Old Ways Tea has been impressive, and I’ve greatly enjoyed all of their teas, this one especially. I got this one picked by the owner’s smart discretion to compare it to the unroasted one, and I got it with a sample of a good Shui Xian. Actually, a very, very good Shui Xian…I still like this type of tea more.
It is was you can expect from a good Qi Lan Yan Cha. I could drink it western or gong fu with very little effort, but I could had to go light grandpa style because it could get bitter if oversteeped..but the results were still nice with 3 grams in 12 ounces of hot water.
The charcoal roast was prominent, but very well balanced with the equally present orchid florals. Rinsing it made the florals pop out, adding some notes that smelled vaguely like violet to me amidst the orchid. Tasting it was much the same, and the roast made the notes border on chocolate orchids in overall taste. It was almost like drinking mineral water at the beginning of the sip that rose into the chocolate orchid, to the violet hint, and then to peach, butter, and finally, the roast combining with the other notes altogether into a sweet profile that reminds me of honey buns. The roast was more prominent in earlier steeps at 20 seconds or two minutes, and lightened up to a charcoal background into increasingly floral and lighter rebrews adding 15 seconds or a minute each time.
Overall, I do prefer the Qi Lan that I have from What-Cha because it’s got that jasmine note I really love, but if you want to know what a good Qi Lan tastes like, this is an awesome standard that really is not that expensive. I would very easily pick this up again and I recommend this company period. Also: you have got to try their black teas.
