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“My craving for a highly oxidized Taiwanese red oolong came late this year. I remember drinking a bunch of it around Thanksgiving in 2018 while picking persimmons from my aunt’s tree. The tree was...” Read full tasting note
“The dry leaf aroma is almost non-existent, but once you start steeping… wow. It hits you with this very expansive fruity and floral mix that’s unlike anything I have ever smelled. I just can’t get...” Read full tasting note
This is the first winter red oolong we are offering to you. If you are still new to this tea, please read the following paragraph; if you have some basic knowledge about this tea already, please skip to the final paragraph.
Red oolong is a very new type of tea, and also very special to the world of oolong tea. At first glance, it looks like oriental beauty in a heavy rolled form. Don’t be fooled, this is not an oriental beauty, nor a black tea, but 100% an oolong tea.
The term “red” as applied to tea is difficult to understand in the context of English culture, so we must explain this “redness” in the cultural context of Mandarin culture. In Mandarin, black tea is actually named “red tea” (紅茶) for its color, and shouldn’t be confused with the actual “black tea”, which is also called “Hei Cha” (黑茶). Red tea was referred to as “black tea” because the dry leaf itself is typically black in color (See here). To this day the vast majority of westerners still don’t know what a “Red Tea” actually is!
In Taiwan the art of tea experimental tea processing is thriving and tea growers and processors alike are searching for new techniques to bring out new flavors and aromas! Our “Red Oolong” came about as an experimental marriage of oolong tea and black tea processing. After the process of “waving” the tea will be “heavy rolled” like a black tea immediately and oxidated heavily like black tea, but meanwhile has the traditional oolong processing final steps of “kill-green” and a special types of “heavy roasting”. The result is a unique longan fruit aroma and a silky body that is nectar-like.
Due to the demand from tea lovers around the world, we decided to offer a winter version of the already popular red oolong from the same source. The tea again carries that signature “longan” aroma, but also the elegant character of how winter tea should be, making this a great companion in your teapot for this cold winter. Enjoy!
Harvest: Winter 2017 / 冬 貳零壹柒
Varietal: Qin Xing Oolong / 青心烏龍
Elevation: 100 M / 壹佰 公尺
Region: Luye / 鹿野
Fermentation Level: 80% / 分之 捌拾
Roast Level: 5 / 伍 分
Company description not available.
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Mountain Stream TeasMy craving for a highly oxidized Taiwanese red oolong came late this year. I remember drinking a bunch of it around Thanksgiving in 2018 while picking persimmons from my aunt’s tree. The tree was pruned heavily this year so it didn’t produce anywhere near 300 fruits and therefore she didn’t need my assistance with harvest.
I’ve never tasted longan, the fruit for which this tea is named. To me, this tea tastes of overripe persimmon with no astringency. I hit the leaf with boiling water and was greeted with a balance between its nectar-syrup like body, deep fruity-floral-spicy-cocoa aroma and tastes, and a lingering perfume in the mouth. I was able to get only 4 infusions in gongfu before I had to carry on with my day, so the following day I dumped the leaves in a jar for grandpa and it was still as delicious if not more so. Certainly a tea I’d consider purchasing again. Thanks, Togo!
The dry leaf aroma is almost non-existent, but once you start steeping… wow. It hits you with this very expansive fruity and floral mix that’s unlike anything I have ever smelled. I just can’t get enough of the wet leaf smell.
I would actually recommend to drink the first infusion already and skip the wash. It is lighter and more viscous, but delicious from the get go.
Progressively, the infusions become thicker and more “nectar” like with silky texture, great fruitiness and some sweetness. The taste is very balanced though, with pleasant sourness and very mild astringency that’s almost unnoticeable.
If you like fruity teas, then you really shouldn’t pass on this one, it’s a treat.
Flavors: Floral, Fruity, Passion Fruit, Peach, Pleasantly Sour
