Tealyra

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Recent Tasting Notes

90

Margaret’s Hope Estate is one of the most renowned tea estates in India and the producer of some of my favorite Darjeelings of all time. Prior to trying this tea, I had yet to try a first flush from Margaret’s Hope, instead focusing all of my attention on their lovely second flush teas. When the opportunity to purchase 4 ounces of tea leaves from one of my favorite estates at a very reasonable price fell into my lap, I jumped at the chance.

I’m still working my way through the big bag of this tea, so I have yet to exhaust all of my usual preparation methods. For the past day or two, I have been sticking to a one step Western infusion, though I would just about guarantee that this is the sort of Darjeeling out of which one could get at least 1 or 2 more infusions. I will definitely give that a try in the very near future. For the purposes of this review, however, I steeped 1 teaspoon of loose tea leaves in 8 ounces of 205 F water for 3 minutes, as Tealyra recommends starting with 2-3 minutes for this one.

Prior to infusion, the dry leaves gave off a lovely, inviting aroma that resembled a blend of musk and Muscat grape. After infusion, the liquor showed a dark gold in the cup. Honestly, the color was darker than I expected, but whatever. On the nose, I easily picked up aromas of herbs, straw, wood, musk, honey, toast, cream, malt, and Muscat grape. In the mouth, I immediately detected an intriguing blend of citrus and herb notes. It was almost like a mixture of lemon and bee balm. These flavors were soon joined by pronounced notes of straw, wood, malt, cream, almond, toast, musk, Muscat grape, and honey. The finish was surprisingly smooth, offering lingering notes of Muscat grape, toast, cream, honey, and musk backed by a slight citrus zestiness.

At first, I did not really know what to make of this tea. The flavors were so strong that I was taken aback. It was not what I was expecting at all, and at the time, I was not all that certain I enjoyed it. After giving this tea a few more chances, however, I can say that it has really grown on me. It is just a little rough around the edges, but it displays nice complexity and depth in the mouth. Even though I have not tried all that many first flush Darjeelings this year, this may be my favorite to this point. If you are looking for a truly nice first flush Darjeeling and do not mind a few minor quirks, then by all means give this tea a try.

Flavors: Almond, Cream, Herbs, Honey, Lemon, Malt, Muscatel, Straw, Toast, Wood

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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100

I was in the mood for a thick heavy satisfying tongue-coating milk oolong. None of that subtle and thoughtful nonsense for me at this moment. I wanted the sledgehammer to the head approach of the milk oolong world. And this is it.

The heart wants what the heart wants.

Flavors: Butter, Cream, Floral, Milk, Pineapple

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 2 min, 30 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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80

We have another oolong sipdown here. This one was a little different from the unflavored oolongs I normally consume. I grow ginseng at home and I am familiar with the smell and taste of it, but had never had a ginseng tea prior to this.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. I have been experimenting with my brewing methods lately and wanted to try something new for this one. I remember reading somewhere that the first infusion for Taiwanese oolongs should be about 30-50 seconds following the rinse and that the steep time should be increased by about 10-20 seconds per infusion after that. This method is supposed to produce a minimum of 5-8 strong infusions. I decided to try it. For this session, I conducted a rinse of approximately 10 seconds and then steeped 6 grams of loose tea leaves in 4 ounces of 195 F water for 30 seconds. This infusion was followed by 6 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 10 seconds, 1 minute 20 seconds, 1 minute 40 seconds, and 2 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, the leaves imparted a slightly floral aroma that was overpowered by the herbal character of ginseng. After the rinse, the floral and ginseng aromas were joined by touches of cream and butter. The first infusion produced a floral, creamy, and herbal nose. In the mouth, I got strong notes of flowers (lily, saffron, magnolia) and ginseng up front and a smooth creaminess and butteriness on the back of the throat. There was also a lingering sweetness. The next 5 infusions really continued to emphasize the interplay of fresh flowers and ginseng against a backdrop of cream and butter. A slight minerality had begun to sneak in by the fifth infusion. The final two infusions were very mild. I detected fleeting aromas and flavors of ginseng, butter, and flowers with a more pronounced minerality evident. At that point, I cut the session short.

Overall, I enjoyed this oolong. I think it did a very good job of presenting the aroma and flavor of ginseng, and I also thought it integrated this very distinct aroma and flavor fairly well. Due to the simplicity of the tea aroma and flavor, it was rather obvious to me that this was not exactly the highest grade oolong in the world, but it was appealing in its own way. More importantly, however, it worked well with the ginseng, which meant that it accomplished its intended purpose. In the end, this struck me as being a good tea to try for those who are maybe considering taking the plunge into ginseng oolongs.

