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One received this sample when in search for old puerh. It was kindly sent with other puerh samples from Daniel of Vancouver's famed The Chinese Tea Shop. According to his webpage it took a long time to acquire this tea, which came from an old source. It has been charcoal roasted the traditional way and re-roasted every 3 years or so. With all the talk on Life In Teacup about whether Tie Guan Yin ages well, and being that it is seasonally the most appropriate time to consume such a tea, it feels like a good time to give it a whirl. On this cool early autumn day, with water boiling, lets sit down, slow down, and enjoy some tea... The dry leaves are oily, dark brown pellets full of sweet, spicy, fruity notes. Upon closer inspection the leaves are a very dark brown. The smell is deep, spicy apricot and apple. These leaves receive a quick rinse before the fist infusion inducing a cloud of smells.
The third infusion has an initial flavour that bends to more of a caramel-maltiness. There is a fresh quality that presses against the heavy, viscous bottom of this tea. A gritty, chalky nature is revealed in the full mouthfeel and throatfeel of this tea. The chaqi induces a sweat every time the first cup of a new infusion is consumed. Besides dispersing up and outward, the chaqi also warms and strengthens the middle jiao as it slowly creates a comforting warming sensation in the guts.
The fifth infusion tastes lighter and fresher with ghostly, but still very present, deeper notes hanging on. The finish is still that sweet, light, ethereal, vanilla coco. The mouthfeel is thinner initially and thickens out in the throat. The qi here is warming and disperses slower now. A hot flash now hits the head minutes after finishing the pot. Now the warming- middle nature of the chaqi is more predominant over the dispersing nature.
This tea is taken a few more infusions. This last push contains sharper, thinner flavours of spicy wood with even some subtle fruity notes.
Peace
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Emperor Delight Iron Buddha Oolong
Rating (out of 5 pots):
 Quality of Leaves: Taste:
 Value: Recommend to others: Yes
Reviewed by: kamitea Please describe how you are preparing the tea (brew times, water temperature, type of teapot, etc): Brewing with water temperature around 90 degrees (C) in a yixing pot. What did you taste on the First Brew?: 15 seconds. Buttery. Fresh and light with floral aroma. What did you taste on the Second Brew?: 20 seconds. Less buttery-ness. Floral with stone fruit aroma and a light sweetness. What did you taste on the Third Brew?: 30 seconds. Floral with more stone fruit aroma and sweetness. Additional Comments: This seems to me to be a bit more finicky Tieguanyin than others with more subtle flavours overall.
Shui Xian Rare 20 Year Old Chinese Oolong Tea
Rating (out of 5 pots):
Quality of Leaves: Taste: Value: Recommend to others: Fans of Da Hong Pao or darker Phoenix tea's should definitely try this.
Reviewed by: kamitea Please describe how you are preparing the tea (brew times, water temperature, type of teapot, etc): Just off boiling water, in a gaiwan What did you taste on the First Brew?: Immediate pouring. The liquor was what I'd call golden brown and had a wonderful smoky aroma. Tasted subtly smoky with a nuttiness towards coffee and chocolate. What did you taste on the Second Brew?: 5 seconds. More golden in colour. Flavours became rounder, and richer, with more nuttiness. What did you taste on the Third Brew?: 10 seconds. Nice round, mellow smokiness. Additional Comments: This was my first experience with this tea so I treated it similar as I would Da Hong Pao, and it was very surprising. Lots of mellow flavour and aroma with later brews that had nice toastiness. The dry leaves even seemed to have a touch of licorice aroma.
