414 Tasting Notes
This is the 2019 harvest, and it’s very, very good—so good that it’ll probably be gone by the end of the month if I don’t hoard it. I steeped 2.5 teaspoons of leaf in a 355 ml mug at 203F for 5 minutes, plus another long infusion because I didn’t want this session to end. I usually steep Darjeelings for 3.5, 5, and 10 minutes, but wanted to see if a longer first steep would bring out more flavour for the review.
The dry leaf aroma is of muscatel, honey, and orange blossoms. After steeping, the muscatel wafts gloriously out of my cup. Steeping for 5 minutes was a fantastic idea, except not really, because now I’ll want to drink all my Darjeelings this way. The tea has notes of muscatel, honey, autumn leaf pile, orange blossom, roses, tannins, tree sap, earth, and a bit of chocolate. There’s a whisper of astringency that doesn’t occur if the tea is brewed less heavily. The second steep is a little more astringent, but still has nice honey, muscatel, and sappy notes.
Whether it’s steeped strong or comparatively weak, this is a great second flush Darjeeling with lots of nuanced flavours. It has exactly the soft, muscatel, floral profile I like in this tea type and I regret not buying more.
Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Chocolate, Earth, Floral, Honey, Muscatel, Orange Blossom, Rose, Sap, Tannin
Preparation
If you want to get me excited about a tea, put “stonefruit” in the description. The story of a guy reviving an old tea farm also won me over. This is the spring 2019 harvest. I somehow thought you could gongfu it, but the consensus on here is that it works better Western, so I steeped about 2.5 teaspoons in a 355 ml mug at 203F for 4, 6, and 10 minutes.
The dry leaf aroma is of soy sauce, plums, and raisins. The first steep indeed has a lot of stonefruit, such as apricots, raisins, and plums. There’s also caramel, roast nuts, dark wood, and a bit of that umami soy sauce flavour. As others have mentioned, there’s almost no astringency. The second steep has lighter raisin and stonefruit notes, dark wood, a little malt, and some tannins, and by the third steep, it’s just a generic mild black tea.
I’m not usually a huge fan of raisin notes in tea, but this one is still very tasty. I might try adding even more leaf to intensify the flavours, as I think my gigantic mug attenuated them a bit. Also, two steeps seems to be the limit. This is a solid tea that I’ll enjoy playing around with.
Flavors: Apricot, Caramel, Dark Wood, Malt, Plum, Raisins, Roast Nuts, Soy Sauce, Stonefruit, Tannin, Umami
Preparation
Thanks to Fong Mong for the sample. I steeped the entire 6 g in a 120 ml teapot at 185F for 20, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 50, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds, plus a couple long infusions.
Wow! The sample nearly fills my teapot to the brim! The first steep has notes of baked apple, brown sugar, and pleasant sourness with a long, sweet/sour aftertaste. Maybe because of the baked apple associations, I get some nutmeg in the second steep. The next couple rounds add a yeasty flavour, which turns into honey and GABA tanginess in the next several infusions. The tea keeps this profile until the end of the session, when a bit of malt is detectable.
This is a smooth, easy-drinking tea that would probably be great cold. Whether you enjoy it will largely depend on how you perceive the taste of the GABA processing, which is noticeable. I found it to be pleasant and mellow, although I prefer other tea types.
Flavors: Candied Apple, Honey, Malt, Pleasantly Sour, Smooth, Sweet, Tangy, Yeast
Preparation
Here’s yet another spring 2018 Dan Cong from Yunnan Sourcing! The name and the low price convinced me I needed 25 g of this last year. I steeped 6 g of leaf in a 120 ml teapot at 195F for 7, 10, 12, 16, 20, 25, 30, 40, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds.
The dry aroma is of orchids and jasmine. The first couple steeps have notes of pungent jasmine, orchids, cucumber, green pepper, light roast, herbs, and grass. Subsequent rounds add peach, nectarine, and lavender, although the aroma is stronger than the taste. As Togo mentioned, the aftertaste is long, herbaceous, and persistent. The fruity notes are slight and disappear when the tea cools down. By steep seven or so, this turns into an herbaceous, vegetal, floral Dan Cong with some roast, minerality, and astringency.
This is a good Dan Cong that lives up to its name. If the last part of my gongfu session was kind of boring, it’s a reasonable price to pay for the lovely first steeps.
Flavors: Cucumber, Floral, Grass, Green Pepper, Herbaceous, Jasmine, Lavender, Mineral, Orchid, Peach, Roasted, Vegetal
Preparation
It’s been a while since I’ve tried any YS dan congs. From past experience, they are a good value but middle of the road in terms of quality. I haven’t come across any truly exceptional ones.
To be fair, I chose dan congs from the lower end of the price spectrum, so the more expensive ones might be commensurately better. Also, their Bai Ye black dan cong is amazing if you like sweet potato teas, and I’ve enjoyed their Ba Xian and Bai Ye oolongs as well. Where do you get your dan congs?