Flavors: Butter, Cream, Flowers, Herbaceous, Mineral

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 6 g 4 OZ / 118 ML

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91

My schedule has been so tight recently that I have not been able to do many gongfu sessions. That means that my oolong and puerh consumption has seriously declined. Transferring to a new job has unfortunately been limiting my free time. When I have had time to drink oolong this week, this has been the one I have been drinking. It’s a nice rolled oolong that is very easy to drink.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a quick rinse, I steeped 6 grams of loose tea leaves in 4 ounces of 195 F water for 10 seconds. I followed this initial infusion up with 11 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 15 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 2 minutes 30 seconds, and 3 minutes.

Prior to the rinse, a sniff of the dry tea leaves revealed a mildly floral aroma. After the rinse, I noted pronounced aromas of cream, butter, custard, apricot, peach, and fresh flowers. The first infusion produced a similar, albeit slightly more balanced aroma. In the mouth, I detected a pleasant blend of cream, butter, custard, vanilla, sticky rice, and honey underscored by perfume-like notes of saffron, lily, lilac, honeysuckle, and gardenia. There was also a very subtle nuttiness that I caught just before the fade. Subsequent infusions amplified the fruit, vanilla, honey, and floral notes. The vague nuttiness emerged more fully, revealing the flavor of roasted almonds. A slight breadiness also began to emerge. Tealyra describes it as a toast note, but I thought it was more reminiscent of fresh baguettes. A note of golden raisin also began to appear around this time as well. Later infusions grew nuttier, creamier, and breadier. I noticed that the baguette, roasted almond, cream, butter, and custard notes began to dominate, though I could still detect soft, yet distinct impressions of flowers, honey, golden raisin, and vanilla. Oddly, I did not detect much of a mineral presence. Normally, I get a lot of minerality from oolongs, but not this one. For the most part, it remained smooth, sweet, creamy, floral, fruity, and buttery throughout the course of the session.

This was an intriguing oolong with a great blend of aromas and flavors. I probably could have gotten at least one or two more infusions out of it, but decided to stop where I did because it was late and I needed to get some sleep. Judging from this encounter though, I would not hesitate to recommend this tea to just about anyone looking for a quality oolong at a great price. I honestly think it would please both experienced drinkers and oolong novices alike.

Flavors: Almond, Apricot, Bread, Butter, Cream, Custard, Floral, Gardenias, Honey, Honeysuckle, Peach, Raisins, Saffron, Vanilla

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 6 g 4 OZ / 118 ML
Fjellrev

I hope you’ll be able to find more pockets of time in the future to enjoy the tea that you like.

eastkyteaguy

Fjellrev, that makes two of us.

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46

The second of the milk oolongs I have tried from Tealyra, I actually bought this one with the other three a couple months ago. As some of you know, I utterly loathed their Quangzhou Milk Oolong. In my opinion, this one is considerably better, though I still would not call it great. Hopefully, the other two (which I have yet to try) will right the ship.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. Normally, I will do a quick rinse and then start off with an infusion of either 10 seconds or 20 seconds, increasing my steep times by anywhere from 2-5 seconds per infusion, but I didn’t do that here. I have been reading up on gongfu techniques over the past couple of days and wanted to try starting off with a shorter infusion, so I decided to tinker with my approach for this session. After a quick rinse (maybe 2-3 seconds), I steeped 6 grams of loose tea leaves in 4 ounces of 195 F water for 5 seconds. I followed this infusion with 9 additional infusions. The steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 10 seconds, 15 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 45 seconds, 1 minute, and 1 minute 15 seconds.

This being a flavored oolong, the first thing I noticed was that the dry leaves smelled like a combination of cream and butter with virtually none of the floral aromas one would expect of a greener Taiwanese oolong. After the rinse, I noted that the powerful aromas of cream and butter remained, though traces of fruitiness and floral character were beginning to peek through the murk. The first infusion produced a similarly powerful creamy, buttery nose, though I did pick up on somewhat faint aromas of magnolia, lily, and lilac, as well as a hint of peach. In the mouth, this infusion was surprisingly mild. I picked up on gentle notes of cream and butter underscored by traces of kettle corn, custard, magnolia, lily, lilac, nectarine, and white peach. There was also a slight grassiness. The second and third infusions began to emphasize fruitiness on the nose and in the mouth, though pronounced notes of cream, butter, and flowers remained. The traces of grass, kettle corn, and custard were similarly amplified. I began to note that the peach and nectarine flavors were joined by tropical fruit notes resembling a mixture of mango, papaya, coconut, and pineapple. The fourth infusion saw the tropical fruit aromas and flavors come out in a big way. By the fifth and sixth infusions, this tea was all about the interaction of cream, butter, and tropical fruit. The floral notes had faded, though the grass, kettle corn, and custard notes remained distinct, especially on the finish. The seventh infusion saw the kettle corn and grass notes begin to play a larger role. The previously described floral aromas and flavors had faded, though oddly enough, I thought I could detect a hint of orchid on the back of the throat. The final three infusions saw the tea fade quickly. By the tenth infusion, I was mostly picking up on a wash of cream, butter, kettle corn, and grass with very faint, distant floral and fruity notes.

