The aged oolong market in the west leaves a lot to be desired. Most of the time the teas are usually significantly flawed (re-roasted/sour), overpriced, or more often than not both. A couple years ago, I was lucky enough to sample a number of aged oolongs from Tony of Origin Tea that were offered off-shelf. This helped to give me some perspective on aged oolongs, but also move me into the cranky, old curmudgeon category of a drinker who seems constantly dissatisfied and cynical with the online tea scene at least for this tea genre. Don’t get me wrong, I’m nowhere near an expert but I have gotten a taste of the Taiwanese market to at least know that the idea of aged oolongs being good value teas with consideration to age (true in TW) is not extended to the western market. (more…)
Tag: Camellia Sinensis
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![5+ Year Old “Menghai County” Raw Pu’erh [July 2015 Tea Drinking Report]](https://teadb.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/ripe-puerh3-940x198.jpg)
5+ Year Old “Menghai County” Raw Pu’erh [July 2015 Tea Drinking Report]
Shoutouts to Dignitea, Brian (double B), and Hster for providing teas for this month and allowing the content to be what it is!
By now you know the drill. I drink a bunch of teas following a certain theme. Blah, blah, blah. This month is Menghai County. One problem.. Menghai County is big and I have a ton of teas that qualify. So, like the Yiwu reports (1, 2) I’ve split this in two. So why am I doing 5+ year old Menghai County tea first? Simply, I’m more calibrated for these semi-aged teas because I more recently have been tasting through similarly aged “Yiwu” teas. (more…)
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Ripe Pu’erh [October 2014 Tea Drinking Report]
In the month of October 2014, the tea of the month was Ripe Pu’erh. During this month, I had Ripe Pu’erh at least once a day (unless totally unfeasible). I’ll still consume other teas, but the primary focus is understanding and building a palate for a specific type/genre/region of tea through repetition. This is the most personal blogging type style of post for TeaDB, and the goal is to stretch my palate as well as give recommendations to interested parties.
Primary tea producers:
- Menghai Tea Factory
- Xiaguan
- Yunnan Sourcing
Vendors ordered from:
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Aged Oolongs [September 2014 Tea Drinking Report]
In the month of September 2014, the tea of the month was Aged Oolong. During this month, I had Aged Oolongs at least once a day (unless totally unfeasible). I’ll still consume other teas, but the primary focus is understanding and building a palate for a specific type/genre/region of tea through repetition. This the most personal blogging type style of post for TeaDB, and the goal is to stretch my palate as well as give recommendations to interested parties.
Vendors ordered from:
Also featuring:
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1981 Wu He Camellia Sinensis Aged Taiwanese Oolong [Episode 51]
In episode 51, Denny and James review another aged oolong with Camellia Sinensis‘ 1981 Wu He. Very different than the cleaner taste of the 1989 Hualien, this tea has a more aged taste.
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1989 Hualien Camellia Sinensis Aged Taiwanese Oolong [Episode 50]
In episode 50, Denny and James start a short series on Aged Oolongs with Camellia Sinensis‘ 1989 Hualien. A great introduction to aged oolongs, especially dry and clean tasting ones.
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Aged Oolongs [March 2014 Tea Drinking Report]
Since the beginning of 2014, I’ve dedicated each month to a specific type of tea. This means I drink that genre of tea in some form at least once a day. This could mean gong-fu, grandpa, or even a cold-brew. I’ll still consume other teas, but the primary focus is understanding and building a palate for a specific type/genre/region of tea through repetition. This the most personal blogging type style of post for TeaDB, and the goal is to stretch my palate as well as give recommendations to those interested.
Primary vendors ordered from:
Also featuring:
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Camellia Sinensis 2001 Lahu Sheng Pu’erh [Episode 25]
In episode 25, James & Denny continue with the very diverse selection of Camellia Sinensis. Today’s tea is a 2001 raw pu’erh from Lahu. Grown from very old trees, this is likely wet-stored, this tea is pleasantly fruity and quite mellow.
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Camellia Sinensis Samabeong DJ-13 1st Flush Organic & Fair Trade Darjeeling [Episode 24]
British style tea. In episode 24, James & Denny travel to a completely different country, India. With very small and partially oxidized leaves, they review a Darjeeling from Camellia Sinensis.
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Camellia Sinensis 1999 Alishan Taiwanese Oolong [Episode 23]
James & Denny review a charcoal roasted Alishan from 1999. Sold by Montreal-based tea company Camellia Sinensis, this is an excellent tea with a ton of longevity. Watch as the leaves slowly unfurl to reveal wonderfully complex coffee and fruity flavors. A nice change of pace from the typical green oolong that represents most of the oolongs currently grown in Taiwan.