2002 Aged Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe) - Fully Smoked Rating (out of 5 pots):
 Quality of Leaves: Taste: Value: Recommend to others: Y
Reviewed by: Adrian Sinclair Please describe how you are preparing the tea (brew times, water temperature, type of teapot, etc): Quick Steepings (2 seconds), water temperature 95-98 Degrees Celsius, purple clay Yixing tea pot, up to 12 steepings What did you taste on the First Brew?: deep and rich, earthy, very smooth, moderate fermentation What did you taste on the Second Brew?: rich and a little sweeter, smooth, still very strong What did you taste on the Third Brew?: continued deep richness, the flavours begin to balance out, the liquor becomes more red Additional Comments:
Iron Buddha Emperor's Delight Oolong Tea (Tie Guan Yin)) Rating (out of 5 pots):
Quality of Leaves: Taste: Value: Recommend to others: Y
Reviewed by: Adrian Sinclair Please describe how you are preparing the tea (brew times, water temperature, type of teapot, etc): Quick steepings (15 seconds), water temperature 95 Degrees Celsius, a medium sized brown clay Yixing tea pot, up to 8 steepings) What did you taste on the First Brew?: floral, sweet, "iron" flavours, fruity, smooth, hint of green What did you taste on the Second Brew?: floral, more "iron" flavour, clean finish, smooth What did you taste on the Third Brew?: continued fruityness, increased sweetness, perfection! Additional Comments:
Phoenix Oolong Tea Natural "Flower" Flavour Rating (out of 5 pots):
Quality of Leaves: Taste: Value: Recommend to others: Y
Reviewed by: Adrian Sinclair Please describe how you are preparing the tea (brew times, water temperature, type of teapot, etc): Very quick Steepings (2 seconds), water temperature 96 Degrees Celsius, small yellow/brown clay Yixing tea pot, up to 8 steepings What did you taste on the First Brew?:sweet and grassy, also very floral, What did you taste on the Second Brew?: a little sweeter, more floral, leaves opening up What did you taste on the Third Brew?: : the best steeping, floral and sweetness balances Additional Comments:
Rating (out of 5 pots):
Quality of Leaves: Taste: Value: Recommend to others:
 Reviewed by: Ben Shieh Please describe how you are preparing the tea (brew times, water temperature, type of teapot, etc): 100 degree Celsius water with Yi-Xing teapot What did you taste on the First Brew?: Light smoky taste with very good cliff tea rocky flavour What did you taste on the Second Brew?: Smoky taste becomes slightly stronger with more tea fragrance released What did you taste on the Third Brew?: Smoky taste remains similar to the second brew with the rocky flavour becomes stronger Additional Comments: This type of tea is full of energy, I could always feel my body warms up really quickly after drinking this. The smoky taste is not very strong so it is suitable for people who enjoy lightly roasted tea. The quality of this cliff tea is also very impressive, one can easily tell from the leaf and its strong rocky flavour which is a signature taste of a good quality cliff tea.
Phoenix Oolong Tea Natural "Fruity" Flavour
Rating (out of 5 pots):
Quality of Leaves: Taste: Value: Recommend to others:
Reviewed by: Ben Shieh Please describe how you are preparing the tea (brew times, water temperature, type of teapot, etc): 100 degree Celsius water with Yi-Xing teapot What did you taste on the First Brew: Light fruity taste with a lot of fragrance What did you taste on the Second Brew: Fruity taste becomes stronger with sweet after taste in the mouth. What did you taste on the Third Brew: Fruity taste remains similar to the second brew while the sweetness of the tea increases. Additional Comments: This type of tea has a delightful fruity fragrance as well as taste. The sweetness of the tea stands out especially at the third brew. I drink this tea commonly during cold weather, this tea makes me feel both refreshing and rejuvenating. |
The first infusion is prepared with just off boiling water. A fresh, malty chalkiness lightly coats the whole mouth with a lingering vanilla note. It has much flavour to pick on with a baked spicy and very light, sweet fruity notes apparent as well. The flavour and feel has an aged hardiness to it yet still retains its elegance. The thick but very slight aftertaste stays around for a long time while transmitting more of the dominant vanilla, and now, coca sweetness. A sweat breaks instantly. The chaqi moves, rises, disperses- the light, aromatic, floating, dispersing energy is powerful and calming. It's direction is quickly outward and upward. Ones forehead immediately perspires.
In the second infusion malty-thick, viscous, slippery flavours slide over the mouth- completely embracing it. A light sweetness with thick malty bottom comes over the mouth like a wave leaving behind the deep, mysterious, and chalky. Light into dark, light into deep, summer into fall. The tea reaches deep into the throat. The aftertaste is just a continuation of the initial sip.
The fourth infusion has the vanilla notes more prominent. The taste becomes a bit more creamy with deeper notes becoming less overpowering. The mouthfeel becomes more sticky and slick. The aftertaste is as full as ever with chocolate vanilla notes burrowing deep into the throat.
In the sixth and seventh infusions the tea develops a woody, slightly spicy character with the vanilla and chocolate notes just present as a back taste. It finishes dry and slightly bitter. The mouthfeel is lighter and sharper. The aftertaste is deliciously long and starts to develop a sharp tartness. The flash of heat comes much later and is just slightly noticeable now. Strong relaxation is induced. 