To be completely honest, this tea really did not do anything for me. It is rather obvious that this is a bland, generic lower grade Jin Xuan that has been flavored by a combination of milk and water in order to approximate the taste of a higher end tea. I suppose if one were to approach it with an idea of what it is intended to do in mind, this tea could be perceived as being decent. I, however, am incredibly picky when it comes to Jin Xuans. This tea is just too shallow and two-dimensional for me, but at least it lacks the overpowering sweetness and (to me) artificial milkiness of the Quangzhou Milk Oolong. Still, this tea bores me, and I cannot say that I would feel comfortable recommending something I don’t find the tiniest bit interesting.

Flavors: Butter, Coconut, Cream, Custard, Floral, Fruity, Grass, Kettle Corn, Mango, Orchid, Peach, Pineapple

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 6 g 4 OZ / 118 ML

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90

After the horrible experience I had with their Quangzhou Milk Oolong, I have not had much of a desire to review many other Tealyra products. I tried this one for the first time in a gongfu session back in August and remembered really liking it, but for whatever reason, I never got around to posting a review. I was craving oolong all day yesterday though, and when I realized that I still had enough of this left for a couple of sessions, I plowed through the last of it.

I prepared this tea two ways. The first session was gongfu. After a 10 second rinse, I steeped 6 grams of loose tea leaves in 4 ounces of 195 F water for 10 seconds. This initial infusion was followed by 10 additional infusions with an increase of 2 seconds per infusion. Steep times ranged from 10-30 seconds. The other session was a three step Western infusion. Following a brief (10 second) rinse, I steeped approximately 1.5 teaspoons of loose tea leaves in 8 ounces of 195 F water for 2 minutes. Additional infusions were conducted at 3 and 5 minutes respectively.

With regard to the gongfu session, I noticed that the dry leaves produced a lovely aroma of flowers, char, and coffee. After the rinse, I noted scents of saffron, vanilla, char, roasted grain, coffee, and cinnamon. The initial infusion produced a near identical aroma, as well as powerful flavors of saffron, violets, char, roasted grain, vanilla bean, graham cracker, cinnamon, caramelized banana, coffee, and molasses. Subsequent infusions really emphasized the melding of floral, savory, and roasted notes. I noted emerging aromas and flavors of tobacco, leather, and woodsmoke. There was also a slight minerality that emerged on the finish. The last 3 infusions were heavy on the mineral, smoke, char, tobacco, and leather notes, although I was still able to detect traces of violet, coffee, vanilla bean, and cinnamon in the background.

The Western infusion was much smoother with a more seamless integration of flavors. The floral aromas and flavors were milder, and the cinnamon, molasses, char, roasted grain, coffee, vanilla bean, and caramelized banana notes were very pronounced. The tea held its aroma and flavor well, with the minerality only becoming noticeable on the second infusion and not playing a significant role until the final infusion.

Overall, I really like this tea. I’m not really sure how it stands up to some of the higher end Taiwanese Tieguanyins on the market, but for an introduction to the unique Taiwanese take on this varietal, this is truly exceptional. The tea holds its aromas and flavors well through multiple infusions. I’m still far from the most proficient at gongfu brewing, but when even I can produce something that still retains considerable strength and complexity through 8 or 9 consecutive steepings with this tea, I really think that speaks for itself. Even with the longer steep times involved in a multi-step Western infusion, this tea went the distance. All in all, I’m impressed. This is a nice little oolong for the money.

Flavors: Char, Cinnamon, Coffee, Floral, Graham, Leather, Mineral, Molasses, Saffron, Smoke, Tobacco, Vanilla, Violet

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 6 g 4 OZ / 118 ML

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11

Milk oolongs are tricky things. When speaking of milk oolong in the traditional sense, one is usually referring to Jin Xuan, or Golden Lily, a tea cultivar that naturally provides a milky, buttery aroma and flavor. Unfortunately, Jin Xuan is not the only milk oolong on the market. You see, it seems that nowadays almost every tea merchant is offering one or more versions of milk oolong, indicating that this tea is very popular with the buying public, and the high demand for quality milk oolongs often greatly exceeds supply. In response, tea producers have developed ingenious ways of meeting the demand for milk oolong-steam oolong tea leaves in a milk water combination or spray oolong tea leaves in an artifical milk flavoring. This tea is not an all-natural milk oolong. It is a Chinese oolong that has been steamed in a combination of milk and water in order to approximate the aroma and flavor of authentic Jin Xuan.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. As usual, I rinsed the leaves and conducted a 10 second initial infusion. I then increased the steep time by 2 seconds for each subsequent infusion. In this session, I conducted a total of 13 infusions (10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 seconds). Again, I used 6 grams of loose tea leaves in my 4 ounce gaiwan, as I normally do for my review sessions. The water temperature was set at 195 F.

