jLteaco (fongmongtea)

Wow I just finished ..my tour of, oolong tea by Fong Mong and this last one was my favorite. It doesn’t have an overbearing floral taste like the jasmin oolong but it has a delicate sweetness to it.. The tea is great… It has an invigorating smell and a strong roasted flavor. with out all the rhetoric and fancy wording. This tea rocks my socks off

My samples arrived today from Fong Mong and of course I was excited and had to try one immediately. :)

I used about 3g of tea in a 10 oz. mug, steeped Western style, my tea liquor is dark orange.

This tea has a nice flavor profile, to me it seems malty with some cocoa and flowery notes and a quality that reminds me a bit of red wine. As the cup cools I am getting a lot of tannins which is definitely not something I look for in a tea because it makes my stomach feel queasy.

At the moment I am not quite sure what to make of it but I think I will try a shorter steep in the morning and perhaps that will improve things for me.

I am very grateful for the sample!

WOW this one is going on my list for sure!
I mean, the eyes didn’t roll up into the back of my head in memorable pleasure – but for the taste alone I would stock up. Because this tastes SO good!

The aroma isn’t very strong, but the taste is full, sweet and oh so creamy. I can hardly put the cup down long enough to tap out this short review! And short it will be, but honest.

The aftertaste is mild, but honey-like! I loooove honey notes – I love that I don’t have to try to hard to coax it out of this tea. It’s very prominent. I would serve this to anyone new to green oolongs, in hopes they would fall as hard as I am for it. :)

Thank you FONG MONG tea for this extra delicious sample!

Free sample from Fong Mong Tea.

Upon opening the packet the first thing I noticed was the oxygen absorber pad. That’s an interesting bit of attention to detail that I have not encountered before. Then I looked at the little green nuggets of tea. Smaller than I am used to, but the smell is lovely and grassy with a heady undertone of flower meadow that bodes well for the flavour of the tea.

As others have noted, the steeping guidelines indicate a 6 minute steep! I echoed their “Eeps” at that, so I started with 3g of tea in my 140ml gaiwan and an initial steep of 2 minutes. As I poured the hot water onto the tea, I was hit with a beautiful tropical garden aroma that built up as the tea steeped.

1st steep: the flavour was delicate, light and floral. It lacked a little depth, probably because of my short steeping time, but it was still lovely. The nuggets had not fully unfurled by the end of this steep, which may have been part of the problem with the lack of depth.

2nd steep: I increased the steep time to 4 minutes and suddenly the tea was right there. Orchid notes combined with lychee flavours to give a beautiful tea that made my tongue very happy. The sweetness lingered on my tongue for ages and I also noted a calming feeling in my body.

3rd steep: Up to 6 minutes now. The tea tasted lighter than the previous steep but still very pleasant and the sweetness still lingered on my tongue.

4th steep: 6 minutes again. Definitely past the strongest flavours now but the tea still reminds me of a walk in a tropical garden. The leaves have filled my gaiwan and smell lovely and the tea is light and Summery. The sweet aftertaste still lingers. I stopped here for now, but I shall return to the gaiwan later for more to see how long the tea will go on for.

Overall, I really enjoyed this tea and I am pleased that I have enough left over in the sample for another good session. I reckon I shall take the plunge and try steeping it for the recommended 6 minutes next time to see how that works out.

My third oolong tea for the day.. And so far it is my favorite. It has the smooth taste of an oolong but a fruity taste after words. The tea has a mellow mild taste but it still packs a wallop. I do enjoy this blend and it has officially made me a fan of oolong. The subtleness of green tea but with the flavor of herbal. In short it is amazing

The first tea taiwon had an excellent appearance. opening the bag the smell instantly pulls you in to its almost relaxing aura. the tea is one of my first experiences with an oolong so I am extra exited to try this lovely sample. I waited patiently for around five minutes for this lovely tea to steep. To say that the color of the tea was beautiful is an understatement. The tea when served is a natural mellow yellow. the smell alone is enough to inspire keanu reeves to say woaaaaaaaaaaaah. however the most important part the taste it does not let down. The sweet tea has an humble light taste that is yet delicate and smooth. It is like walking across a silk pillow or taking a stroll through a city on a easy sunday morning. The flavors.have.a slight earthy tone but I am not sure what else however,.this tea has made me fall in love with oolong.