Yeah I’ve mostly had the budget Dan Congs at YS as well. I’m sure their pricer stuff is better but I hesitate to buy without sampling first. I’ve had some very good Dan Congs from Verdant. Their high elevation Mi Liang Xian, Ba Xian, and Xing Hua Xiang were really exquisite. Luckily they have samples which makes it easier to try a bunch of them.
Yay! This is my 150th tasting note! This review is for the spring 2018 harvest. As someone who loves both ginger and Dan Congs, I was curious to see if it would live up to its name. I steeped 6 g of leaf in a 120 ml teapot at 203F for 7, 10, 12, 16, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds.
Eastkyteaguy has captured this tea much better than I can. The dry aroma is promising, with ginger, apricot, sunflower seeds, and fruit leather. The aroma of the first steep is definitely ginger, combined with fruit, flowers, and sunflower seeds. The taste is of delicate ginger, butter, apricots, orchids and other flowers, sunflower seeds, and baked bread. All of the flavours are quite subtle. The second steep has more of the flavours Eastkyteaguy detected, including apple, pear, and pomegranate. It’s kind of like a fruity gingerbread, if that makes sense. The next couple steeps are more nutty and woody, though the ginger and fruit notes are still prominent. Grass, veggies, minerals, roast, and wood appear in later steeps, with orchids and ginger lingering in the aftertaste.
This is an intimidatingly complex Dan Cong whose nuances I’ve probably failed to appreciate. The flavour combination is fascinating, especially the realistic ginger note. It’s a lot less in-your-face than many Dan Congs, however, and requires careful attention.
P.S.: I’ve noticed that a few of the seals have separated from the walls of Yunnan Sourcing’s 25 g bags, making it impossible to close them. Has this happened to anyone else?
Flavors: Apple, Apricot, Bread, Butter, Dried Fruit, Flowers, Ginger, Grass, Mineral, Nutty, Orchid, Pear, Roasted, Vegetal, Wood
Preparation
The name of this tea intrigued me enough for me to pick up 25 g of it last year. I steeped 6 g of leaf in a 120 ml teapot at 203F for 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds.
Dry, the tea smells like honey and roast. The first steep smells and tastes like banana bread. (Maybe this is why it’s called Monkey Varietal Dan Cong?) I get notes of char, roast, ripe bananas, honey, grain, and faint florals. The banana bread vibe is even stronger in the second steep, and is helped by the tea’s heavy body, if not by the slight astringency at the end of the sip. The next couple steeps have a very slight fruity note, maybe guava? By the fifth steep, the tea is roasty, bready, and nutty, and the banana is gone. Wood, minerals, nuts, and roast dominate the last few rounds.
If I didn’t know better, I’d say this was a Wuyi oolong instead of a Dan Cong. It’s also much less complex than other Dan Congs I’ve had, though this could be due to my brewing. While the banana bread flavours are fun, it’s way too roasted for my liking and I probably won’t repurchase it.
Flavors: Bread, Char, Floral, Grain, Guava, Honey, Mineral, Nutty, Pecan, Roasted, Wood
Preparation
This was Oolong C in a blind tasting set of high-mountain teas, and I correctly guessed it was Alishan because it was so darn floral. I got distracted during my first reviewing session and had to drink it again, which explains why this note is a bit later than the others. (Also, “having” to drink this tea again was by no means a hardship!) I steeped 6 g of leaf in a 120 ml teapot at boiling for 25, 20, 25, 30, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds.
The dry and wet leaves smell like lilacs, orange blossoms, and other flowers. The first steep has notes of spring flowers, maybe orange blossom, lilac, and honeysuckle, plus pear, honey, cream, and grass. The next steep is more herbaceous and citrusy. This oolong is less overwhelmingly fruity and sweet than the lovely SLX, but it’s still tasty.
Steeps three and four have heavier orange blossom and other floral and herbaceous notes, and a nice, silky texture. The fruit is gone by steep five, and the tea becomes increasingly grassy as it nears the end of its life. This Alishan doesn’t have the staying power of the other two oolongs, but neither does it become an astringent, grassy mess.
This was a very good tea that seemed to be more typical of its terroir than the other oolongs in the set. It’s definitely nothing to sneeze at, especially for floral oolong lovers, but it wasn’t as memorable for me as the He Huan Shan or Shan Lin Xi. Still, I will have no problem finishing my remaining 20 grams.
Flavors: Citrus, Cream, Floral, Grass, Heavy, Herbaceous, Honey, Honeysuckle, Orange Blossom, Pear, Vegetal
Preparation
This was Oolong B in a blind tasting set of three high-mountain teas. I steeped 6 g in a 120 ml teapot at boiling for 25, 20, 25, 30, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds.