Prior to infusion, I began questioning my decision to buy this tea. I knew it was flavored from the get go, but when I opened the sealed pouch, a heavy aroma of cream assaulted my nose. There was something else there too, almost like strawberry flavoring, but I wasn’t quite sure. After the rinse, the aroma was tamed considerably. I detected much milder scents of cream, butter, straw, sweetgrass, gardenias, jasmine, honeysuckle, vanilla, and osmanthus. I could still detect a fruity, almost strawberry-like scent lurking underneath the layers of cream, butter, grass, and flowers. The first infusion yielded a similar, but somewhat milder aroma. In the mouth, I picked up heavy flavors of gardenia, honeysuckle, osmanthus, jasmine, vanilla, cake frosting, butter, cream, straw, sweetgrass, honeydew, peach, nectarine, apricot, and nectar. Yep, I also got a heaping helping of strawberry as well. The second and third infusions continued down this road, but were somewhat milder. With each subsequent infusion, the floral and most of the fruity aromas and flavors faded, leaving me with turbulent, and to me, increasingly synthetic vanilla, cream, butter, and strawberry aromas and flavors underscoring traces of nectar, straw, and sweetgrass.

Well, this was disappointing. I am generally a fan of Tealyra and have had good luck with their oolongs in the past (I’m a big fan of their Wenshan Baozhong Reserve, Tieguanyin Deep Roasted, and Jade Oolong), but I found this to be borderline nauseating. It only got worse for me the longer I spent with it. I have not had a ton of milk oolongs, but I have been a bit spoiled, as I started with some really good authentic Jin Xuans. As a result, I’m at a point where I can kind of tell when something is artificially flavored, even if the vendor chooses not to disclose this information. Now, to give credit where credit is due, Tealyra does indicate to potential buyers that this is a flavored oolong rather than a traditional Jin Xuan. I respect them for that. I fear, however, that there may be a little more going on with this tea than is indicated. To be blunt, I have a sneaking suspicion that this may be a little more than an oolong that has been steamed in a combination of milk and water. I just cannot shake that ridiculous strawberry presence. It could be a byproduct of the flavoring for all I know, but I remain more than a touch skeptical. Whatever the case may be, I do not think that this is a good oolong. There are good flavored oolongs out there, and some of them may even be artificially flavored for all I know, but I just do not think that this is one of them. Getting past that odd, over-the-top strawberry presence that I so greatly disliked, there wasn’t much depth here. The layering of aromas and flavors was rough and turbulent, and more than that, it never calmed. I’ll give this tea a little credit. My experience with it indicated that it has staying power in a longer session. Unfortunately, I just did not find that it smelled or tasted all that good.

Flavors: Apricot, Butter, Cream, Floral, Frosting, Gardenias, Grass, Honeydew, Honeysuckle, Jasmine, Nectar, Osmanthus, Peach, Straw, Strawberry, Vanilla

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 6 g 4 OZ / 118 ML
Evol Ving Ness

Is this the most recent batch or a previous one? I purchased four different milk oolongs from Tealyra this past March and this is the one that I liked best. So much so that it is on my rebuy list. No strawberry flavour came up for me.

eastkyteaguy

This is from the most recent batch. Like you, I also purchased four different milk oolongs from Tealyra, but this was the one I liked least. Could be different strokes and all, or it could have been a mistake. I know Tealyra produces a strawberry oolong, so I’m kind of hoping that there was a mistake in packing or something. That may be wishful thinking, however, as at least one reviewer on Tealyra’s site described the same strawberry flavor.

eastkyteaguy

I should also note that this is by far the worst tea I have had from Tealyra. I tend to be a big fan of their products-I really think they offer a solid range of teas with perhaps more than their fair share of stunners (especially in the oolong department, though I have had good black, green, white, and pu-erh teas from them as well). I wish they got a little more attention here on Steepster.

Evol Ving Ness

Hmm, curiouser and curiouser.

Evol Ving Ness

I agree. I have been very pleased with almost all of my purchases from Tealyra. The customer service, however, could use some work.

eastkyteaguy

Yeah, I have to agree. I haven’t had too much trouble with them, but their shipping times can be slow. I also wish they were a little clearer about harvest dates for each of their teas, as well as points of origin. I’m a suckered for little details like that, and those sorts of little touches would make them seem more transparent,and accessible. Also, their product descriptions are terribly written. I have been told that I can be something of a grammar nazi and a stickler for plain, unadorned composition, so the way they present their products irks me. I still continue to buy from them regularly though, and I’m often impressed with their offerings.

eastkyteaguy

Ugghh, I just caught two typos in my response. I hate typing on my phone. Sorry.

Evol Ving Ness

:)

I noticed a typo in my comment on your other posting. At least we know.

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90

I know that I posted a review of this tea earlier, but at the time, I had not finished the last of it. I figured that I would work on finishing it up this week, and wanted to see how this tea fared Western vs. gongfu. Of the two preparations, I think gongu works best for this tea, though the multi-step Western infusion I attempted yielded respectable results.

As one would gather from the above, I prepared this tea in the Western style. I settled on a three step infusion this time around. I steeped 6 grams of loose tea leaves in 8 ounces of 195 F water for 2 minutes. The second and third infusions lasted 2 and 3 minutes respectively.

