“For a key to my rating scale, check out my bio. Having tasted (and not particularly enjoyed) its 22-year-old aged counterpart, I was pleasantly surprised by this tea. The dry leaves in a hot...” Read full tasting note
“Steeping method. Traditional gongfu steepings in a gaiwan. This is a simple, pleasing, comforting oolong with an uncomplicated flavor profile and a clean finish. It has an open mouth feel, no...” Read full tasting note
“On the upside, this is a super complex tea. The first steeping has a caramel-like sweetness (not anything close to maple, as the Song site indicates), hints of the coconutty vibe their aged version...” Read full tasting note
“I bought this after a tasting of both this and its aged 1992 harvest, assuming this was the lesser of the two because it seemed to have sharper edges. The dry leaves have only a faint scent of...” Read full tasting note
Since we opened our doors in 2013, we’ve had a stunningly delicious 1992 aged tea in our collection. The 23 year old tea was crafted from a yancha cultivar from China’s Wuyishan. It boasts a complex deliciousness that comes from aging, but also from the innate character and quality of the tea itself.
Each year, the tea maker crafts the tea and set aside most of it for aging, offering only a small quantity for sale fresh. This tea is that fresh stock, picked in late April 2015 from Shan Lin Xi, oxidized, rolled and roasted with care.
This is a mid-oxidized and mid-roasted oolong. The oxidation enhances the natural woodsy florality of this tea, and develops depth and complexity. The roasting sweetens the result, giving the tea delicious caramel and sugar notes.
The texture and finish of this tea is its strongest suit. The leaves brew a tea with an exceptionally focused character. The aroma, texture, and finish of this tea are perfectly defined. Delivering the sweetness of maple, followed by fragrance of aloeswood, and the distinct tang of chicory.
Brewing:
6 grams 150 ml 205° F 2 min
This tea extracts gradually and evenly, so it’s quite easy to control the outcome by just paying attention to steep time. We like to highlight this tea’s range with a faster 1-2 minute first extraction to emphasize its deep maple sugar notes, followed by longer infusions to highlight this tea’s unique florality.
Notes of aloeswood, maple candy, and chicory.
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