In the warmed teapot, the leaves smell like honey and spring flowers. The first steep has notes of apple, lilac, honeysuckle, sweet pea, dulce de leche, butter, and (sigh) ethereal mountain air. The aftertaste is mineral and floral. I’m huffing the floral/sweet aroma left behind in the cup. The second steep is apricot/nectarine, heavy florals, and balsam. The tea is fuzzy and thick with a grassy and herbaceous aftertaste.
Steep three has complex fruity notes, maybe apricot and honeydew melon, plus buttery sweetness, florals, and balsam. If “unctuous” weren’t such an off-putting word, that’s what this tea would be. The aftertaste has a distinct hint of grass clippings, but you can tell it’s expensive grass. The fourth is a greener version of the third with a few more floral notes. The next couple steeps go back to apricot/peach with a thinner body and a mineral, grassy edge. The tea fades gradually to minerals and veggies, but the florals hang on faintly until the end of the session.
Wow! This was the best oolong I’ve had this year, hands down. I was positive it was the He Huan Shan, but nope. If you like over-the-top fruity oolongs with nice longevity, you’ll probably enjoy this. It convinces me once again that Shan Lin Xi provides the best quality-to-price ratio for high-mountain oolongs.
Flavors: Apple, Apricot, Butter, Creamy, Custard, Floral, Grass, Herbaceous, Honeydew, Honeysuckle, Mineral, Peach, Resin, Stonefruit, Thick, Vegetal
Preparation
Welp, I fell off the no-tea-buying wagon. On Reddit, which I really shouldn’t visit if I don’t want to buy tea, I learned that Floating Leaves was having a blind tasting of three of their spring high mountain oolongs, Alishan, Shan Lin Xi, and He Huan Shan. I had some high mountain oolongs from this company in 2016 and was incredibly pleased with them, but the $15 shipping to Canada made me reluctant to order from them again. Still, they were offering 16 g each of three pricy oolongs for $10, and would be revealing which was which in a couple weeks. My inner tea addict reminded me that an ounce of each of these things would normally cost $33, so of course, I bought two sets for $35!
It was actually well worth it, as all three oolongs were amazing. I have waited to post my reviews until after the big reveal.
I steeped 6 g of this mystery oolong, which was called Oolong A, in a 120 ml teapot at boiling for 25, 20, 25, 30, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds.
The dry aroma is an intoxicating blend of orange blossoms and other flowers. The first steep has notes of orange blossoms, orchids, violets, cream corn, butter, and grass. The corn becomes more apparent in the second steep, and there are hints of citrus and herbs. By steep three, there’s a nice balance of flowers, citrus, corn, cream, cotton candy, balsam, and minerals. It’s hard to tell what’s going on because this tea is so complicated!
The next three steeps remain sweet and floral, with a honeydew-like fruitiness replacing the citrus. The flavours become more subtle as the session progresses, but even the final steeps are enjoyable.
My guess for this tea was Shan Lin Xi because of its smoothness and strong corn and balsam notes. This was an unusual and understatedly elegant oolong that is definitely high quality. I don’t regret my impulse purchase at all!
Flavors: Butter, Citrus, Corn Husk, Cotton Candy, Creamy, Floral, Grass, Herbaceous, Honeydew, Mineral, Orange Blossom, Orchid, Resin, Smooth, Violet
Preparation
Lishan is among my favourite oolongs, and if it weren’t so darn expensive, I’d drink it a lot more often. Thanks to Fong Mong for the sample. I steeped 6 g of leaf in a 120 ml teapot at 190F for 25, 20, 25, 30, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds.
The dry leaf smells promisingly of heady flowers and stonefruit. The first steep is mild, with notes of brown sugar, orchid, herbs, grass, and butter. A soft fuzzy peach emerges in the second steep, along with stronger grassy and balsam notes. There are also hints of spice. The next couple steeps have a great balance of peach, apricot, spices, balsam, and veggies. As the tea fades, the vegetal and balsam notes take over, though it doesn’t become overly astringent.
This is a lovely fruity Lishan with decent longevity. I particularly enjoy those peach/apricot flavours, which, along with tropical fruit notes, are the Holy Grail of my oolong quest. Given its price point, this tea provides amazing value.
Flavors: Apricot, Brown Sugar, Butter, Floral, Grass, Herbaceous, Orchid, Peach, Sap, Spices, Vegetal
I picked up a bag of this in my latest order but haven’t dipped into it yet. Will have to give your parameters a try!
Thanks! Steeping a bit less leaf for 3.5, 5, and 10 minutes gives a softer profile without the sap or slight astringency that show up with the stronger parameters, but both versions are worth a try. I’ll be interested to see what you think.
A little over 2 tsp for 5 minutes (second steep upward of 10) was the sweet spot for me. Once I prepared it with those parameters, I was hooked.
I find that longer steeps bring out the sappy quality, which I actually like. I rarely restock teas, but am thinking of making an exception for this one.