The first infusion produced an aroma that was simultaneously vegetal and floral. I noted somewhat creamy and buttery qualities as well. In the mouth, I detected a pleasant mixture of sweetgrass, butter, cream, magnolia, and orchid. I also noted a slight minerality on the alternately buttery and floral finish. At this point, I noticed that neither the aroma nor the flavor of the tea was nearly as complex when prepared this way. The second and third infusions saw the floral qualities fade. The second infusion was relatively balanced, offering pronounced butter, cream, and sweetgrass notes in addition to some lovely, if slightly more subdued floral flavors. The third infusion was mild and more vegetal. The tea was not quite flat at that point; it still had enough flavor to be satisfying. I noted that there was still a little bit of creaminess, though the sweetgrass and mineral notes were much more pronounced.

Overall, I am quite pleased with this experiment. This preparation yielded an approachable and very straight-forward tea that emphasized slightly different aspects of its character on each infusion. Compared to my earlier gongfu session with this tea, this method yielded a smooth tea that was very easy to drink, though there was a noticeable loss in floral character (I didn’t pick up the lilac and violet notes) and complexity. Of the two, I definitely prefer gongfu for this one, but preparing this tea the way I outlined above resulted in an experience that was far from bad.

Flavors: Butter, Cream, Floral, Grass, Mineral, Orchid, Vegetal

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 2 min, 0 sec 6 g 8 OZ / 236 ML

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90

I’m still making progress toward cleaning out my hoard of oolongs. I was able to finish the last of the Tieguanyin Deep Roasted Wednesday, and have been working on this one ever since. This was another Tealyra oolong that I first sampled in a gongfu session last month and didn’t get around to reviewing prior to the end of the month. I’m rectifying that now.

I prepared this tea gongfu style. My rinse ended up being several seconds longer than I planned because it was kind of late and I zoned out. Fortunately, this little misstep did not significantly impact the remainder of the session. Following the rinse, I steeped 6 grams of loose tea leaves in 4 ounces of 195 F water for 10 seconds. This infusion was followed by 10 additional infusions with an increase of 2 seconds per infusion. Steep times ranged from 10-30 seconds.

Prior to the rinse, I noticed that the long, twisted leaves produced a mild aroma that was simultaneously vegetal and floral. Following my unintentionally long rinse, I noticed that the floral aroma was more pronounced. To me, it was very reminiscent of lilac, magnolia, and violet. The first infusion saw creamy and buttery qualities merge with the floral scents on the nose. In the mouth, I picked up delicate, surprisingly well-integrated notes of magnolia, lilac, violet, lily, orchid, sweetgrass, cream, and butter. The next 4 infusions saw a slight breadiness emerge on the nose and in the mouth. It was most pronounced on the finish where it was joined by slightly stronger vegetal notes and minerality. The final series of infusions saw the floral aromas and flavors fade a little quicker than I would have liked, while mineral, bread, cream, butter, and sweetgrass remained. I should note, however, that the floral aromas and flavors did not completely disappear during these infusions-I could still just barely detect them under everything else.

Okay, let me just state for the record that I highly doubt this tea would compete favorably over a lengthy session with many of the premier competition grade Baozhongs offered by some other vendors. I do think, however, that this is a very solid, approachable, and consistent Baozhong for the money. If you are a fan of greener oolongs, I could see this making a good daily drinker.

Flavors: Bread, Butter, Cream, Floral, Grass, Mineral, Orchid, Violet

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 6 g 4 OZ / 118 ML

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91
drank Jade Oolong by Tealyra
1048 tasting notes

Jade oolong is a type of Taiwanese oolong that is noted for its light, floral aroma and taste. Of all the Taiwanese oolongs, jade oolong is not so much one of the rarer types, as it is one of the less popular types. Most drinkers of Taiwanese oolongs have historically gravitated toward the more heavily roasted varieties, but judging from the number of lighter, sweeter Taiwanese oolongs that are currently on the market, that trend is starting to change. For me, that is a good thing. I greatly enjoy Taiwanese oolongs and welcome an increase in the amount of Taiwanese tea on the market.

For the purpose of this review, I brewed this tea gongfu style. Following a quick rinse, I prepared an initial infusion of 6 grams of loose tea leaves in 4 ounces of 195 F water. This infusion lasted 20 seconds. It was followed by eight additional infusions lasting 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, and 36 seconds. Note that I did not exactly follow the traditional Taiwanese gongfu method. I was specifically trying to make sure that the first infusion was bursting with flavor and that the subsequent infusions introduced subtle variations as the tea faded. To be precise, I was trying to really focus the aromas and flavors while simultaneously testing this tea’s boundaries.

