I sampled the Songboling Shui Xian Oolong, from TTC, and afterwards I went with this one, to see what happens when you age it. I’d like to preface this by saying that Sil & I have sampled some of the aged black teas from TTC, & they had earthy & musty qualities, that were interesting, but not necessarily desireable. One in particular tasted like beets that have spent the winter in the root cellar, if you know what I mean.
This tea however is not so. I think the aging & occasional re-roasting has done this tea justice, intensifying & deepening the jammy flavors a bit, bringing out a nutty hazelnut quality, & the overall feeling was incredibly smooth. No mustiness, no root veggies, just a lovely Oolong.
I have difficulties with comparing teas. I drank these 2 teas separately, enjoying the first one with resteeps while teaching, and then switching to this one. The problem with this method is I’m terrible about taking any kind of notes. While I’m drinking the cup, I’m loving it & thinking nice things, making note in my head of it’s wonders. Then I switch to a different tea, & all is forgotten, as I am now thinking of THIS cup. I have enough to drink this one more time, & I think that final comparison will be side by side, steep for steep.
Comments
Right! I think when I’m trying to compare the subtle differences, I really need more time to just sit & sip, breath, & enjoy. The truth is, I rarely just sit. I’m cooking, I’m gardening, I’m teaching, I’m computing, I’m playing an instrument. I’m almost always doing something while I’m drinking tea. Except maybe that first cup of the day. :)
I think it can be hard to compare some teas, too – especially if they’re very similar.
Right! I think when I’m trying to compare the subtle differences, I really need more time to just sit & sip, breath, & enjoy. The truth is, I rarely just sit. I’m cooking, I’m gardening, I’m teaching, I’m computing, I’m playing an instrument. I’m almost always doing something while I’m drinking tea. Except maybe that first cup of the day. :)