I’ve only tried one other ti kuan yin which was from Teavivre, so going into this I expected something similar to that. I was expecting the tea to smell and taste floral, but what I got was totally different. I didn’t expect it, but this one is roasty like a wuyi oolong. But it’s not as simple as the roastiness of a wuyi, there’s some “greener” character fighting to come out. It’s like this tea has layers of toasted flavors and layers of green flavors, and I’m really liking the combination. Delicious.

Finishing this sample off, this is a very good tea :-) thanks to Fong Mong Tea for these awesome samples, I have one more oolong to try still I have enjoyed all my samples.

I got samples from Fong Mong today, had to try the black one first and i’m glad i did it was really nice first thing in the morning, the steeped leaves seem to have floral aroma thats slightly minty and are pleasing to the eyes, the liquor is red and also pretty to look at and it tastes wonderful its malty and almost chocolatey and it does have a slight vegetal taste to it that I wasnt expecting but it is very nice. it reminds of an Assam so I thought it may take a little milk well but that wasn’t very good it is best on its own.

This is the second sample I’ve been given by Fong Mong Teas

I really like watching oolongs steep, that’s why I made it in a transparent glass :) A really meditative experience

The leaves had a very usual generic smell, so I thought it won’t be really good. But the taste has a heavy floral side, with a creamy aftertaste, which I find pretty unusual in greens/oolongs. I added a little bit of sugar too, to help that flower-y thing develop a little bit more.

I won’t be drinking this one much I suppose, but it is surely a decent tea, maybe just not strong enough for me.

I’d like to thank Fong Mong Teas for sending me this sample!

I’m not a big fan of greens and oolongs, so I was not really sure about this one at first. I added a hint of sugar since the initial taste was a bit too strong for me. But then it got better – I could feel a nice bouquet of flavors – mint, floral hints and a decent strong roasty base.

This tea leaves an interesting tingling sensation in the mouth which I like very much, reminds me of mint candies. But the best thing about this one is the base. It’s deep and solid and is filling the whole spectrum of taste, so to say.

Overall, it’s not the best one I’ve tried, but it is definitely good and the mint-y hint is a really great touch to the taste.

Thank you Fong Mong tea for this sample!

This was a very nice oolong tonight – I had no idea what to expect but it was quite a unique experience! The first thing that hit me was that it did not have a creamy aspect to this oolong. Liberteas also picked up on this! It was definitely a drastic change to the Alishan I had the night before.

There are some very light floral notes and something almost fruity to the taste. I couldn’t place the flavour, but it was quite pleasant and calming.

This was not my favourite offering from Fong Mong, but I appreciated the uniqueness and the chance to compare!

Mmmmm. Creamy.

I haven’t had very many oolongs and I just didn’t get how a regular tea could be creamy without flavoring. Now I get it. It’s slightly floral and green with a smooth creamyness. Ultimate comfort tea.

I want to snuggle up in my jammies and read even though it’s the middle of the afternoon.

Mmm, this is good. It tastes like a combination of a green oolong and a plain ol’ green tea to me. There is a slight floral aspect, but it’s very mellow. There’s a bright, fresh “green” taste to it with a little nuttiness and strong notes of fruit, with a slightly creamy texture. Thanks for the sample, Fong Mong Tea!

Sipdown! Thanks again to Fong Mong Tea for this sample! Although a little old, and not properly stored, it was still a pretty enjoyable oolong. A bit creamy, a bit floral, but nowhere near as much as a tieguanyin… my kind of green oolong, for sure. I’ll enjoy the next infusions shortly.

Wow…. an 8-minute infusion when I meant to infuse for three. Good thing the instructions recommended 6?? Here’s hoping it’s not ruined :( The smell is pretty delicious, like a milk oolong.

Ahhh, not ruined, but definitely oversteeped, because there’s astringency here that would probably not be around otherwise. The flavour is quite vegetal and a bit sweet. Not really floral nor creamy. I’ve learned though, that an oversteeped oolong mushes all the yummy flavours into a big ball of mediocre, so this is definitely not a fair assessment of this tea. I’ll try harder to keep an eye on the time with the second infusion!