The initial infusions produced a lovely and almost indescribable aroma. To me, it resembled a mixture of honey and flowers-osmanthus, chrysanthemum, lillies, orchid, and magnolia perhaps? In the mouth, the first infusions produced delicate and superbly integrated notes of lily, magnolia, chrysanthemum, osmanthus, orchid, cream, honey, custard, sticky rice, and steamed buns with traces of sweetgrass in the background. The middle infusions were mellower, bringing out more pronounced cream, honey, and sweetgrass aromas and flavors. The later infusions emphasized heavy cream, honey, and sweetgrass aromas and flavors with faint floral underpinnings and a hint of light minerality.

In the end, I really liked this oolong. The vendor describes it as a good beginner’s oolong because the flavors are not overpowering, but I am not really sure that is fair. I can see this tea being a good introduction to Taiwanese oolongs, but I can also see it being a good everyday oolong for those who are more familiar with teas of this type. It has enough depth and complexity to really shine on its own, it holds up well over the course of a relatively lengthy session (something greener oolongs, even those of high quality, do not always do), and it displays a unique combination of aromas and flavors. Try as I might, I really could not find much fault with this tea. I recommend it highly.

Flavors: Cream, Custard, Floral, Grass, Honey, Mineral, Orchid, Osmanthus, Sweet

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 6 g 4 OZ / 118 ML
Daylon R Thomas

I’m having a major dilemma looking for a good quality daily oolong with the creamy florals and sweet honey taste that I’d say find in a Li Shan or better. Of course that’s going to be a hard find anyway, would you recommend this one for that search?

eastkyteaguy

Daylon, I really liked this one, but I hesitate to recommend it for daily drinking at this point in the year. I haven’t had it since last August or thereabouts and I have greatly modified my approach to gongfu brewing since then. If I were to apply the methodology I currently employ on this tea, I have no idea how it would hold up. Also, and this is an issue I have with Tealyra, I don’t know where they source their teas from, when each of their offerings is harvested, and if their teas even come from the same producer from year to year. The tea they are offering under this name now may not even be the same tea, and even if it is, who knows how it has held up. If it were me, I would look more toward some of Floating Leaves’ lower end offerings. I doubt many would share this opinion, but their Four Seasons is often a steal for the price.

eastkyteaguy

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Alistair is currently offering a budget Baozhong that is harvested by machine. He seems to like it. I just got some of it in today, but have yet to try it.

Daylon R Thomas

I frickin loved Floating Leaves too lol. What-Cha is my underlying aim anyway lol, with a very specific list if I decide on it (which I probably will). I know the baozhong you are talking about it, and was going to do a giant order with a sample of that when the other oolongs get back in stock.

Daylon R Thomas

I also have a lot of tea that I need to work through in the meantime-namely blacks and dark oolongs which I’ve gotten more persnickety with.

eastkyteaguy

I feel ya. I went on a big Wuyi and Dan Cong oolong spending spree early in the year and I now have a ton of darker oolongs that I need to finish. I also have a lot of green teas that I need to finish as well. I tend to go on seasonal kicks.

Daylon R Thomas

Back to What-Cha, I was also thinking about trying the Four Seasons and the Jade to see how they hold up. Thank you for putting up with my insatiable energy lol.

Daylon R Thomas

There are only a few teas that have stood up every season, and some specific years. Gotta love harvests, moods, taste buds and all that. I almost picked Eco Cha’s Four Seasons because it is heady and fruity, but What-Cha might offer something equivalent and I am hardly dissatisfied even if I order large. My current fuss with the Zhangping Oolongs has been the only exception.

eastkyteaguy

No problem. I’ve been unbelievably fussy about What-Cha’s Darjeelings and Assams. I have at least one of each of their Zhangping oolongs, but I have yet to try any of them. Something about tiny cakes of tea really sets off my inner hoarder. I have both the jade and the four seasons oolongs from What-Cha and I’m hoping to try both before the end of the month.

Daylon R Thomas

I was like that with the Chinese blacks. I’m picky with the Darjeelings, but I’ve never been dissatisfied with sampling them. Some of the better first flushes have been from What-Cha. I was actually surprised just how fruity and floral some could be. If Alistair likes the Baozhong, there’s a good chance that I’ll like it. I hope for the best from those oolongs-enjoy sippin!

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70

This delicate Chinese green tea comes to us from the south of Anhui Province. Normally, Lu Mu Dan leaves are strung together and sold in a form that resembles a green peony flower, but this version is sold unbound like other standard Chinese green teas. Since Lu Mu Dan is not one of the more popular types of Chinese green tea, seeing one made available in such a nontraditional format is automatically eye-catching.

To prepare this tea for consumption, I steeped 1 teaspoon of loose tea leaves in 8 ounces of 175 F water for 2 minutes. I followed this with a second infusion lasting 2.5 minutes. I also tried slightly longer infusions (3 minutes, followed by 3.5 minutes) and the results were similarly pleasant. For the purposes of this review, I will only comment on the first preparation described above, but I will say that the longer infusions produced a slightly more focused and slightly more vegetal flavor.

