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“Gong fu oolong of the afternoon. I used about a tablespoon and a half of leaf for my 6oz pot, which 150% of what I had been using for oolongs previously (with not great results). This TGY is fairly...” Read full tasting note
“This was a surprise. The leaf looked both small and somewhat broken, and I didn’t detect much of a nose on the infused leaf. However, the flavor of the tea is much stronger than its nose would...” Read full tasting note
“The tea smells very leafy in the package. Kind of fresh and not nutty. 195/4 min. So, it’s not surprising that it brews up to be a fresh tasting TKY. It’s nice, but there is no nuttiness to it....” Read full tasting note
“I really don’t like giving bad reviews or low scores. It’s not something I enjoy. Unfortunately neither is this tea. It’s just not good. It wants to be but its not. Please don’t consider this...” Read full tasting note
Ti Kuan Yin is commonly known as “Iron Goddess of Mercy.” It is considered to be the finest oolong from China and competition-grade Ti Kuan Yins sell at upwards of thousands of dollars per pound. After sampling many versions of this popular rolled oolong, we decided on this one. Its tiny blue-green pellets emit aromas of flowers and field grasses. The crisp yellow infusion smells mellow, buttery and floral, and tastes summery, smooth and sweet. Notes of gardenias and orchids are complemented with decadently rich, creamy undertones. As you reinfuse the leaves, the flavor becomes brighter and greener. A clean, lasting, floral finish makes it an ideal choice for pairing with homemade fruit, nut or vanilla puddings.
Our mission is simple: to provide gourmet teas and practical teaware. We source all of our teas and teaware directly from China, Taiwan and India to ensure the maximum quality, value and freshness for our customers. By cutting out the middleman in our selection process, we can pass on savings to our customers and guarantee the quality of each and every one of our products.
Gong fu oolong of the afternoon. I used about a tablespoon and a half of leaf for my 6oz pot, which 150% of what I had been using for oolongs previously (with not great results).
This TGY is fairly different from the other ones I had been having before I went to Canada. I do remember this from my first session (western brewing) with this: it’s really green and floral, but not really creamy or buttery. First steep of this (20 seconds) pretty much plays out like that. It’s very green, a bit of cooked vegetables, with strongish orchid/gardenia florals laid over the top. Very fresh, very green, very springy without any darker, richer, buttery notes. Also coming with that is a fair amount of mouth-drying astringency. Second steep (20 seconds) pretty much lacks the florals and is all strong, astringent, almost bitter vegetables. It’s kind of not tasty at all, actually, and I don’t really want to resteep it any more. If I were to rate this on the quality of it’s first steep it still wouldn’t be super high based on the fact that it’s missing those creamy, buttery notes I love in a TGY. I liked it a bit more western-style, but not drastically.
This was a surprise. The leaf looked both small and somewhat broken, and I didn’t detect much of a nose on the infused leaf. However, the flavor of the tea is much stronger than its nose would suggest, and I think this could make, as one reviewer said, a good everyday drinker.
The tea smells very leafy in the package. Kind of fresh and not nutty. 195/4 min. So, it’s not surprising that it brews up to be a fresh tasting TKY. It’s nice, but there is no nuttiness to it. It’s slightly floral in the aftertaste, but not for long. There are, unfortunately, no “rich, creamy undertones” as the description suggests.
I really don’t like giving bad reviews or low scores. It’s not something I enjoy. Unfortunately neither is this tea. It’s just not good. It wants to be but its not.
Please don’t consider this tea for everyday drinking. There is so much affordable TGY out there that is so much better. Again, I don’t enjoy slighting a company for any reason (and am completely unbiased) but please consider Life In Teacup’s Grade II over this stuff. It’s friggin $2.70 an oz. and way more suitable for everyday drinking. That is unless you would prefer mediocre tea every day.
Apparently, I have never reviewed this tea before. It’s good I caught that fact since I only have a single-serving of it left now.
Right this moment I am squeezing (metaphorically!) a third steeping out of it. It has a divine vegetal-floral aroma and tastes like some milk-textured vegetable drink. I detect a lot of oolongy sweetness that I have learned to love. But yeah, it makes me feel like a goat eating a bouquet of flowers and broccoli-asparagus-celery medley. I never would have thought I would dig such a combination but I do.
It is my first Ti Kuan Yin Oolong (at least first that I am aware of) but it is difficult for me to predict if I am going to like this kind or if it is going to be one of my favorites simply because there are SO MANY TYPES of it. The one I got from thepuriTea seems to be on a very, very green, non-roasted side. I have some other TKYs waiting for me in the queue: the sample of Yezi’s Master Grade and Life in a Teacup’s Roasted one… Perhaps more than that (I’ve kinda lost track…). I am looking forward to trying them and figuring out the convergent points that make a TKY what it is.
Oh, interesting – I look forward to your comparisons. I read the wiki article on TKY varieties (I have no idea how accurate that is) and it seemed pretty daunting, what with all the different kinds.
There’s plenty of them! And I am soooo going to try them all :D
Haha – it’s always nice to come across a fellow completist.
