminded of pipe tobacco for some reason, in spite of the fact that it’s more than 20 years since I’ve known anybody who smoked a pipe.

Aroma-wise this one seems much harsher than A.C. Perch’s LS which is generally my stable LS.

WHEW! They have not been skimpy with the smoke on the flavour! It’s not as harsh a flavour as the aroma would lead me to believe though. There’s just more of it. It’s rounded out very nicely. Even bits of my mouth that hasn’t even touched the tea itself yet can pick up the smoke flavour.

There is supposed to be the sweet note also, which I’ve just learned from TeaSpring’s info is supposedly a note of a sweet chinese fruit called longan. I didn’t know that. Interesting. Now I want to try and eat one. Anyway, it’s supposed to be there, but TeaSpring’s info also says that the smoke is so strong in this one that it doesn’t come out until later steeps. With the volume of smoke here, I agree!

However, I do still feel like I can pick up some underlying sweetness. Sirup-y and thick but very very faint. At this point on the first steep it’s more like the promise of that note rather than anything else.

The overall impression here is something thick and smooth with a heavy cover of prickly smoke.

This is indeed a VERY good LS and it makes my usual A.C. Perch’s LS seem thin in comparison.

Reached the last of my small supply of this, so brewing a bit weaker than I normally would and it started losing flavor about a quarter the number of infusions I would get using 8-9g.

5.75g with 225ml in a seasoned squat shi piao style duan ni yixing teapot. Single rinse. Start off using 83 degree C water and a 15, 30, then 45 second steep but moved on to a minute for the 4th-8th infusions and 2 minutes with 87 degree C water for the 9th.

Leaves are in many different sizes and shapes, ranging from broken down bits the size of small Keemun leaves to leaf sets larger than most whole-leaf oolongs. Smells like opening a bag of dry potting soil or an old but well cleaned barn. Wet leaves release the same clay-loam aroma, but also wet river rock crispness, stripped willow bark sweet vegetal aroma, and a bit of oven-dried orange peel woody citrus. Beech wood and unground nutmeg and pepper spice aromas. The leaves look an awful lot like spent leaves of Oriental Beauty Oolong (Dong Feng Mei Ren/Bai Hao Oolong) leaves, but a little darker green. Liquor is clear orange-amber with a reddish tint (infusions beyond the 4th brew are just clear amber, but stay richly hued). Liquor aroma does not convey the soil characteristics and incorporates more of a bisque-fired clay note and crushed walnut meaty nuttiness.

Rich body. Not super thick, but feels kind of “sticky” – the lower end of chewy full body. Light acidity and faint astringency along margins. Similar tactile impression to whole/4% milk. Mouthwatering with balanced umami, sweet, light sour, and faint bitterness. Usually I shy away from mentioning sour or bitter when talking about a tea I love, but these qualities are present to varying degrees in most teas whether we decide to call attention to them or not and here they really help tie the flavor and tactile impression together in a rich flavor. Most puerh I drink may have some complexity in the aroma and provides a good base flavor, but this guy actually moves through a good range of progressive tastes as well. Base is a vegetal-wood flavor – again, reminding me of stripped willow bark or the smell of sapling trees. Moist leaf litter, but no mustiness. Paprika, almond, terra cotta, mild unground peppercorns, apricot, bittersweet chocolate peanut shell, old redwood planks, cattail, a touch of prune and chipotle all move through in the flavor and nose. It is much more like a rush of people getting on a train than a dance in terms of flavor progression – the flavors present, then merge and change instead of flitting in and out as they tend to in more delicate teas. The body really does seem a conduit for the flavors. When slurped, more of the apricot and wet wood-cocoa character is present (and a sort of legume/cooked beans flavor not noticable in the draught) but the many other flavors are relegated to aftertaste. Aftertaste is crisp, slightly corn-and-rice sweet, and mouthwatering.

Lasts much shorter than the 20+ infusions I got off this using 12g in the same amount of water, but first 6 infusions are really good and disappear altogether too quickly.

Really yummy tea at a steal for the price. That said, I would not want to drink this every day. While it could hold its own against food, I feel I need to drink this on its own to give it the attention it deserves. Livelier than you may expect a tea with this level of body.