The first infusion produced a light ecru cup with slight aromas of minerals, flowers, honey, and roasted vegetables. In the mouth, I picked up delicate notes of honey, nectar, flowers, and oddly enough, sorghum molasses underscored by notes of char, roasted Brussels sprouts, hay, and minerals. The second infusion produced a similarly light cup with a somewhat more honeyed nose. I noted slightly stronger notes of honey and nectar chased by slightly stronger notes of char, Brussels sprouts, hay, and minerals.

Overall, this is a solid enough green tea that should appeal to fans of lighter teas. Although I tend to prefer stronger, more vegetal green teas, this is unique. Do not be put off by the combination of flavors I noted, as this is the first tea that has given me some difficulty with identifying individual flavor components in a long time. Just know that no matter how strange it may seem, it kind of works, at least for me. I would say try it if you are looking to start experiencing some of the lesser known Chinese green teas or looking for a light green tea that shares some similarities with white teas.

Flavors: Char, Flowers, Hay, Honey, Mineral, Molasses, Nectar, Roasted, Vegetal

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 2 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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84

Continuing with my recent oolong obsession, I decided to give this tea a shot. I was intrigued by the idea of a Tieguanyin with stems and wanted to see if the inclusion of intact stems added anything to the flavor of the tea. Well, the stems did indeed add a little something to the flavor.

I chose to brew this tea gongfu style. In order to maintain a consistent brewing method, I brewed this tea using Verdant’s suggestions on their gongfu outline. The only thing I changed was the water temperature. I followed Tealyra’s suggestion with regard to that. I steeped approximately 6-7 grams of loose tea leaves (and stems in this case) in 4 ounces of 195 F water. The initial infusion following a quick rinse was 10 seconds. I followed this with 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, and 26 second infusions for a total of 9 infusions.

The early infusions provided a buttery, creamy aroma underscored by floral (orchid, violet, saffron, gardenia, jasmine) and woody characters. Notes of butter, cream, vanilla, sticky rice, custard, wood, jasmine, violet, orchid, saffron, gardenia, and fresh baked bread filled the mouth. Traces of minerals, hay, and grass were evident on the finish. Later infusions emphasized wood, cream, butter, custard, sticky rice, bread, and vanilla notes, though the floral aroma never fully disappeared. I also noted that the mineral and vegetal flavors became slightly stronger. The last 2-3 infusions emphasized cream, custard, butter, hay, grass, wood, and mineral aromas and flavors.

This is an interesting Tieguanyin, but it is not quite as robust as I would prefer. The inclusion of stems produces a somewhat woodier tea, which is kind of unique, but this is still very much in the style of a contemporary green TGY. That means curious drinkers should expect lots of cream and flowers. I like the aromas and flavors here, but this type of tea is nothing new to me, and I find the layering of flavors to be a bit rudimentary for my taste. What I mean by that is that I get a rush of flowers up front, then lots of creamy, bready, buttery notes, and finally a little vegetal and mineral character. If the floral character lingered a little longer and the floral notes separated a little more, I would have no qualms giving this tea an exceptionally high score. As is, this is still very nice and very approachable for a contemporary TGY. Just don’t expect something really different if you are familiar with this type of tea.

Flavors: Bread, Butter, Cream, Custard, Floral, Gardenias, Grass, Hay, Jasmine, Mineral, Orchid, Saffron, Vanilla, Violet, Wood

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 6 g 4 OZ / 118 ML

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drank Maroyaka Sencha by Tealyra
661 tasting notes

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90

Best jasmine tea I have tasted.

Flavors: Jasmine

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95
drank Cui Ming Green 2016 by Tealyra
661 tasting notes

This tea is so fresh and sweet. Notes of chestnut and green beans. Very buttery and smooth. I love it!

Flavors: Butter, Chestnut, Green Beans, Sweet

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90

Pure fragrant lychee with its distinctive floral sweetness together with pure black tea. This is delicious!

Flavors: Flowers, Lychee

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drank Raspberry Punch by Tealyra
308 tasting notes

A friend sent a sample of this in a recent package. I didn’t have high hopes because green teas, straight or flavored, aren’t really my jam. I wanted something fruity, refreshing and light to enjoy with my lunch today, so I decided to give this a whirl.

I didn’t know what the ingredients were and I didn’t bother googling before preparing the tea, but I must say I’m very pleasantly surprised. It sort of reminds me of Honeycrisp Apple in that the base is a blend of green tea and hibiscus. It’s really delicious over ice with a tiny bit of stevia to soften the tartness. There’s a fair bit of raspberry flavor which is nice, given the short steep time.

I don’t have a lot of green teas in my collection. I believe Honeycrisp Apple and Toasted Walnut are the only two I have in large quantities, but I could see myself enjoying a lot of this Raspberry Punch over the summer. I may have to place an order soon.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BFeysYJOy_X/

Flavors: Hibiscus, Raspberry, Tart

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88

One of my new Spring 2016 teas from Tealyra. I thought when I bought some spring teas I would probably buy from Yunnan Sourcing ; but I needed some herbal teas and couldn’t resist a few of the new spring teas!