Thanks for the sample, Fong Mong Tea!

ETA: Second infusion (~4min/82C) is quite tasty. Light and oolongy, with some delicious creaminess. Very slight bit of astringency, so the first infusion was clearly a mistake, that I regret immensely. Luckily there’s enough in the packet for two infusions, so I’ll get a second chance later (probably once I make it through all of these!) I think I’ll have to do some big oolong comparison at some point though – I’m having trouble remembering from one sample to the next. I think this one might be akin to Teavivre’s unflavoured milk oolong… but I don’t really know! Either way, this is delicious. I love oolong :)

My samples arrived today from Fong Mong Tea, many thanks to them. After I dealt with the mailman who seems to be a bit suspicious of a seventeen year old repeatedly receiving packages from China and Taiwan, I immediately sliced open the package in the most haphazard and self-endangering way I possibly could. I thought to myself “What’ll it be, a roasty highly-oxidized oolong or a floral and sweet green oolong?”; I concluded that today was a green oolong kind of day.

It was a warm and sunny day, I had just finished my last day of finals and I was now out of school…which in my mind warranted something reminiscent of summer, and to me a green oolong is the best representation of summer in a cup. For one, it’s deep green like the trees and other plant life now thriving in the absence of winter’s oppressive cold. And, of course, the sweet floral goodness that only a green oolong can provide.

This oolong was pretty much what I was expecting as far as its characteristics were concerned. Floral, check. Sweet, check. But it exceeded my expectations as far as just how WELL it actually pulled those things off. As I held the mug up to my face, I was transported to green fields in some vague yet familiar countryside filled with rolling hills and vividly colored flowers. I do love when a tea can fill my head with pleasant imagery. The sweetness was natural and balanced. And my favorite part about this tea, man it was MILKY. It felt very thick as a swished it around in my mouth and I just love that in a tea. You could cut it with a knife.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this oolong experience and I want to say thanks again to Fong Mong for the samples.

I just thought this was a sip down yesterday. The leaf was still calling my name this morning so I had no choice but to obey. I believe the 4th and 5th cups this morning were better than the first 3 yesterday. What a delicious black tea.

One of those days when I open the drawer and rifle through the dozens of sample packets and toss them aside one by one. No, not that one. Had that one recently. Eh, not wanting to steep that many times today. Oh wait, what did I put in this tin? Well hello! I forgot I had this one. What a really nice black tea. No bitterness. Just wonderful flavor. Cup two was even better than one. The only negative thing I can say is this is a sip down. Tunes: The 5678’s I’m Blue, Klaatu – Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft, Joey Ramone – It’s a Wonderful World

This is the first sample I grabbed out of box provided by Fong Mong Tea. It is also my first black tea from Taiwan, at least that I am aware. First, about the packaging. The samples are packed in very heavy silver pouches. Once cut open the first thing I notice is the oxygen absorber in this pouch. That’s different. The tea type is listed on the label but there are no steeping instructions. I went online to locate this information.

The leaf is dark and thick. The smell is similar to a Yunnan Dian Hong but more wine like. Kind of like a chocolate wine would smell. Very nice. I brewed for 3 minutes with just below boiling water in my French Press. The resulting liquor is a beautiful clear dark caramel. Fong Mong calls the color carmine, which is a vivid red. Scent is the same as the dry leaf.

With the first sip the sensation was instantly caramel, then grapes, and then Yunnan black (I now understand Bonnie’s reaction). There is a healthy dose of malt in the smell and in the taste. While I don’t detect it in the scent, I noticed the cooling sensation of mint in mid sip and can taste it on my breath. This tea has a natural sweetness to it that tastes like honey on the lips. Strangely, considering the sweetness, it seems slightly drying like a red wine. There is not even a hint of bitterness in this cup. This is so good.

I find I have been programmed by years of English breakfast teas to expect a black tea to taste strong with a heavy bite that verges on and often surpasses bitterness. Not even close to what you’ll get from this tea. The China blacks and now this from Taiwan have shown me I have been missing an entire delicious side of black tea. This is excellent. I know reviews often read like propaganda written by an advertisement department, but this tea really is as amazingly good as it sounds. I am honored to have experienced it.

