411 Tasting Notes
I am having more tea failure with this tea. First time I brewed it up, I followed the directions on the bag. Unfortunately they were written for a black tea, and this is actually a green. So I jotted down the parameters but jotted down tbsp rather than tsp. So when I tried to steep it this morning, I got a cup of tannic ick. So, I tried it again with less leaf, and it’s still a bit strong/bitey. I think this isn’t my cuppa. Maybe if you like teas like Rishi’s Organic Green Needles this would be for you.
Got a sample of this from denisend, and decided that since today was getting icky-muggy and hot, I’d make it iced. Not a bad cup, not at all. I think I made it a little light on the not-leaf, but I can taste the plums, and smell the spice, and it’s helping me not melt into the furniture. Yum.
Well, I’ve been playing with this tea a while, trying to get the best out of it. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get much.
The scent of the leaf is great. Milky and floral and oolong-y. I brewed it up to the reccomendations on the web site, and I got a very silky and smooth liquor, but it had a very light flavor – almost not there. When I added a little more leaf, the green and floral was enhanced. (Then I oversteeped it and it got all bitter. Not it’s fault – all mine)
Subsequent steepings have given me a still-silky brew, and a variety of green flavors.
It’s not a bad oolong, but not my favorite.
Preparation
Sigh. I’m out of this tea now. I seem to be finishing up a lot of samples recently, but I have WAY too much tea, so even with finishing things up I still can’t get any more. Sigh.
Anyway, this tea is still lovely. I got this sample from the lovely JacquelineM a long time ago, and I’ve been savoring it ever since. Dark, nutty, almost a little woody.
Goodbye fair tea, I will miss you.
Hrm.
I was at Whole Foods the other day, getting some Rishi tea in bulk, and the sales girl started telling me about Shang Tea and it sounded lovely. So, I picked some up and thought I’d try it. I am at work, and that means uncontroled steeping variables. And I think it’s hurting its tea. It’s bitter, but it’s not a extra tannic bitterness. It’s more a too-much Jasmine bitter. So I need to go and try this again at home where I can make sure I’m controling the parameters better.
I’m holding off on rating this for now. Has anyone else out there tried this tea?
“I am at work, and that means uncontroled steeping variables” – I just might have to STEAL this phrase!!!!
Uncontrolled steeping variables: tap water, not-so-clean mug, microwave only to heat water, pesky interruptions that leaves your tea stuck in the water twice as long as it should …. I hear ya :o)
sounds promising, i haven’t tried it yet but i love jasmine
haha I live by “uncontrolled steeping variables.”
I personally love Shang Tea, but I’d recommend that you actually go to his shop in Crown Center. You get better deals there (if you buy 2 packets of tea you get the second half off), and Shang will brew any tea that you want to try so you can see how it tastes before you buy it. Shang owns his own tea farm in the Fujian and his best teas are his white teas (silver needle and white peony king), although he does have some great scented teas as well such as honeysuckle and pao blossom.
When I first tried this tea, I wasn’t particularly impressed with it. But I’ve been drinking it iced over the last week. Yum. The orange flavoring goes wonderfully with the cold tea. I’m out of my sample… Boo…
Bleah. Got this in a swap from TeaEqualsBliss and I made it up for the husband who likes rooibos more than I.
Even he’s not digging it. He’s drinking it at least – I couldn’t have finished an entire cup of it.
My husband accused me of huffing this tea. I don’t know I’d go that far, but oh my goodness, the olfactory treat when I opened the package! This tea smells amazing. Hints of apricots smothered in cream in a sea of oolong-y goodness. I couldn’t wait to get it steeping.
The flavor of this tea is a little more delicate than the scent would suggest. It has a bright, clean taste. The product description said it would be floral – I didn’t getting flowers, but rather almost a spicy afterglow that lingered on my tongue, post swallow. It also has a very silky, smooth texture to the liquid, making it a joy to sip.
And this tea doesn’t disappoint in the visual aspect either. It’s a lovely pale light green. During my first steeping, it was a joy to watch the leaves dance around in the water, unfurling and transforming the water into something special.
Like almost all oolongs, this tea is good for multiple infusions. Perfect for sitting at your desk at work, or relaxing on a lazy afternoon. I also, in deference to the season, tried something which may horrify some purists – I tried this iced. It’s very cooling, and tasty but doesn’t take the ice as well as other oolongs. But all in all – this is a pretty darn good oolong.
Also reviewed at http://www.itsallabouttheleaf.com/649/tea-review-canton-tea-co-ali-shan-oolong-tea/
Today is an amazingly annoying day. I’m herding cats, apparently through minefields. So I’m trying to not scream at people and drink lots of tea. I’m starting with some of this iced.. I think I brewed this too strong, but I think overall I may just like this better iced than not. We’ll see..
Cross your fingers for me!
Fingers crossed! Keep those cats away from those mines!
Uh oh! May large amounts of tea make cat herding easier! (Can anything make cat herding easier? Probably not, but here’s hoping!)
::HUGE HUG::
Sound like programmers in a situation they need to be polite and politic? good luck
On a shopping trip the other day I saw a box labeled Chinese Red tea. Chinese red tea? I’ve never heard of that, I’ve heard of white, green, black, herbal, oolong, honeybush and rooibos teas, but not Chinese Red. I’ve heard rooibos called red, but don’t think Rooibos grows in China. So what is this red tea? Then, a package arrived in the mail with a packet of Bai Lin Gong Fu in it, and it said Red Tea on it! YAY! I get to try this thing!
Then, I found out that Chinese red tea is the local Chinese name for black tea. Oh. Phooey. I was hoping for a whole new experience. But upon further thought, I don’t know how many non-blended Chinese black teas I’ve had – most have been Indian, Sri Lankan, blends, or flavored. So this is still something new. Excellent. Time to open the packet.
This leaf is absolutely gorgeous. Light brown fuzzy leaves make up about 50% of the sample. And the aroma is luscious. Malty, with hints of cocoa and sweetness. Once brewed up, this is a lovely light orange. And the flavor? Mellow, smooth and sweet smelling. If it wasn’t for the caffeine content, this would be the tea equivalent of wrapping up in a blanket in front of the fire for a nap. I tend to sweeten my black teas, and I am just fine drinking this without any additives.
As an introduction to Chinese red teas, this is a great start. I look forward to trying others, especially if they’re at all like this one.
Also reviewed at: http://www.itsallabouttheleaf.com/654/tea-review-canton-tea-co-bai-lin-gong-fu/
Preparation
I had the same reaction to red teas just a week ago while perusing Life in Teacup’s site. Thankfully they put “black” in paranthesis next to the Red tab and that’s where their lapsang souchong was so I figured it out pretty quickly.
If it wasn’t for the caffeine content, this would be the tea equivalent of wrapping up in a blanket in front of the fire for a nap. Oh — that sounds marvelous!
So very sorry about the tea fail! ::hugs::