1812 Tasting Notes
To brew this tea, I used about a tablespoon of leaves and four cups of boiling water. Steeped in a glass teapot, it was easy to see the leaves as they released a burnt orange liquor. Upon initially steeping this tea, the first thing I noticed was the incredibly light mouthfeel. After the first cup, the flavour continued to linger in my mouth. This oolong has a much lighter taste than other oolongs I have tried. It’s a delicate taste, and very good.
The taste itself…in the first few sips of a cup, one can really taste the leaf, but the flavour seems to fade as one finishes a cup. Perhaps the initial flavour, light as it is, coats the taste buds in one’s mouth so that subsequent sips merely slide through the mouth.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this tea. The flavour was a bit too light for me, but it was still enjoyable to drink. This was very reminiscent of the oolong served in Chinese restaurants with Dim Sum.
I’ve decided that I will give teas that I review an approximate rating, on a scale of 0-100, based on my personal enjoyment of this tea (not it’s comparison in specific areas to other teas). Canton Tea Co’s Big Red Robe oolong receives a 92/100 for its exceptionally delicate taste, light mouthfeel, and lasting flavour.
EDIT: I later tried resteeping these same leaves. This was a major disappointment, as I got barely half of the original body and flavour. This lack of “stamina” in the leaves significantly decreased my rating of this tea (now an 85/100).
Preparation
If I may, it seems like the tea didn’t give you more than one strong cup because you used a single tablespoon for four cups of water. I would actually try using a tablespoon for one cup of water (8 oz.). However, I understand this review was a year ago… so you might not be planning on ordering any more ;)
Yes, you are right. It was not a good method of preparation on my part.
Haha, looking back, I realise my lack of experience with tea preparation and hope that I have since improved.
Used fewer leaves than normal so that I could still brew it grandpa style and yet not have it oversteep.
The cup brews a dark amber, almost a dark caramel colour. The scent is sweet and malty at the same time, but not very strong. This is one tea you have to put your nose in to be able to smell. The taste is much like the smell – not too strong, but sweet and malty. This tea might be improved by a bit of sugar, but perhaps another time…
Preparation
Easily overbrewed, this tea has a nice mouthfeel to it. The scent after steeping is far more spicy, and less smelling of orange, than the loose leaf by itself. The taste, however, is pretty good.
Edit: This might taste good with a bit of sugar.
