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“I don’t have much experience with Hong Shui oolongs, although with the three I’ve received thus far in the Eco-Cha Tea Club, this could soon be rectified. The dark, loosely ball-rolled leaves look...” Read full tasting note
“Eyeballed this one, maybe about 5-6g to a 100ml, boiling water and a rinse to preheat. I’ve tried only one hong shui style oolong other than this one, and so far I have to say I am an avid fan of...” Read full tasting note
As these leaves were slightly more mature than what is typically harvested for expedient processing and consistent quality, they were heavily oxidized, as was common in the region some 50 years ago. This involved about 24 hours of intermittent shuffling of the leaves by hand and allowing them to set for 1-3 hours at a time. In the last several hours, the leaves were put into a large bamboo tumbler to have more impact on the leaves with the goal of uniform and thorough oxidation. Following their exposure to high heat to cease the oxidation process, the leaves were rolled using the traditional method of a loosely bound cloth as opposed the tightly bound modern method. This traditional method of rolling and drying the tea leaves results in a wholly different profile of flavor and consistency. The effect is a rich, smooth texture with a complexity of flavor that exudes a character of handmade artisan tea.
This tea has a very traditionally cured flavor profile. It’s soothing yet refreshingly satisfying at the same time. Something about the higher level of oxidation and the very lightly roasted aspect gives it a home-made dessert character, like peach cobbler. It has a tangy sweetness with an underlying hearty, rich aspect that makes it a very substantial, yet not overbearing brew. More and more, we find ourselves appreciating this traditional style of heavier oxidation and lighter roast level that offers a broader flavor profile and a complexity that continues to be intriguing and satisfying brew after brew.
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I don’t have much experience with Hong Shui oolongs, although with the three I’ve received thus far in the Eco-Cha Tea Club, this could soon be rectified. The dark, loosely ball-rolled leaves look fairly different from the oolongs I’m familiar with, and don’t give off much of an aroma. I steeped 5 g of tea in a 120 ml porcelain teapot at 200F for 25, 20, 25, 30, 30, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds.
The first three steeps taste exactly like spiced banana-nut bread, with notes of grain, cooked banana, roasted walnuts, honey, and spices (nutmeg?). The tea loses some of its nuttiness after this and takes on a sesame flavour. It also acquires a peachy finish and a mineral note reminiscent of Chinese Wuyi oolong, although this could be just my imagination. The leaves consistently smell more peachy in the teapot than they taste in the cup.
A perfect dessert tea, this Hong Shui is rich, mellow, and indulgent. If it had come through with a bit more of that peachy flavour, it would have been among my all-time favourites.
Flavors: Bread, Honey, Mineral, Nutmeg, Peach, Roast Nuts, Spices, Walnut
Eyeballed this one, maybe about 5-6g to a 100ml, boiling water and a rinse to preheat.
I’ve tried only one hong shui style oolong other than this one, and so far I have to say I am an avid fan of this style of tea! This particular tea was intensely sweet at the start, but underlaid with a rich, complex soup that reminded me of tomato broth. The first sip fills the chest with a steamy aroma when I inhale after drinking and continued drinking coats the throat strongly, leaving a long lingering feeling and warmth in addition to sweetness,. The color is a beautiful, rose gold tinged copper.
The other hong shui I tried was less sweet and more intensely thick and tomato-ey, but this is also quite good and I find myself drawn to the depth of this tea, which resteeps remarkably well as I got at least eleven steeps out of one session, although the first three steeps are my favorite.
Flavors: Broth, Fruity, Mineral, Sugar, Sweet