One of my favourite’s oolongs so far! A great combination of a great taste and a affordable price! You can find a better oolongs out there for sure.. but they will cost you a fortune actually! I find this tea to be great for “tea-beginners” – it opens the doors to the world of oolongs at a bargain price, a nice thing to start with.

Still it is considered to be not as good as Tie Guan Yin in terms of quality, but it has a great aroma and quite a deep and complex taste for it’s price. It can withstand multiple infusions (even up to 7-8) really well and moreover the aroma and taste fully develops with further infusions. If you need a good, let’s call it “everyday oolong” – that is the choice!

Indeed… lowering the temperature produced a much better taste, which is deeper and more pleasant!

Tea can be called a quality one for sure… it has a soft taste of something woodsy indeed, with quite a pleasant aftertaste. The color is pale-yellow after the first stepping. Find it really pleasant during the summertime – it is quite a refreshing one.

Will go on experementing over the brewing approaches – i guess it is possible to get even more out of it! Will try to lower the temperature in future to get a better feeling out of the tea… for instance, such approach really boosted my Bai Hao Yinzhen and opened a new amazing level of taste in it.

Was really looking for a great “Milk” flavoured oolong, and supposed to get a good one from TeaSpring.com… unfortunately the Nai Xiang the shop is selling is not the best one out there.
Aroma is strong and interesting when you smell the dry leaves. However the scent is too simple and not that strong after the brewing – as if it is simply washed away. I have definately bought a better Nai Xiang from other sources!

Brewed 5g in 165ml water at 75 degrees C in a glazed ceramic gaiwan. Got two nearly identical infusions using the same parameters one after another.

Tons of down. Shredded green wood dry fragrance with a note of macadamia. Typical chlorophyll sweetness but more toastiness than I’m used to. Wet aroma brings in more hay and nuts and adds a light carnation note. Liquor is a hazy pale yellow with plenty of suspended hairs despite running through a very vine mesh strainer. Liquor blends the dry fragrance and wet aroma smells neatly. The floral-nut-toasty-hay mix produces an odd muted Jolly Rancher quality as an underlying aroma tint.

Flavor is a bit more “frank” a version of Bi Luo Chun than some of the finer, daintier ones out there. Most body I’ve had on this type of tea and it lasts multiple infusions quite well, but more of a tendency towards astringency. Base aroma is similar to uncut late-season grassy field with a mildly sweet, savory, and roasty oat flour and rye note. Sort of soapy. Not a ton of dimension (especially in comparison when tasted alongside other Bi Luo Chuns) but heftier than usual and probably a better “drinking” tea because of it.

This is probably the closest I’ve tasted to an “everyday green” quality from a Dong Ting Bi Luo Chun. Still more refined than mimicry BLC from other regions, though.

Mouthwatering, savory muted vegetal wash with a faintly smoky, sweet sea lettuce aftertaste. The aroma is a delicate yet captivating blend of orchid, grassy knoll at the peak of growth, iris, fresh cornbread, lightly steamed cauliflower, watermelon skin, and coconut husk. Light flavor, but shifting in profile – undeniably green with fresh hay-like qualities but floral and sweet. There’s a non-fruity fruit characteristic I liken to the feeling of stir frying squash and breathing in the surrounding steam… sort of a vaporous “ripeness” you get while exhaling some oolongs. Great body is also more comparable to oolongs than greens. Refreshing and sumptuous, this tea sort of makes you forget hunger and can supplant an afternoon meal, though it somehow accompanies food well without being lost (feels like a waste of a fine tea to drink it alongside something that will change its flavor, though).

Very forgiving to brew. I typically will infuse 4g per 165ml for 2-3 minutes in 75-80 degree C water, but can brew continuously with 3g per 500ml at 70-75 degrees C and be constantly refreshed for over 15 minutes as you drink from the infusing liquor.

Expect something smokier/meatier than a green tea when drinking this and do not be surprised that the aftertaste is more substantial than the flavor.

8g in 350ml. Initially a smoky aroma which went away with the rinse, then it was a sweet grassy aroma. The tea was very light in color, and the flavor slighly sweet. As the tea cooled, more complex flavors appeared, but I couldn’t name them.

Bumping the rating on this. Sweet, no bitterness. The flavors are very subtle. Definitly nutty. And vegital, but I’m not sure what. And, indeed, the leaves do stand up when infused.

Very light colored tea, surprisingly strong flavor. Vegetal in aroma and taste. More grassy than earthy.