Last tea I tried yesterday, but how could I not compare? I could tell this one was special as soon as the dry leaves hit the bottom my warm mug, creammmy! I started with a flash steep on this and am glad I did. While most of the oolongs I tried yesterday benefited from higher temperatures and longer steep times, I feel this did better with short ones.

I was rewarded with a heavenly experience both in taste and aroma. I don’t think I can compare this to anything. I’ve seen other’s review milk oolongs and say they are more like milk candies or more like butter or cream than milk. I’ve never had milk candies and couldn’t be bothered with differentiating my dairy last night, because I was blissed out from this tea, but I will say it was a sweet milkiness that left a cool tingle on first the back of my tongue, gradually working its way forward with each sip. I remember calling down to the husband last night “oh dear, I think this is going to be something I crave!”

Unfortunately I did add more time to the second steep and it fell short of the first. I hoped the third would be better, but it wasn’t until I returned to short steeps that I got that special something. Perhaps it would be fine with one longer steep, but I used all my leaves and was all tea-ed out by that time last night anyway. I just revived this this afternoon and it tastes like a good green oolong with a bit more fullness and coolness in the mouth. I will definitely pursue more Jin Xuan! Thank you so very much Fong Mong Tea for the introduction!

I had to try this one as well yesterday, my first Alishan, thank you so much Fong Mong Tea! First an interesting observation. I found that I didn’t get much aroma from the leaf while it was in the bag, but as soon as I poured the dry leaf into my pre-warmed mug it came to life, so green and vibrant! I shall just copy & paste my notes from my phone from yesterday when Steepster was down:

This is oolong? Well of course it looks like oolong, little green fists, but the smell is just so green, and the taste, scandalous. There is no floral here, no orchid, no earth no wood, just crisp green goodness and a hint of nuttiness. I would swear this was a green tea in a blind tasting and a delicious one at that!

Second steep, still very green but richer, deeper, beany, and a hint of butter! Mmm and just a tinge of savory, yet in later sips still dark, cool and sweet. In later steeps the green mellowed out and this tasted more like a Tie Guan Yin. Still very exciting, I think I shall pursue more Alishans, this was a great introduction thank you!

Much thanks to Fong Mong Tea for this sample. I had mentioned to them that I had enjoyed both Oriental Beauty and Tung Ting in the past, so I was excited they included this one for comparison. However the Tung Ting I had tried was much darker (not sure if it was more oxidized, roasted or both). So while they are very different flavors, this does taste like very center green part of darker version.

It also tastes as if it has been brewed in yixing, yet hasn’t. At first I thought it was my memory tricking my sense as the Tung Ting I had tried at Essencha Tea House was brewed in a tiny yixing tea pot, but there is definitely a clay-like mineral note that is neither sweet nor metallic. I infused this many times yesterday in my make-shift gaiwan, at first with short steeps, then later much longer trying to draw out more flavors, but the steeps stayed quite consistent. I would say it might to better with long western infusions though. Mildly veg with those odd clay notes, the word bakey comes to mind, but I thought other’s used that in conjunction with bready. On the other hand it might do very well in a yixing pot! Thank you Fong Mong for this unique experience!

Backlog from earlier today when Steepster was down. I logged on to find steeping suggestions for this tea and there was no Steepster! So glad it’s back up. I took a few notes with this one, which I am also glad to have gotten a sample of from Fong Mong Tea. Thanks!

It’s been a while since I’ve had a really floral oolong, and I was looking forward to it. I used the entire sample in my 12oz mug because it was close to what I usually use for oolongs. The recommended steep time was 6 minutes which seems really long! I just couldn’t bring myself to do it, and I went with 3 minutes instead. The dry leaf smelled lightly floral and green, and when steeped it smelled really fantastic, very floral, with nice saffron buttery notes. Definitely an aroma I like in an oolong.

The taste was surprisingly light… light enough that I wonder if I should have gone the full 6 minutes! But what was there was very pleasant, nice and floral and a bit green. It was just asking for a hint of sweetness there, but it didn’t come out this time. Or maybe a thicker, butterier background to the florals. I bet you could play around with steeping parameters on this one and make it really sing. Glad I got a chance to try it!