This tea was purchased at the San Francisco International Tea Festival a few months ago. Evidently Fox and Moon is a traveling operation of sorts and does not own a regular store or a tearoom (in spite of the name). I really wanted to try a Tie Lou Han and this wasn’t cheap, I think it was $12/oz.
My sweetie is a fan of oolongs, but only likes the darker ones and does not think much of green oolongs or green tea, for that matter. I steeped this one up at his request this afternoon.
For a wuyi tea, this is a bit on the lighter side (more of an orange color). It has a delicious roasted caramel type of aroma and we are finding some essence of almond in the flavor. This has a nice minerality quality with cocoa notes and a bit of peach. The aftertaste lingers and is nice and sweet. I have had this tea a few times before now and the first steep is delightful, but it does not re-steep well which seems very strange for a darker oolong of this type. Because I know it doesn’t resteep well I just brewed this up Western style today in the glass teapot.
I think I will need to go to Red Blossom or elsewhere to see how their tie lou han compares. It is definitely a lovely tea but I took a few points off for the fact that it doesn’t resteep well. I may also put the leftover leaves in the fridge and try cold brewing this one.
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You make them sound even cooler than their name makes them sound! I love the name “Fox and Moon Tearoom”! Then you say they travel around? Oh boy now I want to get some of their tea!!!
You can buy some teas from their website…. :-)
What makes it more expensive is the weak resteep factor. I have had a couple teas from TeaSpring in 2008 and was really impressed. They have had price increases the last few tears. Surprise, surprise! Some teas are still reasonable, considering their quality. I’ve never tasted a Tie Luo Han, but it is significantly cheaper than $12/oz.
Amy I found them :) Not buying right now – broke and working on the homestead here but they are on my wish list :)
Scott – I’ve never tried Teaspring but might need to some day. Regardless, even thought I like wuyi oolongs I don’t drink a lot of them and I do have 3 others still. :D
I’m pretty sure I know what you mean, but when you describe minerality……. what do you mean? :))
The tea has a flavor of rocks. It is hard to explain.
I totally get that taste. As a kid I used to hang out in the desert a lot. My grandpa once told me if you were really thirsty you could suck on a rock. It makes you salivate. Of course as a child I had to go do it. :D
T least I’ll have a better idea of what to look for.
You make them sound even cooler than their name makes them sound! I love the name “Fox and Moon Tearoom”! Then you say they travel around? Oh boy now I want to get some of their tea!!!
You can buy some teas from their website…. :-)
What makes it more expensive is the weak resteep factor. I have had a couple teas from TeaSpring in 2008 and was really impressed. They have had price increases the last few tears. Surprise, surprise! Some teas are still reasonable, considering their quality. I’ve never tasted a Tie Luo Han, but it is significantly cheaper than $12/oz.
http://www.teaspring.com/Tie-Luo-Han.asp
Amy I found them :) Not buying right now – broke and working on the homestead here but they are on my wish list :)
Scott – I’ve never tried Teaspring but might need to some day. Regardless, even thought I like wuyi oolongs I don’t drink a lot of them and I do have 3 others still. :D
I’m pretty sure I know what you mean, but when you describe minerality……. what do you mean? :))
The tea has a flavor of rocks. It is hard to explain.
I totally get that taste. As a kid I used to hang out in the desert a lot. My grandpa once told me if you were really thirsty you could suck on a rock. It makes you salivate. Of course as a child I had to go do it. :D
T least I’ll have a better idea of what to look for.