12 oz water
4g tea
very light steep in color, just a tinge of yellow. Kind of has a woodsy aroma to it, very light. The flavor of the tea seemed stronger than the aroma. This tea seems to have some body to it, even though its light in color. It doesn’t feel like water. Can’t describe the flavor much on this one, but its good. Not even remotely bitter though.

Just as good as last time. Next time, I’ll increase the steep time.

Wonderful aroma. Buttery, or maybe milky. Similar taste. Good body.

12 oz water
4g tea
Tea was tightly rolled and expanded nicely to full leaves. Leaves are fairly green and somewhat smooth. Steeps to a light yellow.

Aroma is light. I’ve smelled this before but can’t really pin down the aroma, maybe its “nutty.” Taste is light, not at all bitter, and subtle. This is a bit green in flavor too. Gonna start it a bit under the jade tie guan yin, from teaspring as well, in my rating and see how it goes from there.

Tea: 4 g
Water: 12 oz
Dry the leaves were very tight. They unfurled nicely in the 1 minute long steep.
Light yellow brew.
Sweet aroma
Sweet flavor. Not bitter or astringent. This is an enjoyable tea.

Very floral aroma, but less floral, more mild taste. Hint of butter.

I made this tea 3 times, using different amounts of leaves each time (it’s hard to estimate the amount, as it’s packed so tightly), and I found the amount that suits me. I’m no pu erh expert, but this is one excellent cup of tea. It’s woody, but light, and very soothing. I somehow feel stronger and healthier after a few cups of this. Lasted for about 5 infusions. I only ordered a small sample, but now think I need a much larger quantity of this tea.

As I sip my fresh cup of Yunnan Pure Gold I am whisked away to an ancient Chinese temple, deep in a mountain gorge. My Sherpa guide is tending the fire and fragrances of burning pine bows and sandalwood lick my nostrils. The dimming mountain vistas around our camp lie silent. As dusk falls, and the Mongolian winter slides down from a northern mountain face, I sip my Yunnan Pure Gold, which is reminiscent of the earth, the woods, and mountain life.

Well, right of the bat, these leaves are intriguing. They are so long! In fact, they are so long, some of them could not lay flat in the strainer basket that fits in my cup. The leaves stood upright like uncooked spaghetti. Neat!

The aroma is that of cooked fruit and sweet smelling flowers. It also smells very vegetal. The taste is smooth and floral…but too green for me. I like my oolongs like I like my men…bitter and murky. Ok, perhaps that joke only works with my coffee. “Dark and roasted” is more like it when it comes to my oolongs. (Says the tea drinker with a vampiric-complected husband.) I’m glad I had the opportunity to try this tea, but it’s just not my cuppa.

Ahhh…I’ve been holding off on finishing this sample that Doulton sent me. I thought it’d be nice to drink it right after a plain Keemun to get a better picture of their differences. I’m further impressed with this one’s subtle floral aspects. The second steep is definitely its best. TG

Doulton’s Shakespeare: A Tasting Note in 5 Acts
Act II scene 4

But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief
That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she.
Romeo and Juliet, Act II scene 2

Envision this scene: this tea steps out onto a balcony (go with me here), and I’m on stage looking up at it. Just substitute the word “Rose Keemun” with “Juliet” in the above famous speech and that sums up how I feel about this tea. This tea is my Juliet.

I had pretty much given up on rose teas; they have never lived up to my expectations. Oh, but this tea was a revelation! I am utterly besotted with this drink and how it makes me feel. I’ve had lovelier teas out of the Shakespeare box, but most of them are out of my reach for now (i.e. from France) so I have resigned myself that it’ll be awhile before I can get more. This, on the other hand is just a click away and I very much want more and anon.

This tea is absolutely lovely. It’s the most subtle rose tea that I’ve yet to have. While drinking it it’s a subtle floral Keemun, but then it’s in the aroma where the magic happens — right after the swallow. It’s like a lightly scented rose is just floating through the back of my throat and up into my nasal passages. Well, that doesn’t sound very pretty, but it’s a wonderful sensation. I wish that I could describe it better. It’s very smooth without even a hint of astringency. All other roses that I’ve experienced have been almost harlotesque in comparison to this lady. It’s what I’ve been looking for in a rose tea. TG