This doesn’t have a pleasant smell from the bag. I can’t explain exactly what it smelled like dry but it’s not exactly a pleasant smell.

Brewed up, it’s entirely different. Sweet with hay and cucumber notes. A fruity floral aroma and a bit of apricot in the flavour too. Delicious!

Flavors: Apricot, Cucumber, Hay

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85
drank Magic Moon by Tealyra
1403 tasting notes

For the past week, I’ve been drinking green, oolong, or white teas, straight and blended in order to be consistent with the yin-yang work I’ve been doing through acupuncture.

It’s all a bit of a learning curve as I am mostly unfamiliar with which teas and foods and ingredients are warming and which ones are cooling. But I am learning.

It’s all a bit like shopping in my tea stash as my preferences throughout this year have been black and black blends, so those are the ones closer to the top in my collection. This current focus gives me an opportunity to reshuffle and haul things out that have been neglected.

Green with black blends have always been a bit strange to me, not here, not there. Why would a blender even do this? That had been from my predominantly black tea drinking view.

Now that I am mostly drinking green, I find that the addition of the black to the green adds body while the green adds a bit of lightness. I like it.

I steeped quickly with water for a green. To me, the first note is cherry—-boom, cherry. There’s a bit of papaya, but vaguely in the background, and the slightest bit of tartness from the rose hips.

A very pleasant cup. Very spring-like. Perfect to drink while gazing at the trees in bloom outside the window.

Flavors: Cherry, Passion Fruit

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 2 min, 30 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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75
drank Superior Miyazaki Hojicha by Tealyra
15006 tasting notes

Tea from a friend. I really just wanted to try this before passing it on to another friend i know will appreciate it more. This isn’t overly roasted….obviously it has that similar hojicha taste to it, but it’s light and doesn’t have that heavy feeling that a lot of hojichas do for me. there’s a bit of sweetness to this as well, though i don’t get that familiar “green” taste coming through. not too shabby!

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95
drank Nirvana Calm Down by Tealyra
1403 tasting notes

I seem to be drinking an increasing number of herbals lately. Funny that so many camomile-base teas taste pretty much the same. You know what I’m talking about: that sleepytime story, give or take an herb or two.

This one is not of that ilk. Camomile, though it is not available in the drop down menu to enter it here on Steepster, is just one of the herbs on the side while linden is the main flavour coming through with a bit of a jolt from the liquorice. A nicely balanced blend, more like an herbal chai mix than a sleepytime, though it is quite soothing.

I will likely keep this one on hand. The rating reflects getting the job done, not just the flavour blend.

Flavors: Grass

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML
Sil

added it for you. it’s chamomile, the sneaky “h” tricked you :)

Evol Ving Ness

Thank you, Sil. It might have been a long time before I found that one.

Sil

haha

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95

Mmm, I just remembered that Tealux is now called Tealyra, so I am reposting under Tealyra even though it is essentially the same thing. Also, strangely I’ve noticed that Guangzhou on Steepster is predominantly spelled with a Q as the first letter. When I was working there, it most definitely was transliterated into English with G as the first letter, so I am going with that spelling.

I had been feeling a bit better and stronger, but things are dipping again. Yesterday, I attended a qi gong class, which should fill me with vibrancy and something positive, but no. Instead, I woke up feeling exhausted and weak. Chronic illness sucks.

I did have a fantastic breakfast though. Leftover Horiatiki salad from Greek Town and some grilled squid I picked up in Korean town. Bizarre but good. I love living in a city where it’s all available in a day’s outing.

Followed breakfast up with this lovely lovely tea.

Perhaps this is a new batch of limited edition Milk Oolong compared to that of previous reviews. The label doesn’t indicate limited edition, but there don’t seem to be other options.

My first steeping was milky cream with the barest hint of vegetal. The second steep, which I left a wee bit too long, is coming through with a very pleasant oolong green, but not too green, flavour with a bit of creamy backup. No sense of mineral or imitation flavours. I look forward what the next steeps bring.

Third steeping, still buttery with a strong enough light oolong backup. Most likely will pleasantly survive a fourth and maybe fifth steeping.

Yep, the fourth and fifth steepings were quite lovely and flavourful, so I could have kept going if I hadn’t gotten bored.

Flavors: Butter, Corn Husk, Cream, Milk, Popcorn

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 2 min, 30 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML
Indigobloom

Omg great food combo! :P
Also, I need to buy some Milky Oolong soon!! yum

Plunkybug

Milk oolong is definitely one of my favourite oolongs.

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100

My Japanese friends said Japanese white tea doesn’t exist. I am so glad they were wrong!

I did three pour overs. The resulting liquid is incredibly smooth, delicate and elegant.

The flavor is sort of sencha-like, full, but really delicate. I love how pale the wet leaf gets after I poured.

Preparation
160 °F / 71 °C 0 min, 45 sec 1 tsp 6 OZ / 177 ML

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